I met Eric while I was at a dog park and had just pulled dog from a situation that can be described as "Trying to eat puppy ." We rescued our now 7 month old lab mix, Astoria, when she was 3 months old and had been picked up as a stray . We soon learned that our precious little pup had a few not so sweet behaviors. She would get very aggressive with puppies and also showed signs of serious food aggression towards other animals . Like I said I met Eric at the park after Stori had just tried to "eat" a puppy. He explained to me that while we might not be able to fix her behavior 100%, he could help me control it. I had never used an e- collar before, but at this point I was willing to try anything so that I could take my dog into situations and not be afraid . During our first meeting at the park ,I explained that Stori wore a harness that helped prevent pulling. Eric had my dog walking by his side like a perfect little lady within a few minutes just by using mild corrections with the leash. Needless to say, we no longer use a harness for our dog. Eric came to our house for a consultation and showed us the e-collar, he even had us try it on our own hands so we could see that the collar did not actually "shock" but provided more of a muscle contraction that didn't hurt but was not something you wanted to continuously happen. He also brought along another dog so they we could test out dogs behaviors and see how by the use of the collar we had control over the situation. So when the food bowl was down and the visiting dog approached the bowl, Stori's sneering and growling was met with one short surge from the collar. She instantly backed away and watched the other dog patiently from the side. We were sold. We signed up with Eric for four lessons, which I must add are definitely on the pricey side, but he has worked with us to make it a more manageable financially. Also, you get what you pay for which is individualized attention geared specifically towards your dog and their needs. Our dog is doing Is doing incredibly well with Eric and his program. One other thing I can say is that Eric never promised to fix our dogs behavior , however he did say that he would teach us how to control behaviors we wanted to correct without putting ourselves in a precarious situation. read more

DO NOT LOOK ANY FARTHER FOR A DOG TRAINER ,,,STOP HERE ,,and you will find how your life and your dogs life will change forever in a really wonderful way ,,,, i moved here for the winter from colorado and brought with me a yellow lab puppy 18 mo's old who had never been off my ranch and around the noises of the city , more or less ,neighbors, cars ,, or lots of people and the train really freaked her out ,,,she had never been on a leash ,she was a ranch dog , a hunting dog,,,a labrador retriever, bred to hunt up land game birds ,,not live in the city,,,So with in a week of being here in santa barbara,,i knew i had to get a trainer to help with her anxiety and mine and get her to settle down and just deal with all the new sounds and activity that she had never heard or been exposed too,,I found Eric and his partner Justin at k-nine solutions thank God .We got together and had a meeting about sunny and what coarse of action to take with her ,, ..to calm her down and get her to be a happy city dog ,,,while we are here for the winter from colorado,,,Eric suggested that he take her for a month to his training center during the day and bring her home at night and in that time he could really help her get used to a leash the crazy city noises and calm her down ,,so she would be happy here ,,,and he did ,,,,,,,it is a miracle what he accomplished with her ,,,in that short of time and we are still working together on a follow up program about 3 days a week to keep her on tract ,,she is now 2 yrs old as of jan and still very full of energy and because she was bred to be a field dog and instinctively needs to run , he takes her on long hikes along with other dogs that need this kind of exercise and she has learned to heal off leash and come back when called ,,,she is a different dog since we arrived last Nov,,,she is happy , not anxious, she stopped barking,,,she is calm and relaxed,, she's happy here,, which has made me really happy here also . So thank you Eric ,,,we will always be on board with you in some fashion together while Im here for the winters and when i return next winter I know Ill have to tune her up a bit , but nothing like before ,, you guys treat your clients beautifully respectfully and its a wonderful experience Betsy Rockett Aspen Colorado jan 2015 read more

Eric and the rest of the team are the absolute best. For one, they're all super nice and easy to get along with, and fun as well. Second, they are just absolutely amazing dog trainers. My dog was a little butt head. Aggressive, demanding, and just a menace in general around any other dog that got close to her. We had gone to another trainer before, but we didn't see any progress and didn't continue with her lessons. Basically, any time she was close to another dog she was not the sweet pup that I knew and loved. Eric TOTALLY changed that. Dogs can come up to her, sniff her, and try to play with her, and she's totally reserved and calm. And best of all, we can just walk past other dogs without a reaction. Queue, the greatest test. I'm writing this right now with a strange dog who escaped from his apartment (he unlocked and opened the door by scratching the lock and handle), sleeping right next to me and my dog. Because of Eric, I was able to use his training (for both my dog and I), to get these two strangers acquainted, walking next to each other, and finally sleeping and calm together on the same floor. This is something I never dreamed that would be possible with my pup. Not only getting used to being around other dogs, but the obedience training that we went through was AMAZING in getting her to sit, listen, and react calmly while trying to control the stranger dog and pick up poop, or while the stranger dog tried to chase squirrels and be a butt in general. K-Nine solutions has not only made my dog's life better - she's less stressed, calmer, and happier in general - but mine as well. I'm not tense and stressed on our walks, we can go to fun places and parks with other dogs, I can take her out to restaurants or coffee shops and she's well behaved, and my dog and I are more of a comprehensive unit. read more

We had an amazing experience working with Madison Garcia at K9 Solutions with our Belgian Malinois, Halle. We initially came to Maddie for help with leash pulling, general obedience, reactivity, and separation anxiety, and we have seen such a positive improvement in every area. Halle immediately loved working with Maddie and was excited to train every day. Maddie has a warm, welcoming personality that made us feel comfortable throughout the entire process. She was patient, knowledgeable, and always took the time to answer our specific questions and address our individual concerns. One of the things we appreciated most was how clearly Maddie explained everything. She made the training easy to understand and gave us practical tools that we could continue using at home. We are so happy with Halle's progress and incredibly grateful for the confidence and skills Maddie has helped both Halle and us develop. Halle continues to go back to K9 Solutions for daycare, and we always feel completely confident leaving her in K9 Solutions care. It gives us such peace of mind knowing that Halle is safe, happy, and in caring, capable hands. Halle absolutely loves going back, which says so much about the positive environment Maddie and K9 Solutions has created across the board. We highly recommend Madison and K9 Solutions to anyone looking for a caring, knowledgeable, and effective dog trainer. We couldn't be happier with the experience and the care Halle continues to receive! read more

AMAZING!!!!! Before I met Eric, I was afraid to bring my dog out in public or invite any guests into my home. My adorable little puppy seemed to turn into CUJO whenever a stranger came anywhere near me. OK, I admit that his growling was kind of cute when we ran into my ex-husband one day......but in general I'd like to be the one to control that type of behavior. I had tried other trainers before. Their lessons always to worked fine while the trainer was there, but as soon as I was on my own, I was back to square one. I feared I would have to give the dog up before he hurt someone badly. Then I heard about Eric and gave him a call. I told him my sad story, and he asked if he could come over to meet my dog. I feared the worst. To make a long story short (well, less long...), within a week my pup was at the dog park cheerfully frolicking with the other dogs. Within two weeks, he was even polite to their owners. Most importantly, he has learned to listen to me, and I have learned to talk so he will listen. He learned to trust me and in so doing become less frightened of the unknown (which previously had made him growl). Eric taught us these skills. He trained us as a "team" and helped us build a bond of understanding and respect and I JUST LOVE IT and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my puppy. Thank you Eric!! Your name is perfect: ERIC TRAINS DOGS....and people, too! read more

We cannot say enough about Eric and the entire team at K-nine Solutions. From the the first time I called to eventually making it to Santa Barbara and starting the training for our 6 year old rescue we were in good hands from day one. My husband and I live on our boat with our dog and needed some help with barking and commands. With sailing into new ports and places we were worried that any training would not translate once we got back on the boat. But we were reassured that what she learns will stick as long as we continue the same vocabulary/commands. We knew it was really us who needed the training but we needed a boost with laying the foundation. Our dog is sensitive and sassy! We learned that we needed to build up her confidence so she can be less anxious in certain situations and to trust that we will keep her safe. Also, we learned that with being a herding dog she really needed to be told/given a job to-do so she wasn't so anxious of the unknown. The trainers were amazing working with her. They really addressed her anxiousness and built up her confidence. Now it is up to us to keep what she learned! Knine Solutions broke it down for us in easy to implement commands and now we feel confident in what we are doing! A win-win! Now we can enjoy having guests come on board our boat and not have a barking anxious dog. Thank you K-nine Solutions! read more

My dog Tonks was attacked by two dogs while on her leash a little over a year ago. She became more and more dog reactive as time when on, especially while on her leash. It got to the point where I didn't even want to take her anywhere anymore. Before this had happened we spent lots of time at off leash dog parks. I conveniently work right above K-Nine Solutions, and have always seen them working with dogs. I had a conversation with Maureen and Karina one day in passing, and decided to bring Tonks in. After our free consultation, I'd realized that she should be placed in the 2 week, overnight program. This program would allow her to be around dogs, and re-socialize her in a way that I could not provide. I must admit that this was a lot of money financially for me. However, I do not regret my decision one bit! My dog is calmer, listens better, and our on leash walks are an entirely different situation now. She is a different dog, and we are getting back to having the trusting relationship we had before. K-Nine Solutions also provided me with the tools to keep her on the right track myself. I can't thank K-Nine Solutions enough for helping me get through this. This place is Hogwarts for dogs; simply magic!!! Thank you to the entire staff that answered all of my questions with patience and care. read more

Eric, Justin, Kai, and the team at K-Nine Solutions are absolutely wonderful dog trainers. My girlfriend and I took on a one year old Rhodesian Ridgeback, who at the time was not socialized at all. He was aggressive on leash and did not play well with other dogs. At one point he was so bad reacting to other dogs he redirected his energy and bit my girlfriend a few times. At that point we needed some serious help. Luckily we were fortunate to find K-Nine Solutions, and we put our dog through the two-week intensive training. At the end of the two weeks, he was a COMPLETELY different dog. He listened much better, and was much more pleasant overall. It was if we put our dog through boot camp, and he definitely got in shape! As well, Eric/Justin/Kai and their team trained myself and my girlfriend to handle our dog and what to watch for before he began to overreact. A year later and today we can take our dog to Elings, the off-leash dog park, and he LOVES to play with other dogs. It makes us so happy now that we can be a family together and we do not have to worry about him. I would highly recommend K-Nine to anyone that just needs some help with their best friend, as well as giving you the information to help yourself. Thanks! read more

We just moved to Santa Barbara and have a 3 year old English Bulldog. George is well trained and supper friendly EXCEPT when he escapes from the house or from the leash, then he heads for the hills. Now it is a cat and mouse game which means I try to lure him back, and he waits until I am close, then runs off again. Bulldogs are very stubborn and no end of positive, or negative reinforcement corrected this naughty and dangerous behavior. We do not have an enclosed front garden here, so opening the door has to be done carefully. In desperation, I called Eric. Eric came at once and told me that with very stubborn dogs, the electronic collar (which just makes their neck muscles twitch) could be the answer. Eric showed me how to use it to set boundaries that George could not cross without me, or he would receive a twitch of the neck. This worked almost immediately, to my great surprise. Now George stops at the door, even when there is another dog outside. He also walks well on the leash and comes back when I call hi. I have been with dogs all my life and have not witnessed such a fast, and positive change. I highly recommend Erik - listed to his suggestions (they may be different to yours). read more

Eric and Justin and absolutely amazing. I'm so happy we came to them to train our dog! They are so friendly and full of doggie knowledge. My boyfriend and I adopted a 2 year old lab/pit mix who needed some leash and behavior help. We spent 6 weeks working with K9 Solutions and I have to say it's been a complete 180 change for my pup. I always get compliments on how well behaved he is and I feel confident taking him out to public places knowing he won't be a hassle. Even after the first session I was seeing a difference. We still have some work to do but Eric and Justin are always available should I need help. They even started new pack walks for their clients. Imagine 15 pups promenading around Santa Barbara, it's so fun! I couldn't recommend them enough if you're having issues with your dog. You'll be trained just as much as your dog does! I love that they listened to our problems and always had a solution or training drill that would help. To me, the personal lessons are so much better than a group obedience class as you really get training that is tailored to your dogs needs. Stop reading and call them already! read more

I brought my 2 year old Golden Retriever, Sunny, to K-Nine Solutions after I found out they were opening up their facility. He's a little knucklehead and still needs a little bit of training in the heal and come categories, but he's full of energy and I needed him to be able to expend that energy and I found this wonderful facility. I new it when it was a different facility and since they have taken this property over, they have done such a wonderful job on all the improvements keeping our dogs in mind. Eric, Justin, Ann Marie, Adam and Judy are all wonderful people and care about all the animals. My Sunny loves going there to make new friends. He's very social and can play with any dog he comes in contact with. I am going to board him as well. It will be the first time so we'll see how that goes. Thank you for coming to Santa Ynez and developing a safe and fun place for our four-legged family members. Every dog should experience the doggie daycare at least once. You won't regret it and your dog will love you for it. Your pup will come home very tired and very happy. read more

I wish there were more stars to give! Eric and Justin are the best. My boyfriend and I got a 3-year-old hound and his nose leads him everywhere, walks into streets, on counters, pretty stressful, also hated skateboards! We needed help and guidance so our dog would settle down, know boundaries and feel safe with us. Eric and Justin are giving us all the tools we need, from one-on-one experience to pack walks with other dogs, I'm so excited at the progress we've made! We can now bring Hank (our hound) to restaurants and he sits politely next to us. I feel confident in my abilities to communicate and Hank is much more comfortable in his role as well, he no longer loses it around skateboarders on walks. They really structure a training program just for you and your dogs need. They are always a phone call away for assistance or momentary freak-outs! We LOVE these guys, they're both awesome to be around and we trust them with my dog wholeheartedly, so happy we found them!! read more

What a wonderful experience! When my fiancé and I brought home Fenriz, a Norwegian Elkhound, we were in need of some guidance as it was my fiancé's first dog. We ended up bringing Eric in and could not be happier. With Eric and Rocco's help, we have a polite little guy at home that gets along with every dog he has been around. Fenriz also loved his sleep-over with Rocco when I was stuck at work and needed alternate arrangements that night! We are relocating out of state but will definitely make the trip back when it's time to work with Eric on e-collars for recall! Update: Despite moving cross-country, Eric continues to stay available for advice. We are trying to settle down after moving recently and Fenriz started having some atypical submissive behavior (urinating) when in specific situations with my husband. I emailed Eric about this and he responded immediately. Although things are not back to normal as of yet, they are certainly getting better each day! read more

I took my standard puppy to K-Nine solutions because I was having unusual difficulties trying to train him myself. I thought it was just me. Eric at K-nine was the trainer I took him to. Within about 5 minutes, Eric felt as if he had some depth proprioception problems. The vet neurologist assessed abnormalities. Erick said he wasn't sure he could help Rasky because it would possibly not be a behavioral problem and offered to refund money. Wow , now that is someone who knows dogs and doesn't take advantage of people! After hearing this it made the utmost sense as to why it was hard for me. He hated wearing a collar(even after over a week), wouldn't jump out of the car even though it was only about a foot from the ground, and really disliked going for walks. I just couldn't figure it out. Thank you Eric! I can't say enough about K-Nine and it confirms for me that they are more than fabulous trainers, they know when something isn't quite right.... read more

I just want to start by saying Eric is truly amazing. I have a 4 year old puggle (tough breed I know) Logan, that had some behavioral issues I wanted corrected. After exhausting all other options, I turned to Eric. I was very reluctant at first to use the E collar, but after Eric insisted we try it on ourselves I quickly realized it creates a feeling of discomfort but not pain. We had our consultation with Eric and immediately signed up with him. We noticed results just after our first day as the collar provided boundaries for Logan. It's been just about a month and we are seeing amazing changes in Logan. He was always a good dog, just very stubborn. Eric really has changed our lives. This man knows dogs as well as people and does a good job at explaining the psychology behind the dogs behavior. He is the true dog whisperer. I now have control over Logan making our relationship much stronger and healthier. I would highly recommend Eric. read more

I write this review as someone that will not get the opportunity to work with Eric as he is moving to the West Coast by the time my puppy arrives in March. As I began my search for the best trainer i was compelled to call Eric based on all the fantastic and unequivocal reviews. I left Eric a message and he called back within the hour (he was training at the time and does not answer his phone when in session). We quickly figured out he will have moved by the time my dog arrives and we will not be able to work together. As a first time dog owner I have a ton of querstions and Eric spent no less than a half hour addressing all my questions, making reommendations and offering to be a resourse with future questions, even when he is on the other coast. Eric clearly has a genuine passion for what he does. I am so sorry I will not get the chance to work with him. Best of luck Eric. read more

Eric, Justin and Maureen are amazing!! When Aston started at K-Nine Solutions, he would bark nervously at every person that came near him. After a few classes, we had a new dog. We went from a neurotic fur ball, to a happy, content pet. Maureen was fabulous with Aston. She taught us that most of his growling and barking, that we were reading as aggression, was him just being vocal and wanting to play. He went from a dog that would bark at people, to being a friendly, approachable dog. Best sight ever, Maureen coming to our door for a training session, and Aston wagging his tail like a mad man and so excited to see her! Thank you K-Nine Solutions, and thank you Maureen for teaching us how to read the cues Aston was giving us! Money well spent! We will continue the Pack Walks, because they are great exercise for Aston and us!! Thanks again!! Collene and Nikko read more

Can't say enough good things about our experience at K-Nine Solutions. Our Australian Shepherd (Ringo) completed the e-collar training program and the transformation has been nothing short of amazing. We are able to take Ringo anywhere (dinners out, off-leash beach walks and hiking) with great confidence. Actually going out to dinner and putting Ringo in a "down" command where he stays put throughout the meal is something we never thought would be possible. Thank you to Justin (our primary trainer), Eric, Maureen and Carina for their genuine interest in seeing that Ringo succeed, and for giving us the confidence and necessary tools to continue reinforcing the new skills Ringo has acquired. We plan to continue to utilize K-Nine Solutions for ongoing training and reinforcement of Ringo's new skills. Do yourself a favor and invest in training with K-Nine Solutions! read more

I found Eric while browsing Yelp, he had great reviews so I decided to give him a call. My dog had some serious issues that really needed to be fixed. Eric personally came over, on time, and made an immediate impact within just one session (out of seven). Eric Smith is a professional with a deep knowledge of dogs and dog training/behavior modification. I often see him at the Cold Springs dog park in Newton either training with other dogs or just hanging out with his awesome Boston Terrier Rocko. When I see him working with other dogs at the park it reminds me of when he came to my house to help me out. He is assertive, calm and gives humans the knowledge they need to communicate on the dogs level. Eric Smith is truly peerless, operating in his own lane in the dog training profession. read more