Innovative K9 Academy

Ok my German shepherd mix pup and I were struggling, so I sought out some training! I was hesitant about the e-collar method because I had a Weimaraner previously with an e-collar fail. But my fur baby got back just about three weeks ago, and I can’t believe how much better it is between us! We did the 18 day board and train. Joe was his trainer, and I feel like he really served as a translator for us to learn a common language. It was like therapy! It was VERY clear that Joe loves his job, and was very fond of my pup. He sent probably 12-ish videos that varied from 4-10 minutes long, showing me the training and how Lupine (my pup) was doing, as well as why he was doing this or that, and how they were going to help to correct it. The pickup was also great! Detailed session, no sense of impatience at my unlimited questions, and it was obvious that Lupine and Joe had gotten along fantastically well and had been productive. I’ve even had a few questions since, and Joe doesn’t hesitate to answer. I chose this place because of the reviews, and the ongoing continuing education- we have been unable to attend so far, but we are very much looking forward to attending the continuing trainings that are in SLC and Park City every two weeks!! I really couldn’t speak highly enough of Joe and of Innovative K9- best choice ever!

I cannot speak highly enough about Innovative K9! We have been doing group classes with Joe and he has been nothing but patient with our rescue pittie! Not only has he helped our dog gain confidence in himself and his skills, but he has always been there to offer extra private lessons and help us work through different behavioral roadblocks that popped up. I can't wait to keep working with Joe and the Innovative team next year as well!

My family adopted a 3 month old puppy (Mr. Mojo Stromboli) from a rescue organization not knowing his DNA makeup. He turned out to be a bunch of different large guardian breeds with some Belgian malinois thrown in for good measure. I tried all the free YouTube training videos online. Meh. I took him to a trainer once a week for a couple of months. He learned the basics like sit, shake, actually that's about it. The more advanced things didn't stick. -Walking him was miserable due to him being huge and pulling. -He would bark at a hummingbird fart. -He wouldn't stop using my 8 year old son as his own personal chew toy. -His resource guarding was scary. -Recall was non-existent. -"Leave it" meant take whatever I want and keep it. The stress level in our home was not sustainable. Something had to give. My husband wanted to re-home him. I told my husband he could re-home himself instead. I did some more online research and found Innovative K9. After talking with Dave, the owner, for close to an hour, I knew this was the place I wanted for my puppy. I was so nervous and worried about dropping my sweet boy off with strangers for 3 weeks. I needn't have been. Jake was his trainer and he sent videos weekly and I had a contact number to reach out any time I had questions. Jake was calm. patient, compassionate and the way Mojo would look up at him in the videos, I could see how much they had bonded and the level of adoration and trust my dog had in him. Mojo has been back home with us now for nearly a week. He is an absolute joy to be around now. -He heels beside me on walks, never pulling. -He needs the occasional reminder that the leaves blowing on the trees are not out to get us. But the barking is maybe once or twice a day. Not the never ending cacophony that was driving us insane. -He is monumentally more respectful of my son who will be attending a group training soon. -Now that WE, the humans, know what to do, the resource guarding hasn't happened.-Recall so far has been 100% We haven't worked up yet to a public place or somewhere with a lot of distractions but I'm confident. -His "leave it" has been perfect. I know this review has become a novella but Jake and Innovative K9 deserve more than a thumbs up emoji with "They didn't totally suck" They have given us the sweet, perfect dog I knew was in there but didn't have the capability or tools to get him out. Thank you feels so inadequate but from the very bottom recesses of my grateful heart, thank you Jake!

We have a baby and a toddler at home and made the decision to get a puppy. What were we thinking! I had very low moments where I was concerned I might actually have to rehome our sweet Miller because it was simply too much. Then we found Dave with Innovative K9. Miller took the Dream Dog course at 5 months and it was a complete game changer. He helped us understand our dog and what he needs. Instead of constantly yelling “no” all day long, we now know how to direct him. He stays in his bed throughout dinner until we release him, comes back to us on short hikes with an excellent recall, and is overall able to be the amazing pup he’s always been. HIGHLY recommend.