I've stopped writing yelp reviews but came on here to say Jose changed our life!! We have a 1.5 yr french bulldog who we were totally overstimulating in our home and became a terror to deal with. Resource guarding his food bowl, bad at walking, random growling at us, overstimulated by balls/dogs, and generally uncontrollable in any situation. We inquired with a bunch of different dog trainers and decided to go with Refined K9 given their holistic approach. Before Refinedk9, I had tried "positive only" trainers that evaluated Buddha for his food aggression, but they were totally ineffective and, in fact, made his reactivity towards food worse. We were also way over-feeding him and numbing him to treats. Other unqualified trainers were also unable to explain how they would properly introduce an e-collar and why e-collars are used. We were extremely anxious about having Buddha do the 4-week board and train to "reset", but we felt okay after learning Jose has many French bulldogs himself. Even though we didn't get super frequent updates, it was clear every week that Buddha was very well taken care of. Jose took the first week to evaluate our dog, his behavior, and get to know him, without "jumping" into conditioning. He took the time to understand us, our dog's behaviors, and tailored a program to uplevel Buddha slowly (place, relaxing around food, learning how to walk properly, with a gentler prong collar, and then an e-collar). He also helped Buddha learn how to 'communicate' with other dogs and 'socialize' properly in a safe space (not a random dog park). When we visited Buddha, we could tell he respected and liked Jose. I cried with happiness the day our dog came back :) He walked perfectly, he was confident, and knew how to communicate with other dogs. He was calmer in our home but still had his personality. We learned to make hard changes to our environment that was overstimulating for our dog and how to better communicate with him. Even though it's been hard enforcing changes at home, I feel so much happier with our structure. The intake process with Refinedk9 was a little confusing, as we talked to 3 different trainers over phone/email, although all of them recommended Jose for us. At the end of the day, we trusted our decision to move forward, and we are incredibly thankful to have our boy in the hands of a highly experienced and trustworthy dog trainer. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I could not recommend RefinedK9 enough! We first worked with Theo a couple of years ago to work on our dog's reactivity. The 1:1 sessions and group LRA classes were invaluable to us. Everyone at RefinedK9 has been amazing -- since then we've boarded our dogs with them many times while on vacation and it's a great feeling knowing your pet is in the care of someone who knows them well and will give them the enrichment they need while you're away. In terms of results, last weekend we went on a trip with friends and their dogs. Our dog was able to comfortably hang out in a new house with other dogs they hadn't met before. No reactions or stress -- just a happy dog being able to coexist. This was definitely something our dog wouldn't have been able to do before working with Theo & RefinedK9. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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I am so pleased with the service I received from Refined K9 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Theo (owner) was very responsive to questions and requests and the prices were on par with others in the industry. We opted for the 4-week board and train. The difference our trainer, Jeremy, made in our dog's behavior was AMAZING. Our pup (Boot) was super reactive to, well, everything. Passing dogs, children, randos, etc. etc. I could barely manage him. Jeremy returned Boot to us well behaved and totally manageable. Since Boot is a 07 lb. GSD/Husky mix, it couldn't have been easy to train him, yet Jeremy accomplished everything we asked for. Would definitely recommend. A+ read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Boot, relaxing after a successful walk with little to no reactivity!! - Pet Training Near Me

We just got our dog back after 6 weeks and my review stands. Working with Jeremy has been a miracle. He's super understanding of both humans and dogs. He knows how to communicate with us while being a wonderful dog trainer as well. Upon drop off, he debriefed us and answered all of our questions patiently. He also made sure we were trained and equipped to keep up with our dog's training. We live in a townhouse and our dog would bark at every single noise with all of the construction around us. Within the first hour, we can already tell a difference. He just stayed on his place command and was quiet even though his ears were clearly reacting to the noise. I'm not sure how Jeremy did it, but it's a complete 180 difference we see, we just need to keep up with the strict training. Getting our dog back, we know that it's an us problem because Jeremy didn't have a single issue with reactivity when he had him for 6-weeks. I think the structure and confidence Jeremy exuded really helped our dog. He trusted Jeremy and when new dogs were brought out, Tibbers didn't have issues that he usually would. We both heeled next to each other without needing the dogs to interact. I'm floored and this training (1 hour after getting our dog back) has made us so hopeful for the future. Thank you so much Theo and Jeremy for everything you're doing that really makes an impact on our lives. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Being able to place all day without the urge to run and bark at construction and loud noises! - Pet Training Near Me

We have the cutest and most charming 5 year-old Golden Retriever, Bruno. For several years we have struggled with his leash reactivity whenever he crossed paths with another animal, especially another dog. Thanks to Refined K-9 and our awesome trainer, Alexia Rodriquez, Bruno is much more relaxed and confident on leash. We can now enjoy long walks with little or no concern. Alexia is an incredible and patient trainer. She quickly built trust with Bruno and kept us informed throughout the month-long board and train process. Alexia made certain Bruno's people were well "trained" as well, so that we could maintain his new behaviors. Whenever I have questions, my calls are welcomed by Alexia and quickly addressed. Looking forward to more training with Alexia--Bruno may have an "off leash" future! Thank you Alexia and Refined K-9! read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I reached out to Refined K9 after my dog became a little reactive and unpredictable at about 1.5 years old. There are several trainers around the bay area, but I can't recommend Kim enough! She is knowledgeable, responsive, and tailored the sessions to what my dog needed. The tools and techniques I learned were very helpful, and training seemed like it created more of a bond through quality time with my dog than just a walk. After our sessions I had a lot more peace of mind because I knew my dog better and knew I could trust her more. My dog was generally well behaved, but became less predictable in enclosed environments or around a lot of distractions. The evaluation session with Kim was really informative, and after just a couple sessions I saw a lot of improvement in my dog's ability to stay in place and deal with distractions. It was validating seeing her behave so well while other friends' dogs couldn't sit still. We planned to condition my dog to an e collar because of some reactivity. We progressed slowly with the slip lead and prong collar first to developed a good foundation. The e collar helped a ton for recall and general obedience. She would still wear it as a safety measure, but pretty quickly I didn't even need to use it. I only went to one group session with Theo. It was informative, and the format was very structured since several dogs had serious reactivity issues. This was after the individual sessions, and it was great to see how attentive my dog was the whole time. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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Thanks to Refined K9 and our fantastic trainer Jeremy, our English Mastiffs are well on their way to having the confidence to enjoy all parts of life as dogs. We could not recommend them more, especially Jeremy for his in-depth understanding of dogs, his ability to build meaningful relationships with them and work to their strengths while addressing their weaknesses. At drop-off our dogs came home with a solid framework that Jeremy instilled in them over only 4 weeks. We are in awe and dedicated to our part of seeing these incredible changes through at home in our dogs. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I cannot say enough good things about this company. We started working with Theo at RefinedK9 in January 2022 to help us manage our German Shepherd Dakota's leash reactivity and I am so so thankful we found her. After having a bad experience with Koru K9 (inexperienced, young trainer who leaned way too heavily on corrections), Theo was a breath of fresh air. She owns GSDs herself and has so much breed-specific knowledge in addition to years of experience training dogs, she's a gold mine of information! She spent over 2 hours with us at our first session/consult and she immediately told us that we needed to focus on engagement and relationship before we even started working on the walk (absolutely no mention of corrections or tools). She had us go back to basics to focus on engagement and remove all tools at first and in just a few weeks we saw HUGE improvements from this. She had us start with short walks and then slowly increase the length and distractions over time. Dakota became a different dog throughout these couple months, walks stopped being a huge source of anxiety and she became fun to walk with (which I never thought I'd say). We eventually re-introduced the e-collar correctly at very low levels and over time she earned off-leash freedom, which anyone with a working dog will know is a huge boost to their quality of life. Balanced training done right can truly do wonders for dogs! After a couple months of private lessons with Theo, we continued to attend her leash reactivity group class about once a month or so to keep up with our training until early summer 2023 when we moved from SF. They also offer boarding with some of the trainers (which is huge for anyone with a dog who needs structure in their days) and we had a great experience with Kate! Theo has continued to be a great resource long after our 1:1 sessions ended and even reached out to her network to help us find a trainer in our new city before we moved. I am so grateful for the support we got from RefinedK9! I would sign up any puppy of mine (ESPECIALLY a working puppy) for training foundation here immediately to ensure we started on the right foot read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Our GSD Dakota enjoying off-leash freedom thanks to RefinedK9! - Pet Training Near Me

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We "sampled" several trainers and training companies in SF / some of them were very pushy with calls and packages, some of them very "cold" , didn't really seem to care or connect with our dog / or didn't have a real structure for training or were terrible at scheduling or communication - Kim from refined K9 is amazing - you can tell she loves dogs and clearly has a lot of experience - highly recommended read more

YAY for Theo and Jose!! Their extensive knowledge is beyond amazing! Jose is professional, uber patient, and skilled and knew exactly what to do to help us with our dog, Hayes. We cannot express how thankful we are to have found him, through Theo. Jose and Theo are invested in our success in making sure we are the best dog parents to our giant shepherd-husky pup, Hayes. They are dog whispers and we are so very fortunate to have been invited into their dog training community. Thank you again, Jose and Theo, for Refined K-9 Dog Training!!! read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Place! - Pet Training Near Me

Highly recommend Refined and Kim Capria! We worked with Kim at Refined K-9 to help our dog Tucker. Tucker is a 75lb shepherd/great pyrenees mix who spent 9 months in the shelter/foster care after being given up. Tucker had a fair amount of startle reflex aggression and some strong responses to certain smells and human behaviors. Kim did a great job in coaching us through how to focus and divert Tucker, and generally getting him calm and adjusted to busy city life. We are now able to take Tucker on 3-4 mile walks through the Mission without concerns about busy sidewalks or homeless encampments. Kim understands how to work with larger breeds and VERY stubborn dogs! As we progressed through the lesson-pack we were able to see immediate improvement in Tucker. I also greatly appreciate her willingness to respond to emails and text messages with coaching tips/tricks/videos as we continue to keep the big doofus active and engaged. read more

I cannot recommend Refined K-9 enough. We came to Theo for help with our 80-lb dog who had a lot of fear-based reactivity towards both people and dogs. After doing a lot of research and working with prior trainers without success, Refined caught my eye. Quickly after I reached out, Theo got on an initial call with me. She immediately understood our needs and thoroughly outlined how Refined could help us thrive in the city. She really knows what she's talking about and doing, which was a massive relief. Theo connected us with Kim who helped us further understand the root cause of our dog's reactivity and gave us many invaluable tools and techniques to help him work through it. Her approach was intuitively customized to our dog, which ultimately clarified our communication. Prior to our training sessions with Refined and Kim, we had lost all confidence and could not take our dog anywhere out of the fear/anxiety that he would be way over threshold and be totally unmanageable. We met all over the city to train through some of the toughest situations with high traffic, people, and dogs. In doing so, we've restored our trust in our pup and know how to best advocate for him. Now, we have all the tools to help our pup be successful and relaxed in the city. We've even been able to bring him with us to brunch and have coffee on busy patios and streets -- this would have been impossible just 6 months ago without Refined K-9 and Kim. They're the best! Thank you! read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I put off doing it for so long mainly because a month away from my dog and the general price of board and trains, but when I say I would do it again 1000Xs over, I mean it. I have an almost 5 year old American Staffordshire Terrier that we got at 1 year old. He had gotten progressively more leash aggressive and extremely protective of the house to the point that walking him caused me immense anxiety and stress and I wasn't able to have new people come over to the house for fear of how he'd react when meeting them. I had tried other group training, which helped slightly, but I was at my wit's end by the time I bit the bullet and signed up for board and train. My experience has been nothing short of amazing. On the consultation with Theo, I explained all of my dogs behavior and how worried I was and she made sure to set me up with a trainer that had loads of experience working with dogs who had aggression/reactivity issues. In comes Jeremy! I was a little nervous at first since my dog wasn't a huge fan of men, but turns out he just made a new best friend. Jeremy sent me updates on Bear during his time away and when the month was over, he took ample time to teach me all they were working on before we even started practicing with Bear. All of his tips and tricks were game changers and it was like having a whole new dog. I nearly wanted to cry the days after because it was such a relief to have him doing as well as he was. I'm able to walk him so much easier, have new people come over to the house and even start introducing a dog walker for while I'm at work. Even two months after drop off, I reached out to Jeremy with a concern and he responded quickly and set a follow up appointment within the week to help us. He was able to quickly give us tips that worked so well and made me even more confident handling him. I cannot thank Jeremy and RefinedK9 enough. read more

We LOVE working with Ken Carpenter from Refined K9 because he is very patient and effective with my sensitive border collie german shepherd mix. He started observing and learning about my dog and watching him in 'action' such as lunging at other dogs at our busy condo. When he started to instruct us, it was so eye-opening and effective that it showed immediate result. We kept working with Ken for a couple private lessons adding in role plays at our condo with his own dog, Ryker. My dog also did a board-and-train with Ken, where he was able to train privately with him and play/swim at his place! He got great exposure to a new environment, people and dogs in a controlled environment. We trust Ken completely with my dog. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

My black GSD Ronin had developed some bad leash reactivity ever since we moved back to SF and had an incident with another dog while on a walk. He would pull, lunge and growl at any dog we see during our walks. Being 8 years old, I knew it was going to be a tough task to find somebody willing to help correct his behaviors. I didn't need him to be a social butterfly but I wanted him to be able to go on walks and adventures stress free. In comes Kim and we have never looked back. Through the initial consultation, Kim laid down some ground rules to apply in the house to provide structure. She was very straight forward in the fact that the majority of the work comes from me and that I will have to be the one applying her teachings with consistency and repitition. In our first lesson, she taught me fundamental training exercises to build a foundation from which we will build upon. In the second lesson, Ronin was too anxious and refused to listen. At that point, Kim decided to cut the training short and instructed me to run around with him to leave ronin with a positive experience. I can't stress enough how important that was to me. To be able to have a trainer that adapts to the dog and understands there is no cookie cutter way of training a dog. We just recently finished our third lesson and it was the best one yet! Kim understood the previous lesson was too stressful for my senior dog and we dumbed it down and worked on other things like forced heel walks and not charging the front door when a guest arrives. Ronin passed the lesson with flying colors and his body language was night and day compared to the previous session. We have 2 more lessons with Kim and I already know they will be incredibly helpful. I knew it was working when we walked by a neighbors dog on the porch and Ronin looked at her and then kept walking (proud moment!!) Kim is chalked full of knowledge on different breeds and why certain dogs do the things they do. She could tell immediately Ronin's reactivity was fear based and our goal now is to make sure he has a positive experience whenever we step out the door. I've learned more about my dog in 2 months with kim than I did in 8 years of owning Ronin. We have a long way to go but I am confident things are only going to go up from here. Not only is Kim fixing my dogs anxiety, she is also fixing my own fears as a owner. I know my dog is not the easiest to train nor is he the friendliest but I can't thank Theo and Kim enough for not giving up on him. Look no further than Refined K9 for your dog! Theo and her team are the best out there! read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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Felt like they deserved this 5 star review even though we did not decide to go with them. We spoke with Theo over the phone for a consultation and she was so honest, it felt like the first time a trainer had told us what to expect with our human reactive Australian Shepard. She was very responsive, gave us all the information we needed and was very kind. Although we found a better fit for our dog, we still appreciated the customer service we received from Theo. read more

I heard about Refined K-9 when a woman saw me at the dog park trying to get my Labrador puppy to A) Return to me AND B) Give me back a squeaky ball he had just stolen from another dog. Cooper was young and already 70lbs and I could barely control him. He needed to run but I couldn't even get him back in a fenced in park. After a lovely conversation with Theo, I knew this was a group I trusted. Fasted forward a month later after Cooper spent a month boarding with trainer Kate C. Now I can actually walk Cooper and it's fun. I can take him to the beach to run into the water and he returns when I call him. This is a group of professionals who are thoughtful about dogs and their safety. I have learned so much from Kate. Cooper was always a sweet happy guy but now I am a happy owner able to control my very strong lovable dog. I visited Cooper while he was working with Kate and it was clear he adored her. I'm so happy I found Refined K-9. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Happy Cooper training with Kate C. - Pet Training Near Me

I recently completed my five sessions with Kim and Refined K-9. I couldn't recommend both the program and Kim as a trainer enough! I have a 2-year-old Shepherd-Pit mix, Kora, who struggled with nervousness, anxiety, and was leash reactive. Throughout our five sessions, Kim has helped Kora grow more confident by giving us the tools to understand her behavior and how to appropriately correct it. We saw SIGNIFICANT improvement in her behavior. Kora has become more confident, much less leash reactive (if at all), and also improved her recall. I highly encourage you to train with Kim and Refined K-9 if you're looking for results from a trainer who not only gives you all the tools for continued training, but also explains why something might be affecting the dog and how to spot inappropriate behavior before it becomes an issue. read more

Copper is our fantastically high-energy, dominant 14 month old Formosan Mountain Dog/ shepherd mix 45 pound rescue. He's had issues since the day we adopted him at 4 months old: extreme leash aggression, dog and people reactivity, leash pulling, super high prey drive, etc. We didn't know how to give Copper a normal SF life with beach walks, hikes and dog-parking. Meryl (and Theo, business owner) with Refined K-9 Dog Training provided the lessons and structure we needed to help Copper integrate into a relaxed and well-behaved state of mind. Meryl worked with our schedule so well, she's really fun to be around and brings a very calming presence to your interactions with your dog. Meryl gently walked us through her unique training process with various levels of commands to ensure Copper responded. Her particular attention to WHY her methods work are based on deep observation and research around canine behavior. Meryl is also a refreshing throwback, in the sense of realizing that positive reinforcement isn't always the answer, especially in the dog kingdom. Above all, Meryl is concerned about you and your pup flourishing in an urban community - the way she assured me that a light collar pop or collar buzz was easily worth reinforcing your dog should be under control, so as to keep you both safe - made me realize that we have been waaaaay too forgiving with our pup. The improvements in both Copper and our own behavior has been significant. I can't say enough about Meryl or her methods - what a game changer. Meryl didn't train HIM as much as she trained US in how to see Copper for who he was and what he was feeling. Parts of the training were difficult... it involves you changing the relationship you have with your dog and that is extremely hard, but once I started seeing the results I knew it was best for HIM and that made it easier. After five sessions with Meryl, Copper is definitely living his absolute best life on the beach, on the trails and in our home. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

New Trainer Made All the Difference! I am so grateful to have found Refined K9 & Meryl Cohen through a Google search a few months ago. We started training our Cane Corso with a local trainer in the East Bay and were not pleased with the methods and unreliability. We ended the contract and took a few months to search for a more professional dog trainer. During the time Kona wasn't in training, she grew tremendously and had her first heat. She also developed some bad habits like being very dog reactive and pulling when on walks. She also had moments when she not being respectful to members of the household. We had moments when we considered rehoming her. Back to Refined K9... I was floored that they had a professional trainer that had all the certifications that I could ask for. On top of it all, Meryl is also a Cane Corso owner! It took a while for us to set up the in-home consultation with Meryl due to my family's schedule. We instantly knew we were with the right dog trainer and Meryl spent over 2 hours with us assessing/working with Kona. After only 3 training sessions, we feel better connected with Kona and she's becoming a better behaved young lady. What we've learned are all very practical and easy to implement with consistency. We look forward to more sessions and expanding Kona's adventures since we are more confident handlers. My family and I highly recommend Refined K9 and Meryl Cohen! read more

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We have a 9month old corso puppy named luka and Merly has played a vital part in making him the great pup he is today!From the way she approaches her profession to the extreme care she takes when working with him has been absolutely amazing. I believe where Merly really shines is educating the owners and helping you understand how to clearly communicate with your dog. Merly built a excellent foundation with Luka with his all basic commands to more advanced things like healing and off leash recall. She really spends the time to make you feel comfortable and is always available for questions and concerns which was really important for us to have that support system! Best trainer in the bay! Thanks again for everything. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Luka - Pet Training Near Me

I adopted a two year old female GSD, (Louie) where we soon discovered that while she is sweet, was super reactive on leash to other people and other dogs. She would bark, or lunge or growl sporadically. As a responsible dog owner, I took it upon myself to find a trainer who specializes in the GSD breed and to also teach our new pup basic obedience. Jose, took Louie in for a four week board/train program. All I can say is everyone at Refined K9 knows their stuff! Louie, can now walk without pulling, knows all her basic commands, has excellent recall (would previously just walk away from me), meets people in a calm manner, and absolutely LOVES other dogs. The amount of joy in our lives is so much more abundant with our well behaved German Shepard! Thank you! read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I first contacted 2 other trainers whom were referred to me. One by a friend and one by a client. One never got back to me and the other in about 3 weeks! Can you imagine? I was on my own. Enter Refined k9. After perusing the website I came across Meryl Cohen. She has a Cane Corso named Marco. I thought for sure it was a "sign" as I needed help with my Cane Corso puppy. I contacted refined k9 and Theo called me back in just a few short hours! I made an appointment for a consultation imediately. My household had spiraled out of control despite some basic puppy classes we had tried so hard to implement. (We also have 3 Boston terriers) We were at the point where we considered rehoming Emmy. We feared she was going to hurt one of the Boston's whom all come in at about 13-15 lbs. We were intimidated by her and she knew it. Working with Meryl has literally changed everything for the better. We are now confident, consistent, and fair leaders. The skills we were taught will be practiced daily. Emmy (cane corso) can join us in outdoor dining and shopping trips and behave in a way that makes her a good ambassador for our breed. We get compliments every time we're out on how well behaved she is. Thank you refined K9 we are forever grateful for training with Meryl! read more

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We were referred to Refined K9 by a couple of friends after having some issues with Pepper's reactivity and recall. After completing a series of sessions with Kim, both issues are almost completely resolved! Kim laid out a training plan that addressed all of our problems and introduced new techniques each session that built upon the last, helping us practice them so we felt comfortable using them on our own. She clearly explained what to work on between sessions and was super helpful answering any questions that came up. Pepper is so much more confident around distractions and we now have the tools to round out her training even more. Highly highly recommend Kim! read more

As first-time dog owners, my boyfriend and I wanted to ensure that our husky/malamute/chow chow mix named Kumo would be set up for success. After picking him up from the shelter (he was 5 months old at the time), we found Refined K-9, and Theo (business owner) recommended their puppy program to setup the basics, and started us off with Meryl. Meryl is the best dog trainer we've ever had the privilege to help us raise Kumo! After finishing the puppy program, he was making steady progress, and we wanted to continue Kumo's training with Meryl through eight sessions of their behavior modification program. Meryl has always been honest, upfront, and encouraging with our progress and dedication to raising Kumo. All of the road bumps we've experienced with raising Kumo were fully addressed by Meryl, and she always gave us excellent advice on maintaining the good behaviors he's acquired to this day. Here are a few examples of Kumo's behavior modification over the past 6 months: - Perfect office behavior. He used to be quite the escape artist when he was younger. Obedience and crate training took care of that. - Very considerate of pace when walking with him. When he was a puppy, he would pull as if he's pulling a sled. Compare that to now, he was extra slow and watchful of me when I'd take him to potty while I was sick. - Excellent recall! Kumo will come to me/my boyfriend when called, and we use Meryl's techniques she taught us in the occasion he doesn't immediately come over. - Very good at maintaining focus, and not negatively reacting towards overreactive dogs, surprising situations, etc. Kumo is about to turn a year old soon, and he's continued to be such a good boy thanks to Meryl's efforts! Our goals for last year were to prepare him for the AKC Good Canine Citizen exam, successfully do off-leash training, and good obedience when in office/dining outside. Meryl has successfully prepared us for all of those goals, and then some! Because Meryl helped us see so much potential in Kumo, we intend on getting him engaged with more advanced behavior training with Meryl, and the possibilities of certain dog sports. Did I mention that her amazing Cane Corso, Marco, professionally competes in dog sports, is an amazing tracker, and does even more working dog training? Meryl is very serious and passionate about her work, and ensures your dog receives that same amazing energy and work standard! Thank you so much, Meryl, for the love, time, and effort you've invested in both Kumo and us as dog owners. Our journey with Kumo wouldn't be the same without you, and we look forward to continuing our training with you! read more

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I've been a dog owner since 2010 and have met and worked with many dog trainers since but Theo and her team are the only trainers I fully trust with my dogs. My family and I adopted a Black Russian Terrier named Ellie in 2019 that had pretty severe dog reactivity and was just an overall anxious dog. My older dogs never had these issues so I was in over my head and didn't know what to do. I've tried working with many different trainers but no one was able to help us with Ellie. None of the methods worked on her. One day Ellie had bit a family member pretty bad due to her reactivity and at that point we've hit rock bottom and I had feared the worst. One of the trainers we've been working with at that time actually recommended refined k9 and their board and train program. At that point I had nothing to lose so I gave Theo a call and I'm so glad I did! We did the 6 week board and train with Jose. After the program Ellie was practically a new dog! We've learned so much about dog behavior and the root of Ellie's problems. She is a much more confident dog now and we've even been stopped by strangers telling us how well behaved our dog is. Before refined k9, Ellie wasn't able to be any where near another dog but now can easily walk a few feet by another dog without her reacting. I highly recommend refined k9! read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Ellie at LRA - Pet Training Near Me

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We could not be more impressed with Refined K9, Theo and Kate. After struggling with our loving and excitable 90-lb Labradoodle, we were unable to walk him and finding he (and we) were frustrated more than we wanted to be! After working with positive reinforcement trainers for over a year, Theo helped us feel comfortable with the theory, science and logic behind a more balanced approach. She is a clear, confident communicator and we immediately felt at ease working with her. Although Theo and one of her trainers, ,Kim both agreed we could make great progress with lessons alone, we opted for a 4 week board and train with Kate to jumpstart the progress. Our family is THRILLED with the transformation. We now have a solid foundation for communication with our dog, and he could not be happier - he just loves to train and work! Kate is a very special trainer and person - she is curious, compassionate and patient, and her interest in canine and human behavior psychology is fascinating. She has been amazing during the transition home, is always available over text for random questions and concerns, helping us feel empowered, informed and capable as we build a strong partnership with our dog. We now have the calm, confident dog we've always hoped for - he comes with us on errands, hikes and is an awesome buddy in the city! The community that Theo has built is wildly supportive and helpful - she even helped us find a new walker who can work with us to maintain the good habits we've all formed. If you are struggling with your dog, don't hesitate to give them a call! read more

Meryl from Refined K-9 was a fantastic teacher and trainer for both me and my 1 year old rescue pit/boxer mix Rufus. I HIGHLY recommend her to any new dog owner or one with larger breeds as well! Being a first time dog owner can be intimidating for some, especially with powerful, high energy breeds like this. I went with a 5 session package and in that short amount of time saw my dog transform into an obedient and loyal companion who I would trust around just about anyone now. Meryl will give you and your dog the tools and guidance you need to make your pup the best he can be! She has 3 dogs of her own and competes with her Cane Corse Marco, so you know she means serious business! Don't hesitate to spend the $ on quality training from Meryl and Refined K-9, it is worth every penny! read more

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I'm not exaggerating when I say that working with Refined K9 as a private training client has undeniably been one of the best experiences of my life so far as a dog guardian. As a person who has worked in the pet industry for almost twenty years, I always knew there was more that I could learn about working with dogs with challenging behaviors. Well, it wasn't until my adoption of two semi-feral street dogs from South America and our subsequent journey back to the States that I realized I had finally 'gotten in over my head' in regards to helping these dogs adjust to living comfortably and safely in a pet home environment. They had already been showing some reactivity to other animals and people while living in Ecuador with us, and for all of my knowledge and experience with training the basics, I just couldn't quite handle some of their frustrating quirks. I knew I needed professional help if I was going to get these dogs to a stable place. When we decided that we'd be moving to San Francisco, I started searching for a balanced dog trainer that could help us with our transition into a hectic city environment, address the root causes of the behaviors I was seeing, and teach us humans how to communicate better with the dogs. I was able to schedule a consult call with the owner of Refined K9, Theo. She very generously found time to speak with me extensively on an international call about my needs. She clearly outlined both the philosophy of her training and their training package options to me, as well as sent me detailed information about her contract and pricing immediately after the phone call. Not once did I feel pressured to work with her company, yet I felt immediately comfortable moving forward with the process because I felt understood and optimistic that I'd finally get to work with a trainer that could help! I could go on and on about all of the amazing changes my dogs and I have been going through since joining the Refined K9 team in summer 2020, but honestly you've just got to experience it for yourself. I will say this though: I've learned that training never stops, and I do love how Refined K9 offers a group class to current and past clients to keep up your skills and safely socialize the dogs (at a distance of course). The 'leash reactive anonymous' class is unlike any other group training class I've ever been to in that it's led by a team of great trainers and all of the students are handlers and dogs that are working through issues just like we are. For us owners of dogs who struggle with reactivity, there's nothing more relieving than feeling free to train and learn together without the scrutiny of others who might not understand just how hard we work. Overall, I can't recommend Refined K9 enough to anyone who's ready to take their relationship with their dog to the next level. Whether you and your dog need some behavioral modification like we did, you're thinking of adopting a new puppy, or you just want to deepen your communication and relationship with your already well-adjusted dog, definitely get on the waiting list with Theo and her trainers because it's 100% the best investment you'll ever make. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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This review is with regard to my experiences with Theo. I reached out here on Yelp and she was initially generous with her time in both speaking to me on the phone in advance of our first meeting and at our first meeting at our house. In retrospect, one thing I realized later is although I've worked very hard with our now 15-week old Shepherd-pit puppy (and it shows; he's amazing), I didn't once hear any sort of positive feedback from Theo. What I heard was that he "has no boundaries" and "is running the household". Her corrective training with him was VERY different from what we had been doing, and what I was taught in our 6-week puppy class series with SmartPup!, for example. It seems very stern and reprimanding for a puppy - using a slip leash and forceful submission. I had tears in my eyes at the way he was looking at me, something like "Mom, please save me." She did not address this dynamic. She promised to send me a schedule and I received nothing of the sort. I received an email with so many spelling and grammatical errors that I found it difficult to understand. But mainly what put me off is the way Theo explained (or rather did not explain) her "puppy program" pricing structure. I understood from our initial phone call that their puppy program is $475 for three sessions, to be used within three months. The specifics were not discussed beyond that. There is an initial $150 deposit before the first visit (not mentioned), then invoices, and followup email and text notifications. It's very off-putting to receive emails daily reminding of a balance. If $475 is due up front, why not simply inform the client and charge $475 up front? The message I received from Theo was (in text nonetheless, which is very obtrusive) -- my main focus is earning my $, and NOW! This was so off-putting that it overrode anything positive I had felt towards our actual training with her. In a city such as ours, why settle? There are many other wonderful trainers out there; I am sure I will find the right one for us and our pup. read more

We brought our rescue pup Jagger here to work on some recall and general obedience, we could not be happier with our decision. Working with Melissa has been incredible, from her frequent updates over WhatsApp and IG about our dog, to our in-person sessions where she walks us through exactly what she's doing and why it works. We'd tried group classes and a different private trainer but were unhappy with the direction they were going, and could tell that our dog was too. It was easy to set up the consultation through Theo, and we are so happy with the incredible progress Jagger has made. As my wife put it; "She's changed our lives so drastically and provided our family of three with the tools we need to live happily. She is an excellent trainer and we feel so lucky to have found her through Refined K9!" Thank you so much Melissa and Theo! read more

I have to update my review after the owner's extremely gracious response to my last review. Such a sweet reply and really appreciate the customer service. Thanks Theo and Refined K-9 and good luck as you grow the business! read more

I have been on a journey with my dog Canela. My roommates and I decided to get a rescue from a shelter last year at the height of the pandemic. We were hoping for a nice pet for all of us to take care. When I found Canela it was love at first sight. She walked up to me and put both of her paws on my shoulders and I scooped her up into my arms and knew she was the one. It wasn't until I took her home that I realized how fearful she was. It was everything at first that scared her, even the sound of birds chirping. But as she became more confident she learned to be more reactive and aggressive with people that made her uncomfortable. She would lunge and nip at my roommates, and she eventually bit one of my close friends. To myself, my partner, and one of my roommates she was an angel. To everyone else she was becoming more and more dangerous. First I tried a very nice, positive reinforcement trainer. But that was before it got so bad. It didn't work and when she bit my friend, and broke skin, I thought I would have to give her up. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. That's when I found out about Refined K9 while searching for board and trains. I had spoken to a few different companies. One very well known trainer in the city said she couldn't even talk to me on the phone about my situation without paying something like a $100 consultation fee. When I reached out to Theo with Refined K9, the first time we spoke she talked to me for 45 minutes. She was so nice. She listened to all of the details of Canela's behavior issues, and she answered all of my questions. Most people have reservations about the idea of ecollars and corrective training. I posted on Next door asking for people's recommendations and there are no shortage of people that will tell you that this kind of training is inhumane or traumatic for the animal. But Theo was incredible at listening to me and explaining how and why corrective training works. It was wholly apparent she deeply loves dogs herself. After our conversation I was optimistic and wanted to continue with this route. She put me in contact with her trainer, Ken. He came out to my partners place and met with Canela. He showed us an ecollar and had us feel what it does on our own hands. It was the best way to put our anxiety at ease. He also told us about how he trains German shepherds for sport and protection services in his free time. Ken, like Theo, very obviously has a profound love and passion for dogs. He was very honest with us from the first meeting. He said "it is okay if this is not the dog for you. It's not unreasonable to want a dog that doesn't bite people. This is not something that she will change overnight." But knowing that I couldn't give up on her without trying again, we moved forward. Ken has been the best trainer I could've hoped for. From the day I dropped her off I got updates and videos on how she was doing. He kept her until he felt like she was ready to come home. And since she's been back, we've been doing sessions in home so we know we've got the training down. It's so apparent how much Ken enjoys what he does but his commitment to the best chance for success for me and Canela is really why I recommend him to anyone I can. He's explained the methods of training again and again until now where I'm very confident that I'm using the tools and techniques he familiarized Canela with to keep her dangerous behaviors in check. I still have work to do with her. But I understand her better and understand my role as her person better. Like many people have over the last year and a half, I underestimated how much my life would change adopting a rescue dog. How much money and time it would take, how much my life would change. But the joy she brings me and the relationship we have really does make it all worth it. I'm so happy and grateful to Ken and Theo for being so incredibly supportive and for their work. It's allowed me to have hope that I'll be able to keep Canela, my joy and light, as my companion for as many years as she will be on this earth. read more

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Theo is the BEST!!! I seriously cannot recommend her and her Refined K-9 team enough. When I first came to Theo, my pit-mix, Lolita, was reactive and aggressive towards both people and dogs. She's a rescue, so this type of behavior was sort of expected. However, it started to reach an extreme. I felt like I had no control over her, nor could I trust her. Going out in public with her was mortifying, as I never knew if it was going to be the day she actually bit someone. Luckily, I found Theo and we immediately got to work. After 5 sessions with Theo, I have a completely different dog-- in the best way. Theo restored my dog's confidence, freedom, and obedience. Lolita can now off-leash heel past other dogs, listens to commands, and hasn't shown any signs of aggression in months. Theo is easy to work with, very responsive, and an absolute pleasure to be around. Lolita and I are forever indebted to you, Theo!! read more

another wonderful flight with Alfred, my service dog, getting tons of compliments as a "real" service dog, lol. I'll always be grateful to Meryl's expert guidance and warm friendship. Alfred has changed my life! Back story: After becoming disabled as an adult, and finding out that a PTSD service dog would require a 3-4 year wait and $20, 000.00 I had given up on the idea. Then I was referred to Meryl. She helped me chose Alfred as a rescue, train him up, and has met with us to continue refining his skills. Not only does he assist in PTSD, he also does medical alert and mobility work. There is NO program that will cross train a service dog like this. Meryl's work has truly changed my- and Alfred's life. I highly recommend her as a trainer. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

If you've read through other reviews, mine will just sound like a broken record. The fact of the matter is that Refined K-9 changed our life by helping to reshape our personal dynamic with our dog, Wilkie. Before we sent him away for his 4 week intensive board and train with Jose, Wilkie was a pretty spazzy 3 year old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever with a whole lot of negative traits that kept us anxious and not really trusting him to make the right decisions. We couldn't trust him off leash when hiking, couldn't trust him when walking on leash around the neighborhood, couldn't trust him when meeting stranger dogs, or when leaving the house for fear of him barking at us or even trying to nip. Using Jose's wise advice and techniques, he is now a completely new dog and we couldn't be happier. We now can totally trust him again! We are back in control as dog owners and Wilkie is a mellow, relaxed dog, just doing dog things and not being on edge all the time under the false impression that he is the one in control of the pack. We've gotten our lives back as dog owners and we are able to take him all the places we always wished he could be trusted--restaurants and parks to name a couple. Everyone we've met from Refined K-9 has been great. Theo, Ken, and especially Jose. We had a dream that we could have a well mannered great dog with some training, and Jose helped to make it a reality. Thank you so so much. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Let me start this review by saying that I had reached my lowest point since adopting my sweet rescue, Remus from the SPCA. We had done one six-week "positive-reinforcement" dog training for basics, and had a consultation with an aggression specialist who told us he wasn't "fixable". Enter Refined K-9. I reached out to Theo thanks to some amazing reviews I had read here, some even stating that they saw improvements in as little as 2 weeks. This seemed too good to be true, but Theo got back to me extremely quickly and professionally, and we had a long chat only a day or so after inquiring. Theo set us up with Meryl for a consultation for the following week. We had gotten to a point that our household felt unlivable. Remus was amazing for about the first month or so post-adoption, but we quickly saw a complete 180 in his behavior. He became extremely territorial, would attack the gate in his crate when we would put him away, would growl at me and my roommate at seemingly random times, had extreme leash reactivity, and exhibited aggression towards all other dogs and most other humans. We had trouble bringing people into our home due to his reactivity. I couldn't leave for work in the morning without fear that he would attempt to attack me when putting him in his crate, and at one point he did bite me. During our consultation with Meryl, we identified our main goals with Remus: -Crate Training (He exhibited extreme fear-based aggression toward us shutting the crate door) -Decreasing Leash Reactivity (walks were a NIGHTMARE) -Decrease his aggression towards other dogs and humans. -Taking away his complete control of our home (He ran this house.) -Cutting his nails (THIS WAS A BIG ONE!) Meryl was so incredibly helpful and reassuring that we would be able to work with Remus to adjust his behavior. She always had a positive attitude, held us accountable, and really taught us how to be responsible dog owners. I honestly cannot say enough about how much we loved working with Meryl. She had such a calm, confident demeanor when working with Remus, which gave me the confidence to assume my position as my dog's owner. For a while, it felt like he owned us. We looked forward to every session, (in total 5 over the course of about 2 months) and we saw extreme improvements in Remus thanks to all of her guidance and reassurance. Like the review I had read prior to contacting Refined K-9, we noticed behavior changes in just a few weeks. It really was a dream come true. We now are able to take Remus in public and have even worked with him off-leash with other dogs. It's such a relief knowing how to manage his fear-based aggression and be at ease in our own home again. I cannot recommend Meryl and Refined K-9 enough, and we will likely be signing up for one more session to hone in on some final touches with Remus. (ie. Recall, Off-leash work, etc.) Thank you Refined K-9, Meryl and Theo! read more

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We could not be more thankful to Jose for his help and guidance with our over excited Portuguese Water Dog, Oh Henry. We were living in a chaotic house with our 2 young boys and our over stimulated and thus, crazy 15 month old dog before we found Jose and sent Oh Henry off for a 4 week board and train. Jose really helped him learn to calm down and helped us make some adjustments inside our house that greatly changed Oh Henry's behavior for the better. We have a cabin which allows for a lot of off leash opportunities and Jose helped us give Oh Henry his freedom by teaching him a reliable off leash recall and it truly is amazing. There are a million distractions here and he comes every time!! Best of all, our previously totally insane-and-completely-uncontrollable around the water dog has learned control and obedience and is a joy to take to the lake now :) We get many compliments from friends and strangers about how well behaved and "perfect" he is now. That credit all belongs to Jose for his hard work and guidance which turned Oh Henry into an amazing family pet. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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I took my dog to Refined K-9's Board & Train program a few years back and I am still thankful to Theo and her team - they are the best. I've tried multiple different training methods and classes, and Refined K-9 was the only one that actually yielded effective results. If you have a reactive dog, I strongly recommend going with Refined K-9. read more

I was hesitant to spend as much money as I did just for dog training, but it was definitely worth it. Meryl was awesome. She was very direct and knowledgeable in teaching me how to work with my nervous 1 year old German Shepherd mix. She's a completely different dog than she was before we started training. Her recall is basically perfect and she doesn't even look at other dogs or people anymore when we're on walks. Before she would get scared of certain people or dogs and bark. Most important, Meryl taught me how to train her so now I feel confident in any situation with my dog and any future dogs I may have. read more

Refined K9 Dog Training - Heel position on a hike off leash - Pet Training Near Me

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