SFK9 Dog Training
South Elgin, Illinois
(18)
South Elgin, Illinois
(18)
18 customer reviews
Stacy
We have a 6 month old mini golden doodle. We decided that since we also have two young children that board and train would be our best route so the puppy would have dedicated training and a solid foundation to be more well behaved.
At almost 16 weeks old she started the program. We were told that we wouldn’t get updates other than fb posts (an actual separate paper to sign in recognition of their update policy) unless we text to ask.
After a full month we were told she was ready to graduate. We had a session where commands were explained and she came home. I should have been obvious that behavior hadn’t changed when she went to the puppy went potty on the floor of the training space.
When we go home our puppy was the same exact dog she was when she left. She also would not perform any commands and continued nipping our children, a behavior I specifically said was completely unacceptable for her to come back to us doing.
The trainer came to our house and observed the behavior and said that she would perform the commands at their house so it must be environmental. They told us to anchor her with a leash so she would stay. They left basically telling us to be more firm and lock her in her crate if she gets crazy.
The next night she nipped the baby and was sent back to train.
She was there for a second month. During which she had a scheduled groom. Being a doodle (and also close to the holidays where I knew rescheduling would be hard) I tried to contact them to get her even if only for the day and got no answer. From Thursday to Saturday I called and texted with no response or call back. Only after she had missed the appointment did I hear back and it had been 3 days of trying to contact.
After almost two months I got a text that said they saw the behavior that we were talking about that needed correction. They said it would be worked on and then she could come home.
Finally. She came home for the second time. The same day she pooped on the couch, a bed and nipped the baby.
I really thought maybe this puppy was more than I could handle? I called and even talked about giving her up because I really thought she might not like children? Or maybe she was just too hyper? They told me I could surrender her to them and I almost did.
My spouse and I talked and decided we would train her and that she really is sweet she just had ineffective training.
She still has work. She still isn’t 100% but sending her to board and train didn’t help. They seemed very willing to help but at the end of the day they taught her nothing.
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Lisa Gagliardi
We adopted Nala (Doberman mix) a year ago and up to this point, all her training was done by us. Sit, Stay, Come, Paw, High-Five, Find your Dad. etc. However, she was a hyper/energetic ball of fur that at times became hard to handle especially if it wasn't us handling her.We sent her to SFK9 for the Board and Train Program and she came back a different dog! Still our lovable and cuddly little girl BUT: - She is calm - Walking her is like walking a cloud - She has her jumpy moments (especially when she is excited to see us), however, (and we tested this after we picked her up at the pet store) she doesn't jump - She sits/lays and stays until we free her- Her climb command (this literally might actually be life changing)- Eating meals is now a peaceful experience and there is no begging or attempts to grab off the table- Car rides are almost silentNala completed her Training Program last night so I'm sure there is still more to explore with her and her training. However, I wholeheartedly and highly recommend SFK9. Worth every penny! We are already looking forward to sending Nala back for additional classes to get her ready for her CGC Test and Boarding while we go on vacation ❤️? More...
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Liz E.
Eddie and his staff are amazing! Do NOT believe the one bad review. Trust me when I say when you do the board and train program, your dog will return to you obedient and believing you are the pack leader. Our new Shepherd puppy, she was 10 months old when we reached out to SFK9, was getting worse every day with her dominant behavior. We had had a Shepherd previous to this puppy, who we successfully trained with another training program. Our new dog wasn't making progress with that program and we knew we had to find another trainer.I researched training programs and liked the cost and sound of SFK9's program. Eddie came out to our home, and we loved his demeanor immediately. He gained control of our dog in a matter of minutes. We knew we picked the right place. We set up a date to drop our dog off, paid a deposit and were set.We met with our trainer, Nicole, one evening and she explained what would take place. Our puppy would spend anywhere from 10 to 14 days at her home, though she would keep her longer if she felt it necessary. She had two dogs and two cats of her own, who our dog would learn to get along with. Currently, our dog wants to love on our cats too much, so they stay away from her. We left that night missing our puppy, and apprehensive about whether this would work. I kept in touch with Eddie as the days went by. At the 10-day mark, Eddie said our dog would need more time. At the 14-day mark, she still wasn't ready, and by the way, our dog went into her first heat. Imagine dealing with that along with training her! Finally, Eddie said she would be ready to come home, which would make it 21 days. Wow! We met at SFK9's offices on the designated night and Nicole talked through everything that had happened in the 3 weeks she had our dog. She explained everything that went on while she had our dog, every step she took, insights into our dog's personality, little nuances in her behavior to watch for and what we could expect going forward. We then went out into the big training room and waited. Nicole brought our dog out on a leash, who didn't notice us at first. When she did, she wanted to run to us, naturally, but Nicole had full command. Our dog listened to Nicole and didn't move. We couldn't believe the change in our dog. We spent time learning how to work with our dog, the commands to use, and how to handle certain behaviors. It was amazing.We have had her home now for about 3 weeks and she is still obedient and knows us to the pack leaders. We work with her, walk her, train her and use the commands SFK9 taught us.I cannot stop telling people about SFK9 and the transformation of our dog. We could not be more pleased.Thank you Nicole and everyone at SFK9 who had our dog. We are immensely grateful for your time and all you did for us and our dog. More...
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Nicole Johnson
Congratulations! You’ve discovered the best dog training business to give your dogs a solid foundation for a lifetime of good behavior. SFK9 deserves the highest of praise for their amazing services. They give you the tools to be successful with your dogs, provide so much knowledge and understanding of canine behavior, and build your confidence to continue the training at home. We started with the 10 day Board & Train program, and followed it with the Intermediate level class. Nicole and Sara go above & beyond expectations to make the training process fun and easy to understand. Our then 12-month-old German Shepherd was fear reactive, and has now reached milestones we didn’t think possible: listening to commands with distractions, not barking at strangers who approach us, and being calm when meeting new people inside our home. We are so grateful and appreciative for their support and dedication to positive results. More...
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Sara B.
We got our poodle Harry from a nearby breeder, he was used as a stud. We were told he was house trained. That was not the truth, and just the tip of the iceberg of his problems. We knew we had to do something drastic in order to make this untrained (and basically unresponsive) dog part of our family. Enter SFK9 Dog Training and his trainer Nicole. We handed over a pooch who had to be carried in and out of the house, chased around to put a leash on, pulled on his leash, had no concept of where it was appropriate to go potty, had no commands, and was just not a happy dog (his tail was mostly tucked). We didn't even attempt to force him into his crate because it seemed too traumatic. He also was very jumpy and frightened easily. Well, something magical (by the name of Nicole) happened on his board and train. Our Harry came home to us an obedient and happy dog. We still have to work with him at home and have had to make contact a few times for advice (which is always responded to quickly and patiently). He now goes into his crate easily, enters and leaves the house nicely, sits, lies down, climbs, walks nicely on a loose leash, goes potty outside (!), and is relaxed in our home. From time to time, when he is overwhelmed, he will start to shut down but putting him on a climb instantly resets him. We are so happy to have that tool in our tool chest because it helps Harry so much. We especially like that we can board Harry with his trainer when we go out of town and we know he is in excellent hands. I cannot recommend SFK9 enough, I don't know where we would be without them! More...
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Kevin Hammond
We brought our 8-month-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Jade, to SFK9 in a last attempt to correct her behavior. We were at a point where we felt we had made a mistake in our breed selection and seriously considered putting her up for adoption. The results achieved by SFK9 are nothing short of miraculous.Prior to the board & train program at SFK9, Jade was largely confined to the kitchen and her crate. Any time she was given free rein in the house she was completely unmanageable. Jade would dart upstairs, steal socks and clothing, hide under beds — a general terror. In the kitchen she was stealing items from the kitchen counter, constantly taking hand towels and driving us to exhaustion. We felt horrible for crating her most of the day. We desired to be able to relax as a family in the evening, including having Jade present, but it simply was not possible. While she had basic manners from the PetSmart basic puppy class, she was still mouthy, defiant, and just barely obedient.We now have a dog that we can let roam around the house, who walks by our side, who sits, lays, and climbs on command all while staying in place until released. Jade demonstrates far more mental discipline and calmness now, coming into a bedroom to see what is going on and laying down on her own while life continues around her. She has gone from unmanageable to walk being by my side on a loose leash, watching me from time to time to see what I am doing. On our walks, we practice sitting and laying down at each intersection, where she calmly watches life around her, patiently waiting until I release her and continue our walk.Using the techniques taught by SFK9, we’ve been able to continue the training at home, now teaching Jade how to come with an implied sit by our side. There is simply no way I could have imagined this behavior from her prior to the board & train at SFK9.A tremendous thank you to Nicole, Jade’s trainer extraordinaire. Her demeanor, professionalism and strength were incredible. Seeing her at the end of the board & train effortlessly commanding Jade with obedient results elated the entire family. We had a changed dog!And lastly, thank you to Eddie for his continued engagement and on-going Q&A. He is prompt to respond to questions, gracious in his answers and runs a top-notch business at SFK9. I would jump at the opportunity for Jade to attend an advanced course with SFK9.If you’re on the fence about such a program, I highly recommend taking them up on their consultation offer. Watch the videos on their facebook page. The results are real. Thank you, SFK9! More...
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Kevin H.
We brought our 8-month-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Jade, to SFK9 in a last attempt to correct her behavior. We were at a point where we felt we had made a mistake in our breed selection and seriously considered putting her up for adoption. The results achieved by SFK9 are nothing short of miraculous.Prior to the board & train program at SFK9, Jade was largely confined to the kitchen and her crate. Any time she was given free rein in the house she was completely unmanageable. Jade would dart upstairs, steal socks and clothing, hide under beds -- a general terror. In the kitchen she was stealing items from the kitchen counter, constantly taking hand towels and driving us to exhaustion. We felt horrible for crating her most of the day. We desired to be able to relax as a family in the evening, including having Jade present, but it simply was not possible. While she had basic manners from the PetSmart basic puppy class, she was still mouthy, defiant, and just barely obedient.We now have a dog that we can let roam around the house, who walks by our side, who sits, lays, and climbs on command all while staying in place until released. Jade demonstrates far more mental discipline and calmness now, coming into a bedroom to see what is going on and laying down on her own while life continues around her. She has gone from unmanageable to walk being by my side on a loose leash, watching me from time to time to see what I am doing. On our walks, we practice sitting and laying down at each intersection, where she calmly watches life around her, patiently waiting until I release her and continue our walk.Using the techniques taught by SFK9, we've been able to continue the training at home, now teaching Jade how to come with an implied sit by our side. There is simply no way I could have imagined this behavior from her prior to the board & train at SFK9.A tremendous thank you to Nicole, Jade's trainer extraordinaire. Her demeanor, professionalism and strength were incredible. Seeing her at the end of the board & train effortlessly commanding Jade with obedient results elated the entire family. We had a changed dog!And lastly, thank you to Eddie for his continued engagement and on-going Q&A. He is prompt to respond to questions, gracious in his answers and runs a top-notch business at SFK9. I would jump at the opportunity for Jade to attend an advanced course with SFK9.If you're on the fence about such a program, I highly recommend taking them up on their consultation offer. Watch the videos on their facebook page. The results are real. Thank you, SFK9! More...
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Izabela Hajnos
My dog was uncontrollable. She pulled on her leash, never listened when we would call her. We would have to chase her around the house for 30 min because she refused to get in her crate or listen. Now she is manageable...No more pulling, comes when called. Very happy client. Thank you!!!! More...
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Iza P.
My dog was uncontrollable. She pulled on her leash, never listened when we would call her. We would have to chase her around the house for 30 min because she refused to get in her crate or listen. Now she is manageable...No more pulling, comes when called. Very happy client. Thank you!!!! More...
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Julie B.
Let me first say that my bf and I are not newbie dog owners. He's had dogs, my family has had dogs and we currently have our 2 pitbulls, plus are fostering 2 more dogs. But, this was our first time dealing with resource guarding issues and what we thought would "fix" it, wasnt working. Our 7 months old foster was very aggressive when food or treats where out and we knew if we didnt correct it right away, he will never be adopted. Desperate for help we reached out to SFK9. And let me tell you - dog training is not so much about training the dog but about training you, the human, to train the dog. Within an hour we learned how to help our foster to trust people and dogs around food, how to approach, interact and TRAIN him. We have the tools and knowledge to apply at home now. Eddie was the dog whisperer and more than on one occasion I said "who is this dog? I cnat believe it." Bringing our foster to SFK9 was the best thing we could do for him. More...
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Kimberly D. Crippen
He spent time w me and answered all my questions!
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Joey W
I'm not sure where to begin with sfk9. First and foremost, if you're worried about leaving you fur babies with anyone, don't be. These people know their dogs! I have two shepherds and we had them trained at sfk9 even after they have been fully matured for awhile. We didn't think training would stick much but they worked magic! We recently boarded our dogs with sfk9 over the weekend, they gave our dogs a badly needed refresher for training. Again these people are outstanding! Its worth every penny and more. I promise. More...
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Nicholas .Girka
Concern sense real world training by a staff that is dedicated to you and your dog's success. They give you the tools to for a great relationship with your dog. Fantastic people!
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Morgantron311
Concern sense real world training by a staff that is dedicated to you and your dog's success. They give you the tools to for a great relationship with your dog. Fantastic people!
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C B.
My dog was uncontrollable. Kids were afraid of him. Eating was totally a chaos. I cannot even get inside our own house without being push, pulled, hurt by our dog. He pulls on his leash, steals food, just totally does not listen at all. Since i was doing a disservice to our dog, I sent him to training. Now he is manageable...No more pulling, i can take normal walks with the kids and him. We get to spend more time with him( since were not avoiding him anymore). Thank you so much! More...
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Debbie I.
This training program was really our last resort to integrate our 11 month old German Shepard in our family. We previously attended group training classes and every week he became worse. We met with the owners of SFK9, Stephanie and Eddie. Our puppy had so many issues: reactive to all dogs, wild in the house, pulled on walks...the list goes on that the 10 day program was the best solution. We have never seen a company with such dedication to their clients. They told us they would not send our puppy home till he was ready...and they did not. They underestimated how much help he would need. He's very smart but stubborn. They did not give up and kept him several days over the program time till he was ready. They followed up to see how he was doing and even came over to our house to help with a collar issue. Because of their dedication we now have a true family member who is a pleasure to walk, people can pet a calm dog at the park, does not bark at other dogs, is calm in the house. When Eddie came to resolve the collar issue he bent down and our puppy kissed him. No fear of his trainer which says a lot. In our house we call them the "dog whisperers". We can't thank them enough!!!! More...
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Joey W.
My girlfriend and i had brought our two shepherds to them. The level of care and dedication was beyond our wildest dreams. We always get nervous leaving them at a boarder or day care and we immediately felt right at home with entrusting our fur babies to them! Our shepherds were to the point where we couldnt walk them both by ourselves, it was just becoming too much to handle. They completely turned it around for us. Not only did they both come out of training with good habits but we are never without their support. The level of service is above and beyond. You may ask yourself is it really worth it? YES. It really is. We are only on day 1 of having them back but so far i am 100% satisfied with their process and the progress our dogs made. Beauty and beast thank you!! More...
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Ed W.
They have done such a great job with my rescue pup Wrigley. They are dedicated to giving you the best dog to be your best friend.
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