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

We are so pleased with the training and info that we received from Mike. Zoey now understands that we are alpha and seems truly relieved that we are now in charge. In just one session we got the tools that have eliminated the unwanted behaviors ( refusing to walk on a leash, jumping, barking for no apparent reason and being overall anxious) and replaced those with a confident dog who actually walks nicely on a leash and listens to us. We did the homework and followed all of Mike's tips and directions. The change in not only Zoey's behavior but in how we respond and interact with her has been amazing. She is a joy to be around now which wasn't always the case before we met Mike. Do not look any further for training for your dog. Mike will be the answer!!! read more

We own a 140lbs Akita whose nickname is "mule." He's "perfect" all day because he's asleep but when it's time to go out on walks it's WORK! He's stubborn, wants to go where he desires and if he doesn't get his way he won't move or will lie down. When he does that, then it's over! We love this boy so much and he's very precious to us but he needed to be broken of his stubborn habits and thinking he's the alpha. I read the reviews on Yelp about K9 Mentors and Mike Cruz and debated for over a year and half to have Ronin retrained. Finally we decided it was time and we want our time with him to be pleasurable and not WORK. Mike came over and educated us on dog psychology and carefully went over every detail till he felt comfortable that we understood everything. He took Ronin on his Alpha walk with us and we could not believe our eyes! What's even more amazing is that we still can't believe it's the same dog and we have not been able to work on his 3-4 15 min alpha walks per day. We have only taken him on a total of 3 in the past 3 days and he's a changed animal! He watches and waits for our lead and does exactly what he's supposed to do without needing hardly any corrections. We are aghast at how well K9 Mentors training works! The best part is, NO TREATS to bribe the dogs with! They perform just to please the owner and get praise and love in return. We Love it! Mike you were a God send! Thanks so much! Worth every single penny! read more

Mike came to our house and assisted us with the training of our 4 year old lab. I thought she was a lost cause because of her nervousness. It turns out that she is a very smart dog but we just needed the tools to train her. Mike opened our eyes to the proper means of training our beloved Layla. We are so looking forward to our homework with her. Mike is very knowledgeable, informative, and patient. So thankful that we can now have a better relationship with our pooch. read more

Ours is a rather unique situation. We have a chow chow, relatively well trained, will do most of the commands, but seems to have issues with other dogs, whether it's a "challenge" situation, or "I want to play" situation. After two incidents, one where he finally went after a small cocker spaniel that was continually off leash and teasing him and did some damage, and the other where he ran up to a neighbor and knocked him down. Both incidents were regrettable and unacceptable behavior and needed to be dealt with. Mike was able to, in one lesson, show us what we were doing wrong, corrected OUR behavior, which resulted in PERfect behavior by our Chow. Mike sees things in a simple-to-understand way, relates it to his clients to implement, and, if followed, gets usually immediate results. The only caveat, is that when the pet "forgets" his training, it is up to the owner to reinforce the rules to put him back in line. Mike is effective, personable, patient, and made the whole learning process a pleasure rather than a chore. We highly recommend K-9 Mentor. Bud and Nancy Marx read more

This is our first dog and this guy comes to our home with the energy of a pack leader and before you know it we all speak dog - figuratively of course. He really teaches you how to be a pack leader and how to read your dogs behavioral signals. He means business and whether you have a problem pooch or just want a happy dog, he is truly your man. read more

I can't believe it. Mike cam eover we have an rescue Maltese puppy and she was biting, barking and wouldn't listen and within 2 hours we now have not only an well behaved but an great dog. i would recomend Mike to anyone with any type of dog. He constantly asked throughout if we had any questions or concerns. Thumbs up and Thanks Mike, read more

Mike was amazing and his techniques took effect immediately with our dogs. We had our training a week ago and the behaviors we wanted to correct have been corrected. The difference in our dogs and their behaviors are night and day difference. I would recommend the K9 Mentor to anyone. We were at our wit's end and nearly ready to give up on one of our dogs but the techniques we learned made both our dogs into well behaved companions. Thank you, Mike!! read more

The real deal. Our dog was a rescue and very scared and was getting aggressive with anyone but our family. It literally took about 2 hours and the dog was calm and happy. We needed training and got it. Now we have a happy pup. read more

This review is long overdue! Mike came out to our house to help my husband and I with our 2 year old Chiweenie, Enzo, who was not very great with kids. Within just a couple of hours Mike had trained both us and Enzo on how to correct several of the behavioral issues Enzo was having. We started seeing significant improvements within a couple of weeks. Enzo isn't totally cured yet but is night and day different than he was before Mike helped us! read more

Thanks Mike for helping our family learn how to train our rescue puppy. We continue to use what you've taught us and it works! Your love for animals truly shines through too! Thanks again read more

Wow! Our rescue dog was agressive and a barker. Mike was unbelievable with him. Mike is honest and trains the owner along with the dog so that the obedience can continue without having to keep going back to a trainer. I was floored at how he changed my dog in 2 hrs. I was skeptical at first, but when Mike started explaining to us why our dog was this way, I knew he was exceptional. Thank you Mike!!! read more

Mike is a phenomenal trainer. Extremely professional and his methods work wonders. I scheduled a two hour session for my dog as soon as he turned six months old to correct behaviors and habits that were already developing (including chewing things he wasn't supposed to, throwing tantrums, pulling on his leash, not listening to commands, etc.). Mike spent an hour at our home teaching us about dog psychology and how to implement his training techniques at home. When we introduced our dog into the training, he didn't take it well and started throwing tempter tantrums. Mike gave us some homework and told us he would come back in one week for the second half of the training at no additional cost. Allowing us to break up my dog's training in two separate sessions was amazing. After one week of working with our dog at home and doing our "homework," Mike came back and was able to finish the training with ease. It has been almost a year since we saw Mike and my dog is still extremely well-trained and obedient. When he starts to act up again, we go back to the methods we learned in training and my dog starts to listen again. Like anything, this training comes down to your discipline and ability to implement the methods at home consistently. If you do so, you will be extremely happy with the results. I cannot recommend Mike enough! read more

Wow, if you need a trainer look no further. Mike was great. He lets you know everything you need to know and then some. He charged me for a 1 hour session but stayed 2 hours. He makes sure you are comfortable with everything before he leaves. I have already seen an improvement in my puppy and he just left. Thanks Mike. read more

We trusted the great reviews on Yelp and now have one to add. We had some behavioral problems with our newly adopted 90 pounds Great Pyrenees. She assumed the alpha dog role and we let her. After biting a child at our home and our friend we were disappointed Two hours with Mike returned our confidence in rescuing a dog and in making one into a beloved pet. His gentle techniques and simple instructions worked even with our teenager who, without as much as a reminder takes our dog for a walk every chance he gets.. Good job Mike. read more

Thank you K9 mentor. Mike was very informative and helpful training our 5 month old English Lab. taught us the right and proper way of training Gunner. He listens to us. Walks are are great, no play biting or jumping on the furniture unless we give permission. We can tell he is a happier puppy. Thanks again Mike. read more

We have a shiba inu which is quite difficult to train. It has its own mind and is very stubborn. Before the training, our dog was always pulling leash and leading on its walk, which made us embarrassing walking him outside. Mike gave us one training class and after that we did alpha walk training for one week. Surprisingly, after one week, our dog got corrected on its walking, no more leading, instead, he is always looking back and waiting for us. We are very happy that we did it! Thank you so much Mike! Life is much easier with a well trained pet around you. read more

I realized after working with Mike, the issues were more mine than my dog. Now we are both on the same page and he is so much easier to live with. Tank is a pit/boxer mix and weighs 90 pounds. It's important they are well mannered when they are this big. read more

It's been about three months since our meeting with Mike and we are still just as impressed as we were immediately after the training! Our dogs are totally different and really well-behaved now. It used to be a stressful experience to take them on a walk around the neighborhood and now we have been able to take them to the beach, camping (surrounded by other people and dogs at surrounding campsites), hiking, and to nearby breweries. Of course we know that they can revert back to their old behavior so we are cautious, but working with Mike changed our lives and our relationship with our dogs. I highly recommend Mike to anyone who is concerned about their dog's behavior! read more

Mike is great! He helped my boyfriend and I learn how to train our dog properly. We realized the mistakes we were making and gave us great help on changing. Hands down best training! read more

Mike came to my son's house to teach us how to train his 3 out-of-control dogs (the neighbors have called security several times for crazy barking at all hours of the day and night). I was curious to see what he had to say. I have 2 dogs myself who definitely could use a little training! The 3 hours Mike spent at the house flew by (for me anyway!) and I learned so much!! My son and I have started the training with our 5 dogs and we cannot wait for the to "get it"!! I know we all have to be consistent and use the training tips at all times. I really appreciate the time Mike spent with us and all of the incredibly info!! Thank you so much!!! GREAT!!! read more

I'd qualify myself as a neurotic dog mom so naturally I was very picky when considering training for my two little terrier mutts, Gatsby, 6 months, and Daisy, 4 months. They are young, small, and I had an unqualified fear that training might be "mean" or "too rough" for them (they are only 11lbs and 8lbs respectively!) Mike's 75+ positive reviews don't lie. In one session he transformed how my boyfriend and I approach training, how we understand our dogs and most importantly, how our dogs behave. Before Mike we had: 1. Pulling on the leash 2. Pooing (some pee) on the carpet 3. EVERYTHING in the mouth. EVERYTHING. 4. General "not listening" to oral commands despite our best efforts After just two days we have: 1. Minimal to no tugging on the leash 2. After one poop accident, 48 hours of potty pad/grass potty training success 3. No longer picking up items to chew, or if so, dropping on command 4. GREAT LISTENING TO EVERYTHING! I know there is still a road ahead and every dog is different but just giving our little family the tools we needed to make a happy home has made a big difference. I do have to say you NEED to fully believe that being an alpha/authority for your dog is the BEST method for a happy dog, or this training is not going to be as effective. Once me and my boyfriend took responsibility for being on the same page with our commands and expectations, the rest seems to be flowing right in to place. The best part? Not depending on treats to reward our dogs. We learned how to praise them authentically and feel an even stronger connection with them. The praise section of an alpha walk feels the most rewarding when after a great stretch of good listening I am so genuinely proud of my dogs and they are so happy to please me! What a good feelings for both of us. Thank you again Mike, can't recommend you enough for making our dogs happier, safer and healthier overall. read more

Mike Cruz is the K9 Mentor and he is awesome. He came and trained my family on how to relate to our dog. Clarity and consistency is the key. We thought we knew it all until we spent a few hours with Mike. He taught us about our tone, our gestures, how to "alpha walk," why our pup was acting the way she was... If you want instant results (that then you have to practice getting again and again) see Mike Cruz. 5 stars all the way! read more

Mike is awesome. He has changed the way we train our kids. The sprenger collar is a huge help but mikes methods are worth every penny. It's been about a month and our aggressive pug is better behaved for sure. Can't change the aggressive nature of our pug but she is definitely more controlled. Walking our two dogs is 100 times easier...potty training is better...we are able to eat our meal without our dogs jumping all over us. Best money I've ever spent...next to buying my subie read more

Simply astounding results. Our dog reacted to Mike's arrival with snarling, barking, biting and chaos. Mike simply grabbed him and pinned him to the ground by his neck, showing the dog that he was no longer going to be the alpha dog, and that one act totally transformed his personality. It was simply amazing. We are now empowered to continue the training in other problem areas, but the results are extremely promising. If your situation is like ours, one session with Mike will change your life and that of your dog. Totally exceeded all of our expectations. read more

Training that gives you the basics to train your dog to do anything, as long as you are persistent and consistent.

Mike is amazing. We spent a very informative and entertaining three hours together with my dog Vivian. First you learn dog psychology and why dogs act like they do. And he explained that our dog was stressed out of her mind. She was the pack leader and the alpha when she didn't want to be. We were instructed in very simple exercises on how to re establish our priority as the alpha or pack leader. It was like a miracle. Vivian responded immediately and we have been seeing great results. I have called and written mike with follow up questions and he responds immediately. Over all just a great experience. Can't say enough good things. read more

We have a 7 year old long hair Chihuahua mix (mostly mix.) Penny barked at anything and everything that got within a block of the house. her barking was often out of control and incessant, and it was getting worse. We finally decided to call Mike and, all I can say is,...wow. In an hour and half we had a different dog. His method is very simple, very straight-forward, humane and with great respect for the dog. It centers around adjusting the human's behavior and attitudes and it really works. Mike insists that the training can be done in one visit. After having him come out and work with us, I can attest to the truthfulness of this. I suspect we still have a lot of work ahead of us, mostly concentrating on being consistent, but Mike's method has yielded immediate and welcome results. I think Penny is a bit happier, now, too. Her incessant barking has certainly ceased and she seems to know what we expect from her without having to constantly yell at her, resort to the squirt bottle or other strategies we tried but that absolutely failed. Although we have only been working with Penny using Mike's method for a few days, I feel very confident that we have a better-behaved, more secure pup, and that this will be the case from now on. Mike is very professional and witty and he makes the process and method completely simple, straight-forward and understandable in an entertaining way. His approach may not suit every owner (I'm pretty sure it's suitable for all dogs, though) and he acknowledges this from the beginning. If you find, in the early stages, that you are not comfortable with the method, he will not charge you for the house call. Mike made us feel comfortable with the training and confident that we have the tools and resources we need to continue to work with our dog's behavior now and in the future. We unreservedly recommend Mike. read more

Mike came to our house today and worked with us and our sweet miniature schnauzer. Mike was firm, consistent and generous with praise - Baxter responded so well to him and we'll be implementing the training in the days and weeks ahead. I highly recommend him. read more

Awesome! Absolutely awesome. Mike came over last night to help us with training our dog and by the time he left our dog was a new kid! LOL! I was So amazed at the lessons he taught us and the dog. If you need help with your dog he is the best! His way of training the dog was spectacular we were in awe when he left. Thank you Mike! We appreciate you! Jill & Greg read more

Excellent trainer that teaches you effective techniques to rapidly modify your dogs behavior. We were extremely happy with the results and have been able to continue working with our dog to continue the great behavior. Thanks Mike! read more

The K9 Mentor - From humpy to docile! - Pet Training Near Me

Just like everyone's said, Mike is great! Our labradoodle puppy was very anxious and skiddish around people, and was very alpha dominant over everyone in my house. After Mike showed us ways to change the hierarchy of our home through such simple methods, we saw immediate results. We still have to work at it every day (consistency is ABSOLUTELY key) but thanks to Mike it's no longer a daily struggle to keep my dog in check, I now look forward to just enjoying my time with my sweet, loving pup! THANK YOU MIKE! read more

Mike is amazing and super out going! He is the dog whisper! I have learned so much about dog with Mike!

Mike was such a great help to us. He gave us the tools and encouragement we needed and we have seen some great improvement in our dog Max. I would and have recommended him to anyone in search of a trainer. His pricing is fair and he also recommends great products that are budget friendly. He is absolutely worth every penny and more that we spent. read more

Mike is incredible! He breaks down the training into two parts, (1) dog psychology/behaviors (2) training. We owned a dog previously and did several trainings and did not walk away as happy as we did with the ONE single training with Mike with our dogs now. We were skeptical at first that we could train a dog in 1 session, but it really does works. Mike gives you the tools and the homework, and if you follow through the results are incredible. We are so thankful we chose the K9 Mentor for our training. Our understanding of not only our dogs but other dogs has improved drastically. Mike also offers lifetime support to his clients through phone and email. The best dog training we have ever done! I would recommend The K9 Mentor to anyone seeking training for their dog, regardless of age or breed. read more

I relay give a review. But Mike, is the dog magician. He turns my stubborn shiba inu to a submissive Kittie cat. He stops barking and run into other dogs. Showing no aggression. He knows dogs and people. It is a great experience to have him as the ONE TIME trainer. We have been to other trainers before. No one can be the best as Mike. read more

Mike is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. We had a hybrid wolf with stubborn habits and were very close to giving him up after his destructive habits were upsetting our home. It has been two weeks and our beautiful hybrid, Mystic, is such a pleasure. By the time Mike got through, Mystic was enjoying following house rules. As Mike says, "He wants things that are pleasurable rather than getting in trouble all the time." Thank you so much Mike for teaching us how to have a happy home AND a well-mannered Hybrid Wolf. You're the best!!! Morgan and John read more

Have 3 dogs, one old and docile (she was raised by a Golden Retriever), a 1 year old Lab/Shepard who knows what else mix and a 3 year old Boston male. Our issue was aggressive barking and charging even when family members came home. One session with Mike (he was here 3 hours) and we followed his technique. With in 2 days dogs are much calmer. He is well worth the $$. We took both dogs to 2 obedience 6 week sessions and never came close to what Mike accomplished in his one visit! Previously a walk was constant pulling and shoving. The dogs were in control. Now we all enjoy our walks and they try to anticipate what we want. We rotate who walks the dogs (4 adults) and they behave well for all. read more

All in, Mike did a really great job with our very difficult beagle mix. He was a rescue and obviously wasn't trained or well loved before we got him. We tried training ourselves and we tried another trainer around here whose name I won't mention. The other trainer was nice and professional, but ultimately ineffective. We called Mike based on all the great reviews and if he wasn't able to train our dog, we were going to have to consider giving him away. While we all loved him, his constant barking/howling had the neighbors call the police on us more than once in the middle of the night. Mike called back promptly and showed up on time (Bonus points already!!). More than that he answered our questions and really explained his technique and what we would have to do after he leaves to maintain the lessons learned. I am VERY happy to report that our dog is doing great. He relapses once in a while but we know how to reinforce the training thanks to Mike's patience. I would highly recommend him. I wish we had found him sooner! read more

Just back from our second Alpha Walk with Sadie ~ a 7 mo. Black Lab pup ! She's all about Play and Pleasing ~so she caught on quick to Mikes techniques,, Now its our job to do our homework. Given Sadie's a puppy she is very excitable and playful ,but she knew Mike meant business . I think the most valuable thing I learned is that dogs WANT us to be the leader. Awesome work Mike ! read more