K911 Client Comments

Here are a selection of testimonials from past K911 clients. If you would like to add your own, please do so in the comments section below.

First time dog dad. I adopted a new puppy at 9 weeks right out of the litter. I was lucky enough to get time off work and train my beagle and get him set up properly before I went back full time. I didnt know what i was doing for most part. I've always had pets but they were my parents and they did most of the training. I spent the last 6 months picking stuff up from youtube and puppy school until i found k911.... Brian helped give me a few tips and tricks you won't find elsewhere . He helped fne tune my little guy into a great friend. Brian's always available to help with any questions which is an added bonus. I have many. Thanks for your help. Tysons just a happy little guy ready to work and learn.

June 29, 2022 | JoshD

I was referred to Brian prior to the adoption of my dog Kaiser. Adopting a young adult, I was already aware of some issues, but Kaiser came with a few more quirks than he originally had. Brian has been more then helpful in identifying how to address Kaiser's triggers for reactivity as well as addressing the root cause of his separation anxiety. Brian has been so encouraging in keeping us motivated in our training and reiterating that Kaiser will get better and has so all the potential in the world, it will just take some time and consistency. We have only had two sessions but we are so excited to see how Kaiser will be in a few months as we have already had progress. I can't say enough great things about Brian and K911! I would not hesitate to recommend Brian to anyone that needs help with their fur child.

May 6, 2021 | Shaan Lally

Brain has helped us gain some control over the behaviours of our Large German Shepard. He started with us when our puppy was 12 months old and in the height of aggressive behaviour... all of sudden walks became impossible and even daily events in our home became difficult such as wiping wet feet etc. We needed help and Brain was the answer. He started with very small little behaviours that we could work on then we continued to work on bigger issues as the summer progressed. We now have a totally different dog on our hands.... we still have struggles that we need to work on as our dog is young only 14 months and still learning as we are still leaning but it is a comfort to know that as we continue we can call Brain and get the help/ assistance we need to grow together as family with our dog. We tried classes but they just didn't address the specific issues we needed ... one on one with Brain was the Key for us!!!!

October 4, 2020 | Shelley Douglas

Brian in short time has made huge strides working with my 1 year old Shiba Inu. A difficult breed that I thought almost untrainable, Brian was able to almost instantly figure out what drives my dog and has used his methods to great effect. He is very dedicated and knowledgeable, and makes his clients feel well cared for. I highly recommend him for all of your canine behavior & obedience needs. The only thing I wish for is that we got into contact sooner. 

Peter

September 17, 2020 | Peter R

This is my second dog that I have Brian training. Previous was a Siberian Husky & now a German Shepherd. He is unbelievably good with dogs! As well has a huge range of skill set for many different types of training. He is very honest with his expectations of the dog, and is extremely helpful with breaking down training technics and why you do things a certain way. I liked that our first consult is to talk about owner expectations, concerns, behavioural and/or health concerns that are needing to be addressed. He is also very knowledgable about raw feeding and why. 10/10 times I would recommend Brian. He's fantastic and is just amazing to watch him with the dogs.

August 18, 2020 | Trisha Dewar

Brian was unreal when it came to his knowledge and skills with my Shepherd!! He was very accommodating and gave us homework to work on in between sessions. Anybody looking to solve problems or just start basic training or advanced training I would highly recommend giving him a call!!!

July 4, 2019 | Andrew H

We have an Australian Shepard/Husky cross. She had issues with leash aggression, chasing bikes and jumping up at strangers. Brian has been great in helping us. He spent an hour and a half sitting down with us to get the background information. Our next session was spent working with Meka to provide strategies to address her issues. I quickly learned that I was part of the problem and needed to change what I was doing to help Meka. We are a couple of weeks into our program and have already witnessed positive results. Meka no longer drags me on a walk and is now well heeled. I know the leash aggression will take more time and we will have follow up sessions with Brian to evaluate Meka’s and my training. I highly recommend Brian and his program and will post more through our training times. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

October 11, 2018 | John Watson

Brian and I play on the same Men's soccer team so when we got our Weimaraner pup, he was the first trainer I talked to about obedience training. It couldn't have been a better experience for our family. Every session with him is an opportunity for us to soak up as much of his extensive knowledge, as possible. He keeps the sessions light and entertaining and has always made himself available for consultation outside of our sessions. We have seen enormous improvement with our pup, "Luna" and we look forward to completing our obedience trainng in the coming few weeks. I would highly recommend Brian because there is too much information on the internet to decifer what is good or bad advise. Brian's experience will save you alot of time, help you avoid the pitfalls of training and give you the proper foundation for any advanced training that you might pursue. 

Greg & Michelle

August 30, 2018 | Greg Meimar

Stacy and I contacted Brian when Miki, our 5 year old Shiba Inu, became increasingly difficult to control on walks since he pulls and tends to be aggressive towards other dogs. We've been through several obedience classes in the past and the direction that some trainers gave ended up making our problems worse rather than correct them. Many times these trainers have a single approach that is applied to all dogs and each individual personality is not taken into account. After going through our assessment with Brian, we had high hopes for improving Miki's behavior and after 3 sessions, we've seen a world of difference in Miki's handling and attitude. Brian's approach is simple yet effective and we are amazed! Not only is Miki behaving better but he seems to clearly enjoy obedience. We are even considering advanced obedience once he has mastered the basics. Miki has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other and we are so thankful for Brian's help. We love our pup even more now and he's a pleasure to take out. We'd highly recommend Brian for anyone with fur babies. Thank you so much Brian :)

October 19, 2016 | Eugene and Stacy

My fiancé and I contacted Brian after I began to dread taking my very strong, very dominant and very energetic Mastiff mix, Leo, out for a walk. His pulling and aggressive behaviour toward other dogs became almost unbearable. Brian’s methods to solve our problems with Leo were simple, easy to follow and have made the world of difference in his behaviour. Walking Leo has made its way back to the top of my list as my favourite past time activity; which is exactly what I was hoping to get out of our training sessions with Brian. I have to say it has been worth every penny for us to gain control of our situation, build confidence in our abilities and enjoy each moment we spend with Leo. Thank you, Brian!

August 16, 2016 | Kristy

I contacted Brian when we were so lost with what to do with our 9 month old Rottweiler. He is the most loving dog to us and our other pets, but he would growl and bark at anyone who came to our home. We also have a 6 year old cockapoo who was a rescue so he is scared of everyone and barks the whole time as well. This is not helping with our Rottweiler problem. We called Brian and he has been wonderful to work with. The first visit he showed a lot of patience and sat with each of them separately while they barked and growled at him. We discussed behavior etc. and then the next visit, we worked with our Rottweiler on healing. We did go through basic behavior classes when he was 5 months old but having one on one time was so much better. As we were working outside on the front sidewalk, there was lots of traffic and distractions and Brian pointed out to me, that Ceaser keeps claiming me as his every time someone was close to us. He would sit on my feet in front of me, or he would stand on my foot. I was clueless he was doing this. So now I make sure to gently knee him out of my space so he knows I am in charge not him. At the beginning of the hour, Ceaser would not let Brian touch him or go near him. At the end of the hour, Brian was standing beside him petting his head and back and he did not even care. My husband and I are so pleased with Brian and his knowledge and we look forward to continue working with him. I highly recommend one on one time with Brian. He gives us some things to work on and then he leaves it up to us to call him and reschedule the next appointment in a couple of weeks when we feel that we have mastered what we are working on and then we can move forward to the next steps. He is so accommodating and I wish I had met him before I spent my money on the behaviour classes. One on One classes is definitely a better bang for your dollar.

March 7, 2016 | Kathy Gagne

We have had our consultation with Brian as well as our first session. Prior to finding Brian, I had spoken with 5 or 6 different behaviouralists within our area, but none seemed to really match up with what we were looking for or our beliefs around how we want our dog raised. Our concerns and why we were searching for a trainer is that our dog is extremely aggressive when people come around that he doesn't know. He will lunge, growl, nip, and he's even tried biting. It's to the point that we don't know what more to do. Luckily, Brian was great from the very first step. Initially when we spoke with Brian on the phone, it seemed that his views really aligned with ours. His education was also a huge selling point for us. It's obvious Brian really knows what he's talking about. In our consultation, Brian gave us some things to work on to help our dog know that he's not the leader. We saw a difference almost immediately! Then, within the first session, Brian showed us how to work with Harley to sit, stay, and heel. We had done obedience training with Harley as a puppy, but obviously we let him slide (a LOT). Brian throughout the whole process so far has most importantly, given us hope. He let us know that it's hard to know if a dog is actually aggressive until he learns his place in his pack. He's been giving us great pointers and tips, and we are so excited to see Harley's growth, as well as ours, over the next few months.

February 8, 2016 | Sarah Cook

Brian was awesome! Great with our dog, easy to schedule, prompt replies to our emails. 

A direct quote from my husband, after our first session with Brian, "that was the best $150 that we've spent all year".

August 31, 2015 | Megan Braithwaite

My whole family has already benefited from working with Brian, after just one assessment and one training session so far. Brian's approach is friendly, gently firm, and professional, and he clearly knows dogs. Our pug Lola is now much, much nicer to walk because she has learned how to heel and is sitting automatically whenever I stop. We're also able to answer the doorbell without such a big fuss. I can now turn on a TV show that includes dogs barking and NOT have Lola charging the TV. 

Next steps will include asking Brian for help with improving recall and greeting other dogs on leash. 

Thank you, Brian! We'll also need your help this fall when our new puppy is ready to begin formal obedience.

April 11, 2015 | Lisa Collins

"One Paw at a Time" or "Enter Brian the Miracle Worker!"

Two months ago I adopted Kayla from SCARS. She was abandoned at a pound after birthing a litter Estimated to be a 2 year old mix of Australian shepherd/cattle dog she was described as malnourished, timid, affectionate, quiet, medium energy comfortable with cats and other dogs. Perfect fit for apartment living and long walks. She was very bonded to her foster mum and foster brother beagle. I was told she was skittish and would take time and patience to trust and gain confidence. I was prepared for that. But she had more anxiety and fear than expected because she had not lived in an apartment and missed the comfort of having another dog around. 

The good news is that she loved walks, dog friends, my cat and having food and cuddles. But she was terrified of entering all enclosed or new spaces - she crouched and froze refusing to move to get into my car; go through all doorways, stairwells, elevators etc. Her foster mother assured me she would come around in time. The only way I could get her up the stairs was to put a treat on each stair so she went one paw at a time up 2 flights for 2 weeks. The only way to get her into the car or into an elevator was to pick her up. After 3 weeks I was pretty discouraged thinking she was too damaged to adapt and I may have to regrettably return her to SCARS. Her foster mother suggested I consult a trainer.

I researched local trainers online and selected a few whose sites had positive client comments and employed techniques I liked. Brian called me promptly and we arranged an assessment appointment. We have now had 3 sessions. After the 1st one Kayla got on the elevator, climbed our stairs and went through our doorways which has expanded to most other locations. By the 3rd session she jumped into the car, her most feared place. Our 4th session should be sufficient to send us on our way. 

Brian employs calm, gentle assertive corrections, patience and compassion in gaining Kayla's trust and instilling confidence in her and me. Most impressive is his intuitive sense and connection with the animal. I highly recommend Brian to anyone who feels they need guidance and skills with their special friends and for a reasonable cost. 

Thanks to Brian's expertise and modelling Kayla is becoming a normal live in the moment dog with a more confident pack leader. We are ever grateful to you Brian.

September 22, 2014 | JoAnn Quinn

My wife and I can't say enough about Brian and his methods in training us to better understand our Doberman (Quinn) . We are so proud of our dog where ever we take him because of his obedience and behaviour . We were the third owners of Quinn and when we received him from the breeder we knew there was a lot of foot work to do due aggression/tension towards other dogs . Well today we went and meet the breeder at a huge outdoor dog show and he didn't even act knowledge that there were other dogs there , we never realized the huge steps that our dog has taken until the breeder told us that "this can not be the same dog that I placed with you guys a few months ago " . She actually had a tear from being so happy in how we saved one of her babies when pervious owners wrote him off . Brian trained Ang and I how to return the grace and pride that this dog deserved , how for us to become the pack leader and for Quinn to have his working roll in life . We won't stop our training here , we will continue to use Brian for advance training , then maybe Rally or service . He made everyone in my pack very very confident . Thank you Brian

May 30, 2014 | Mark & Angie

We are thrilled with the progress we have made with our first family pet - a 4 yr old Samoyed. We read all the books but couldn't seem to teach our dog the basic commands. After our first session with Brian of K911 we were making progress! It is a pleasure to have her heel instead of being pulled on walks. Without Brian we couldn't have done it on our own. We look forward to our next training session!

May 4, 2014 | Joanne & Terry

Brian gave us a combination of behavioral insights and practical tips that have made a tremendous difference in our relationship with Casie, a rambunctious 1 year old collie cross. We were at the point of looking for a flock of sheep so she could run off all of her energy. However some very simple training exercises and increased positive attention from the family have decreased Casie's nervous habits. Our family has seen Casie's confidence grow, and many of her destructive habits have subsided. Casie is still a bundle of energy and socialization with other dogs is a work in progress but Brian has given us the tools to help Casie become a lovable family pet. 

Thanks Brian!!

April 6, 2014 | Joanna

In May, my partner and I contacted Brian about our beautiful 2 year old English Bulldog Maiden. I am happy to say that it was the best call I made. Watching Maiden go from an over friendly, jumpy dog who had issues with control to a well behaved pet who people love to come visit. I am now excited to walk her which was once beyond a nightmare. Brian was professional and great at working with us at our pace. I felt supported by him with constant backing on our progress. The thing I loved most of all is I felt I got BEYOND my moneys worth in training! Having review material to go over while Brian was not around was fantastic. I was able to work on Maidens behavior without having to wait for our sessions! We even contacted Brain between sessions and got swift response from him. If you are like us who spent weeks shopping for a trainer, you can stop here. We had people I contacted with outragous prices, people who made us feel belittled from our minimal training knowledge and people who were just a little too sketchy for our own comfort as if they had no idea what they were going to do. If you want to see results and a transformation, I highly recommend going with K911! Be prepared to put your effort in because Brian will work your brain and energy and change not only your dog but change the way you live with your furever friend. When we finally find our next dog that fits us, we plan on being Brian back to create a solution before ever having to worry about a problem. Thank you for taking away the stress Brian!

September 10, 2013 | Nadja Banky

We contacted Brian at K911 after 2 of our 3 Shiba Inus started to fight with each other. We knew if we didn't get some professional help, we may have more issues in the future. We felt comfortable with Brian immediately. He is friendly and easy going but still gets the point across in what and why he is suggesting techniques. We have only had one formal session with him so far and we have seen a difference in our dogs (and our own) behaviours already. We look forward to the next sessions and what we will learn!

September 9, 2013 | Shannon and Kevin

Brian was recommended to us by another trainer, which I think says a lot about his skills. Since, he took his time to explain the course of action to us and has been very accommodating with respect to our schedule. He has been very patient to teach us as well as our dogs, one of which is a bulldog and has displayed its typical breed characteristics (stubborn). Brian taught us about our dogs' personality and behaviour. One always thinks that he knows lots until you have a professional who teaches you otherwise. I would recommend Brian to anyone who wants or needs training for their dogs with out any hesitation. He has been great.

July 6, 2013 | Dmitry

We have had a couple of sessions with Brian & have noticed a change in our dogs behavior. We've had our dog for 6 years & were concerned with his possessive & dominant behavior. Brian has taught us both what the dog is thinking and what we can do to stop the bad behaviors. Brian is very professional & friendly & always explains why things should be done a certain way. We look forward to continue working with Brian. We would highly recommend him.

May 2, 2013 | Tina Y.

I found a picture of this beuatiful dog and next thing I know he was mine! He was our first male dog so we didn't want him getting to dominant. So we were looking for a trainer and found Brian. We now own a amazingly trained german shepherd dog named Jax he is wonderful. I am in canine 4-H with him and he is up to anything new and gives me his best!!!! Thank you for your help K911 dog training!!!

April 6, 2013 | Alyssa Johansson

There are so many dog training books, videos, various basic dog training options and philosophies that we found getting educated on our own about dog training was confusing, overwhelming and contradictory and in our case we found that most seemed ineffective. Above all, we were really feeling stressed over the responsibility of providing the guidance our dog requires to lead a happy fulfilled life. Our dog started to show signs of aggression at the dog park and we recognized we needed to take a different approach. We also recognized training a dog was not easy without the right set of strategies and that this was clearly not our area of expertise and that we really needed to add someone with specialized knowledge and training to our team. We have only had 2 sessions with Brian but already we are seeing results with walking, recall, basic commands like stay and feel so much more confident and optomistic about training our dog. Having one on one training in our dogs own environment is exactly what we needed and we look forward to working with Brian over the next few months. Brian is amazing and clearly an expert in his field. The fee to hire Brian is money well spent and the benefits far outweight the costs of his professional services. We recommend him highly!!

February 23, 2013 | Jodie Seville

Brian - K911 - NO KIDDING! This guy knows his stuff. I am a first time German Shepherd owner in a family of four with a dog and a CAT! We got our GS from a breeder at 4 mos old (past the socialization age, so Im told). I began in a six week group basic obedience class (we finished that) but I still wasn't happy with my (or my dogs performance)., so I started checking out trainers, talking with them, and researching technique and style. I decided to go with Brian, after an almost 1 and a half long "meet and greet". Brian was very professional, and handled the "crazy" household with a GS pup, at that time 50 lbs, very well. Throughout the in home training Brian has provided - I am the one who has learned ALOT, and my dog - well he is very obedient. Brian has showed me how to ensure that he is obedient with me (and not just with Brian - as he is perfect with Brian - I've never seen such a good Heal), with me - Brian has taught and is still teaching me ALOT about correction, timing, and maintaining the obedience we know my GS is capable of. My GS is now 7 mos old and 70lbs and we are almost finished basic obedience with Brian. I will be sooo excited to start again in Jan or Feb with Brian on the more advanced stuff once my dog is over a year! Brian is worth his weight in Gold! You won't be disappointed - I promise. I will even give a verbal reference at any time - just ask Brian for my phone number! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK BRIAN!

August 30, 2012 | fentisha boswell

I met Brian about 2 years ago when he helped me work on my then 2 Boston Terriers. I now have a 7 month old Argentine Dogo who is at about 85 pounds and only getting bigger. Before I initially decided what dog I wanted to get I was in constant communication with Brian about what dog would suit my needs for a personal protection dog and what I should expect the training to be like. From the week I got Brixx Brian came out and assessed him and spent time with him and shortly after that we started the basic obedience course. We are now on to advanced obedience and Brixx is doing great. Brians help with training Brixx has been very beneficial to both Brixx and myself as he has taught me how to handle certain situations and stay in control at all times. Anyone looking for a trainer,I would definitely recommend Brian as he is great with dogs, very professional and knowledgeable in what he is doing. Not only does Brian come out and go over the training sessions with you he is easy to get a hold of any time I have any questions or concerns or just cant seem to figure something out. Thanks Brian, I appreciate what you have done for me and Brixx and look forward to our future training sessions

July 18, 2012 | Hassan

About 8 months ago, we welcomed Jake, a chocolate brown Golden Doodle into our family. Jake was an energetic and excitable pup when he came into our lives. We knew that Jake could possibly grow to be over 70 pounds and we wanted to ensure he had the proper training so we could handle him at full size. After reading an inspiring article in the Edmonton Journal about Brian at K911, we knew we had to contact him to help us with our obedience training. Brian tailored a training program and schedule into our busy lives. Brian's training helped give us the structure and foundation for Jake to be a successful and obedient member of the family. It is so rewarding to live with a Dog who we can be proud of. We owe so much to Brian. His hands on, in house, real life training is priceless. One specific memorable moment happened when we had our very last session with Brian at an Edmonton Area off leash dog park. We were working on some advanced obedience techniques when an off lead dog straightlined towards our dog Jake from a distance. Brian identified to us that this dog was showing extreme signs of dominance and aggression and immediately positioned himself between the aggressive dog and Jake. Jake maintained a calm state and the other dog went on his way. The situation was diffused because of Brian's techniques. We feel comfortable handling situations like these because of our training with K911. Brian spent the proceeding time teaching us the psychology that is the structure of all dog training. We will never forget our experience working with Brian and are eagerly looking forward to his advanced obedience sessions when Jake is a bit older! Thank you Brian! We couldn't have done it without you!!

June 24, 2012 | Steve and Cara Ostopowich

I have only great things to say about Brian and his techniques. My dog, a giant schnoodle was extremely aggressive, so much so I could no longer take him out of the house. Brian was patient with me and great with Toby (my dog). Brian was very professional but personable and our sessions became extremely enjoyable. He gave me the confidence and the information I needed to go out and practice between our sessions. It really seemed as if we were working together and he really wanted the best for Toby. I would recommend Brian to anyone who wants to improve their dogs behavior and is of course willing to put in some time and a little work. Toby is always going to be work in progress but we now go out every night and we are actually enjoying our walks. Thanks Brian.

June 13, 2012 | Helen