AmericanK9 Dog Training, LLC

Verell Simpson

2024-05

Sarah did an EXCELLENT job with my doberman. I enrolled into the 2 week puppy board and train program. They were very professional and had great communication with sending photos and videos of the training. It provided a good head start in house and crate training. It was the best investment and highly recommended.

Debi Sutton

2024-04

Danny was so good with our pup Shelby, getting her focused and started with basic puppy training. Shelby is a very active Lab, and strong-headed, but Danny had no problem getting her through the 6-week program where she learned basic skills. These skills included sit, stay, heel, etc. - and as a bonus, Danny used her own pups as distractions while training. This was great!In each class, Danny trained our pup, then gave my husband and I the leash and made sure we were able instruct in the same way.We highly recommend American K9 Trainjng Program and Danny.

Kim S

2024-04

Being an active family, we recognized the importance of having a well-trained dog. After conducting thorough research, we came across American K9. Right from our initial interaction, we were confident that this was the ideal place for our little guy to undergo an in-house board and train program. Tucker spent numerous days and nights under the guidance of his trainer, Natalie. We greatly appreciated receiving videos of his training sessions, which clearly showed his enthusiasm and dedication. Upon picking Tucker up, he was eager to demonstrate all the new skills he had acquired. His progress was truly remarkable! Tucker now walks joyfully, responds promptly to commands, can maintain focus even in distracting environments, and thoroughly enjoys playing fetch. Although we encountered a minor issue with his door manners upon returning home, Natalie promptly provided us with valuable tips and tricks to address this behavior - and now Tucker excels in that aspect as well. We feel incredibly fortunate to have Natalie's ongoing support, and for that, we are truly grateful.

Colton Clifton

2024-01

We loved using AmericanK9 with our puppy! The facility is very clean and the staff are friendly and professional. Dawna was our trainer and she was exceptional! Our puppy actually looked forward to and got excited for the training sessions. Dawna was very good with explaining her training techniques and was always available to communicate with us if we had any questions. Highly recommended!

Melissa Groves

2024-04

I honestly can’t say enough about the training Cali received from Danny. Not only did Cali get training but so did my husband and I. Danny has this magic about her. Cali couldn’t wait to see her and even now, still gets so excited if we say her name. Thanks to Danny, Cali is growing up to be such a good girl and so well mannered.

Diana Scoggins

2023-12

We brought our 4 year old French bulldog, pug mix to American K9 to help with some of her dog-aggression issues, and to teach her basic obedience and leash walking manners. After 6 weeks of the board and train with Natalie, she was like a new dog. She was so much less reactive to other dogs, and her leash skills are impeccable. We can’t thank ‘Natalie enough for her work with our dog. It’s truly changed her life. Thank you again

Pamela Sabella

2023-12

We visit American K9 Dog Ranch several times a week through Sniffspot! They have a beautiful fenced in pasture with so much space for my energetic dog to run around and explore! You can also book for multiple dogs if you want to bring your pack or coordinate a playdate with friends! The grounds are very well maintained, they have water, poop bags, and some toys too. (There's even a *clean* porta-potty for humans which does well in a pinch!) The owner and staff are so nice and always responsive through the Sniffspot app. We have not tried the training offerings yet, but we do observe some mighty well-behaved pooches out for walks sometimes on our way in and out. ;) We also love seeing the goats and chickens! It's a great escape, especially if you don't have a yard or are looking for a safer alternative to a dog park. Highly recommend booking a visit!

Walker B

2023-12

I have had the most wonderful experience with Dawna - my service dog trainer at American K9. I have chronic heart neurological conditions that severely impact my quality of life and independence. I always thought that these conditions would limit what I can do and achieve in life such as go to college, the mall with friends, a family dinner, a concert, movie or musical at my theatre. Holding a steady job down? Never. I never thought any of these things were possible before I started working with Dawna. She has found, trained and continues to give wonderful advice to my service dog (and certified best friend and cutest 4 legged friend in the world). It is because of her training, experience working her and the product of her training so incredibly powerful as to give me my life back. I now can comfortably and safely go out with my friends and all of the above mentioned activities without worrying and constantly be checking for cardiac arrhythmias or other serious concerns. Having Rebel, the service dog trained for me, in my life has made it possible to be a functioning person at college and maintain straight A’s something I never before believe possible. I’ve been able to go to a concert and a musical with my friends without worrying that I would need an ambulance to come get me. My dog alerts me to my heart issues long before I even realize they are happening, and before my implanted heart monitor even picks them up as well. He has legitimately given me my life back with Dawna’s training and support!! I cannot recommend them enough!! I can confidently say my life has been changed forever. And in the direction I’ve always hoped, and dreamed it would be!! I feel limited by my conditions, but only limited by how much energy I have that day. Rebel⚔️❤️‍ has given me so much joy and training and continued support, reliability, and efficient communication and training has and forever will a special place in my heart! Thank you Dawna for giving me my life back!! ❤️‍

Jenny Young

2024-03

My dog LOVES this place and SO DO I! It's such a brilliant open space for him to run, and it's also quite scenically located in the lovely Davidsonville area. We rented it for a doggo meet up and everyone had a great job and couldn't believe this awesome place was so nearby! 10/10 would recommend - and love returning again and again!

Rita Gatton

2024-05

My puppy Lucy eceived obedience training from Danny. What a great dog trainer. She was patient but firm with Lucy. To be honest I learned a lot from Danny. She was the best. Lucy always got excited to see Danny. She has 3 dogs of her own, but treated Lucy like she was one of hers. I'm going to miss Danny but I know my puppy Lucy is going to miss her more.If you need your puppy or dig trained please call American K9 and ask for Danny.

Erin

2023-11

I use American K9's facilities through Sniffspot for my dog to enjoy nature and get exercise some weekends outside of DC. Their spot is one-of-a-kind with a peaceful location in the country, secure fencing, and well-maintained lawns. They also have toys and water to the keep the pups entertained and hydrated. The owner Krys is always super responsive and pleasant to speak with. We keep going back for more and I recommend them to others looking for a place to take their dog.

Jennie Lindstrom

2024-02

AmericanK9 trained our golden doodle, Ben. With the help of the wonderful Trainer, Tabrina our family has a dog that walks well on a leash, listens and responds to verbal commands, and is well mannered. We are so appreciative of their training service as we were at a point that we saw some major behavior problems arising. Tabrina was able to provide a positive learning environment based on rewards to help correct those behaviors and help Ben be the best dog he can be.

G M

2023-05

American K9 is fantastic! We've done both private puppy lessons and board and train and the results are incredible. All of the trainers are wonderful and super helpful, even after training is over. Our trainer Sarah was awesome! There is great communication during board and train with daily photos, videos, and summaries of the day. I highly recommend!

Elizabeth Hanfman

2022-05

If you are looking for the best life for you and your dog, you should enroll them in the board and train program. I have two Australian Shepherds, and while they had basic obedience, I knew that if we had a better foundation, the three of us would be happier and have so much more freedom. I have participated in several obedience classes and even another board and train, but none of them have been impressive as American K9 or Natalie.My two dogs spent two weeks working with Natalie, and every day for two weeks, I got so much feedback on their training, including pictures and videos. She developed such a special relationship with me and my two dogs I was almost sad to take them home and end the program. She took an already solid relationship with my dogs and made it so much stronger.Natalie also worked in tandem with the other trainers and dogs at the training facility. She even took my dogs on a field trip with another trainer to Lowes. She exposed my dogs to many different situations, which I hadn't seen in a training program before.On the first walk we took when I got home, two people stopped to tell me how well-behaved my dogs were. Tonight, my 18-month-old went on a group walk with three other people and two other dogs and was completely calm and focused on the leash the entire time. All thanks to Natalie and AmericanK9.We have our follow-up training and two weeks, and I couldn't be more excited. I would highly recommend sending your dog here.Natalie, we love you so much, and you changed our lives for the better. Thank you.

Grace Finnegan

2023-12

I've worked with a lot of dog trainers throughout the years but Dawna is by far the the most knowledgeable. She has a simple answer to any unwanted behaviors I have had with my dog. It is clear that she is truly passionate and loves what she does. Dawna is the best dog trainer I have ever worked with! 🐶❤️

Danielle C

2023-05

We have now hired American K9 to train both our dogs and our cat (I’ll explain). A few years back we took our first dog Henry (6 yr old Staffie Mix) to American K9 for training and aggression towards our cat. With Henry we did a 3 week board and train. The third week we dropped off our cat for a week of boarding, so Henry could continue is training with our cat in the room. To be honest, I had my doubts.. our dog was getting up there in age at this point and I wasn’t sure if our home would ever be peaceful because we were constantly worried about the safety of our cat. When we finally picked up both Henry and our cat and witnessed such significant progress, I couldn’t stop crying. I could cry now just thinking about it. We continue to be so thankful for the work American K9 put in with these 2 and our lives are unequivocally changed for the better!Recently, we adopted a 6 mo old doberman mix named Maggie. She has crazy puppy energy and was obviously in need of basic training. We called American K9 to get on the schedule for another few weeks of board-and-train. Maggie was paired up with Natalie. Natalie was perfectly matched with our girl! We received multiple daily updates on her progress with lots of photos. We’ve been blown away with the knowledge, patience, and results Natalie ahieved with Maggie. She’s quite honestly a new dog. What I loved most about Natalie is how she’s empowered me to be assertive and have more confidence with my dogs. She really spent the time to train me as well, making me a more confident owner. Previously, I felt a bit confused and unsure of how to handle certain situations with our new puppy. But Natalie’s commands are straight forward and very easy to understand. Not only is our girl walking on a leash calmly, but her manners are significantly improved! Natalie also has been great in sharing the knowledge and tools we need to keep Maggie on track.All-in-all, I couldn’t recommend Natalie and American K9 more! We now have two well-behaved, happy dogs that are a pleasure to be around. Thank you!!!

Brittney Walls

2023-05

Part 2 of 2:Tomorrow we go back to meet with Craig for the boys' two week follow up appointment, and we are looking forward to it. We have been given the tools to a better way of life. Yesterday, the boys spent an hour inside Home Depot and they were good boys the whole time - they heeled, sat, and laid down when they were told. They did not try to jump on or even pay attention to anyone we walked by. Our younger pup only barked once at the other dog being walked in the store. Both dogs stayed in sit and did not attempt to lunge or pull me at him. Similarly, twice on recent hikes unleashed dogs have run up to our boys and been rowdy. Neither of our dogs reciprocated any wild behavior and both times the other owners apologized and praised their outstanding behavior. At home, we can put the boys in place and cook dinner, or eat, or prepare their food, or answer the door, and they stay there!I'm sure this is the longest review that I've ever written, but I honestly believe that I have never contracted another service that I have been happier with. Craig got us results beyond anything we were expecting. Our lives have improved dramatically and we cannot recommend this training experience more.

Erin Gardner

2024-04

Ms. Danny worked with our sassy poodle from 4 months to train her as a service dog. Ms. Danny has done a fantastic job getting her to where she is now. No bathroom issues, she’s is attentive and even alerted when our niece’s infant was about to cry, her manners in public are awesome. We would absolutely recommend AmericanK9 Dog training and definitely ask for Ms. Danny.

Milo Taber

2023-10

We met for private training lessons with Rick at American k9. We recently had adopted a Chinese dog meat rescue who had never been in a home before and needed to learn his basic manners. we explain to Rick beforehand our specific concerns and explain to him what we needed to work on and he hit all the marks. The training was not only beneficial to my dog, but to my husband and I as well. We learned techniques we could all stick with. The training was firm, but kind and even included a little playtime at the end for a job Well done. The facility was beautifully maintained and clean and my son love seeing the goats every time. My dog benefit greatly from his time at American k9 and he is more comfortable and confident around people and dogs like now.

Sarah Shinaberry

2023-05

American K9 is the best dog training place around! Our almost 2yr old pandemic Sheepadoodle puppy Boomer needed some help with his jumping manners and how to walk on a leash without pulling us everywhere. We were nervous leaving him there for two weeks but all that changed once we saw his progress! Our trainer Craig exceeded our expectations! We were kept constantly updated with Boomer’s progress during the two weeks with pictures and videos! The transformation in Boomers behavior has been amazing since coming home! I highly recommend Craig and American K9.

Maggie Oconnell

2023-11

Top 5 reasons we love the American K9 sniffspot and visit (3 humans and 4 dogs) nearly every week:1. It's more than an acre of securely fenced space, allowing dogs to sniff and play without us worrying about their inconsistent recall. More than enough room for some good chuck it action.2. Open space for running but shade trees for resting when dogs need a break.3. Clean water available for drinking and cooling off. We don't need to drag water bottles. Stanley especially loves the little pool.4. Extra poop bags and poop disposal. I hate hauling poop bags in my car.5. Lots of toys and extra chuck it throwers.For a lot of reasons, regular dog parks aren't a great fit for our crew. We appreciate having a safe, private place for them to get their zoomies out.

Erica Cox

2023-08

Tabrina was our pup Ozzys trainer. We signed him up for the 2 week board and train at 10 months old while we went on vacation. It was 100% worth it. During the week Tabrina would send us pictures and videos of Ozzy. He was so happy in all of the pictures so I know he was in good hands. It was amazing to see how much he learned in those two weeks. Once we came to get him, we had a sit down with Tabrina to go over what we needed to do to continue his training at home. He’s been the best boy since we’ve brought him home.

Alexa Candeletti

2022-05

American K9 has been nothing but helpful when it has come to training both of our dogs. Our trainer Craig has completely turned our lives around with our dog who was running our household. American K9 has taken the time to get to know our dogs and each of their situations individually. They have been accommodating, and supportive through the entire training process, and the work to be put in there after. Definitely top quality training services and would recommend for anyone looking for the best for their pups!

Francesca Coe

2023-05

Our experience with American K9 was amazing and cannot recommend them and their whole staff enough. Our 5 month old German Shepherd puppy, Colombo did a 4 week at home board and train with Cassie. Cassie was the BEST and far surpassed all of our training expectations with our puppy. Colombo came home a totally different dog in the absolute best way. He is the calmest puppy I have ever met and is so well mannered and well behaved now. He knows all of his commands and is now fantastic on and off the leash. He also used to be such a big baby, but now, has so much more confidence! Cassie exposed Colombo to so many different environments, people and dogs. They took multiple excursions every week and did just about everything you could imagine. They went to Home Depot, downtown Fredericksburg, restaurants, Pet Smart, the gym and she even took Colombo on multiple off leash trail walks. Even when the weather didn’t cooperate, Cassie found ways to get Colombo exposed to anything and everything.We were so nervous leaving Colombo with someone for a whole month, but Cassie communicated with us daily and made us feel so apart of the entire training process. Not only did she send us pictures and videos every single day, but she often sent us actual video lessons where she walked us through a training lesson beginning to end. These training videos made us feel included, but they also really helped us prepare for Colombo to come home and have been a huge help to us as we continue the training process with him at home now.You can tell that Cassie loves her job and truly cares for all her pups with so much love. Colombo and her have such a sweet bond and I can tell she treats all of her board and train pups just as if they were her own. Thanks to her, Colombo came home with all the tools and knowledge American K9 promises along with so much more. We will definitely be coming back to Cassie for training whenever we get another pup!

Jill Martin

2022-05

Board and Train at American K9 was a wonderful experience from drop off to pick up. I was struggling with walking my 8 month old German Shepherd puppy in addition to a slew of other issues. I met with Craig at drop off and he spent so much time with me going over every concern and detailing what he would be doing in the 2 weeks. He made me feel so comfortable and every concern I had went out the window.During the 2 weeks he sent extremely detailed videos and pictures showing everything he was doing. It was very helpful to have these videos even in the future to refer back to. Craig showed a level of care and professionalism in his communication that made me know my dog was in great hands. He even took her on a field trip to Lowes to work on distractions and obedience which was a point of struggle in the past.When I picked my pup up Craig spent a lot of time with me going over everything and had me practice different skills that he had gone over with my pup. He made me feel so supported and was an excellent teacher- when I got home I felt very knowledgeable and ready to continue the training at home.Now when I walk my dog she is a lot calmer and I am finally able to enjoy taking her out. Before I was always embarrassed at her behavior, now I am proud to take her on a walk and show off her skills. At home she has truly become the perfect dog, she is able to self regulate at times without a command from me and she is much more aware of her behavior. The place command has been life changing with doing things around the house or at times when my pup needs time to relax, she often goes to her place without a command which shows how routine and regimented her training was. The time and patience Craig took to truly engrain these skills in my dog has life long effects.I couldn’t recommend this training more. Especially for a first time GSD owner it taught me the skills I need to enjoy my dog and continue living my life with her. Since I picked my dog up Craig has still sent follow up reminders, it is so nice to know even after the 2 weeks he is still there if I need any support. I have my 2 week follow up soon and I am excited to learn more from Craig and his amazing expertise. Craig and American K9- Thank you for all you did and continue to do, you are truly a skilled specialist in your field.

Janet Weistock

2023-05

My 7 month old German Shepherd Cupcake just completed her one on one training with Craig. She is my third dog I have that has had training from American K9. I have had German Shepherds my whole life (40+yrs) and the training from here is by far outstanding from any other place I've used over the many years. I learn so many new tips and skills with each pet. I can't rave enough about this facility, especially Krys and Craig !

Breianna Gallagher

2022-05

AmericanK9 is a fabulous facility and Nikki did a fantastic job training my dog. She was boarded there for 3 weeks and Nikki never missed a day sending updates, pictures and videos of her progress. She even took my dog on a field trip to Lowes! I couldn't be more pleased with my dog's experience there and the continued training session's that are scheduled after her boarding time at the facility is completed. She also went over everything I needed to know when I picked up my dog and she was extremely patient with me as I tried to get the hang of learning everything. Nikki is the best and I couldn't be more pleased with both my experience at the facility and my dogs treatment and training. Thank you Nikki and AmericanK9 for the solid foundation of training that you gave my dog for us to build off of together going forward. We are can't wait to come back for our continued training sessions!

Alison Vannoy

2023-12

We had a wonderful experience with American K9 and Dawna, in particular. We had specific needs with our two dogs, including the need to work with an adult in a wheelchair. Dawna was amazing and the dogs are very well trained. Thanks Dawna!

Jenny Dilts

2024-02

I have had such a great experience at American K9! I brought my 8 month Saint Berdoodle to private training lesson, and his trainer Dawna, has been so wonderful and helpful I highly recommend her! From the first class when my dog was pulling on the leash in walks, very distracted of people and other dogs, selective listening on commands, and issues walking with other dogs. Fast forward to the second to last class he has learned how to confidently and safely walk with me, other people and dogs, and focus his attention on me when there are distractions, and listen and obey commands. Dawna has been so great with my dog, helping me with any questions I have, really using every minute of the session to utilize what we have to work on the next week, and I have seen tremendous results! Its hard to find a great trainer that you actually see quick and promising results, and I couldn't recommend her more!

Tony Nyberg

2023-09

We have a 1.5 year old 13lb Tibetian terrier/Bichon mix rescue named Wally. He suffers from extreme reactivity when around other dogs. Wally becomes nervous, agitated, and barks like an attack dog to the point of being uncontrollable. Previous to AmericanK9 we used 2 other dog trainers with either zero or mimimal results. The situation was discouraging to say the least. We heard about AmericanK9 from a friend. His description of the results seemed too good to be true. After contacting AmericanK9 we decided to enroll Wally in their 3 week in house program with fingers crossed. When I say in house program, Wally spent 3 weeks straight at AmericanK9. He did not come home at night. Wally was completely immersed in their environment 24hrs a day for 3 weeks . To say Wally and us were all in would be an under statement. When we picked Wally up after the 3 weeks, the results were nothing short of miraculous. Wally was completely transformed. He had so much more confidence. His obedience to commands was incredible. And most importantly, Wally did not have a melt down when around other dogs. Since coming home, we've gone on many walks encountering other dogs. Wally is calm and obeys our commands. We've gone to Starbucks to sit outside, Wally on command goes to the sit and down positions. He just lays there calm and quiet while dogs at the next table play and do their thing. In short, Wally is now the wonderful incredible dog we always knew he could be. A huge thanks to Sarah at AmericanK9 for transforming Wally. We highly recommend AmericanK9 dog training and would most definitely use them again. Cheers!Pics: Wally training at AmericanK9 with other dogs (notice no melt down...lol). After 3 weeks of hard work the final graduation pic with us. Yea Wally! Thanks again to Sarah and AmericanK9!