K9 Optima

We’ve been working with Josh from K9Optima and can honestly say he’s one of the best dog trainers out there. We have two dogs—Ziggy, an 8yo. Border Collie/Australian Shepherd, and Penny, a 4yo Ridgeback/German Shepherd— each struggling with reactivity in several different ways and Josh has been amazing with both of them. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and uses positive reinforcement methods that make training feel safe and productive for the dogs and for us. Josh really takes the time to understand each dog’s behavior, and he tailors his approach to fit their individual personalities. He helped us build confidence, improve leash manners, and reduce reactive behavior in just a few sessions. One of the things we love most is that Josh explains the why behind everything. He’s a great communicator—not just with the dogs, but with humans too! He’s supportive, non-judgmental, and genuinely cares about long-term success. We traveled from San Francisco to Antioch to work with him in person and it has been worth every last cent. If you’re looking for a dog trainer, especially someone who specializes in working breeds, reactive dog training, obedience, or just building a better relationship with your dog, K9Optima is the real deal. We can’t recommend Josh enough—he’s helped our family so much, and our dogs love him!