Ancillary K9 Dog Training

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Dion and Ancillary K9 Dog Training. I have the cutest miniature golden doodle that everyone thinks is so sweet. And, he is, 99% of the time but there is this 1% piece of him that caused him to bite multiple children and adults and feel insecure around other dogs. He would always feel bad afterward but never enough to change the behavior. We had gone through four previous trainers that spanned from positive reinforcement training to choke collar training and the same aggressive behaviors reappeared, time and again. At 9 years of age, I wondered if our “old dog could learn new tricks”. We were at the point of deciding whether life was better with or without our dog and it was a horrible place to be. We decided to give training one last chance. Enter Dion and K9 Dog Training. Dion is smart, kind, fun, direct and extremely knowledgeable. He identified our dog’s behavior issues right away and taught us that in addition to training our dog, we had to train ourselves to make the dog respect us. This training is not for the faint of heart. But, I learned it is harder on the handler than it is on my hyper-protective and aggressive dog. Some of the sessions were hard for me to perform, but, ultimately, my dog has relinquished control, which has made him less stressed, non-aggressive and a happy dog 100% of the time. After 6 sessions, my dog can now sit and lay in position for an hour until we release him. I am finally in charge. I am no longer fearful when he’s around other dogs. Dion taught me the tools to make sure my dog is under my command and not the other way around. You will spend a considerable amount of money on training tools but you will have peace of mind that your dog will be able to behave in public so both the humans and the dog can relax. Dion and my changed dog were well worth the time, money and effort. I will be purchasing more sessions even though we have gone through the class package because this training has changed my life and my dog’s for the better.

My wife and I rescued two new dogs last year in Dec 2023, a Rottweiler (Roman) and a Doberman (Gunner). We've had both breeds prior and she is a horse trainer so we've always had really well trained dogs. One of our two new dogs- Gunner the 120lb Doberman- was extremely pushy, lacked any structure, disregarded the rules, personal space, and discipline. He pulled hard on the leash and was reactive towards other dogs, bikers, and joggers outside our fence. He was reactive on the leash during walks and he bit both my wife and I multiple times early after his adoption, so we just didn't feel safe with him any more. We spent 6 months trying treats, positive only training (punishment would encite aggression), youtube videos, prong collars, e-collars etc, and finally decided to find a professional for help as we wanted to start having kids soon and we were exhausted tip-toeing around just waiting for the next bite incident. Through exhaustive research we found Dion and Ancillary K9 training. He was mentioned in multiple online forums as the "go-to" guy in Denver. He trains working dogs for scent work, bite work, protection work, as well as general obedience, reactivity, and aggression, so he understands large breeds and their behaviors. Many people had also mentioned that they had been to two, three, even four trainers first and they just weren't getting results and they finally ended up with Dion. We decided to skip all that time and money and effort and go straight to Dion as it was best for Gunner and our situation. We have had 4 sessions thus far and my wife and I have said multiple times that we wish we had done this as soon as we adopted. Dion doesn't just tell you what to do, he helps you reframe your perception of the relationship you have with your dog, and the reasons WHY things work and why things dont work. He trains YOU to become your dog's leader and then YOU train your dog. Anyone can teach a dog to sit or do simple tricks, but it takes someone like Dion who understands dog behavior and psychology to truly modify and reframe desirable and undesirable behaviors. I explained above that Gunner "was" all of these things and I used the past tense as he IS now a phenomenal dog. He's incredibly smart and with structure, rules, and effective tools and methods of communication, we have been able to build a fantastic relationship with him. He knows his place in our pack and we are able to lead him effectively. He is happier now and he has more freedom to join us wherever we go. He is no longer reactive on the leash or at our fence. He's at ease and calm even in chaotic environments, and he respects us and our heirarchy in the household. We get so many compliments on how well he's trained by the vet and people we see on walks all over town. Gunner was rescued from a kill shelter in Texas and we had run out of options. Dion helped us learn the tools we needed to be effective leaders and to create a happy home for Gunner and every dog to come after him. We can't thank you enough Dion!

We went through a basic puppy program which left us wanting more out of our pup and really left us with more questions than answers. We found Dion who has taken her to the next level - we were looking for a better heel, better focus, better obedience and overall more well mannered dog, he delivered in just two sessions. Now we are eagerly looking forward to off leash work and giving our pup more freedom. We have only scratched the surface of it all! Thanks Dion!!

We’re about halfway through our program right now and we’ve seen really great results! Dion has been so patient with us and our 2 boys, especially because I have a ton of questions. He’s also been incredibly responsive via text and was very thorough explaining the tools we’d need. I’ve struggled with training in the past and he does a great job of explaining to me why certain things that aren’t easy for me are beneficial and we’ve seen really great results. He also let my mom come to a session when she was in town so she could learn! I think my super stubborn pittie is actually enjoying having some structure, something I always felt guilty about! We’re very excited to continue the rest of their training with him and see even more amazing progress!