Mike is the real deal! We have a super smart toy poodle who has always had issues with barking and aggression towards strangers. Plus, SEVERE separation anxiety that would make him scream his head off whenever we left him. It was torture for everyone involved! My fiance's work is even dog friendly but attempting to bring in the little guy would cause a day of embarrassment with his growling and barking at anyone who approached. We were skeptical one training session would really do much. In fact, we didn't know if ANY amount of training would do anything. We assumed these traits were just part of our dog's character. BUT we were desperate to try anything and a friend of ours strongly recommended the K9 Mentor. Well, long story short, after a morning of patient training from Mike it was like we had a new dog. The separation anxiety immediately stopped. The barking at neighbors/strangers/sounds is gone. He walks without tugging and seems more at ease in general. And it's only been a few days!! SO happy we decided to use Mike. Don't even hesitate, it's worth EVERY penny to have a happy well-behaved dog. So many other trainers we looked into said it would take several training sessions that would have ended up costing more and I'm pretty certain would not have been successful. Mike's tactics seem intense at first but they work! For sure. And make life a million times easier down the road. read more

First of all, I just want to say that training with "The K9 Mentor" Mike Cruz was awesome. We have a super cute, two year old Yorkshire Terrier (he weighs a little less than 10 pounds). As I mentioned, he is super cute, however, looks are deceiving. He was out of control! Jumping on everyone that visits, barking at the doorbell, looking out the window and barking at strangers, and worst of all he bites... sometimes playful, and some times very aggressive, adrenaline filled full on attack mode biting (I have the bite marks to prove it). On our first phone conversation with Mike, I was thinking that I would want to do the 2 lesson package, because I figured our boy would need lots of work, but Mike basically told me that 1 lesson would be enough and that I should "SAVE MY MONEY" ... he basically told me to spend LESS MONEY on HIM!! I was already impressed. The day of training. Mike came in and Coco (our dog) did what he always does, barking, jumping showing aggressive behavior. We felt horrible because Coco seemed like he was calmed down, but when we went to the living room area with Mike, Coco went nuts attacked Mike and actually bit him! We started the training and Mike explained in very easy to understand analogies that Coco was basically acting crazy because he felt that he was in charge of everything, that he had to run our house and our lives, but being a dog, he's unprepared to do that. Long story short, within the next 2.5 hours with Mike, Coco realized that he doesn't have to do all the work, that we are the "Alphas" in the house and he can just follow our lead and relax. It's been 2 days since our training and we have continued to do the homework and the change in Coco's behavior is AMAZING. He doesn't jump, he doesn't react when guests come over, he's doing very well in all the training exercises that Mike gave us as homework, and he just seems to relax all day. Literally, he looks like he's on vacation, and spends the majority of the days hanging out and sleeping. Can't say enough about Mike, his knowledge, passion and professionalism in working with our Dog and also Us. Life with Coco has been much better and we expect it to continue to improve. Thanks Mike! read more

I highly recommend The K9 Mentor. No more play biting, jumping (unless we give permission), and "tug-of-war" walks. They listen to our commands and are so much more relaxed. We noticed a huge difference after a day or so, but weeks later our two puppies are like completely different dogs! I had a question for Mike, he responded relatively fast, and we won't need any other training sessions. This definitely works. read more

Quick backstory: My boyfriend and I moved in together, and he brought his 10-year-old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Dublin. Dublin had lived most of his life before we moved in together with 2 other dominant (alpha) dogs. Also, there was usually someone home every few hours during the day. When we moved in together, Dublin's behavior got really bad. Separation anxiety, such as peeing ALL OVER the bedroom while we were at work and barking/howling all day, going absolutely PSYCHO if someone walked or drove by the living room window, and pulling our arms off when trying to walk him. It caused me a LOT of anxiety because I didn't know what to do, and I said several times that I wanted to rehome him if we couldn't "fix him" because it wasn't fair to me or Dublin (that made me feel like a HORRIBLE person). We tried "natural" anti-anxiety meds, exercising the crap out of him, and a citronella bark collar. Nothing worked. We were at the point where we were willing to spend $500+ a month on doggie daycare, but that's when I found The K9 Mentor. Best $ we have EVER spent on our pup. It's been almost 3 months since Mike trained ME and Dublin (plus my boyfriend). He said it would take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to see a change, and I would say after about a month we started really seeing the positive results. I'm pretty sure someone swapped out Dublin for an entirely new, well-behaved dog. We had my boyfriend's family over a few weeks ago (who have known him since he was a puppy) and they were in utter shock that this was the same dog. He used to hide in the corner or bark at anyone who came in our home. Now he was right there in the middle of the living room with 8 people enjoying the pats and lots of tail wags. Also, Friday is "doggie day" at my work, and Dublin wasn't allowed because of his barking, and now HE is the best-behaved dog! Seriously!!! My anxiety level went from a 10 to a 0. I used to be so stressed to come home from work to pee spots all over the bedroom to clean up. I used to be in a foul mood all day because whenever I would check on Dublin on the security cam, he'd be howling and pissing off my neighbors. Not anymore! While we do diaper him now (can you hold your pee for 9 hours? I can't, plus he's a senior dog), his separation anxiety is noticeably better and we're both happy to see each other when I get home. Walks are so much more enjoyable now. He waits for me to put his collar on, open the door, and I step outside first before telling him "let's go" to begin our walk. We have even worked off-leash with him around the neighborhood in small doses, which is something we never ever thought possible. When I pick up his poop on walks, I set the leash down, tell him to "wait" and he sits there while I do my clean-up (before he used to be pulling me like crazy). Last but not least, he still has some barking tendencies when he hears a loud truck (he LOATHES UPS trucks), but instead of jumping on the couch and busting through my blinds to get to the window, I yell "quiet" or "get down" and he responds to my command immediately. To Mike - thank you SO much for changing our lives! The training made SO much sense (the "$5 increments" and "list of phrases") and the results are incredible. Once it clicked for me of what we were doing wrong, it was easy to make it a habit of doing it right when we had such amazing results. I have even taught the same commands and rules to the office dogs (mostly their owners, actually) and it's worked. I've had a complete change of heart for Dublin, and it's even made a good impact on the relationship with me and my boyfriend. Dublin is a wayyyyyy happier dog too. I've never seen him wag his stubby little tail so much! THANKS AGAIN MIKE!!! Highly recommended!! read more

The K9 Mentor - The "SPLOOT" at my work! - Pet Training Near Me

Mike spent 3 hours with my wife and I teaching us dog phycology, commands, alpha walk, and so much more valuable data. After 1 alpha walk our "bad" dog was already better, by the end she is wonderful, we are still shocked with her behavior now that she knows who's boss, US! :) Thank you Mike, already recommended you to our neighbor. read more

We got a pair of Jindos (brother and sister littermates) from a rescue organization who rescued them from the Los Angeles animal shelter. They are now 9 years old and we got them in July 2012. You know that old saying of, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks?" WRONG. We started off with a Petsmart group class right after we got them with the hope of getting them less aggressive towards other dogs and to obey us. Let's just say our graduation was more of a "certificate of completing the course." We didn't really see a huge change aside from Jake sitting for treats. Going on to the next level of classes was out of the question. We found K9 Mentor on Yelp and checked out the website and so much of what is on there just clicked with us. I filled out the online form and Eddie called me back. Eddie totally gets all 5 stars here, he was awesome. He explained the ABC's of alpha training and explained some of the behaviors we have been seeing in our dogs. We'd been using harnesses because that is what worked for our last Jindo, but it wasn't doing these two any favors and was actually giving them way too much leeway to pull against us on walks. We took Maggie out first and she immediately responded to Eddie and then to my husband and me. It was like a whole new experience of a dog walk. Then we took Jake out and while Jake tried to assert himself over Eddie by barking and stopping, Eddie won. What is normally our very skittish dog became a very obedient and trusted Eddie to be in Jake's comfort zone. What a change from being in a group class and basically having "the bad dogs" who could not be allowed to interact with the others, to having individual one-on-one training and have all of our personal concerns addressed. We absolutely recommend these guys and Eddie is amazing!!!!! read more

Mike is fabulous!! I waited a few weeks after our session to post this and our dog Cooper just keeps getting better. Mike had him under control from the second he walked in the door. Mike is a wealth of information and so kind and compassionate . . . and funny! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the training session and it was probably more about training us than training our dog. Our 100 lb malamute mix can be very territorial, aggressive and STUBBORN. The change in him is amazing. He listens and responds to commands when you give them and not just when he feels like it now LOL We still have much territory to conquer but I am confident we will tackle all Cooper's issues with the tools Mike gave us. And, it's great to know Mike is always available to support us if need be. One concern I had go into training is that it would change my dog's personality or that me being overly sensitive would feel *bad* being the alpha. Those concerns were completely put to rest. We have the same enthusiastic and loving dog - just well behaved now. And, none of the techniques used were hard to put into practice or made me feel *bad* - Cooper is much more relaxed no longer having to be the alpha on the house. I can't recommend Mike enough! read more

Michael was amazing! We worked with him just a few weeks ago, and I can't even begin to describe how phenomenal the changes have been and what a difference this has made in our lives. This is the best money I have spent in a long time and I'm kicking myself because we should have done this years ago. We have two 6-year-old miniature dachshunds and contacted Mike because we had finally reached our limit with the barking and separation anxiety. We knew we were doing things wrong but we didn't know what to fix. After our 3 hour session in our home with Mike, we finally had the tools we needed to have healthier, happier, quite dogs. I know it sounds to good to be true, but trust me - stay consistent and you'll see the results almost immediately! Our dogs no longer bark when we leave the house, we spend way less money on treats, and we are a much happier house. Thank you Mike for everything! read more

We called Mike earlier this year, just a few days after getting our 5-month old puppy from the foster home. Our dog, a german shepherd-husky mix was ruling the house. Just minutes after Mike came and taught us the basics of obedience, the dog was totally changed. We are now applying Mike's teachings and we're seeing improvement in our dog's behavior day after day. Our dog is happy and much loved and behaves very well around our 7-month old baby daughter. We definitely recommend Mike, who, by the way, was very flexible in order to accommodate our busy schedule. Last but not least, Mike's customer service is phenomenal with his customer support by email or by phone after the class. Thanks Mike! :) read more

We got a 4 year old dog from the shelter a little over a month ago and he's an all around good dog, but definitely could use some help. He has some habits we need to break. From the initial phone call to Eddie coming to our house, I was impressed. He went over quite a bit on our first phone conversation and spent an hour and a half with us today. He taught us several things, broke it all down and gave US the tools to reel Herman, our dog, in! It's not so much about the dog... It's about how you work with them and talk to them. We truly walked away from our session today KNOWING that Herman was going to do great since we now know what to do. Now it's up to us to make it happen. I would highly recommend The K9 Mentor to anyone who needs a little or a lot of help with their dog!! read more

Marti came and did a COVID-friendly training session in our home just over a week ago to address behavior issues, especially separation anxiety, with our newly adopted puppy. She worked with us and gave us practical ideas and suggestions on what we could change. The next day we started implementing those suggestions and each day things continue to get better! We went from having a puppy who would have a noisy meltdown if he could not see us for even a few seconds to a puppy who is now able to be in his own space out of our sight for 20+ minutes in less than a week! I appreciate that she tailored the session to address our specific concerns, and that she came to our home so she could see exactly what was happening, and give specific advice based on what she saw. I highly recommend Marti! read more

TL;DR: Our dog was a maniac and I wanted to take her back to the shelter. Mike helped us establish the relationship our dog needed and wanted and now she's a trusted and loyal member of the family. I adopted a 4 year old Belgian Malinois/Lab Mix from Riverside County after her family abandoned her. While she was adorable and happy to be adopted by us, she was a disaster when we got her home. On the first night, she chased one of our indoor cats away (she survived) and destroyed our leather couch. This "free" dog cost me $1,000 on the first day alone. Her high prey-drive constantly lead her to pull on her leash when we walked her. For example, she would run to the end of her leash so hard that the rest of her body would go out from under her, slamming her body into the pavement. She was going to hurt herself if we couldn't control her. I was ready to take her back, but my wife found Mike, and I'm glad she did! Mike sent us some written material in advance of our training session. He began our session by explaining what training methods he has seen and then told us what his training philosophy was. He sought our permission and said he wouldn't charge if we wanted to choose a different training method. At all times, it was clear that the safety of our dog was a priority. Next, Mike spent time educating us, mostly making sure that we understood what was in the written materials and that we'd read them. Then he discussed equipment, teaching us what to look for to avoid injuring our pet with poorly designed and manufactured products. Afterward, Mike established firm control of our dog while explaining that how he intended to establish dominance and asking my permission. I was apprehensive about it, but our dog responded immediately, just as Mike predicted. After she realized that she did not get to lead our "pack" by asserting her dominance, her intelligence took over and she readily learned how to walk on the leash. Mike also predicted that our dog would challenge us periodically, and that prediction also came true: our dog challenges me every 6 months or so by not cooperating and trying to stare me down. When she loses the staredown, everything goes back to normal, as if she's just checking. My dog still has a high prey drive, and does not like small dogs trying to assert dominance, but she integrated with our two cats and elderly dog successfully. We take her almost everywhere we can, including camping trips without any problem. Our young nephews love her more than their own dog, and friends with kids tell us their kids want a dog just like ours. We are happy and the price was easily worth it. We hired Mike again later to help work on socializing with other dogs and learning a few things from that. This training was much more about us than about the dog. I highly recommend him, with the caveat that you really need to read the materials he provides and make the effort to understand what he is telling you. If you won't learn, you are probably your dog's biggest problem and no trainer is going to help you with that. EDIT: I've read some of the 1-star reviews here. All I can say is that this was not my experience with Mike. He is very, very clear about what his method is, that it's not necessarily right for every owner or every dog. Above all, Mike is clear that you are responsible for your animal's well-being and that more than half of the training is not about the animal, but about you. I can't help but notice how many of the bad reviews are written by people who were either: (a) not there at all; or (b) who were pet owners who didn't actually do the work required of them or won't take responsibility for their own fully informed decisions. read more

Mike came to my house a little over two weeks ago for a very informative and beneficial training session. Let me first start by saying that everything went smoothly from the get go even scheduling the appointment. Mike and I chatted a couple times prior to our meeting and he took time to answer the several questions my roommate and I had about the process and also to work around our wacky schedules. He does not charge for extra dogs or people attending so it was wonderful to have three of us soak up the knowledge! Learning about the psychology of dogs and how I had been the real problem all along was eye opening. But it was the hands on portion that blew me away. Within seconds of Mike's handling my dog, Laney, was responding. And within minutes of the corrections I was watching her behavior completely change. We've been doing our homework since the session and Laney's behavior has drastically improved. It's crazy to watch her quietly and calmly observe people/dogs/cars walking by because in the past she would have barked at them like crazy! This session was money well spent and I would recommend it to anyone with a dog in their family. read more

The K9 Mentor - Laney is thankful for her session with Mike! :) - Pet Training Near Me

I waited a week to write this review. Mandy, my 7 year old terrier, has been howling/crying anywhere from 2 hours/day to all day since we moved to a new condo last month. She made significant behavioral improvements the first day, responding to commands and following leads. We had out of town guests for a few days, but still saw a shortened duration of noise (started using a webcam app to track it). Today was our first day guest free and Mandy made NO sound all day while I was at work. NONE. I can't believe it, but I have seen the change in her over the last week and I am just so happy and relieved. Thank you. A million times thank you. read more

It's been about a month since Mike came over to help my 2 year old Dauchund mix with his aggression issues, I wanted to wait a little bit before writing my review to see if his approach would work for us. IT DID! He was as great as everyone was saying and was able to help me and my family learn that we need to work as a team with our dog. I think the most important thing he taught us is that WE are the ones learning. When he cam over I wanted to hand him the leash and start right away. I was suprised when we sat down and talked about the plan with Bear. I realized that my family really had to be schooled on how to train our little guy. Mike was patient and confident that his approach would help us quite a bit. I am happy to report that while Bear still probably has one more lesson in him..he is probably 80 percent better then when before Mike came. I am more confident in handling my dog and I can also tell Bear is much more well adjusted with being park of the pack..not the Alpha! I would highly recommend Mike and I am confident that no problem is too big for him. He knows his stuff!! read more

We were hesitant that 1 session with a trainer would help us and our newly adopted lab mix puppies. But Mike is a miracle worker. I was a proud doggy momma during the training to see how well our boy Luke responded to Mike and the training. We have been doing the homework and have used the training on our girl puppy Loralei and all is going well. I will not say they are perfect yet... but they are responding to the training well and are happy lovable puppies. Thank you Mike! read more

The K9 Mentor - Our puppies after 1 training with Mike! Amazing is all I can say :) - Pet Training Near Me

Mike came to our home and taught us how to deal with our two rambunctious mini Aussies (1 yr and 1.5 yr.) We have worked with them every day since and already see a huge difference. (It's only been 5 days.) He explained dog psychology and their behavior makes total sense now. I am confident it will only get better for each day we train with them. I wish we had called Mike sooner! read more

We have a 5 month old Golden Retriever who was hyper and naughty ALL THE TIME! We just thought he was like this because he was a puppy. We had the K9 mentor come to our home and the results were amazing! Within two hours our dog knew who the Alpha was in the house and his place on the food chain so to speak. The K9 mentor uses a technique that is educational, and well thought out . He organizes his training into three dog categories and uses many analogies to help the family understand what the dog is thinking and how a dog will react to certain behaviors. He did not beat my dog, intimidate my dog, bribe my dog, or even trick my dog. He used common sense techniques and gave our family a plan in order to work continually with the dog. It was amazing and I have to admit that I would not have believed it if I had not been there. At the end of the lesson our dog... --was not jumping on us or anyone else --was still happy as a clam and now understood the way things are --was not barking frantically or tearing around --was not pulling on the leash or chasing anything --was not chewing everything or trying to bite anymore --was very tired from so much concentration One suggestion to dog owners...Mike gives so much valuable information, make sure you take notes! I asked him for cards when he was leaving and I have already given all of them out and it has only been two weeks! The K9 Mentor is not a free pass, as with anything you do have to continue to use the techniques and work with your dog. My dog is so pleasant now that I have actually had people positively comment on his behavior. read more

The K9 mentor is great! It was well worth the money spent. Mike is great with dogs and great with people, since half of the time was spent teaching us how to work with our dog. The collar is AWESOME. It has completely changed our dogs behavior. He used to have leash aggression every time we took him on a walk and with the collar and techniques Mike showed us he is almost 100% better. One of Mike's commands, giving permission for your dog to leave the house or come in the house, we were enforcing a lot around our house, but we were shocked when we took him to a friend's house and with other dogs around ours stopped and waited for our command while the other dogs were sprinting out the door. It was truly amazing! We still have little issues we need to work on, but we just go back to simple technique training when he starts to forget. Thanks Mike! read more

We adopted a 4 year old Chihuahua/Basenji mix on December 26th. For the most part, he is a sweet dog, but had a few behavior issues we wanted to correct (pulling on the leash while walking, barking at other dogs & the doorbell, jumping on people & our furniture, barking in his crate). My husband & I did not think that we could be given the tools to correct all of these behavior issues within a 3 hour class, but Mike did exactly that! If you are opened minded & willing to change some of your behaviors, then this class is well worth the investment for you & your dog! read more

Mike came out this past weekend to help us with our Golden puppy (8 months old). Our pup would jump on us, on counters, as well as play bite. It was terrible. I'm so thrilled to say we have seen such a great improvement with our Golden. He has stopped biting and the jumping is at a minimum now. We can't believe it. He's a new dog. Also, his walking has improved as well. So happy with the results. Thank you! read more

So, Im a few months late on this. But, Im going to be 100% honest and I have a feeling Mike is going to fire back the way he did with Michelle and honestly Im asking you not to because I dont want to hear one more comparison because you gave me about 50 when you were here. I had rescued a german shepherd,husky,lab mix who I loved. Problem was, before rescuing her she was neglected. She had no training and was kept outside. Well, she was having a hard time because she had no previous training and I brought her home and was trying to train her myself. It wasnt working out so I turned to a trainer and called Mike. He showed up, I explained the situation and he told me to het rid of the dog. Um....no. Because theres not enough animals being put down or are homeless already. Should've just told him to leave right there and then. I then explained more and he offered to let me opt out but I was in such hopes for her so I said Id like to continue. Within the first 5 minutes with her he used some crap method where he put his knee up and hit her chin, pinned her to the ground while she whimpered, and continued to do it because he said animals whimper because they want the person to give up. Actually no...no they dont. Last time I checked humans dont cry because they want people to stop, THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEYRE IN PAIN. There was so much more that happened that I cant even talk about because it makes me sick to my stomach that I let him handle my dog like that. I cried for a good hour after he left and all she did was lay on my lap and whimper. We ended up finding that when he kneed her, something happened to her tongue and was bleeding. I wouldve done anything to sue this guy, but it honestly wasnt worth my time or energy and I didnt want to ever have to see this guy again. Also, lets not forget the ignorant sexual comment he made while trying to compare my dog to a human that made me feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable. This dude uses nothing but negative reinforcement and will drop about 50 comparisons while visiting you and after the 2nd, you get real tired of them. He did absolutely nothing and it was beyond a waste of money. We did the exercises after and it didnt even help. Dont waste your money on this guy and find someone who will treat your pet correctly. read more

I don't want to knock Mike's knowledge of animals, or his character for that matter, but I don't think his method is the right way for every dog. Reading all of these positive reviews was the reason I even called him to begin with because I admit I need help properly training a puppy, but I had a pretty terrible experience to say the least. I'd like to preface this by saying Mike's first bit of advice to me and my family was to get rid of my dog (husky/terrier mix). He said the best thing we could do is find a better home for her now. When he cornered her between the back door and refrigerator and held her down, she attempted to bite him/pooped herself. He said she was an aggressive animal who was only going to get more aggressive, that she would probably bite my kids one day (if i had any), and I wouldn't be able to get rid of her when she was an older dog because no one really wants older dogs. I don't know how the first 3 minutes of this interaction turned into a lecture about how aggressive my dog was and that she should be given away, but I wasn't really feeling it. Nor was I pleased with the fact that he didn't read her info sheet first before he employed a method on her that truly brought out the worst in her. I was also told her aggression could never be 100% resolved but that he could help. Prior to this my dog hadn't shown any aggression to other animals, adults, or children, but I do admit she is a very fearful pup as she had been abused and abandoned in the high desert when she was rescued by the woman I adopted her from. If Mike had read her bio sheet first, he would have seen that my dog was living with 3 children, 7 other dogs, and 2 adults in her foster home and she was never an aggressor to any of those individuals or animals. She also spends a big percentage of her time with another husky (they get along very well) and she never tries to bite any other dog, adults, or children when she's taken out to socialize. I thoroughly believe the "alpha" method made my animal feel she needed to defend herself from a stranger who in her eyes appeared to want to harm her, even though I'm aware that wasn't his intention. My first impression made me feel nauseous and upset and when I decided not to go through with the training and he asked me why, I told him I didn't like being told to get rid of my animal, and he argued with me saying he never said that. For me that's a big red flag, especially with so many homeless animals, I don't condone the idea that people should just dump off an animal at the first sight of a minor problem. read more

So this review is a couple months late, but for a reason. My wife and I were perfectly happy with the "lesson" Mike gave when he came out to see our dog, Marley, but at the time he also promised that we could follow up with as many phone calls or emails as we felt we needed, for free. Well, we didn't need any until now, and only because we got a new dog and I wanted some advice. Mike responded within a day, and told me that not only was the offer of free follow-ups valid for our first dog, but was valid for ANY subsequent dog we ever owned. So the amount we paid wasn't really for the dog, it was for us, the humans/alphas. Which makes perfect sense given the instruction he gave. When we contact Mike the first time, he gave us his rate (I think it was a couple hundred, which seems steep for one lesson until you realize that he has 5 stars on Yelp for a reason and will follow up as many times as you want/need. As with any business, you pay the most for the best of the best). On that first contact, he also emailed us an extensive info sheet to fill out as best we could about our dog's actions, history, and why we wanted Mike to come out. When Mike got to our house (on time!), he gave us a brief instruction without acknowledging our dog. This was to maintain his "alpha" status as a human. Then he bent down and said hi to our pup. Immediately, Marley was respectful of him. Now, Marley was never a bad dog. We hired Mike because Marley was anxious when my wife and I would leave for work in the morning, and he even had started to become destructive (tearing the carpet by the front door; eating the window blinds; barking and whining all day). I had Marley on a small dose of anxiety medicine prescribed by our Vet, but I wanted to solve the underlying problem rather than just cover it up. Without going into too much detail about Mike's visit (because it probably differs depending on each dog), Marley is like a new dog now! He doesn't get sad when we leave, and he's equally happy when we return. We've reduced his dose of medication (with the intent to cease it altogether in a few months) as well. Additionally, Marley had always been aggressive with small dogs and some larger dogs (he is knee-high, and 50lbs, but not overweight. He's stocky.) He had never been able to play well with others, and we got him from a shelter who felt he had been severely abused. My wife had wanted to get another dog, sort of as a friend for Marley, but we didn't know if we could. Mike recommended we get a female puppy. This turned out to be the best advice he could have given us! Marley now has a playmate in the form of our newest family addition, Gwen. Anyway, long story short. Mike cost us a couple hundred dollars, but saved us so much time and heartache trying to solve our dog's underlying anxiety problems. It's money I would spend again, in a heartbeat. I strongly recommend The K9 Mentor for every new dog owner. read more

I am a huge fan of Mike Cruz. Years ago I took my dog to a 8 week training program through the city of Irvine / Tustin that was not nearly as effective as the service that Mike provides. If you are willing to do the follow up work, he will transform the behavior of your dog. The training he gave me was intuitive, thorough and professional. No wonder he has so many 5 start reviews! I was so impressed with him and his work that I have referred him to Dr. Cavanaugh, my vet at Saddleback Animal Hospital in Tustin. I also love that Mike took the time to get to know me and the specific challenges of my situation. read more

I am so extremely glad I found Mike the k9 mentor on Yelp!! I have a 6 yr old Belgian Malinois who is great dog but can be overly protective at times. He used to do great with other dogs when he was a puppy, but then became very possessive/protective with us if other dogs came up to us or approached us. This was a huge problem because my dog's aggression and alpha-like tendencies made it difficult for other dogs to like him, and made me pretty sad because I couldn't take him to the dog park or dog beach without him snapping at another dog! I finally decided that my family and I needed serious in-home training to work on my dog's behaviors and triggers. The first couple times I tried to reach Mike I was sent to his voicemail, which was Ok because be always called me back and answered ALL my questions. When Mike came over for the private in-home training my dog went CRAZY! He literally barked at Mike for an hour straight!! Mike was really great about informing us about my dog's alpha/dominant behavior, and what all his non-verbal body language meant. Mike spent some time educating us about dog psychology and then we practiced doing the Alpha walk outside. After our 2 1/2-3 hr training I swear we already had a new dog. He was listening to our directions and didnt even bark when my cousins came over. One VERY important thing we learned was that our dog didn't like being the alpha in the pack!!! He'a actually very happy being the follower and that we, the humans, had to take the alpha role. Its been over a month since Mike visited us and I still have questions from time to time. Mike holds up to his guarantee and offers lifetime support after your initial training. I've called several times now and he always gets back to me within a day. Thank you Mike!! You transformed our dog from being leader of our house to the "phone guy" he was always meant to be :) read more

Very impressed with our training session with Mike. He taught us a ton about dog psychology and what their behavior means. A few simple changes in our technique and we saw immediate positive change. Our 10 month old pup just needed to know who was alpha. Highly recommend them for anyone looking for training. read more

I have to say I was a bit skeptical before getting a trainer for my 9-year old dog, who has been showing aggressiveness and non-stop barking when he saw people coming to our house, or when we went out for a walk or car ride. After just one session with Mike, I must say I already saw 80% improvement. Now when we tell him to be quiet, he would actually stop, and he stopped pulling us everywhere when we walked him. And once my dog started seeing me and my husband as alpha, he stopped some of his bad behavior without us correcting him. Now I wish I should have hired Mike a long time ago~~ read more

As per my homework assignment(s), Riggins and I had our first Alpha walk this morning (AW1). He waited and watched as I exited the front door and did not step over the threshold until I said it was OK. Riggins was very attentive and stayed at my side through the compulsory work. A toy dog crossed our path, he barely noticed. I spoke to him "Let's Go" and offered up much deserved praise. On the way back, however, pop quiz, big dog crosses the street. While I could feel him growling, he never barked or lunged. My initial correction was pretty strong. All in all, I feel that both Riggins and myself did quite well. This was possible due to Mikes "way" ...... simple and effective, but consistency will be key. I'm super excited for the pair of us to build confidence together and be open to all sorts of new adventures! read more

Mike is as good as advertised. We spent a couple hours with Mike yesterday helping us train our one year old dog. It turns out that our beautiful Doberman did not need training as much as we did. Mike instructed us on the proper ways to show the dog who is the pack leader. Totally amazed that after two hours our dog is listening to us, no longer barking and is a pleasure to walk on a leash. His rates are very affordable when you consider the one on one attention and instruction you receive. Highly recommend. read more

If Stephen Hawking understands physics then Mike Cruz understands dog psychology. A little background on my dog situation: I have the kind of dogs that get compliments on their behavior, even before Mike came out. I have worked for/with many trainers, and have trained multiple, search, therapy and assistance dogs, so I'm not new to the world of dog training. After adopting a 3rd strike dog, the balance human/animal harmony in my home was disrupted. I had tried every trick imaginable to correct my new puppy's behavior with no annual improvement. I was reluctant to call in a trainer, mostly due to my arrogance, but I knew that if I didn't I would enjoy my dogs they way I want to, and they wouldn't be as happy as they deserved to be. Mike's training was gentle, patient and strict. My dog was a participating member of the family within 10 minutes. Being a 5 month old weimaraner, he still has bounds of energy but now has constructive ways to channel that since he is now able to FOCUS. This is a dog that was on his last chance when I got him, who will now start his "work" training next month. As far as the reviews saying their dogs were traumatized. ......these people probably shouldn't have pets, children, or trainees at work. Sorry, folks, not every kid in little league deserves a trophy. Mike is keeping pets OUT of shelters, by making them well mannered and non destructive. He is honestly one of the more gentle trainers I have met. Thank you, Mike, for restoring order in my home and providing my dogs with a bright future. read more

Mike at k-9 mentor gave us so much info and help with our dog (terrier mix) we saved our dog when he was 4 months old who is now 8 months old and since then he's has been crazy , biting everything, jumping in everyone. In just one lesson we saw so much improvement , I never thought I would see my dog in the house just relaxing. As soon as you learn your role , your dog will learn theirs, we have a great appreciation for mike and his company. read more

I used Yelp to find Mike. He had the most 5 star reviews of anyone and now I know why and will add my 5stars to it. In one session my puppy is a changed dog. I learned so much and it all makes sense. No more spraying water or time outs! This is the best and most effective dog training you will ever need! Money and time both well spent. Just do it! You will be glad you did! read more

The K9 Mentor - Pet Training Near Me

My 9yo Pomeranian has been evaluated as zero aggression by dog daycares and other walkers. For 9 years. I was looking to fine tune his behavior because when he gets tooo close to another dog he gets over protective and barks sometimes jumps but that's what dogs do who need um... training. I want minimal barking in a new area I'm moving into. I want to help this and called Mike. He was so rude and kept referring to aggression and alcoholism I started to think he was an alcoholic on the phone. And made me want to become an alcoholic how many times he interrupted me in a phone call. I have no idea where he got that analogy as dogs being alcoholics but that wasn't the advice I would be comfortable paying $500+ dollars for two hours. So, as someone who wants to spend as much money for dog education he was indicating his success would be less likely because my dog is old (9 years, not old, in the past two years I've taught my dog new tricks). Just a bad salesman with a big head due to Yelp. He said he had zero recommendations yet he's big time in the industry. Does that make sense? No. But after having a talk with him, I wouldn't be a connection either. Thanks, but no thanks. read more

We used mike a few years ago for our rescue Dane. We still use the techniques he taught us if our pup needs a reminder. Highly recommend. Well worth the price if you love your dog but want a pleasant one to be around the family. read more

Mike is very personable and wonderful at training both you and your dog! We just had our first (and only session) with Mike, as the tools he gave us are clear to understand and we can already notice a night and day difference with our two dogs. Consistency on the key points he gives us is the key! No more leash pulling. No much jumping! We just have to keep following his advice! Thank you Mike! read more

I just have to say that Mike is even more awesome than I originally thought. It's been close to three years since I worked with him for one session with my pup and I have called him four different times to ask for advice regarding specific situations and he has always been so helpful with the answer that helped me fix my dog's problem right away. I have offered to pay him more every time I talk to him and he has never asked for another cent since our very first meeting and just always says advice is included in the first session. He truly cares so much about dogs and just wants to help their owners understand why they do the crazy things they do. read more

This way of training and communicating with your dog, or dogs in our case, is so effective! I called Mike because we had an agressive chihuahua mix and adopted a 1yr old male pitbull and i felt like they were ruling my life. Between the constant barking, going to the bathroom inside, chewing, rough playing, fighting, growling at other dogs, and leash pulling, I was always afraid to leave them in the apartment and would get stressed out when I walked them. But Mike explained all the dog psychology to us we were able to realized the underlying problems so we could address them. After our nervous pitbull was with Mike for a few minutes he was a different dog! And we then applied the training techniques we learned to our other dog and the results were the same, she was a calmer and more obedient dog! It's been two days and my husband and I are following through with the training and it is continuing to have the same amazing results. I would recommend Mike to anyone!! He's was fun, knowledgeable, and relatable. All around the experience was amazing!! read more

The K9 Mentor - Our dogs laying together after their first day of training. They never would have slept this close to eachother before - Pet Training Near Me

Mike is as amazing as ALL his reviews say. What is so great is that he teaches you WHY his training methods work, not just how to use them. And it all just makes so much sense. Our pup wised up almost right away, and as soon as Mike taught each of us how to assert our own "alpha" Brees began responding to us the same as he did for Mike. His fun, interactive, and clear way of communicating and demonstrating the training methods made it easy for not just my husband and I to understand, but our 3 sons as well. He worked with each of us, addressing all our concerns, questions, and individual strengths and weaknesses. We all feel like better, more competent pet owners. My one son said at the end of the lesson, "you're actually a people trainer." Mike is professional, knowledgeable, and thorough and insists that you are 100% satisfied before you pay a dime, and backs up his training with lifetime support. (Seriously -- he told my 13 year old that 10 years from now he could call him for a refresher when he gets his own dog!) The most amazing moment for me was when Mike started walking Brees -- who typically drags me around even on a Gentle Leader! -- on a leash that he was holding with his ear! I couldn't believe my eyes! Don't hire somebody else to train your dog. Hire Mike to train YOUR FAMILY how to train your dog. Thanks Mike! read more

We adopted 3 dogs almost three years ago from an animal shelter. We had previously had a dog and had trained that dog so we thought that we knew what we were doing. Well, the 3 dogs actually managed to train us. So after several incidents with neighbors, we decided to get professional help. My wife found Mike (K9 Mentor) on the internet and thought he sounded good. We had one session with him yesterday and the results are already fantastic. With his instruction and a little homework our dogs should become the best behaved four legged critters in the neighborhood. read more