K9 Specialist

4.4 Stars,36 Reviews

4613 34th St, Zeeland, MI 49464

Service area: K9 Specialist provides dog training services across West Michigan, including cities like Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Fruitport, Springlake, and Muskegon. They also serve Ottawa, Allegan, Muskegon, Kent, Oceana, and Newago counties in Michigan. Additionally, they offer Schutzhund training in Michigan and Ohio areas, covering cities such as Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw. Their services extend to clients in Grainger, IN, North Riverside, IL, and Iowa City, IA.

Service Overview

Types of Dog Training

Family Dog
Service Dog
Competition / Agility
Working Dog
Behavior Modification

Specialty Focus Areas

Basic Obedience
Puppy Training
Leash Pulling
Reactivity / Aggression
Jumping on People
Barking Excessively
Separation Anxiety
Biting / Nipping
Potty Training
Resource Guarding
Fearfulness
Stealing Food
Recall

Training Formats Offered

Private Lessons
In-Home
Private Facility
Board and Train

Program Formats

One-Time Consultation
Sessions Package
Intensive Program
Ongoing Weekly

Types of Dogs

Small
Medium
Large
Giant
Herding
Sporting
Working
Hounds
Terriers

Age of Dogs Trained

Puppy (<1 year)
Adolescent (1-2 years)
Adult (2-8 years)
Senior (8+ years)

Dog Training Methodology

Methods:

✓ Balanced Training

Equipment:

✓ training-collars
✓ doggie-backpack
✓ treadmill

K9 Specialist offers comprehensive dog training programs specializing in obedience, aggressive behavior modification, and personal protection. Their Private Training includes 4-5 sessions focusing on handling skills, loose leash heel, sit, down, come/recall, and stay. Single Lessons address specific unwanted behaviors such as house breaking, jumping, door greeting, puppy behaviors, fearful issues, treadmill training, and leash pulling.

The Doggy Boot Camp is an intensive 3-6 week program designed for owners with limited time, covering all elements taught in private training. Personal Protection Training is offered in three levels: Level 1 teaches protection of home and owner from perceived threats without full body contact; Level 2 includes Level 1 plus full body contact, weapon exposure, and off-leash protection, where the dog will chase intruders; Level 3 incorporates Levels 1 and 2, adding police standard protection, search, and extreme off-leash control, generally not recommended for civilian use. They also provide Schutzhund Training, an advanced program focusing on obedience, tracking, and protection for sport competition dogs. Additionally, Advanced Obedience and Service Dog training (primarily for emotional support) are available.

Pricing & Policies

Pricing Summary

Private Training is priced at $1300 for 4-5 sessions. Single Lessons for behavior or obedience issues cost $185 per session. The Doggy Boot Camp, an intensive program lasting approximately 3-6 weeks, is $2000. Personal Protection Training is quoted after an in-home evaluation, with visits priced at $225 per visit. The number of visits can range from 4 to 10 or more, depending on individual needs. Evaluations are free if a program is purchased; otherwise, there is a charge of $150 for personal protection evaluations. Accepted payment methods are cash and credit cards, with an additional 4.8% fee for credit card payments. Cash payments over $200 must be in large bills only.

Policies

Refunds are not available after 3 visits or 1 week at the training facility for Basic training programs. This policy does not apply to Intermediate, Advanced, Aggressive Behavior Modification, or Personal Protection Training Programs. K9 Specialist does not accept dogs that show aggression towards internal family members, only dealing with aggression originating from outside the family.

All training programs come with a lifetime guarantee for the life of the pet, provided the dog successfully completes the entire program and clients consistently follow the established training guidelines and protocols. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in forfeiture of the guarantee, and future retraining may incur additional costs. All evaluations are subject to being recorded for client and company protection. If a signed contract is not finalized after travel and time are expended, K-9 Specialist LLC reserves the right to charge an hourly rate for the time spent.

Testimonials

“K9-specialists saved our dog and our family! When we first got our German Shepherd she had an extremely high and uncontrollable prey drive. It was terrifying. Much of the time she had a good demeanor but she didn’t always listen to our commands and we couldn’t control her instincts to want to jump and chase. We constantly worried that she would harm someone. It was impossible to trust her to be around family, friends and children and we had to keep her in a crate every time we had visitors. She was so unpredictable that we kept our cats away from her in another part of the house. It was an extremely stressful time. Our veterinarian felt she was a huge liability and recommended that we get rid of her stating that ‘she would not be a good pet for any home’. I can’t quite explain why, but even after numerous recommendations to get rid of Fritzi I still felt a need to see if someone could help. That’s when I found Al. He immediately came to our home to evaluate her. We spent a lot of time discussing her behaviors and our concerns. He looked at her papers, history and did some initial evaluations. Afterwards he assured us that he could help train our dog to be both a working and loving family dog. After six weeks of working with Al’s coworker and trainer Sharon, Fritzi’s results were miraculous! She is now the most trusting and loving companion. The story of where she was then and where she is now is remarkable! Fritzi now responds to commands without hesitation. She knows when it’s time to be docile and play and when it’s time to work. She calmly welcomes guests into our home. When the doorbell rings, though definitely on alert, she will sit and stay and wait for our next command. Depending on who it is, we either have her come greet our friends or tell her ‘everything is okay sit’ so she will lay down and stay in place. She is even friendly with our cats who now live in the same common areas of our home. Fritzi needed K9-Specialists to learn to control her internal instincts and behaviors. I needed the them to show us how to keep her trained and under control in our structured environment. Fritzi is a working dog and I now understand how to help Fritzi utilize her working skills and still be a family dog. Sharon not only perfected our dog’s obedience but helped me understand how to control Fritzi’s drive and internal instincts. Now my daughter can have young friends over and they can run around the yard playing without worry. Later I can have her working on tracking and protection with complete control. She knows the difference between ‘time to be a family dog and obedient’ and ‘time to work’. The best part is she knows when it’s time to calm down and lay on the floor to snuggle with my kids and be loved! Thanks Al and Sharon for saving both our Fritzi and our family!”
– Amy and Mark Rummel

“This is our second dog trained by K-9 Specialist and we were extremely happy and satisfied with the training our dog received. We highly recommend K-9 Specialist for training. They do amazing work with the dogs. Both of our dogs were hard to handle before coming to K-9 Specialist. We couldn’t walk them without them pulling and chasing after other dogs. They were food aggressive and were out of control in our home. After their training they are very calm, obedient dogs. We can walk them off leash and feeding time is much calmer. We couldn’t be happier with the training we received.”
– April & Ron Nagy

“We are very happy with the level of training and care our dog, Bella, received during her stay here. We are happy to see the positive changes and effect in our dog that Sharon’s training program had on our Bella. We picked up a completely transformed and well behaved dog when compared to the dog we first dropped off. We would definitely bring another pet here (if we were to get another dog) to work with Sharon again. I highly recommend Sharon’s obedience program as her heart and passion for dogs is obvious.”
– Iryna Petrushko & Steve Tondu

About the Trainer

K9 Specialist is a dog training business dedicated to providing top-notch services in obedience, aggressive behavior modification, and personal protection. Their goal is to help owners build a strong bond with their dogs, ensuring a well-behaved and loyal companion for a happy and secure home.

Their philosophy is rooted in “pure nature,” avoiding harsh methods like hitting, squirting, or shaking cans. They believe in a balanced approach, utilizing learning, correction, and distraction phases, and incorporating treats at appropriate times.

K9 Specialist offers a 100% lifetime guarantee on their programs, provided clients successfully complete the training and adhere to the established guidelines and protocols for the dog’s life. They emphasize that training helps control unwanted behaviors while acknowledging that natural instincts cannot be “cured.”

Accomplishments

K9 Specialist has been featured on TV. The business has been established since at least 2011, as indicated by their copyright. One of their key trainers, Al Casimiro, has 18 years of experience in dog training.

How to Get Started!

To begin, clients should contact K9 Specialist to schedule an In-Home Evaluation. During this evaluation, the dog’s temperament and working abilities are assessed, and available training options are discussed. If a dog does not qualify for Personal Protection training, K9 Specialist will provide guidance on obtaining a suitable dog. Evaluations are free if a training program is purchased; otherwise, a fee applies.

Contact

19+ Years Experience
Free Consultation

Languages

English
Arabic
german
Spanish
French
Korean
Portuguese

is owned by veterans
wheelchair accessible entrance
wheelchair accessible parking

Other Services Offered

Dog breeder
Pet boarding service
Kennel

Location