Zen K9 Private Training & Boarding School

From the moment we reached out to Zen K9 Training, we were met with professionalism and expertise that exceeded our expectations. David, our dedicated dog trainer, showcased not only his vast knowledge but also his genuine passion for nurturing and training canines.

Entrusting our two cherished shizpoos with anyone would have been daunting, but David immediately put our concerns to rest. During their one-week intensive training with him, it became evident that he possesses a rare and unique talent in understanding canine psychology and behavior, especially when it comes to fear-based reactions. He would even share video clips periodically which helped with missing them.

What truly stands out about David's approach is his calm and patient demeanor. He has this incredible knack for radiating peace, which I believe our dogs instantly picked up on. This, combined with his tried-and-true training methods, made an indelible difference in our pets' behavior.

The cherry on top? David went above and beyond the standard expectations. Instead of just providing training and feedback, he took the extra mile by visiting our home. This was pivotal in addressing our dogs' socialization issues, particularly when we have people over. Under his guidance, the incessant barking that once greeted our visitors transformed into a more controlled and composed reception. I now have to work to keep it so!

For anyone struggling with their dog’s fear-based behaviors, or simply seeking to deepen their bond with their canine companions, I wholeheartedly recommend David and Zen K9. Your four-legged family member deserves the best, and with Zen K9, that's precisely what you'll get. More...

My husband and I adopted a rescue pittie who is fearful. She has made progress in the six months with us, but we wanted someone with more experience to observe her and help us in our efforts to grow her confidence. Dave was amazing- we signed up for a private session and even included our more social/confident dog and in that short amount of time he earned her trust, grew her confidence and trained us on how to approach reducing her fear response and growing her confidence. I really appreciate his experience and his approach of positive reinforcement and being intentional about where to apply it and how to focus. We are going to apply what we have learned and stay in touch as additional questions arise and might even have her spend some time with his social dogs to continue to build her confidence. Overall a great experience that reinforced what we were doing and gave us additional tools to be more effective. More...

He is absolutely amazing! He came to our home to perform the training session. He gave us a plan to work on and helped to break it down so it was easier to manage. He gives you a plan so your dogs can continue to improve long after the training session. You can see the years of experience he has when he was working with our dogs and how they responded. We already saw improvement during the first training session! We will be using him for any of our dog training needs! More...

Very helpful with my concerns and has effective communication.

Our puppy stayed with David for a week for Puppy Boarding School and the changes we have seen in her are amazing! She came back to us with new skills and we learned so much during the training process. David sent a ton of videos, pictures, updates throughout the week so we were able to see her progress. We highly recommend Zen K9! More...

David reached out within hours of submitting a Bark request. He was able to come to our house the next day for a 2 hour training session. After the session we decided to move forward with his 1 week board & train program. We are excited for our puppy to attend starting next week! Would highly recommend David! More...

Professionalism 5/5 Technical support 5/5. Dedication 5/5. Experience 5/5 Community 5/5 Facility 5/5. All around Good People 5/5

Reviewed on Google Maps

Zen K9 and David's expertise saved my 2 dogs from a horrible situation and helped transform them into 2 of the best dogs ever! Their training methods also include the owners so you learn how to keep up with the training! Cannot say enough great things about thwm! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

David is truly remarkable! His love for dogs and passion for training is a treat to experience and we are so very fortunate that he was willing to work with our animals. Our 11 year old, male, Old English Bulldog was not excited about our new edition - a 6 month old, male English Bulldog. David helped them get along when all seemed hopeless and tough us how to best work with our animals. My family is so grateful for David’s support and would highly recommend him and his team! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Zen K9 and David saved my dogs lives. Both came to him with serious behavioral issue due to previous abuse and neglect. I am happy and proud to say with their help, I have 2 of the best dogs ever. The way he works with not only the dogs but the owners is great! He teaches you how to keep up with the training so your dogs are a joy to be around. I recently moved to Texas and they have 2 other dogs and a bunch of cats and kittens running around them constantly. Heck, my blue nose has kittens playing with his tail constantly and doesn't every care! I have Zen K9 and David to thank for that! More...

David is amazing!!! Our puppies are learning quickly and he is magical with our puppies! His training technique are the best I have seen! We highly recommend him!

David and his team are miracle workers. I brought them two dogs who hated each other, who would even growl and bark at each other when they were yards apart, and the team transformed these two dogs into best buddies for life. David and team not only work with your dog, they work with you to make sure you are educated in how to deal with your dogs’ bad behavior. I recommend David and his team to everyone I know. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

David came to our and was unbelievable did things with our 12 week old Rottweiler that just amazed us 1000% recommended

Reviewed on Facebook

David and his crew have been working with my boys, Charles and Papi (6-six-old unhealthily bonded litter mates), since July. There is still work to be done, but there is a significant improvement after each has done separate board & train and obedience work at David's place. David and his crew treat the boys like family, hanging out with the other dogs, going on field trips to Home Depot, PetSmart and patio restaurants to get more socialized. David has not given up and is always there with advice and recommendations when I have questions. We will continue to work with David on the remaining issues. Most importantly, we humans are learning how to do our part to make the dogs successful. I would highly recommend Zen K9 Training for your pups...you'll be happy you chose them! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

David is an amazing trainer and person. He manages to make an instant connection with the dogs he is working with and always uses positive reenforcement to obtain the desired results. He worked with our dog when she was young to learn basic obedience and service dog work. I have seen him do some amazing work with fear aggressive dogs and overly timid dogs, as well. Would highly recommend!!! More...

I am absolutely ecstatic to have found Zen K9 Training. As anyone with rescue furbabies knows, they often have come w/some form of trauma background. I had accepted that I would adjust to the background of my two boys the best I could. Never walk near other dogs, always explaining to others why my little guy shrieks at dogs that resemble coyotes, deal w/ the stigma of loving a pit bull, and never, ever going to a dog park. After finding Zen K9; I am happy to realize that their training of my boys has given us more freedom, more fun, and more ability to share fur baby love with others. I’ve used their Board & Train, their boarding, and their grooming services. Whenever I take my boys there, much to my happy chagrin, they don’t even look back, but get excited and show off their butt wiggle & tail wagging expertise. I cannot recommend Zen K9 enough, in fact if you see me, just ask, I will probably have extra business cards to give out & send you their way! With much, much gratitude, Victoria, Morro, and Archer????❤️???? More...

Reviewed on Facebook

David, Adrian and Kevin were all so helpful and knowledgeable throughout Wini's board and train. Their calm and consistent demeanor were exactly what Wini needed. Thank you all so very much!

Reviewed on Facebook

My husky (Dove) and I have been working with David 3 times now (all on different skills like socialization, getting into a car, obedience), and let me say that David has completely changed my dog! Now she’s jumping happily and excitedly in my car, more responsive with my commands, and wait for it.... Went from a completely timid dog around other dogs to jumping up and sniffing them!!! Now my Dove just can’t wait to meet other dogs and stopped being scared of them!! I didn’t think I could get my husky socialized and thought it was just her personality. David and Kevin completely fixed that and now has my dog completely comfortable around other dogs to the point where she is excited and curious to meet and be around them!! I can’t wait to do more future sessions with David and Kevin at Zen K9!! Seriously folks, your fur baby will be in good hands!! These guys are the best!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We have had such great success with our rescue, Javi, in working with David. We first called David because Javi was extremely anxious, especially with strangers, to the point of being aggressive when meeting someone he didn’t know. Within 3 sessions, and with the help of the e-collar (a vibration device) plus a treat/reward system, we saw an almost unbelievable turnaround in our dog. He went from barking non-stop and lunging to bite in the first session, to befriending David (even jumping in his lap!) and following direction by the third. These changes have stuck, and we were even able to have many people over at a time over at the house because of his progress. We now use David’s boarding program when we go out of town, which Javi comes back from so happy and well taken care of. We always know he is in good, safe hands! They also send us updates and photos, which we appreciate. 10/10 recommend Zen K9! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Our dog Bo has been transformed by David and his team. We rescued him and he had a rough start in life. Our Bo was about as scared and untrained as they come. We did some in home training then decided to just drop a Bo off for day training and within a week he became a new dog. He knows and follows all the basic commands, he can walk on a leash, he is more confident. We are beyond happy with his transformation. Now when we go on vacay we drop Bo to stay at Zen dog training and they work more on other training skills. He just keeps getting better. Highly recommend this team and their positive training approach. If it can work for Bo it can work for any dog. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Davis and his team worked a small miracle with our rescue dog Bo. He has been transformed from a super scared untrained pup to a super well trained, more confident dog. All I know is Bo is a new dog and I didn’t have to do the training myself. They have a gift and their positive training technique and patience did the trick. We also board Bo there when we travel and he loves it. Highly recommend David and his team. We are super grateful for what they did with Bo. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

They are awesome

Reviewed on Google Maps

Dave's fantastic! He cared for our dog, Rusty and we loved him!

Reviewed on Facebook

David and his team are absolutely amazing. I took my two rescue dogs here (lab mix and pit mix, both about 1 & 1/2 years old) for the two week board and train program. I actually live out in Los Angeles and drove my dogs out after weeks of researching different training places. I have a slipped disc and pinched nerve in back which made it near impossible to take the dogs for walks since they both had terrible leash/walking habits. They both also had issues with jumping on people, barking, and listening to basic commands. After the two weeks at Zen K9 the dogs have done a complete 180. During their stay, David and Adrian kept me posted, sent me videos and pictures, and really showed the dogs tons of love, positive reinforcement, and leadership/discipline. When I picked them up I swear I had different dogs. Adrian went through a very thorough one on one training with me and the dogs at the end of their stay which was crucial for me to learn, so that I didn’t undo all their training. Of course I had to, and continue to have to, reinforce what they learned during their stay, but I can actually walk them now with absolutely zero pain in my back! I literally cried tears of joy during our walk today because I can give them the walks they deserve without me being in any pain. They no longer pull the leash, nor do they jump on people when they’re excited. They even stop barking the second I say “quiet!”...I never thought I’d see the day on that one lol. They learned basic commands (and more!) which make it infinitely better to handle them. I’m so grateful and thankful for David and Adrian, and I absolutely recommend them to everyone who needs help with their dogs’ behaviors! ❤️ More...

Reviewed on Facebook

One of the best trainer I have ever met! Different dogs got training and it was always a success! I know David for almost 7 years and I trust his opinion more than anybody else. He is a very awesome Person .

Reviewed on Facebook

I had the privilege of working with David and his diligent staff as trainer last winter. Never have I been a part of such an ernest and dedicated team. The tools and techniques I learned with David have broadened my abilities in the canine behavior spectrum to the rank of advanced. Thank you David for your unrelenting compassion and the hard work that you guys put into these dogs in need. Looking forward to working with you guys again! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

First met Dave at the Gilbert location with the lure run and other activities one day. It was pretty cool and Dave is very nice himself. He is the only person I know that offers the variety of certifications needed in special circumstances. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We adopted a bonded pair of two dogs from the pound that didn't seem to have any manners. They seemed to take to us fairly quickly but the level of destruction when we left the house for a few hours was indescribable. Moreover, they became territorial in their new home and having guests over was not an option since the male dog became anxious and began to nip at the heals of our guests; the female dog would not interact with anyone except us. I began to panic more after the dogs chewed through the wood gates and escaped for several hours on the street wreaking havoc while we were at work. I'm not sure what kind of a lifestyle the dogs had before we got them but something needed to be done; bringing them back to the pound was not an option. We heard about Zen K9 training from a friend and decided to call Dave for some advice. He came out within a few days to assess the behavior of our dogs and suggested we have them kenneled and trained for two weeks in his facility in Gilbert. I was a bit apprehensive at first but felt it was in the dogs best interests for this to happen.The behavior modification techniques and calm approach by David during the training had nothing but a positive effect on these two animals; David trained us as much as the dogs and we began to feel comfortable when we got them home again. Over the next couple of weeks we were encouraged to keep the training up and soon the dogs began to accept us as their new owners and calmed down tremendously. For the most part, all the negative behavior subsided but the corrections Dave taught us are working like a champ! I would definitely recommend Zen K9 dog training to anybody that was in our position; Dave's approach was not aggressive and didn't stress out the dogs. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

David has done a wonderful job training Zoom, who went from being a bit of a handlful to being totally ready for adoption. Thanks David!

Reviewed on Google Maps

DAVID IS AN AWESOME DOG TRAINER!!! His training has given Zoom a second chance at life. He is a brand-new dog. THANK YOU!!!!

Reviewed on Facebook

David and this team at Zen K9 is amazing! I reached out to them to help me with two pit bulls rescued, the work they did to help them prepare for new forever homes was short of a miracle. David's energy and approach is very calming and his team is the same; they use that calming energy, as well as reward based training. Whether you are a pet parent or a nonprofit (I believe he gives a discount for 5013c's..I think), he is the trainer to reach out to. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

David is an awesome trainer who truly understands dogs and their behavior. As a fellow colleague I refer to David clients that have dogs with challenging behavior and the results are great! I would highly recommending him for all your dog training needs! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

David and his wonderful staff trained my rambunctious pit bull and soft submissive Doberman. I thought I wouldn’t ever be able to keep them together because of my pits aggressive behavior and David has completely made him a different dog. I could not be more pleased. His staff was very helpful in regards to me constantly checking up on the dogs and more than happy for me to come by whenever I wanted. They worked with my fiancé one on one to make sure the training he implemented stayed that way when they went home with us and we are so thankful!! We love them!!! Harmony was more than patient when working with me and even spent almost an hour just helping me get down all the tricks to walking the dogs without letting them drag me down the street. We know our fur babies can’t wait to come back to visit Harmony and David and the rest of the great staff! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Reviewed on Facebook

David is an awesome dog trainer. He has a passion for the dogs and is extremely knowledgeable. He has a great set up with dog agility and a lure course. He comes highly recommended and will put all he has into training your dog. Check out Zen K9 for your dog training needs. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

My foster pup loved the lure coarse and he did some agility.Thanks

Reviewed on Facebook

Absolutely nothing wrong with a trainer that has Committed to keeping dogs out of rescue and safely in there homes and educating their owners!

Reviewed on Facebook

Went last weekend with my daughter and her rottie David is the Zen master Dog Whisperer words cant express our ahh with his technique and coworker harmony’s non judge mental attitude put us all at ease we’ll be coming back for more because we know David can fix this. Thank you my friend, Lisa Mercer for her recommendation major kudos More...

Reviewed on Facebook

David and this team at Zen K9 is amazing! I reached out to them to help me with two pit bulls rescued, the work they did to help them prepare for new forever homes was short of a miracle. David's energy and approach is very calming and his team is the same; they use that calming energy, as well as reward based training. Whether you are a pet parent or a nonprofit (I believe he gives a discount for 5013c's..I think), he is the trainer to reach out to. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

My fiance and I recently adopted a two year old doberman and really wanted to start out with him on the right foot. We particularly wanted help with leash pulling. I called about ten trainers total and David was one of the only ones who didn't start the dog out in a prong collar or choke chain. His training technique in addition to his reasonable prices made him an excellent choice for us. David is very easygoing and great to work with. If you are looking for a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement and will help you teach your dog how you would like them to behave instead of just punishing or scolding them when they misbehave then David with Zen K9 is a great pick! We can't wait to work with him more in the future! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I've trained with David for over 4 years, he has a very calm and ZEN way about him. I also board with him, he's the only one I trust with my pup. She loves him and his team.

Reviewed on Facebook

Reviewed on Facebook

I have worked with David to train both my dogs. He took different approaches on each one fitting their individual behaviors. I trust David's methods and recommend him to everyone who is looking for some training. I have also boarded my dog with David a couple different times. Jameson came back happy and was not nervous or scared to go back the second time. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

David and his team are amazing! I have 2 pitbulls that have some very bad habits and unruly behaviors..things I didn't think were possible to correct. After only 3 weeks, they are finally "walking" on a leash without pulling, they aren't jumping on people as much, they are interacting with other dogs, anxiety and fear issues have improved greatly and so much more. They took on the challenge with my 2 girls head on and they have made remarkable progress! I highly recommend David and Zen K9 Training!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Reviewed on Facebook