In late 2016 we contacted Michael Mandell looking for someone to teach us (husband, wife and 5 kids) the things we need to do to have a happy, loving, obedient German Shepherd puppy. After browsing his website and reading the testimonials our brief phone conversation led us to believe that we had the right man. After that first conversation with Michael, he made it clear that it was going to be myself and my families actions that would determine how our puppy adjusted to life. He explained what an enormous responsibility we had in front of us and he told us he would help us every step of the way. Little did we know that making that first appointment for a private lesson that we would end up with our pup Murphy being such a wonderful part of our family. For the first appt. we had a list of questions for Michael as soon as he walked through the door. But he wanted to watch our puppy Murphy. He watched how she interacted with the family and himself. He was so impressive to watch. He most definitely knows his way around dogs. We were in awe at his ability to read Murphy (our puppy) and bond with her in such a short time. After watching him for 5 minutes with her we knew that we made a great decision having Michael help us with Murphy. During that first session, Michael made numerous suggestions after watching my family work with Murphy. He also suggested some "homework" for us to do in order to start us on the road to having a loved and well-behaved dog. I have to say it was overwhelming to feel so helpless at times. Michael made the training with Murphy looks so easy. When I tried I seemed to be back in grade school, nervous at the chalkboard. But I think that is why, in our case, he helped us so much in the first lesson. He showed us it was going to be our actions that dictated how well Murphy progressed through her training. We went on to have 4 other sessions over the past year and I can say that without a shadow of a doubt Michael is amazing. We are so happy with our Murphy's performance. She is wonderful to have around. With Michaels help, we have bonded with Murphy and in the short time we have had her she can learn so very quickly. She is in and out of her crate on command, waits to enter and exit homes, doors or vehicles. Downs on command almost anywhere. Waits to eat, the list just goes on. With almost ZERO experience training dogs we now have a German Shepherd that is the most loving obedient creature I could ever imagine. I believe this would not have been possible without help from Michael. I know that anytime I have a problem all I have to do is call Michael. Any question involving training we have had with Muphy was quickly taken care of after following Michaels advice. I am not kidding when I say after applying Michael's ideas it worked like MAGIC. To summarize I will tell you that I would most highly recommend Michael to anyone who was ready to take on the responsibility of training a dog. It takes a lot of work. I feel that Michael can show anyone the road to having a wonderful dog if they can just commit to following Michaels instructions consistently. read more

I can't thank Michael enough and am so glad that my google search led us to him! 8 months ago, my 5 year old dog Gisele was off leash with a few other dogs when she spotted someone off in the distance, charged at and bit a man on the leg. This was not the first time she had displayed aggressive, protective, or territorial behavior, (which had only occured in or near our house) but it was the most random and uncalled for. The police were called and she was cited for being a "vicious" dog and I was given a court date. I was absolutely a wreck and just shocked my sweet girl was capable of hurting someone like that. I should also mention that I share ownership of Gisele with my ex so we switch off with her every couple of weeks. I couldn't understand why she was behaving this way with me and not really with him. The lady handling Gisele's case asked me to have her evaluated by a dog behaviorist and that's when I found Michael. He explained that Gisele wasn't seeing me as a leader, so she was taking the role on herself. A few years ago, Gisele started displaying aggression towards people coming in our house, especially when other dogs would bark. So I used a trainer which essenitally was like putting a bandaid on her issues. I saw him twice. He asked me why I wouldn't just give my dog to my ex and told me to use a babygate to block her from the front door. My exerience between that trainer and Michael who's a behaviorist were completely different. After reading reviews and speaking to Michael, he stressed that my ex and I had to both be involved and on the same page for this to work. We came together for the sake of our dog and Michael was able to teach us both to become calm, confident leaders. Gisele's always been timid since we rescued her as a puppy, but I never would have thought her fears would progress into aggression. I've learned how to read my dogs cues, what her body language means, essential commands, and to properly correct her. My learning experience for the past 5 months with Michael has been so insightful and I can't recommend him enough. Rehabilitating aggression out of a dog is a process and requires persistant practice to shape the desired behavioral response but it's possible and so incredibly rewarding when your efforts pay off. Gisele is responsive to commands, and so much calmer now. It's amazing how fast dogs learn when they respect you as their Alpha and that's what Michael teaches you to become. It's by far the best money I've ever invested as being a dog owner and wish I knew about him years ago. read more

I could not be happier with the results from this company. My 90 pound German Shepherd rescue pup was a bit aggressive, not towards me or my wife, but toward other animals. While at doggie vaca, he would "bully" the smaller dogs and run them down. He was playing too rough and exerting his dominance to the point we were worried he might not be allowed back in the future. In addition, he literally pulled my wife off her feet during a walk when he decided to chase a rabbit. Our sessions with Michael changed all of that and both my wife and I were surprised how quickly and how well our dog responded to Michael's methods. Within two sessions, our dog was obeying basic commands consistently and we were learning as much as he was. What we learned was our dog generally wanted to obey, but we had to learn how to communicate with him and let him know what we wanted him to do. I must admit that I didn't know the difference between a dog trainer and a dog behaviorist before we started, but I definitely know the difference now. Trainers rely on performance and rewards while Michael teaches and emphasizes how to communicate with the dog to get the desired response. I know it will sound strange to anyone reading this, but Michael taught us how to get our dog to understand what we want him to do and now the confidence and trust level has grown with us and with him. It's hard to believe, but my dog and I have become much closer as a result of our sessions with Michael. It's like a brand new relationship with man's best friend. I can't say enough about how happy we are with results of working with Michael. This is a guy who really cares about what he does and how he does it! read more

Michael is the best there is in the Denver Metro Area! Our dog showed signs of aggression the first night we brought him home. He is a miniature golden-doodle (adorable, right?) so we didn't pay it much attention until he finally bit a groomer and a child. At this point he was two years old with possession and aggression issues. He was well behaved 98% of the time but the two-percent of his life where he acted out was growing more and more concerning. We had hired multiple trainers and even went to a dog psychologist. We tried CBD, prescription drugs, dog psychics, changed his diet, literally everything we possibly could to curb his aggressive tendencies. Nothing worked. We were finally referred to Michael. In ONLY one session, our dog was different. He has completely changed to become a sweet, respectful dog 100% of the time. I no longer walk him and feel terrified of what might happen. He has no more anxiety and just seems really happy. I highly recommend Michael to anyone who wants a well-trained, well-behaved dog that can function and be happy in any social setting, including grooming. read more

I have two, two year old miniature schnauzers, litter mates. Anyone having schnauzers knows that they are very intelligent and stubborn. Mine are no exception. Since they need plenty of exercise, we had taken daily walks of 3-5 miles. That stopped when I became ill. My boy, Sisu, started acting out with inappropriate behavior from reverting on his house breaking and aggression to strang men. I suspected it was because he took over as pack leader because I was vulnerable from hospitalizations and surgery. Michael came to the rescue! With his expertise and guidance Sisu has returned to his sweet self. With additional surgery to come, Michael and I will continue to work with him so he doesn't feel he has to return to pack leader. Michael takes a team approach. You need to invest time and effort, as well as be consistent. If you follow Michaels instructions, you and your dog will be successful. It's well worth it when you see the dramatic change in your pet. Michael is Colorado's 'dog whisperer.' read more

Michael was referred to me by a mutual friend for behavior work with my two adopted male weims. By the time we met Michael we had invested in several different trainers and still were not seeing any results, so we were leery to spend even more money. We were so impressed with his unique and effective approach. We put in the work and with Michael's support every step of the way, we overcame every single behavior issue that we had been dealing with. Our once wild and reactive weims were now calm, happy, and well adjusted. We learned through this experience that a lot of our dogs issues were caused by what we were doing, that was hard to admit because we work with dogs for a living! We cannot thank Michael enough for his patience and time, he literally changed our lives! What we learned helped us not only with our dogs but all of our clients dogs as well! read more

We have a Weimaraner that we got as a rescue who was loving but did his own thing, frequently blowing us off. After working with Michael, we discovered that dogs operated in a pack mindset. In a pack there is an alpha. He worked with us mostly and the dog to help us establish ourselves as alpha causing the dog to look to us for instruction and to fulfill his desire to please us instead of stressing out, trying to take the alpha leadership role. This brought about a calmer, obedient dog. Michael is really good to work with. He's professional, cares very much for the dogs insomuch as his approach to training them and has a great attitude-enjoyable to be around. I cannot imagine him not being able to help even the most difficult, seemingly "dumb" dogs unless the owners don't follow through with assignments and maintain consistency. read more

I have personally know Michael since 2005. I have recommended him to clients since that time. I have always received wonderful feedback on how happy they are using his services. I am a professional animal communicator. Sometimes you can talk to an animal & get them to change their behavior & sometimes you just need training. I have also worked with Michael regarding my own precious dog. She got attacked by two dogs & went from being sweet around other dogs to becoming dog aggressive. Michael worked with us & showed me how to be physically & emotionally to have us work as a team.Now I can take her anywhere & she's perfect! I really cannot recommend him enough. If you listen to what he says, & are willing to put in a little bit of effort, you will have a dog that you can be proud of. read more

We highly recommend Alpha K9. We have 2 puppies who were attacked a few times by neighbors dogs. They have not been very comfortable around other dogs and were always unsettled, even at nearly 1.5 years old. We asked Michael for assistance and he has shown us some great techniques to take back our house. He noticed one of my boys likes heavy amounts of praise and the other only needs a little praise. we love the connection to our boys without treats and the little tips he offers even while mentioning odd issues, though we are working on their confidence. We still have more work to do but we really appreciate all of the knowledge and personal expertise he offers. If you are able to commit to your pets, then Michael can likely help with any situation you are experiencing. read more

We have been working with Michael Mandell / Alpha K-9 Obedience since our Weimaraner puppy was 8 weeks old. She has just turned a year old. Her breed is high energy and smart and loving, and Michael has guided us through all phases with her. He has shown us how to be strong with her, and yet gentle. He never raises his voice when he corrects her and is lavish with praise when she does it right. He is a marvel to watch as he interacts with a dog and teaches them. Every session we work on something new, unless we say we need more time on a problem we're having. His whole priority is teaching us and our dog together. Michael always shows up on schedule and is available for phone consultation in between visits. We can't say enough about him as both a trainer and a person! read more

Few dog trainers can compare with Michael's skills engaging dogs and changing behavior We worked with him with two dogs at different times. Both dogs learned what we expected with commands like sit, stay, off, heel, quit in a very short time. Michael respects the animal and gains the dog's respect not with treats or bullying, but with calm voice and use of long leash lead and collar.Michael provides "in home" training which we liked very much so our dog(s) naturally went about normal behavior which Michael would watch with us then show how to correct unacceptable behavior in our home. We became more consistent and the dog became more lovable, happier and faithful. Thank You, Michael read more

Highly recommend Michael for help with any dog training/aggression issues. Our young dog showed signs of territorial aggression at the home front door, and Michael taught us how to use consistent leadership skills with our dog to resolve this behavior, as well as helping us with overall puppy training. It is amazing to watch your dog respond to Michael's calm approach. He is a gifted animal behaviorist and works with you and your dog to not only resolve specific behavior issues but to also strengthen the bond of mutual respect between owner and dog. The time working with Michael was so rewarding; highly recommend his services. read more