Alpha K-9 Obedience

We found Michael through a simple Google search, after reading reviews we thought he might be a good person to meet with to talk about our German Shepherd Finn.  Interestingly enough, Michael actually encourages his clients to read reviews and we would encourage whoever is reading this to read some as well. They allow you to see the excellent work that he does with the dogs he has worked with. Michael is not a dog trainer, he is a behaviorist and he makes that very clear upon meeting.  Training with Michael feels somewhat unique but all makes perfect sense, it is focused on being a leader and someone for your dog to look up to, making your dog feel comfortable and understanding why your dog does the things it does. Our dog Finn is a great dog and we want to make sure people know that training with Michael is not just for aggressive dogs, even good dogs can become great. Finn was never very aggressive but he did have some outbursts and it was hard to get him to focus, he was very distracted by other dogs he would meet and never really realized how big he was.  After a couple weeks with Michael Finn is more calm, has less anxiety, looks to us for guidance and protection as opposed to trying to do it all himself.  We can see the difference in the way that Finn looks at us, he is happy and (occasionally) calm. Just remember at the end of the day it's your dog and you need to be willing to put in the work! Sky & Allie

My husband and I have so many wonderful things to say about our experience with Michael! It all started with adopting our sweet girl, Miko. She is a 1-2 year old Great Pyrenees who was found roaming the streets of New Mexico and brought to Colorado via a local rescue. We started out by doing a lot of reading about her breed online and were quickly overwhelmed by the common thought that a Pyr would be impossible to train, due to their independent nature. Miko's intense protective nature made her vibe around the house extremely different from our sweet chocolate lab we have spent the last 13 years with. She was attacking our privacy fence, constantly roaming the house for perimeter checks, barking/lunging at every dog who came our way on walks, was not interested in snuggles or toys, and even nipped at me in our first few days together as I was trying to pull her away from attacking the fence. We knew the first time we met with Michael that this would all change. He helped us see that Miko really is the sweetest girl. She needs lots of loving and praise to increase her confidence and really does respond well to having us in charge instead of her running the show. In helping us learn how to be good leaders for Miko, Michael has given us the gift of a full and happy life with our new baby. We are now able to enjoy taking Miko on adventures with us and our toddler, whether that means a quiet walk in the neighborhood or a hike in the forest. She now knows not to pay any attention to other dogs, because she knows that we have got her back. She is also much more relaxed at home. Daytime naps are her favorite and although she still does her perimeter checks at night, she is not barking for hours at a time anymore. I cannot thank Michael enough for helping us feel the connection we have with Miko now. We went from feeling nervous about our new friend to being incapable of imagining a life without her and the bigger than life love she has for her pack of humans. I highly recommend you give Michael a chance and keep an open mind. Be honest with yourself and own up to the poor patterns you were unaware you had with your pups. I truly believe that if you put in the work, you will absolutely be rewarded on the other side. We are looking forward to continuing our work with Michael and will call on him for all of the new fur babies we welcome into our lives in the future. Michael, we need to work on cloning you!

Michael had made it possible for me to become the leader I needed to be so I could keep my 2 1/2 year old 108 lb dog that I rescued. Thunder spent 24 hours a day in a kennel in a bedroom in an apt. He didn't have the opportunity to develop social skills so he had aggression towards other dogs when he was on a leash. On the first visit with Micheal, I was able to have Thunder heal and respond to other commands. I was shocked that this dog who had been pulling me around the park was looking to me as the leader. Walking was a joy now that I had the confidence I needed. Michael showed me how to correct his bad behavior when other dogs were in the area. I can now say Leave It and he responds. Michael has a special connection with Thunder and Thunder responds to him positively as soon as he walks through the front door. I would never had imagined that Thunder and I would have experienced this much progress and success in this amount of time. I will continue to utilize Michael's services so I can continue to become the best leader and owner for Thunder, because he deserves that. Thunder and I will never be able to thank Michael enough. Angel Denver, CO

I called Michael because my dog Luna was aggressive towards strangers coming into our home and dogs on a leash. I've done a lot of my own research, seen a trainer when Luna was just a puppy, and he was definitely the right person for the job. Instead of avoidance techniques that we had already tried we were going to rehabilitate her and just simply tell her what I want her to do more simply. She would bark, growl, lung, etc. It was difficult because her basic obedience (come, sit, lay down, stay, heel) was already pretty solid but when put in these specific situations she would get tunnel vision and nothing I said could get her attention or pull her away from what was going on. It was like all of a sudden I didn't exist at all. Michael was able to show me how to communicate to my dog that she does not need to protect me, I will protect her and I am handling the situation. I really appreciated and resonated with his approach to dog training, which again is why I chose him. It was really cool to learn how to better communicate with my dog as it made our bond even stronger. Luna is so smart and attentive she just happily tuned into me and what I was trying to tell her. Now when people walk in our house that she doesn't know I tell her "Friend" and she instantly starts wagging her tail and wanting to go greet them! When we pass dogs outside she will sit and "leave it" as they pass by. People are always complimenting us and I'm so proud of the transformation she has made!! We still have work to continue and I know she will continue to show improvements until she's perfect. I knew Luna would be able to learn quickly, as she always has, but Michael made the process so much easier. His energy and confidence was infectious to both Luna and I. After every session I had a renewed sense of focus and excitement to move forward. Thanks Michael! - ALLIE (I don't have a google account so used a friends)

Alpha K-9 Obedience is THE training solution you need for your dog. Our dog, Benny, had been through obedience training and was acclimating pretty well to our family when our older dog died suddenly and unexpectedly. Benny changed overnight and the trainers we were working with told us the only things they could recommend were medication or bringing another dog into the house. Benny became afraid of people, territorial and displayed signs of anxiety near-constantly. We became tethered to our home, either only leaving for a few hours or taking Benny to doggy daycare anytime we had to leave for longer periods. Having people over was also almost impossible and even when we were able to get Benny to stop barking and growling at our visitors, he'd remain on edge the entire time someone other than us was over. This didn't feel sustainable. We couldn't keep up with accommodating his needs and it was heartbreaking to watch Benny appear anxious and ill at ease almost constantly. We researched other solutions and were turned off by what we found. Board and trains and negative reinforcement programs only seemed like they'd make his anxiety issues worse. What Benny needed was confidence! We finally found Michael's website and had it pulled up a full *year* before we pulled the trigger. When Benny bit the vet and got into a fight with another dog a few weeks ago we knew we couldn't wait any longer. And we never should have waited in the first place! After initial conversations we knew two things: 1. Michael's approach sounded different than anything we'd encountered before. 2. But it made sense and we were willing to try anything. Fast forward to our first training session. Benny responds as usual when someone comes over and is completely beside himself. But within 20 minutes, using Michael's guidance, we've calmed him to a level I hadn't seen Benny achieve since our other dog had been alive. This isn't some miracle cure, but if you follow the training protocol you will see results FAST. Benny was instantly a different dog. That weekend after our first session, we had a friend visit on our patio and after some initial and short-lived unease, Benny fell asleep at our feet. He doesn't bark at every passerby anymore. He's CALM. I cannot describe to you how constantly on edge this dog seemed before. After Michael showed us that Benny's issue was a lack of consistent leadership in the household and we learned the initial techniques of how to assert our Alpha dominance, Benny was able to relax. We're still working on these new skills and habits, but the change has been sustained over three weeks and just two training sessions now. It's a relief for all of us that Benny's able to enjoy life more and we're able to enjoy life more with Benny. One of the best things about Alpha K-9 Obedience is that it is NOT "one size fits all". Michael will give you techniques to help your specific dog with his or her specific needs. Bottom line: DON'T WAIT LIKE WE DID! If you have even an inkling that Michael's approach could help your pup, please call Alpha K-9 Obedience today! Michael shouldn't be a last resort training option, he should be your first call. For anyone who's witnessed the power and effectiveness of Cesar Milan, you have an idea of what Michael can do for your household. You won't regret it.