Alpha K9

This is a difficult review to give because the trainer we worked with, who’s name is Reynold’s, was very informative and knowledgeable about his style of training and regimen. However, the Alpha K9 business practices leave quite a lot to be desired. I drive passed their location in sacramento daily and when I got a puppy, I quickly inquired about their services and prices. Their prices are fair (similar to other local training facilities) and their philosophy on training was uniquely simple: no treats and these 3 commands: come, sit and down. When I first pulled up to the business, there were many people standing outside, smoking cigarettes (later found out these are employees/​trainers). This is not the most professional first impression to give potential clients. But the facility was clean and they had many different leashes, collars and goodies that could be purchased. We had an initial meeting with my puppy and the trainer to get a sense of how the two would get along and a chance for them to explain their philosophy. This worked well and was a way to get a taste of the training before having to pay. We were suggested to purchase private puppy classes (a total of 5 for the package). Now as I said prior, there are three basic commands that these dogs learn: come, sit and down. Well after having 2 classes, my dog was learning the required commands and progressing well. And I should also mention they use choke collars here, which are used in a correctional manner. With the holidays, I scheduled a break between the weekly Saturday private session because I would be out of town. When I called to try and schedule my following three sessions, I could not get ahold of an actual person. I left a message for the Lead Training personel and the administration personel with no call back or email. I paid almost 200 dollars for five private sessions and have only completed three. There has been no attempt to contact me to complete the package I bought. And the contact I have attempted has not been successful. The potential for this business is great and the people that receive help from them are lucky. It is a shame that poor management and a lack of professional decorum is not seen as more of a concern.

I am saddened to feel the need to share my experience with this organization. I believe their intentions are wonderful and their hearts to help veterans, first responders, survivors of domestic violence, and other people with disabilities are great. Sadly however, the way this is done has caused many issues and do not follow ADA guidelines. I applied for a PTSD service dog with them and placed a fairly large deposit down in order for them to begin searching for a dog. The trainers were very nice and understanding of my needs and I was very hopeful in what they promised. I was told she would have been temperament tested, had all her shots, her Canine Good Citizen Certificate, and obedience. On their website, they also say they provide individualized training for people with PTSD, but do no task training at all.
Once they «finished» training and said she was ready to come home, I went in for 4 days of training with the dog, we will call her Lee for now. For the first three days, I worked one on one with different trainers. I noticed that Lee struggled greatly with basic obedience (i.e. sit, down, come) and did not understand stay. I thought it was because she did not trust me yet. She also greatly struggled to focus.
On the fourth day there, I went to Service Dog Hour. The first team I watched come in was a Veteran and his Belgian Malinois (high drive dogs who often do not make good service dogs because of aggression). The trainer had to go over and tell the man (who was brutally yanking on the dogs choke chain, causing Unilocaling) that he needed to knock it off because that was animal abuse. Cue mass amounts of anxiety… As we went through the class, several of the dogs struggled with ignoring each other and following the owners commands. Lee would not sit, down, or even look at me. She whined quite a bit and we ended up having to step out of the room. I, again, thought it was because she didn’t trust me yet and was stressed by the change in owner.
For the two weeks to follow, I realized very quickly how little training Lee had. She could not sit, down, stay, or come. When on normal walks, she had no focus and if she saw a squirrel or another dog, would nearly yank me over. She also showed mass amounts of aggression towards several people on our walks. She also displayed intense fear around large men and if you put your hand near her head. I spoke with the organization several times, stated my concerns, and they replied that she was probably just testing me and that I should make sure to be tough with her training. We continued working using positive reinforcement and noticed that Lee had anxiety and several health issues. I had to make the decision to wash her from service work because of the behavioral and health problems. Alpha K9 also claimed that they could not find her health records or her CGC certificate. I was told that all the veterinarians Lee had visited did not have her records, and that the vet’s computer, who would have the shot records, had crashed. Both, come to find out, were non-​existent. I called multiple times and explained that I needed help rehoming Lee and needed a refund of the deposit, since I was not provided with what was promised in the contract. I am still fighting to get back my deposit (they had to send it to their Board of Directors) since I was given a fearful, anxious, unfocused and seriously untrained «service dog.» I have still yet to hear about the refund. Lee seemed to have a history of abuse and was not fit in any way for service work.
I know that some have had great experiences, but unfortunately I received a dog that was supposed to «exceed ADA standards» (from their contract) but did not even come close. None of their dogs have any task training, as required by law, but instead are only trained to do three things: sit, down, and come. Mine could not even do those. These dogs are not trained with any tasks and can therefore not be considered service dogs and have no public access rights.
I am sad that organizations take advantage of people with disabilities and provide them with dogs that are not trained nor fit for service work.
From the ADA:
«DEFINITION OF A SERVICE ANIMAL
Q1. What is a service animal?
A. Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task (s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Q2. What does „do work or perform tasks“ mean?
A. The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability. For example, a person with diabetes may have a dog that is trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels. A person with depression may have a dog that is trained to remind her to take her medication. Or, a person who has epilepsy may have a dog that is trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure»

This is very hard to write. I want everyone to know I tried to communicate with this organization via phone and email to the office staff and the CEO multiple times and got no response. I received a service dog March 2015 which had medical conditions. I agreed to take the dog and continue at Alpha K9’s vet until his medical condition was taken care of. I was told during my individual training sessions that Alpha K9 had stopped working with their current vet and would get me in touch with their new vet. Evertime we went in it was acknowledge my dog had medical conditions. He was completely shaved down because of this and under weight. I took my dog to my vet in the meantime because his condition worsened and staff saw this and many consulted on how to handle this but didn’t have a vet in place for us to go to. I only received 5 private sessions which covered basic commands which we already knew and was told the group classes would be where we worked on further training. I called to speak to the CEO about the medical bills that were staking up and my dogs continued condition. I had been assured by the CEO when I took the dog this medical condition would be covered and they were worried about placing him because it was so bad. When I called I was told the CEO was very busy and not to expect a call back anytime soon and that I would have to go after their old vet for the costs and not to expect to to be reimbursed. I was also told my dog couldn’t attend group classes due to his health issues until all health issues were cleared up. I emailed all documentation along with vet notes and asked for a response. I waited a month later, tried to call, no answer and I then re-​emailed the general mail box and the CEO directly simply asking to have a conversation about this. Three weeks later I still haven’t heard anything and have a dog that has medical issues and whose training isn’t continuing. I respect what they are doing but feel my situation is very unfortunate. I love my dog and I will continue to provide the proper medical care but feel when I was guaranteed this would be taken care of I thought that would honor their word. I wish them all of the best and hope they with this issue in the proper manner for all parties involved.

Alpha K9 may seem like the answer to your prayers but they are such a disorganized company that it becomes a nightmare to deal with them. We scheduled two training appts and paid $ 500. We live approximately 45″ away from this facility. On the day of our first training my husband takes one dog and I take the other. I receive a call when we are half way there saying they have to cancel our appt. I was frustrated since we had scheduled this 2 weeks prior and we were almost there. Our next appt was also cancelled 2 days before and then the day that was cancelled, someone called us and wanted to confirm our appt. I told them that someone called and cancelled it due to an event that they were having. When I was called to cancel our second training appt, I advised them I wanted a refund. I explained our unhappiness with the cancellations and I was told they would have to process it. That was back in the middle of March. I called back at the end of March and spoke to Kevin the owner who apologized for the cancellations and advised he would take care of my refund that day. It is May 26^th and I still have not received a refund. I called today and was transferred to Jackie. She became upset with me when I explained to her that it’s been over a month and a half and still no refund. I explained I was going to review their business on Unilocal and she became loud, talking over me, and said she would let me know about my refund when she can. So, the moral of the story, just because a business is on KCRA list, it is not always reputable. I can’t comment on the training aspect since we never even got a chance since they continued to cancel our appts. Not sure what my next step will be, but unless I get a refund quick, I may have to go to small claims court. Do not pay in advance for training!!! Business is very disorganized and no one knows what the hell they are doing!!!

We were between homes and for the 3 months I choose to leave Gizmo there at Alpha K9. Best thing ever. Gizmo use to do as he pleased (he is way too cute to say no too) however, I would visit and work with him while he was there. James and the other trainers there taught me to be strong and to give him the right commends. When it was time for Gizmo to came home, he followed my commands and is a very good member of the family now. Every time we vacation Gizmo with go back for reenforcement training and great care!
Thank you Kevin for such a great service and thank you James and all of the other outstanding trainers who loved on and trained my baby when I was not there.

We took our dog Blu here for 1 on 1 puppy obedience.
We worked with Martin every time we went. He never ran late or rescheduled and was very professional. We never felt rushed; he always took as much time as needed after our session to explain what «home work» we had and to answer questions.
Blu has come a very long way after our 6 sessions. At first, we would take her on walks and she would try to pull and jump around; now she stays by our side the entire time without jumping/​pulling, and will immediately sit down when I stop walking. When she encountered people/​dogs she would jump around on them and wouldn’t listen to us; she now will wait until we give her the go ahead to start being playful with others. She sits/​lays/​comes on command. She does not charge out the door when going to play or even when we leave the house; she will sit and look at us until we tell her that its ok to walk out. We can get her to go in her crate or lay in bed until we tell her to get off (time out purposes, when someone rings the door bell, etc).
I’ve met some people who have their dogs in the PetSmart training class, and they will not obey them unless they have a treat or use their ‘clicker’ thing (if at all). Blu needs nothing but my voice to obey a command. I’d much rather my dog be obedient to ME, rather than obedient to food or training device.
Also, this place serves veterans, police, and people in need of service dogs. The money you pay goes to their time/​equipment needed to get the dogs trained for people in need; that alone is just an awesome thing.
We plan on taking Blu back for their protection training once she is older. ¹⁰⁄₁₀

I have a rescue dog that we think is about 5 years old and we had a DNA test done and found out she is a Pug/​Pit bull mix. She’s about 45lbs and the biggest pug you have seen. I searched for training for her because as a rescue she was very nervous around other animals and was in need of obedience training. I have a terminal nerve disorder and really wanted to have her trained to be my emotional support animal (ESA). I did 5 weeks of private one on one training to teach her basic obedience and then a six week group class with about 10 other dogs. Next week she will test to get her canine good citizen (CGC) award. I didn’t always agree with how they trained sometimes they were a little rough on the dogs but all I can say is my dog is a completely different animal from before our training. She is awesome on the leash, sits, lays down and stays. I am really hoping to continue training with her so she can become my service dog. She is my best friend and now with her training she knows when it’s play time and when it’s time to work. The Staff at Alpha K9 is really great and they treat everyone like you are their most important client. I was concerned that because I am not former military they wouldn’t respect me as a client but I was very wrong. If you are looking for basic or advanced training you should definitely check these guys out.

We brought our lab puppy Max here at 6 months old for obedience training and service dog training. We signed up for the 2 month live in training. He was very loving and smart but a total spaz when we first brought him to Alpha K9. After two weeks of training he was a very different dog. It was hard to be away from him for 2 months but it was so worth it.
When Max has his «working» collar on, he minds beautifully and walks right in step with us. When the collar comes off he knows he can be a playful puppy.
The best part is we continue to receive weekly training for Max to advance his skills. The whole training team here is phenomenal but we particularly adore Tierney. She is a wonderful woman and treated our dog like her own. This is an excellent organization and we can definitely recommend.

We brought our 5 month old german shepherd into Alpha K9 back in January. We had serious concerns with his behavior and his food aggression (out of control). After meeting with CEO Kevin, we knew we had made the right choice on where to take our dog. He gave us an idea of the kind of work our dog needed and our best options, which we chose to start with boarding for a month.
Let me first say that even though we were both a little nervous that we would not be working with him at first, it was the right decision and we can’t thank Kevin enough for helping us understand that.
We had already tried the route of a local pet store training but our dog clearly needed more. If you want your dog to get treats, cuddles and kisses at training (somewhat sarcastic) then go try your local pet store. If you want HONEST opinions with no BS, here is your place!
Both Tierney and later Amber worked with our dog and welcomed us in each week for a meeting and review of progress. After the month was complete, we could only wait 4 days to bring him back for more training.
In the weeks since, we have continued working with Amber and as stressful as food aggression with a growing dog is, she has been using every technique and trick to help him calm down.
I give Alpha K9 a five star rating because I have seen the work that they have done with our now much larger dog and it’s amazing where he has come from. You cannot expect major changes in a couple weeks and these trainers are dedicated to not only helping veterans in need, but to making your dog a trained and well respected member of your family.
From a first responder with over 7 years of experience, I cannot thank you enough for the hard work and dedication you have shown to us and our dog. The importance of a firm handshake, eye contact, and remembering our names does not go unnoticed. Thank you for all that you do and will continue to do Alpha K9!

This is a tough review to give for an organization that has the capabilities of changing lives. However, as a veteran in need, I’ve never felt more separate and isolated wile training here. Watching my dog being slung around like a helicopter by the CEO for growling was my last straw.
The promise of good citizen training never happened. My dog can sit, lay down and walk decent, but I was never evaluated for tasks that would benefit my disorder. I was I. This program for six months and this was as far as I got. We never worked on my dogs training in public. As good as it is to be around brothers and sisters in a group setting, I needed to function outside and they had so much transition with trainings that I got left out.
I paid a few thousand dollars for a dog that has good basic obedience. for some reason I didn’t qualify for their free training services. I was never given a reason why.
I’ve heard the CEO bash vets that he doesn’t feel have PTSD or are faking their disorder, refer to his ex wife as a bitch, and watched him be completely inappropriate with staff and volunteers. The Facebook posts degrading former employees doesn’t make someone like me feel supported. Half the time I think the money I paid for training went more to upgrading the facility than it did for my actual training.
Then to see the attacks on our community for mistakenly not knowing the laws on service dogs was the last straw. I’m sorry, but Alpha K9 lost this veteran and I won’t be back. Kevin, vet to vet, check your ego and focus on being a true non profit that puts out needs ahead of your ego.
I want this group to succeed, but I’m not sure it will happen with the current environment.

Had a terrible experience here. Brought in my lab puppy for them to train. After they had my dog for one month we were finally able to bring him home. Seems like no training was done at all. In one month time they were able to teach him to stay when told so. That was about it. He still Is not potty trained, still jumps up on you, walks on a leash but still wants to lead, etc. It really surprised me also that when we picked him up how the trainer told us «he is a special needs dog» pretty much stating that the dog is retarded. The word stupid was also mentioned. Instead of using positive methods to try to teach the dog they used the scare method. They put on one of those collars with the barbs facing inwards and would just always yank on it until the puppy did what they wanted. The training was so bad that we have not even gone back for the extra free training classes that came with what we paid. My wife is now taking the puppy to Petco for their training and is having much better luck for a Fraction of the price.

We worked with Mavi to train our 2 year old mini-​aussie, Magic. Magic was a little bratty and not responding to the treat-​type training. The training we did with Magic at Alpha K9 was with a choker chain. I was put off a little at first because it seemed mean but once Mavi explained that it was more about control, I understood. We went once a week for 6 weeks and it worked! Magic is now much more well-​behaved, even without the choke collar (which we rarely ever use now). Thanks Alpha K9!
I would have given 5 stars but they were running late several times and we had to wait past our scheduled time. Other than that I was 100% happy.

From an emergency responder with PTSD: Crash is in the midst of his training with Alpha K9, and I can say that the trainers that I’ve worked with, Suzy and Ben, really care and know their stuff. Its hard to find a place that you feel you belong when you’re an ex-​cop with PTSD. Kevin and his crew made damn sure I was welcome. When Crash and I are there, we feel like we’re safe… no judgement, no problems. I highly recommend Alpha K9 to any first responder with PTSD… the majority of the clientele are military vets, but you won’t feel like an outsider.

Was looking at puppy training classes. Alpha K9 called me back saying Toby’s too young for training and shots has to be completed; however, the very nice Mavy of the school gave me free puppy training tips on barking, biting, chewing… etc. So nice of them. Will definitely take my puppy there for training once he’s ready.

Happy Veteran and client of Alpha K9, they trained my service dog and Rhydian is the center of my whole world. Awesome group especially if you are a veteran. Staff is amazing and AK9 is a family for me. Severe PTSD makes it hard for me to be alone with people– I can hang in a room with any of the staff and feel comfortable and not paranoid.
They also really help you fundraise and try and find you sponsors.
Love this company. …like seriously, I have the AK9 logo on half my clothing embroidered on because they rock. My service dog has like 4 AK9 patches on his vest

Well reading one persons experience really does no justice. I’m a VET and they have been wonderful by donating a service dog to help me. The methods they have taught me are very effective. Others I have seen at Alpha seem to be doing well. I see nothing but forward momentum and consistency throughout the entire process.

what can I say about Alpha K9 they are the best the kennel master Kevin is far the best instructor that I have had the pleasure to work with bear my ¹¹⁄₂ old German shepherd was a mess he tried to attack everyone he was dominate with me and my wife he was basically a big pain in the butt we had been to another training center and had the basic done but found that it was to much to fast for his temperament, Kevin saw that from the first day.
His Training methods are tailored to your dogs need and yours too for which that is a good thing.
I am very happy with where bear has come he still has some issues that I hope that will be work out in the future.
Like I stated this is the best place for you and your dog to learn and be best friends and have some fun.
thank you Kevin and your Staff
Trevor H Sterne

These people are amazing! I’m not claiming they snake charmed my dog or anything like that but there is very clear communication throughout the evaluation process. I feel very confident that all expectations will be met. Their facility was very clean and well organized. It’s very clear from the beginning that they care about what they’re doing deeply and that it’s a passion for them. Those are the only credentials I need, but don’t worry, they have more.

I chose Alpha K-​9 for my puppy’s Obedience Training because they specialize in larger breeds. I have an 8 mo young Dobie/​Vizsla mix and I was having trouble with him learning commands. Terra diagnosed the situation quickly… I was babying my dog too much and at the rate I was going he was going to be my owner and me not his. She recommended a different collar that my dog responds to better. Damn,. that collar made the biggest difference and now we’re working on him conquering his motion sickness/​fear of riding in the car. He made his first r/​t drive the other day w/​o puking!!!
Terra’s also there for you anytime, 24/​7, when you’re having a pet disaster and need advice. More training to come.
Thank You So Much!

Hello,
I have been attending training classes with my dog Zeek at Alpha k9 for the last few weeks. I have nothing but great things to say about their facility and their training methods. The whole team is really nice and cares about what they do.
I really appreciate their help and their honesty. Its always nice to go their and know your going to learn something new and helpful. I would recommend them over anyone in the Sacramento area. I called nearly every training facility in the area and Alpha K9, In my opinion was the most understading and helpful… And best prices for what they offer. GREAT PLACE ALL AROUND!