Refined K-9 Dog Training

I am guessing that this trainer is out of business as she hasn’t replied to my emails or refunded me for the pre-​paid sessions that I purchased in January for services that were never delivered. Can’t comment on her ability as I only received the consultation and was not successful in ever scheduling the actual sessions. I tried to book the first session and provided the dates I was available but didn’t get a response and then tried to book another time but she was busy. Finally was able get session scheduled and time was booked but she cancelled due to personal issue. I didn’t hear back about another date and contacted her to reschedule and another issue prevented her from scheduling. I was very understanding of this and I was more than patient in waiting for her to contact me which was challenging for me as my dog had an urgent issue that I needed to address but after 3 months and no response, I asked for a refund. I was told it would be sent, but it is now November and I still have not received it or had emails replied to.

Theo has been a great addition to our family. I say family because she took the time to get to know us and what’s best for Ruby with our family. She’s doesn’t have the cookie cutter approach with the one size fits all training. She’s tough and knows what’s best for your dog. There were some instances that we weren’t comfortable doing with Ruby (huge part was mental) but over time, we understood that it was for the safety for all. Theo works with the entire family and she even got or 7 year old walking her! She’s not just a trainer, she’s a canine behaviorist.
When we first adopted Ruby, she was a 40 lb German Shepherd who was very fearful. She would bark and lunge at every dog and person that walked by. We outfitted her with the tools suggested by Theo, one of which was an e-​collar (contrary to what people say, they are NOT harmful if used properly). After a few sessions at home, we decided to take our training to Crissy Field. During training, Ruby has her e-​collar on and obeyed all her commands. Little did we know when we got back to our car, her e-​collar was OFF the entire time. We were so happy for Ruby. She not only obeyed but she was a happy, joyful dog.
We’ve had Ruby for about 16 months and with Theo’s help, she’s a changed dog. Theo goes above and beyond training sessions and is always there to answer questions. We trust Theo so much that we put her down as an emergency contact when we have to board her (High Tails hotel is great!).
K9 Refine is worth the investment. Your dog not only will be properly trained but you’ll have a much happier dog.

I would highly recommend Theo at Refined K9 without reservation and give her a 5 star rating. Many behavioral issues are a manifestation of underline psychopathology. Theo is first and foremost a canine behaviorist. She relies on her extensive knowledge base to immediately identify underlying psychopathology, explain it to the client in a clear and concise manner, and offer an extensive rehabilitative program to remove the underlying pathology/​behaviors.
Here is an excellent example of her abilities:
I have been involved in German Shepherd rescue for the better part of 15 years and have fostered and subsequently adopted a number of German Shepherd’s over that timeframe. Approximately eight years ago, I fostered and subsequently adopted a German Shepherd from German Shepherd Rescue of Central Alabama that was returned because of aggressive behavior and biting.
Over the last eight years, Gingi has been through numerous trainers and facilities. She has gone to private lessons, group lessons, and even a month-​long Boot Camp with minimal results. My wife and I resigned ourselves to the fact that she would not be able to be rehabilitated and have spent the last eight years wondering when the next episode would occur. No family members would come to the house, all of the doors, windows, and backyard gate always had to be locked, and we were always fearful that someone would inadvertently leave the gate or the door open for Gingi to attack someone. Her aggression was not only towards people but other animals.
We subsequently moved to Northern California and I became involved in German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California. After mentioning Gingi and the problems we faced, many members of the rescue highly recommended Theo at Refined K9. They said if anyone could help, she would be the one to help with this sort of behavioral issue since she is a canine behaviorist. To say the least, I was skeptical. However, I nonetheless called Theo and we agreed to meet and discuss her problems and to see if she could recommend a solution.
I was extremely impressed with her professionalism, knowledge base, laid-​back calm demeanor, confidence, and willingness to listen. During the interview, she asked what my assessment of Gingi and her problems were, what we had done in the past, the results of those interventions, and what my goals and expectations were at this time. Rather than try and sell me a number of lessons or programs, she initially wanted to meet Gingi personally and to evaluate her to see what the issues were and what solutions she could recommend.
She very skillfully and immediately identified what the behavioral problems were, and outlined in detail a behavioral/​training program that could resolve these issues. I remember thinking to myself, is this even possible? However, after watching Theo interact with Gingi, I had absolutely no doubt that she was be able to resolve her issues.
After only four sessions, we are now able to have family and friends over to the house, able to take Gingi unleashed any environment with people and other dogs around, and have realized one of my dreams for both of us. I now go to the off leash dog park almost every day with her off leash and run with other dogs and people around without the slightest fear of her attacking. It is like a dream come true. Family and friends are now able to come and visit at the house either unannounced or for family functions. Even family members have asked me, «Is this the same dog»? She truly is the «dog whisperer».
I offer this example as a testimony to Theo’s abilities. Having been involved in rescue for over 15 years, I have seen the worst of the worst in some dogs. As mentioned above, at one point, even the rescue was going to give up on her. However, Theo has transformed Gingi from an insecure, aggressive, dangerous dog to a beloved family pet that we are confident and happy to take anywhere that we would go.
What sets Theo apart from the «trainers» that are out there is that she is a true behaviorist. She understands the different psychopathologies behind the adverse behaviors, identifies them to the client along with a clear and concise explanation and a program that will remove these issues. One of her greatest strengths is that she is an excellent teacher. If the client so chooses, she will videotape all sessions so that these can be used as teaching tools to reinforce the lessons that she conducts. Also, she utilizes a number of different training tools and tailors them to the specific clients problems rather than using a «cookbook approach».
This is but one example of Theo’s abilities. I can offer numerous others but I’ve taken up too many lines. If you have a behavioral issue with your animal, Theo at Refined K9 is the answer to your problem. Call her; you won’t regret it!

I had high hopes after our initial meeting with Theo. She showed up on time, spent more time with us than planned and sold us on the fact that she could really help us and our dog. After the initial meeting it was very clear that you can expect cancelled sessions weekly and that you need to work around her schedule even though you are the paying client. I paid several hundred dollars in October and have only had one training and it’s now almost March. I will admit that I had to cancel one training because of work travel, but Theo continuously had reason after reason to cancel a training. On top of that, you have to reach out to her in any hopes of rescheduling. I still haven’t heard back from my last attempt to reschedule and probably won’t. I recommend finding a trainer with less on his/​her plate. At this point it’s money down the drain for us and more hassle than help when dealing with her.

When our female German Shepherd, Heidi, turned 2, she started exhibiting behaviors that my partner and I felt were very alarming. We’ve had Heidi since she was 8 weeks old and she has always been well-​behaved with other dogs, especially with our pug, Precious, with whom she was raised since they were both puppies. Fun afternoons at the dog park and relaxing evenings at home have become plagued with apprehension with Heidi’s unpredictable outbursts of aggression. We were compelled to have Heidi muzzled with every visit to the dog park and to keep her and Precious separated at home. When we decided that this was a situation better dealt with by a professional, we searched Unilocal for a trainer who we felt would be able to address Heidi’s needs. After researching a number of local trainers, Refined K-​9 stood out due to Theo’s expertise in aggressive dogs and her history with working directly with wolves. She gave me a call shortly after I messaged her company regarding Heidi and spent at least half an hour on the phone with me discussing Heidi, her background and our family dynamic. An evaluation appointment soon followed during which Theo introduced us to her different training methods and tools. Her only request of us at that point was to have an open mind with absolutely no pressure to do anything we did not feel comfortable doing. Since then, we’ve had several sessions with Theo. She’s helped us better understand Heidi and how we, as a family, need to work together to create a well-​rounded dog. There’s still much work ahead for Heidi as her insecurities can’t be cured overnight. However, from day one with Theo, Heidi has shown significant improvement from basic leash walking to following commands and, thanks to Theo, those relaxing evenings at home are back.

They say it take a village to raise a baby but I also think it applies to German Shepherds. Theo has been so helpful and informative in helping us raise a well balanced large dog in the city. We have a year and half old GSD and we have been working with Theo since our dog Sophia was a couple months old. From the beginning we felt really comfortable with Theo which is so important since a lot of the time its more people training than dog training.
We have taped several of our sessions with Theo and its amazing to see how much progress Sophia has made. Theo is always open to discussing Sophia’s development and any changes we are seeing with her. If you are looking for help with your dog using Refined K-9’s services is definitely worth the investment.

Our family adopted a 9 mos. old Pitbull from a local rescue organization about 2 years ago. We were told she had previously been used as a bait dog. She was always a love with myself and our two girls but definitely had a fear of men. If my husband would come home and no other girls were in the house, she would hide. She would snuggle with him if we were home but not if they were alone. Additionally she was nearly impossible to walk as she’d pull you down the street and would react to every noise along the way. We called Refined K9 back in April to finally get educated on how to help her. We also had an elderly Golden that she relied on heavily for comfort. Since our Golden was getting on in years it was apparent we were needing to deal with Jersey now in an effort to help her gain confidence. Theo came to our home and we saw positive changes after the first visit. We were pleasantly surprised. It was clear that Jersey has always wanted to do what’s expected but we didn’t know how to train her. Theo came with psychological insight that helped us figure out exactly what Jersey needed. Given Jersey’s background it was important to consider her history when looking into training methods. My ultimate goal was to have her join our family group camping trips this Summer. I’m pleased to report this past week she joined the first of many trips to come. She amazed me with how well she got along with a multitude of other dogs (from Chihuahua’s to rottweillers and more in between.) I was able to let her off leash to run and play. She’d never leave my sight and would return quickly when I called. Our Golden passed just before our trip so I was worried Jersey might regress. Theo was constantly accessible for questions, concerns and feedback whenever we contacted her. Her attention, knowledge and compassion for our pup and family were rewarded with a happily exhausted pitty. For anyone considering a trainer, especially for rescue dogs or strong breeds, I would recommend Theo and Refined K9. You’ll be amazed at the potential your pup has been hiding.

We had an appointment for someone to come to our house and nobody ever showed up. They called the next day and offered a discount but after I had wasted an evening waiting for them without a phone call or apology I opted not to use them.

When I called Theo in January after falling in love with the looks of my Shepherd rescue puppy without considering possible behavioral issues, I was truly doubting my ability to keep this dog. Loba was highly reactive with other dogs, terrorizing her classmates at a local puppy class and treating Fort Funston like a battlefield. She had also managed to break out of a metal crate, earning the title «Houdini» at Petco. I feared she was untrainable.
«We need to find the dog beneath» was Theo’s guiding principle throughout the early stages of our work together. And indeed we did. In the course of the first few weeks, I had Loba walking at my pace on a leash, healing and sitting on command. I could also leave her alone in my apartment without worrying about damage. Within six weeks, I could easily let Loba loose at the beach and watch her play with other dogs. So cute! And beautiful (I’m convinced she’s a Groenendael). We now go to Fort Funston almost every day, fulfilling my initial intention in getting a large, energetic dog. It is so much fun frolicking about – also sitting at cafes while I read or take care of business on my iPad. Loba (now Loba Love) simply comes with, attracting happy energy and conversation wherever she goes. Thanks to Theo’s guidance, I’ve got my dream dog.
Theo’s keen observation of animal behavior combined with her adroit use of training tools and facility in teaching owners to use them made all the difference. I can now walk with my dog off leash and have her sit on command. I don’t remember the last time I actually felt frustrated with Loba. At this point, we’re just hanging out, partners in crime, in tune.
Perhaps more important than training the dog is training the owner who must set the tone and boundaries for the relationship. Theo is a great teacher. She not only instructed me in techniques for establishing both authority and connection with Loba, she engaged in thoughtful conversations about the demands and rewards of Loba’s breed. I’ve never had a shepherd before; now I don’t know how I’d live without one.
I’d never have achieved so much without such a skilled, observant, and truly gifted professional coaching me every step of the way, ushering me through to the other side. Making that phone call was one of my best moves ever. So grateful for Theo!

She quickly assessed my situation and gave me excellent guidance and suggestions immediately. I could tell by past failed experiences and her response — Theo knows what she’s talking about. She is extremely responsive; I received a response to my email within the hour. In my book same day response for busy people is crazy great!

Overall I would highly recommend Theo and Rob. Every dog is different and the solution can be complex but they are great trainers with a wealth of knowledge regarding training and dog psychology.
We contacted Theo and Rob after we adopted a 3 year old male English Bulldog who has strong anxiety issues and gets fixated on other dogs to a point where he cannot be off the leash. Even when on leash he would try to «rush» other dogs and considering he is 65 pounds he is very strong and hard to control! Before we knew this about him he tried to pin and «bite» other dogs in the dog run on our property. (I put bite in quotation marks because he seemed to do it more out of an attempt to control the other dog rather than cause harm as he never broke skin but easily could have if he wanted to.) We live in a condo complex so knew we had to take care of this behavior immediately.
We started off doing the individual training sessions with Rob and saw immediate improvements in terms of leash behavior. We swtiched to a prong collar and e-​collar after he taught us to properly use them, and one of the most beneficial parts of the training sessions was learning behaviors WE needed to change in order to be the «alpha dog».
Since these training sessions are expensive and add up quickly we then switched to the group «Leash Reactive Class» that is once a week to see if this would be enough to achieve the results that we needed. We saw a big difference in Dozer’s anxiety and he was able to calmly be in a confined area with other dogs. The only disappointing thing is that these positive interactions with other dogs didn’t seem to translate into our daily lives. He still lunges at other dogs on the sidewalk and gets fixated on dogs in our dog run. I think this probably has to do with the fact that we have gotten a bit lazy and inconsistent with the home training rather that being ineffective training sessions with Refined K-​9.
For that reason we are going back to some individual training sessions so we can learn how to translate the skills we learned in the LRA class to our daily lives. Since Dozer has had some great improvement in the group class and because he had immediate improvement with the first few personal training sessions we are hopeful that we can learn how to reinforce the positive behavior on a daily basis.
Knowing our dog I am guessing he will never be able to be a «dogpark dog» but we want to make sure he can live peacefully in close quarters with neighbor dogs. Given the improvements we see so far this is definitely possible — in fact we have had multiple neighbors mention how much improvement they have noticed which is very encouraging!

UPDATE:
I last wrote almost a year ago when I was seeing the first results of working with Refined K-​9 for just a few sessions. I was thrilled then, and Ripley continued to dramatically improve.
Ripley was a particularly difficult case, and frankly I was probably a particularly challenging client: Not due to unwillingness to learn, but simply because I had rehearsed training techniques that did not work for months before I started working with Refined K-​9. Ripley had been rewarded for her excited state, and I had developed bad habits. Both of these things were very difficult to unwind.
The best thing about Refined K-​9 is they have a deep toolbox, and they never run out of ideas to try.
The vast majority of Ripley’s behavior problems vanished almost overnight. Barking viciously and aggressively at the windows of our home and in the car, guarding and protecting her space and belongings, all were fairly easily stopped. Since I had been trying to address all those issues with zero results — only escalation — for months, I was amazed and impressed.
Ripley also stopped barking and reacting in the street to 90% of her former triggers. Bikes, pigeons, men in hats and any kind of rolling cart had been a huge problem (try walking a single city block without seeing a bicyclist or a pigeon!) and that was fixed immediately.
Ripley’s most entrenched problem is with other dogs. She will never be a «dog park dog,» but I was determined to be able to walk my dog on a city sidewalk safely and peacefully, and so I continued to work with Refined K-​9 to find an answer. It took a lot of troubleshooting but they never gave up on us, and they always had new things to try. Ripley is a smart dog, and she would quickly learn «work-​arounds» at any attempt to control her behavior.
It took a lot of problem-​solving to find what would work, but Refined K-​9 did find a set of techniques and tools that are a great fit for me and my dog.
Now, I walk Ripley 3 miles to my workplace, an hour-​long walk, several times a week. We walk through all kinds of neighborhoods, from Ashbury Heights through the Mission, encountering every kind of trigger imaginable. The walks are calm, under control, and even relaxing.
I can’t imagine the stress and fear I and my dog would still be going through daily if we had not found Theo and Rob. Thanks to them, my husband and I have a normal life with a happy, calm dog.

I knew I had gotten a dog that was more than I could handle when he was 11 months old and gave me some serious puncture wounds for trying to reclaim a stolen sock. So I dropped him at the vet to get fixed and I called Theo ten minutes later.
When I thought I was getting a «companion» bread German Shepherd I actually ended up with a serious working line dog. His terrible behaviors included painfully bad leash etiquette, Demolishing the bay window with any sign of life, ate 10’s of feet of carpet coils, was highly possessive, had a crazy amount of energy, killed a gofer, vacuum attacks, stole food, jumped on people, ate clothes and then some.
He responded to Theo immediately, and thankfully a significant portion of her method is people training. With all of the arm chair dog psychologists out there (we all know one, you might even be one yourself), it was an instant relief to see results and the potential for the sweet personality of my dog to come through his dangerously spastic habits.
Theo suggested bringing another handler who could help to mentally exhaust my dog, which I did not realize you were supposed to do, and did he came the following week. Focusing his intense energy and letting him be a dog in a controlled setting was a huge success. Having educational games to play with my dog was great for both of us, he was tired and obedient, and I was happy.
I’ve seen her work with smaller breeds, and she knows how to use the right amount of control but be gentle enough for their fragile size. All dogs are going respond to the overall training method, but specific problems and techniques adapted to the dogs demeanor are what, I think, a lot of trainers fail to hit the target on. Theo is extremely smart and can design a curriculum for any problem.
My dog is now 26 months old and he is unrecognizable. All of his silly and affectionate personality traits are able to shine past his gigantic black body and huge teeth. Everybody who meets him loves him and raves about how well behaved he is. I’ve had him in the room at parties with 30+ people and he’s perfect, and would not eat a steak off the ground if you didn’t give it to him. Previously he would have been furiously clawing and gnawing at his crate and barking like he wanted to eat you. He knows what rooms he is and isn’t allowed in to, which makes him welcome almost anywhere I go.
All in all, a fantastic experience, worth every penny, and I only wish I had called sooner.

Good basic training but not anything specific. Considering it is $ 150 per hour (higher if you don’t get the package I got) I’m disappointed.
I wanted to learn about my dogs triggers and how to deal with them. I clearly stated that before my initial consult and it was reiterated during my appointments. However, it was never addressed and my last $ 150 appointment was basically hearing that I had done a good job with my dog.
What I did get was clear, concise instructions about how to train my dog to sit, heel and generally do what I told him to do. It worked well as my dog is pretty smart and wants to please (mostly :) Rob walked me though each step and things progressed quickly and easily. In that regard I didn’t need my last appointment.
BUT, I needed to find out why my dog dislikes some people for no easily discernable reason. I brought this up again and was told it might take a home visit to figure it out. I tried to set this up with Rob and Theo several times but I didn’t hear back.
Also, I was told and the price sheet states that sessions are 1.5 to 3 hours long depending on how the dog is doing that day. My sessions were exactly one hour every time and there were clients waiting several times so it was clear things couldn’t go longer even if needed. That is where I got the $ 150 an hour price though what I paid for was a 4 week package at $ 750 after an initial hour consult. 5 hours for $ 750.
My dog did learn quickly and he did what he was told to do. But I don’t want a dog machine, I want a safe and happy pet.
I understand and also agree with the idea that the dog needs to be trained to be obedient and submissive to you before you can address other issues. It was my understanding that other issues (like disliking some people and growling if that person wanted to pet him) would go away as the dog learned that I was the alpha dog. Like I said, my dog learned very quickly and it was fun to have him sit while I walked away, hid behind trees etc and then called him.
But after 3 weeks my dog reacted to a fellow with a knee brace (at the time I didn’t realize it was the knee brace but that is another story.) I brought up again that the only reason I wanted dog training was so I wouldn’t have to have the dog on the leash all the time to stop the seemingly random reactions to things like knee braces.
My last $ 150 appointment by the way turned out to be mostly a group training. For the first part there were 4 other folks there (and four other dogs) and they were all doing what I had done on my first or second appointment. The last 20 minutes or so were spent talking about my dogs reactions and that another meeting would be needed to try to set the dog off.
So that is why I’m reluctantly giving a three star review. I contacted Theo and Rob twice after my last appointment and though they said they would follow up they did not. For $ 750 (plus $ 250 for the recommended e-​collar and prong collar) I am disappointed enough to write this review.

Wow,
Ok the short simple version:
Rob was our trainer: He was calm, friendly, and great at listening to our concerns.
Saw INSTANT positive change in our crazy dog on the walk.
Learned a ton of great and effective techniques to apply to
our German Shepard.
At the end of our session our dog was so much calmer and
very happy/​respectful. What a HUGE difference in only a few
hours. WOW.
Now, here’s my long boring detailed session. :)
I could not write this review fast enough! I really rely on Unilocal to point me to the best services/​restaurants, you name it!
After meeting with a popular dog trainer, that completely turned me off, I was really reluctant to try meeting anyone else since I was expecting the same attitude. But holy cow! I’m so glad I went with Refined K-​9.
I spoke to Theo on the phone and she assigned Rob to us and wow I learned a ton from him. I grew up with fat mellow labradors so I’d consider myself a «meh» dog person, but I am a dumb newbie to understanding my first ever crazy German Shepard puppy. Rob was great! He is really knowledgable and nice. He sat with us and listened to our concerns and issues with our puppy and the things we are struggling with. He addressed everything and explained everything to help us understand why our puppy is doing things we don’t want her to do and why us yelling at her isn’t working either!
When we went out on our walk I immediately saw an instant obedience turn in my dog. She was actually walking and listening and obeying! And this wasn’t some crazy drill sergeant douchebag, aggresively tugging her around into submission. Rob was clear, calm and stern. We did use the pinch collar but used correctly makes a huge difference versus just constantly pulling her around :/​He totally spoke to my dog and it really helped her out. I think that was the first walk we all enjoyed. He even worked great with us and helped us maintain our calm when walking her. Then, he brought his own dog out and showed us how amazingly obedient his dog was! It was extremely impressive!
I’m really bummed out because I am pretty much living pay check to paycheck at the moment, but my dog needs help, so did we. We needed some structure established so we can raise our dog to be a great dog. I definitely plan on signing up for a longer course with these guys, they really know dogs. I did sign up for a follow up in the next week, but sadly, that’s all I could currently afford. Dog training is pricey, but if you’re going to invest this kind of money on some training, I highly highly recommend this group, especially Rob! I’m super glad I contacted this group!
Thank you Rob!

Our experience with Refined K-​9 was tremendous.
New to the city and coming off a bad experience with another trainer we knew we needed help but wanted to make sure we hired the right trainer. Whether right or wrong we knew about the poor sentiment for bully breed dogs in this city. We were well aware our dogs could be under the microscope.
Our 10 year old American bulldog and 11 year old Shepard were generally terrible on walks. Intense pulling and dog aggression was the norm. We were also concerned about not being able to control 170+ pounds of dogs when off leash dogs would approach.
After speaking with Theo we had an in home consultation with Rob. Our dogs took to Rob very quickly, its hard to explain but it was clear the dogs responded to his presence. Rob is knowledgeable, professional and never made us feel dumb. Over the course of 5 sessions he worked with us and our dogs teaching us how to recognize behavior and how we to provide corrections. He made sure to leave us with exercises we could practice at home and during walks.
The result was fast and at times astonishing. Our dogs got so much better. We’ve now mastered walks, my wife can walk them both without concern. They walk by our side and understand commands. We can handle our AB’s dog aggression problems as well as understanding how to deal with off leash dogs. Besides the behavior improvement the dogs seem happier and healthier. The walks have been more frequent and longer, both are down 10lbs!
We have zero regrets. We are more confident with our dogs than we have ever been. Refined K-​9 are true professionals. Use them!

Ellen, our 22 pound King Charles Spaniel had two problems that were so bad we were at our wits end. We live in a condo tower and have to take her out down an elevator and through the lobby where other dogs on leashes are also present. Every time she encountered another dog her size or smaller, she would go into attack mode, causing embarrassing commotion followed by many apologies for our dog. The other problem was her habit of barking at random things she saw on TV, going off alarmingly at any point in the evening and sometimes not getting calm again for hours, upsetting the entire evening.
We booked five sessions with Refined K-​9 with Rob. After the very first session we began to see improvement in the TV barking. After the second session with Rob where he sat her in front of the TV with YouTube videos of dogs and horses, she quickly came under control. He did not let her escape to a corner where she couldn’t see them, but made her continue watching and corrected her behavior. We have never had to do that again. The barking is almost completely under control now and our evenings are peaceful again.
In the third and fourth sessions, Rob took us to a dog park where Ellen could have off-​leash and on-​leash exposure to other small dogs. He taught us how to walk through the lobby in «migration mode» where she was focussed on where we were leading her instead of the «potential threats» around her. She now gets down the elevator and through the lobby with NO upset. Even when we allow her to get out of migration mode and go greet another dog, she does it without agressive behavior. She is a transformed dog after only four visits. We have not felt the need for the fifth visit, so we are holding that as a credit at Refined K-​9 in case some need arises in the future.
We have been scammed by another home trainer, whom I won’t name, but read reviews and believe the ones that say they were scammed. We also spent 18 weeks in dog training classes a few years back, which helped with a lot of behavior issues back then, but never got control of the barking problem which only got worse later.
Refined K-​9 was recommended to us by my daughter who had excellent results with her out-​of-​control dog also. We are so glad we found Rob and congratulate him on the excellent progress he showed us how to make.

Buster is being rehabilitated!
After one meeting with Rob, Buster is all ready happier and less of a scared yet very homicidal maniac! I will update after we complete the 5 session training, but so far so awesome! Thx Rob, it’s almost if you could read Buster’s mind!
My buddy and fellow Unilocaler Nicole L. introduced me to this place and he is doing wonders with her Max too!

Refined K-​9 is undeniably the best thing that has happened to me, my boyfriend and our dog, Riley.
Bottom Line: They’re the best. Call them if you are even slightly interested in dog training — they’ll change your life in the best way possible.
Riley’s a 7-​year-​old Yorkiepoo who, up until a few weeks ago, absolutely hated all other dogs and had extreme anxiety on walks. His aggression toward other dogs — in the form of incessant barking and attempts to jump at any dog nearby — made it nearly impossible to take him on any type of walk or out in public if there was a risk of seeing another dog. Forget about taking him to pet stores or dog parks — this was just completely out of the question.
I always assumed that this was just his personality and that there was absolutely nothing I could do to change his behavior toward dogs. However, I decided, on a whim, to call Refined K-​9 following a glowing review from the shopkeeper at pet store, George. Best decision ever.
Very quickly I received a call from Rob, a trainer with Refined K-​9. We set up a consultation, during which he asked my boyfriend and me questions about Riley’s and our behavior. We then drove to a pet store to grab a prong collar for training purposes and got started training right away. Literally after about a half hour, Riley was already behaving better.
We signed up for a 5-​week course and each week, we noticed a massive improvement in Riley. Rob’s method is flawless and Riley absolutely loved him. Less than 2 weeks into the training, Riley was able to be around and even meet dogs without any barking or aggression. We started taking him to dog parks and pet stores regularly and have drama-​free walks. It sounds unbelievable and like it’s too good to be true, but that’s just how good Rob is.
This week was Riley’s last week of training, and he is a completely different dog in all of the ways we wanted him to change — he has no aggression towards dogs, is much calmer and is even more obedient than he was before.
Calling Refined K-​9 and working with Rob over the past 5 weeks was the best decision we’ve ever made for us and Riley, and I would 100% recommend them to anyone looking for any type of dog training.

My fiancé and I adopted a pit bull mix Honey in October 2011 when she was about one year old. We both grew up with smaller dogs when we were younger and thought we knew how to properly handle a dog. As it turns out every walk was giving us anxiety. We could never walk Honey in confidence knowing that she wouldn’t run away with no chance of a recall, chase another dog’s ball or get in a fight.
We signed a package with Theo and she educated us on new leashes, proper walking techniques, behavior improving playtime and how to read a dogs behavior. Every session we learned something new to improve our dog’s behavior. Going to the park is a completely different experience now. I am extremely pleased with my decision to work with Refined K9 and consider Theo a truly wonderful teacher and friend.