Advance K9

If you're looking for a dog trainer who doesn't just train your dog but also teaches you how to be a better handler, I can't recommend Sean highly enough. When we adopted our dog, she was reactive on leash, difficult to walk, and needed to learn all of her basic commands. Sean approached everything thoughtfully and patiently, taking the time to explain not just what to do, but why it works. He trains the owners just as much as the dogs, and that has made all the difference. He has been incredibly generous with his time, knowledge, and support throughout the process. Thanks to his guidance, our dog's behavior has improved dramatically, and we feel so much more confident working with her every day. The best endorsement, though, comes from our dog herself—she absolutely adores Sean. It's clear that he genuinely cares about the dogs he works with, and they know it. We're so grateful for everything he's done and would recommend him without hesitation.

I have had an outstanding and rewarding experience with Sean at Advance K9! Sean’s’ knowledge, expertise and valued training techniques has led to a remarkable journey with my 1 year old Rottie, Mabel. From puppyhood and basic obedience at home, to early adolescence with advanced training in outdoor spaces to Mabel existing and confidently thriving in public areas. A partnership between my dog Mabel and I that I had always dreamed of with my Canine Companion, but didn’t think was attainable. Sean guided us to that place and level of training and obedience and beyond! Early on in puppyhood, Mabel began to exhibit unwanted behaviors related to overstimulation which often resulted in some reactivity, coupled with her being strong-minded and stubborn! Mabel and I were also struggling with a lack of clear communication amongst us, which led to a lot of undesirable situations and outcomes, and a lot of frustration for both Mabel and I. Sean, with his knowledge and expertise of obedience & training tools, introduced us to the DogTra E-Collar. Oh what a game changer that was for both of us!! The E-collar allowed me to clearly communicate with Mabel what the expectation was, and how to ultimately achieve a predictable, desirable behaviors and results from her. And when Mabel was not particularly interested or motivated for high value treats during training (I know!!), Sean quickly introduced Mabel to alternative rewards such as a bite tug or a ball on a rope and boy did this make Mabel want to work and train harder and have Fun! And in between sessions, Sean was always available to be reached with any questions or concerns I might have in between our sessions providing guidance, encouragement and a lot of positivity along the way! Mabel and I are forever grateful and appreciative of Sean and his unwavering investment and genuine commitment to me and my girl, Mabel!! Thank you Sean at Advance K9, we look forward to more training adventures with you as Mabel reaches new heights!

Sean has been absolutely transformative for both my dog, Rio, and me. I came to him with three significant challenges — building genuine trust and bonding, managing leash reactivity, and working toward reliable recall — and he delivered on every single one. The bonding through short bursts of regular play was a piece I didn’t fully appreciate until I saw the results. Rio now checks in with me regularly on walks, something that simply didn’t happen before. That shift in attention and trust has made everything else easier. Sean understood that the relationship had to come first, and he structured our work around that foundation. On leash reactivity, what used to be a stressful, embarrassing ordeal is now manageable. We can often walk past other dogs with minimal fuss — a result I honestly wasn’t sure we’d ever achieve. Sean’s approach was methodical and patient, and he helped me understand my own role in either escalating or de-escalating Rio’s responses. Working with Sean provided me with a great foundation - and confidence! - that allowed me to step up my work with Rio to off leash training. The recall work has been the most freeing outcome of all. Rio is now almost fully reliably off-leash with primarily voice recall. That level of trust and responsiveness is something I’m incredibly proud of. One thing I especially appreciated was Sean’s guidance on ecollar use. He helped me reset my approach entirely — moving away from aversion-heavy use toward a much more intentional, limited application that’s actually improved its effectiveness. It was a mindset shift as much as a technique shift, and it made a real difference. Sean doesn’t just train dogs — he trains the owner too, which is where the lasting results actually come from. Highly recommend him without reservation.