Our Clients’ Testimonials

Murphy came to me a year ago after being in two foster homes and then transported with 40 other dogs from Los Angeles where he was picked up off those hard streets. Murphy is a senior, 8+, and this spring he lunged and almost bit one of the staff at my apartment complex, where there are nearly more dogs than humans, and they made me put him in a muzzle while outside on walks. I knew if I didn’t do something soon I’d lose complete control of him and either I’d have to move or they would put this very loving and fun little dog down. Did I mention that he is a Dachshund mix. I thought he was aggressive since he would lunge and bark at men and children, both of which are plentiful in my apartment building.

Well, he is my first dog as an adult and I had learned to be a dog parent with books and dvds until I met Steve and Christina. Thank God for the internet, I found Nitro K9 and a very patient trainer. Yes, the evaluation process is long but for Steve to do his job and help save a very fearful dog, like Murphy, he had to know as much as he could before the very minimal time of 30 minutes he has with the owner and dog to know how to approach both human and dog and give both a chance at a successful experience and a change in their lives together.

To make a long story short, we worked seven weeks together this past summer. And in seven weeks Murphy kinda learned to sit. It seems funny now, but Steve was so patient with us. Murphy is a senior and had never been trained AT ALL. Did not know any commands as we found out. So he was a unique challenge. The truth is he was just slower to pick up on the training than others. Its now been three months later and he sits when I tell him to mostly, sits before I give him his dinner when I remember to tell him to. And walks right next to me in his prong collar very nicely. I am a much better dog parent thanks to Steve and Christina. As we were having our challenges with Murphy, Steve taught me a lot about nutrition for him, which worked by the way, and how to handle him on the leash better. I walk him two to three times a day and I love how he minds me on our walks.

He was not aggressive. He was afraid. He is still afraid of strangers, especially men and really afraid of children. But I now know how to handle him in those situations. And for that I a very grateful to Steve and Christina for their help and patience with this very loving little dog and his owner. Thanks Steve.

Lauren H.

They know what they’re doing. We took my dog there for some serious aggression issues. I was on quite a budget so all I could afford was three lessons. That was plenty for what we needed. They really showed us how to get as much benefit as we could, showed us a lot to work on in between, and even have a lot of videos on their facebook page. I’ve been much less diligent than I should be, and can still definitely improve my dogs behavior a lot by just continuing to do sessions at home like they taught me. If I ever have the financial means become available I’d really like to do some more advanced training. Seeing how far a few classes brought my dog, my confidence as her mama, and our relationship, has me pretty in love with dog training. Keep in mind that our last session was months ago, and I’m still feeling that it was that productive. After doing the cheap group class elsewhere, and then the one on one that Steve offers, I wouldn’t take my dog anywhere else.

Jamie W.

Steve started training Timber, my female lab puppy when she was five months old. It was amazing to see how Timber immediately formed a strong connection with Steve and showed her affection and trust with him from the very first lesson. Steve is an expert in his profession and he also taught me how to become effective in reinforcing Timbers training and creating a healthy, respectful and loving relationship with Timber. I completed Level 1 training and Timber and I wanted more.

We signed up for Steve’s dog walking services and Level 2 training. Into our lives walked Crystal who loves dogs and is phenomenal! Crystal spent three weeks doing daily off leash training with Timber and the outcome was a transformation I could not believe – I live in an apartment complex where there are many poorly mannered dogs and I have had strangers ask me how did my dog get to be so good and who is that person training my dog…..Crystal has quite the reputation around my apartment complex……people say she’s impressive! I agree….

A police officer approached me yesterday to ask a question about any observations I may have seen in the parking lot and Timber just watched him approach and I asked Timber to sit and stay. She sat quitely while we talked and the officer reached out to pet Timber head and then he said – well that is a well trained pup! Timbers actions speak louder than anything I can say for how effective this group is …. and all of Timbers training is praise induced training – not feeding her treats….

Timber is now 9 months old and I take her everywhere I can and it is a joy….and the public finds that Timber is a joy because she is happy and has awesome doggie manners…..

You will not find a more caring and expert group of individuals to help train your dog. Crystal walks my dog daily and Timber gets constant one on one training while out on a fun walk!

Exceptional group!

Thank you Steve and Crystal and Christina!

Patricia A.

Steve and the Nitro K9 team understand dogs and the needs of owners to have a well behaved member of their family. Here’s my story about the other schools and the difference you will find with Nitro K9.

We picked up our Labrador at 8 weeks old and started right away at a local puppy training company that focused on positive reinforcement. We knew right away that our dog was a bit different from the others in the class. He was more assertive and got into minor scuffles with other puppies. The trainer at our puppy school encouraged us to purchase additional play time sessions as it would be beneficial to have more socialization with other dogs. There was no improvement.

We then attended another training school and became more educated in the so called positive approach to training, got a book, bought lots of treats, bought a harness, bought a fanny pack, got a clicker and hoped for the best. But our dog continued to have trouble focusing and behaving in an acceptable manner. He walked into each class and would bark hysterically at the other dogs and have difficulty calming down throughout the class.

Then, we moved onto Nitro K9. We checked out Steve’s videos on Facebook and read the articles he posted online. We met with Steve and he gave us hope that our dog had potential. We signed up for the seven sessions of Level 1 training and were very pleased. If only we had started with Nitro K9 in the first place!

Steve and team were complete professionals. He gives 1:1 attention and guidance and teaches you how to train the correct way and get your dog to heel. Steve was very patient in training our dog and us as owners. He doesn’t claim to be a miracle worker, but reminds you that training a dog will take time and patience and to be in the moment. We are actually going to sign up for additional lessons after seeing so much progress during the Level 1 training.

We really appreciated that Steve was always ready and willing to give extra help and advice. He could tell when we were frustrated and gave us encouragement to keep going. He knows that training a dog can be difficult on the owners too!

Steve does a great job of tailoring his training to meet the needs of you and your specific dog. His methods have brought so much progress that we get complements like, “well behaved dog”. We were even able to bring our dog to a farmers market and he did great! This was definitely not something that could have happened before Nitro K9! Our dog isn’t perfect but working with Steve has brought so much improvement.

If you want real 1:1 dog training checkout Nitro K9. Read Steve’s blog. Watch the videos. Contact Steve and purchase some lessons. You’ll be glad you made the investment.

Joe W.

I got in contact with Steve & Christina at Nitro K-9 because my dog was becoming aggressive towards certain other dogs. He would be fine with some dogs, and instantly aggressive with other dogs and there wasn’t much of a warning sign.

I love my dog, so I wanted to find the best dog trainers in Seattle. Then I stumbled upon the Nitro Team and it’s been such a blessing. I got the intensive training package where someone would come out everyday and work with my pup. T

hey showed up on time and brought my dog back mentally and physically exhausted. In a very short period of time, my dog stopped being leash aggressive and started listening to commands.

I guess the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” was wrong. They’ve made a significant impact on my 8 year old dog in a very short amount of time. It was well worth the investment, no matter what some of the other complainers are saying. These guys work hard and have very high integrity!

If you are looking for a great dog trainer, call Nitro K-9.

Jesse R.

We rescued a 95 lb. St. Bernard who had aggression issues with both dogs and people. After adopting us as our family her aggression became even worse as she wanted to protect us from all perceived threats. I was on the verge of getting rid of her, but we decided to invest in some expert training before making that decisions. I’m glad we did!

Steve was great. At the beginning we were afraid and reluctant to even take our dog for a walk because she would lunge at people and fixate on other dogs even if they were 3 blocks away. She was nuts. Steve was able to get her to start responding to us even after the first lesson. He’s a good teacher for the humans involved as well. If you have a dog with aggression issues I highly recommend Steve. He was very accommodating and great to work with.

Brian C.

I actually found Steve’s training program before I adopted my St. Bernard fur-baby, Roxie. I am especially interested in the emotional support program, so that I can train a dog to become a therapy dog, bringing her into nursing homes/hospitals/etc… I put it in the back of my mind, not sure if it was for me.

Once I did adopt, I quickly realized that Roxie is a pretty anxious girl, and she was VERY aggressive about “her” territory (home, car, toys, food, etc…). Anytime we were in the car she would curl up and cower for the trip. She would lunge at other dogs near home, bark at people near the home. I had no idea how to help her out, and I knew I needed some tools to help both of us.

I contacted Nitro K-9 and Christina was able to get me into an introductory session very quickly. Once I met Steve, I knew we were in the right hands. He not only helped teach Roxie to heel, which helped her confidence immensely, but he taught me the tools and skills to communicate with her, and what should be asked of her at any given time. He is 110% devoted to your dog, and is very straightforward and invested in your dog’s progress and facilitating your relationship with your dog.

One of the keys with any animal training is to be fluent in the language that your animal understands. It did take work on my part, and was challenging at first to learn, but the improvements I’ve seen have been tremendous. Because of a personal move, I wasn’t able to complete the first level of training, but Roxie has already done a complete 180 in her confidence. She is sticking her head out the window when we’re in the car, just stares at other dogs when they become aggressive with her (instead of lunging), she is much happier and relaxed in general.

The training that you’ll get here is a classical, European style training. It is tried and true for hundreds of years. Police dogs use it, attack dogs use it, service dogs use it. It certainly worked for Roxie and I. The changes were not immediate (as with changes with any animal), but they are solid and positive changes. I really can’t say enough good things about this training program.

Liz W.

Steve & Christina (Nitro K-9) have been the perfect trainers for us. They are effective, fun, knowledgeable, and professional.

Kaia, our German Shepherd rescue, was a big ball of anxiety when we adopted her from the humane society 8 months ago. She barked at anything moving within half a block, refused to allow guests into our house, and was a handful to walk. Then we brought her to Steve.

In our first session (the assessment), we took half an hour to get acquainted with each other. He explained his training philosophy and assessed Kaia to gauge her situation. It was a good opportunity for all parties to meet and make sure everybody could work well together (as we had tried one trainer that was nice and may have worked for other dogs, but not Kaia). We liked him so much, and were so confident in what we saw, that we signed up for 7 lessons on the spot.

Now, after that set of lessons, Kaia is a different dog. She’s a great walker/runner, proficient with several commands, and is much more comfortable among new people and dogs. In fact, I’d say she’s well on her way to being an impeccably behaved member of the family–exactly what my girlfriend and I hope for.

Getting to this point has taken a good amount of work from all of us as the Nitro team had said (and we knew) it would, but every minute has been worth it. The sessions are an hour long, during which we’ve seen an immense amount of progress is made for both dog and owner. Of course, as most trainers are, these folks are wizards handling the dogs. The fun part though has been what they’ve been able to teach us; they show Kaia how to execute some skill initially, then work with us together so we know how to drive it home in the days till our next lesson. If we have any questions, Steve is just a call/text/email away with individualized, well-articulated advice about what to do.

I could not recommend a service more highly. In fact, we just bought a second set of lessons.

Brian Z.