AK-Canine & Co.

Alex is professional and extremely knowledgeable! We originally sought out help with bark training our yorkie Peanut, and had great success after only a few sessions. We also have boarded with AK-​Canine several times, and love the updates, the facility, and the attentiveness to each dog. Thanks for such a great experience! We look forward to many more years working with AK-​Canine!!!

Alex help my 4 yr old boxer that we got from the spca become adjusted to us. He is great and very personable. I would recommend him to anyone. We started with the personal training and then had him take our dog for a week. When we figured out that he needed more intense training. Alex never tried to get us to do more sessions or boarding. He really cares for the dogs and wants what is best for you both.

I met Alex in January, and have been nothing but impressed with his talent and professionalism since day one!
I have a three year old Yorkie that I rescued from a puppy mill who had serious fear and social anxiety problems upon adoption, as well as no structure for living a normal dog life. Within the first few meetings, my dog warmed up to Alex (which NEVER happens) and started the long journey to her recovery. After the first few months her obedience both at home and in public became strongly reliable, and now nearly a year later she is calmly and confidently greeting new people and dogs with ease.
I never expected my dog to be able to do anything out of the ordinary, and originally sought out training just to make her comfortable and my life a little easier. However, with consistent training (and thankfully a TON of patience from Alex!) my dog can now breeze through airports and sit calmly on the floor when I eat at public restaurants. I’m continually impressed by how much more she wants to learn!
Thank you Alex for all of your help, my Yorkie can now live and interact with her new, revved up, 3 month old German Shepard brother!

I’ve never had a dog trainer and was highly recommended to Alex from my best friend. We have a full bred German rottweiler who is the biggest teddy bear you will ever meet but it has taken some time and work to get him as cuddly as he is now. Kody has never been a «bad» dog, but his breed is known to be naturally aggressive and possessive. We had Alex come to our home prior to our puppy, Kody, being able to attend his group sessions (due to vaccinations and age) and let me tell you that I was not expecting so much insight in just an hour! Alex immediately educated us on his temperament and showed us how to control his aggressiveness to start us on the right track to making Kody trainable and to create a healthy bond with him, along with giving us to-​dos on potty training, feeding him, teething, and any other issues we were experiencing with him at the time. The one-​on-​one time you get from Alex in your own home is only one of the many benefits from his trainings.
We also attend Alex’s group trainings on Sundays which are so beneficial to the socialization of your pet! As a group, you practice and learn whatever lesson Alex has planned for the day but he is very good at still giving your dog and you the one-​on-​one attention you deserve and caters each lesson to the level of training you and your dog are at. I have not had one time where I felt «left behind» or «dumb» at these trainings. My girlfriend and I have each created a different relationship with Kody so sometimes he’s a little stubborn, but Alex is incredibly patient and encouraging in us getting on the same level with Kody. Your dogs also socialize at these group trainings so it’s good to know the «good» and «bad» behaviors to watch out for when you’re going to a dog park and Alex is constantly evaluating our dogs to keep us educated and aware.
Although he is a super busy guy, if I have a question or concern about Kody mid-​week, Alex is always quick to respond. Alex is extremely personable and carries a level of professionalism that you will only appreciate more and more. I go to a dog park down the street from my house and I run into dog trainers left and right at least once a week trying to give me pointers on Kody regardless if I tell them that I have a trainer already. And if not with me, they are forcing their «knowledge» on other dog owners and it’s honestly annoying and frustrating to be around when I am just trying to let Kody run and play. Alex’s work speaks for himself and his business and you will never see him being a nag trying to gain clients and I highly appreciate his humility!
Soooo … if you’re looking for a trainer who isn’t over-​priced, honest, and overall awesome — GO TO ALEX!!! And especially if you’re planning on getting a puppy — GO TO ALEX ASAP!
Kody is 6 months old now, we’ve been training with Alex for almost 4 months and he’s already more behaved than a lot of older dogs we come across. You definitely won’t be disappointed with Alex! It was the best thing we could have done for ourselves and for Kody =)

We highly recommended Alex for his expertise training puppies.
We went from a struggling couple with no puppy experience to a couple enjoying every joy our little guy, Tucker had to offer.
We are constantly amazed at Tucker’s progression and know it’s all thanks to Alex. He isn’t only training Tucker but he is also training us!

Alex is an incredible trainer! I originally found Alex on Unilocal and took him up on his free consultation. He responded quickly and we set an appointment up for the next day. Very quickly he was able to identify the very different needs of my two 9 month old pups and gave me some guidance about what training would look like and what type of work we would likely need to do.
At the time I called Alex, Leo was presenting as incredibly fearful of people and dogs alike and was becoming less confident outside of the home.
Marley was the opposite– overly confident and rambunctious, she desperately needed to learn to control her excitement.
After six sessions with Alex, my dogs are acting like totally different dogs! Alex gave me the tools that I needed to work with both of my dogs. Leo now greets dogs and people with much more confidence, is relaxed enough to lay down in public places and is even learning to play! Marley is learning to be patient and how to approach dogs and people more calmly.
Alex helped me with their leash skills and they are a joy to walk! No more pulling, and I can now walk them together with confidence (no easy feat with two 70lb dogs with opposite personalities)!
I’ve rescued and fostered many dogs, and worked with many trainers. Alex’s professionalism, work ethic, knowledge and use of positive dog training methods and flexibility are rare in the field and he is incredibly good at what he does. Plus the dogs tend to like, respect and trust Alex almost immediately!
I would HIGHLY recommend Alex to anyone who has a need for training a big or little dog with anything from obedience to behavior modification. Give him a call, you will be glad you did.

Alex was the best trainer I’ve ever met. He gave us great tips on how to train our puppy Daisy! If you’d like to see any of the dog he trained, ask to see Troy. You’ll be amazed!

I stumbled upon his reviews on Unilocal.He offered a free assessment so I took him up on it. I was out of the way for him so we agreed to meet half way.
First off, I know my dog is difficult as he has dog to dog issues so I did not expect any quick fix.
Alex was not pretentious as some trainers could be nor did he promise any fix as there is no promises with dog training. I found him to be kind and honest. His rate was more than reasonable so I gave him a shot. I had five sessions with Alex. My dog still has issues and probably will for the rest of his life. But this was not due to Alex not trying or being good. He did what he could. What I appreciated was that Alex chose to not continue the sessions repeatedly because he did not want to keep taking my money. We came to conclusions that just meeting over and over was not going to solve my dogs issues. It will take managing it and he helped me work on that.
I hope to get a second dog eventually and will ask Alex to help me introduce them when that time comes.

Alex worked wonders on our maltipoo Goose. Alex harnessed Goose’s amazing inner self. His dog Troy is the perfect dog to look up too. We started off with the public classes with Alex and did some of the private training classes. With the private classes he helped us teach Goose to not be so afraid of greeting other dogs. Alex also worked on Goose’s house and car anxiety.
I’ve had dogs before but never had a dog as trained as the dog we have now. A lot of that is in part to Alex. We learned how to properly train and be patient with Goose.
We look forward to getting another dog in the future and having them trained by Alex and Troy.

It was an awesome experience being trained by Alex. He trained me, my partner, and my dog, Goose, for six months as we went through three levels of training (puppy through advanced). Alex is very easy to work with and we looked forward to showing him our progress in class every week. It is great watching him work with different types of dogs. And it was super helpful when he used his dog, Troy, as an example to show us what was expected from us throughout our training sessions.
Goose is my first dog ever so I had a lot of questions on training techniques. Alex answered every question and was super patient with my frustrations when learning how to train Goose. He helped me gain confidence and patience in my techniques, learn how to motivate Goose, and figure out how to break down tricks for Goose to learn.
After Goose passed the advanced level, we still had behavioral concerns so we had Alex help us with two more private sessions. Both helped tremendously and we are grateful for Alex’s help.
Since then, we have taught Goose more tricks and are continuously using the techniques we learned from Alex. What we learned from him is invaluable; it has made our lives so much better since we can teach and communicate with Goose effectively.
I highly recommend Alex to help you learn how to work with your dog no matter the age or behavior.

Alex is an incredible person and dog trainer.
He has changed my life and my foster dog’s life, and I highly recommend him.
I came to Alex because my new foster dog who I wanted to adopt was having reactivity issues. She would bark hysterically at other dogs and try to lunge at anything that went by (cars, bugs, runners, bikers, joggers). I was nervous taking her out and wasn’t sure how I would be able to work out keeping her.
Alex was able to demonstrate how good she could be and then teach both of us the skills we needed to keep making progress. He is so fun to be around and his dog Troy is a great helper as well. He works with us privately and in group classes.
I have seen him with many other dogs and I have noticed that both dogs and people respond positively to Alex. He has the kind of relaxed and skillful personality that is a joy to be around and that works miracles with all kinds of different dogs and owners.
Be sure to call Alex and have him do an evaluation of your dog. You will immediately feel better and in control and you will have so much fun learning and growing with your dog. His group classes and his private trainings are absolutely best in class.

As an animal professional myself, I highly recommend Alex to any one in need of a professional dog trainer. He is well educated in the understanding of proper dog training techniques as well as having great interpersonal skills. He does a excellent job at not only getting your dog to have proper obedience training but will leave you with the skills needed to continue on a great relationship with your pet. I find that Alex does a great job dealing with dogs of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. I have personally seen how he has been able to take out of control dogs and turn them into perfectly reliable and lovable pets. Alex has been a great mentor for me this passed year and you will not be disappointed in his services!

I could never say enough to show my appreciation to the attentiveness and professionalism that Alex has given to not only training my puppy, but also helping me to fully understand the personality of my dog.. I have always had dogs and knew the General basics of training but I wanted to have a qualified theapy dog. After the sessions with Alex, I felt more sure of myself with commands and behaviors and I could tell that my puppy was always ready to attend each class with enthusiasm.
Even after the training, if my puppy hears Alex’s voice in the store, her ears perk up and she is excited to get to him because of the bond that he formed with her!
He truly cares and takes pride in what he does and that definitly shows in the outcome of his work with teaching the dogs and their owners.. So if you need a trainer who will meet your expectation, look no further than Alex! He Is The Best!

Alex has been a lifesaver, mainly my dog’s life! Jade, a black lab mixed with Weimeraner came to our family at 6 weeks old. She was likened to an unwanted pregnancy when my son decided a puppy was too much work. She became my responsibility. The vet advised us not to take her to any public places including training until she was finished with her immunizations. BIG MISTAKE! Fast forward 4 months to a scene out of a comedy where the house is ripped apart, pillow stuffing floating through the air, and Jade leaping from the couch onto our kitchen island with my bra hanging from either side of her mouth.
I was ready to give her away when my daughter suggested I attend Alex’s dog training classes. After 4 private lessons that Alex tailored to our needs, Jade comes when called, can sit, lie down, roll over and walk pleasantly on a leash. We’re now doing group lessons, but Alex manages to give individualized attention. Jade responds well to Alex and Alex has taught me how to get Jade to respond to me. Alex has an easy going manner and is accepting of both people and dogs, and their individuality.
My goal is for Jade to come into work with me and be a therapy dog. Alex was very confident from the beginning that the goal was not too lofty and has helped us begin building those skills into Jade. She is fast becoming a loved and valued member of our household.
I highly recommend Alex as a trainer!

I have been attending Alex’s trainings for a few years now; both private and public. He worked with my first dog, Rylee, who is a Chihuahua/​Jack Russell mix and now my newest member of our family, Ruby, our Black Lab/​Weimaraner mix.
Hands down, Alex is great. He is personable, knowledgeable, yet firm. For example, in private training with Ruby, he listens to our needs and tailors the training based on what I have explained. The tactics he uses (which come from his own innovative thinking) make sense, are fair, and easy for me to practice at home, comfortably. As a teacher, I can appreciate Alex because not only is he great instructor, he holds me accountable for what Rylee and Ruby learn (which is why I say he is firm and this is how you see results!) His own dog, Troy, is incredibly well-​behaved and a great example of Alex’s work.
In his public trainings, he gets along great with everyone, and gives all dogs even-​shared time. I have never met a dog who doesn’t like Alex.
With self-​discipline and his expertise, I highly recommend Alex for dog training for any age, shape, size, or temperament. 5 Stars!