Testimonials

My son has wanted a German Shepherd dog since he was 6 years old. Finally on his 12th birthday he got his wish. A male German Shepherd named Sarge. I knew Sarge was going to grow into quite a large dog. His dad Konan was at least 100 lbs. easy. My first thought after bringing Sarge home was to immediately get him into training before he got too big for me or my boys to be able to control. I put him into training when he was 3 months old with a local dog trainer that used dog treats as a way of training. I quickly figured out that my very smart German Shepherd picked up on the “I’ll do anything when you have a treat in your hand and nothing when you don’t”. This obviously wasn’t working at all and the thought of having to carry around dog treats in order to get my dog to obey started sounding like a very bad idea. Sarge was getting bigger every day and I knew it was time to try something different.

As I searched the internet for dog trainers I came across Victors K9-101 website. After reading the testimonials and watching the video I immediately called and set up a time to meet with victor and see what he could do with my large, smart, protective, and totally untrained dog. The first day was a huge eye opener. Although I wasn’t surprised about the things I was doing wrong with Sarge as far as training goes, I was shocked to see how quickly I could do things right with him. In one hour of meeting with victor I not only felt I had a better understanding of Sarge but I was able to get Sarge to do more that day than I had ever gotten him to do with all the treats and weeks of training I had done prior. I continued to work with Victor for over a year. Not only did victor help me create a healthy, happy, and obedient dog but he went above and beyond to help me with any problem I had large or small. Victor would bring his dogs to my house to work with Sarge when I noticed Sarge had an aggression problem with other dogs that would get too close to me or my two boys. Victor actually took Sarge to his house for an entire weekend to work on the aggression problem. He even had his friends bring their dogs over so Sarge would be exposed to as many different dogs and personalities as possible. When Victor brought Sarge back the following Monday I was shocked and overjoyed to watch Sarge on video running and playing with these other dogs. I soon learned that Sarge was not aggressive towards other dogs just protective of me. Victor helped me to learn that how I approached other dogs with Sarge directly influenced how Sarge would react. If I was nervous Sarge would sense that and immediately become protective. Bottom line is Victor helped me learn that it wasn’t about making Sarge obedient. All Sarge wants to do is make me happy. It was about me learning how to be confident, loving, understanding, and at times even strict with Sarge. That approach has helped create the kind of dog that I wanted to have and the kind of owner I want to be.

Without Victor and his guidance I would not be the type of dog owner I am today and Sarge would not be the happy and well-adjusted family member/dog that he is. I count my blessings every day that K9-101 was the website that I decided to call on that day. Victor has not only become a trusted trainer he has become a trusted and lifelong friend.

Bella is my three year old Terrier mix. Before working with Victor, Bella had NO manners. She jumped on people, ran out the front door any time it was opened, tugged and pulled on her leash, and generally ran the house. On top of all of this, Bella peed and pooped in the house, even if she had just been outside! My husband and I figured that we were pretty much stuck with this very stubborn little monster we had created until we met Victor with K9 -101! From our very first meeting with Victor when he came to our house, Bella’s behavior began to improve immediately. It was more of a matter of we humans changing OUR behavior, and Victor was fantastic at getting that started. After just 5 lessons with Victor, Bella heals, stays, walks calmly on a leash next to me, sits, lays down, and so much more. She no longer darts out the front door, she does not jump on house guests or onto furniture, and, wait for it.. she is finally house trained! If Victor can turn our little Terrier Terror into a well-trained doggy who LOVES to please her human with her good behavior, he can work with any dog!

When my family brought home Mable, a 6 month old Great Dane we were expecting a big lazy dog that wouldn’t have enough energy to cause much trouble. We had quite the rude awakening. Mable was extremely timid and anxious with tons of energy and we didn’t trust her around strangers. She would cower against me and walls when I would bring her to the vet. She began to take off and terrorize the neighbors and livestock, and just not listen in general. By the time she was 1 she was too large to control physically (125 lbs.) for me and I was the one that had to bring her to the vet appointments etc. These vet visits were total chaos and very frustrating for me as well as for the vet. My husband and I were contemplating finding Mable a new home but my children absolutely loved her.

After a humiliating trip to the groomers I contacted Victor out of pure desperation. I was physically shaking and on the verge of tears when I made the phone call and Victor patiently listed to me explain my frustrations and doubts about our dog. I decided to give training a try as a last ditch effort to keep our dog. Within minutes of meeting Victor and our first training session I could actually see a difference in her behavior. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Over the next several weeks and lots of training and walking, Mable began to feel more at ease because she actually believed that I would protect her and keep her safe. She looked at me in a different way, not as a comforter but as her leader. As part of our training I brought Mable back to the vet to see if our training really made a difference when it counted most. My big giant dog was much calmer, behaved and cooperative because I had the tools I needed to handle her effectively. I was so incredibly proud that I rushed home to let Victor hear about our success!!!

My entire family is so grateful to Victor for his help and strongly encourage anyone considering bringing a new dog home to call Victor FIRST.

I was first told about Victor Rogo by our family veterinary office (North Fork in Auburn ). We have a three year old Border Collie/Kelpie mix named Molly. Molly has suffered with what we now know is separation anxiety probably from being abandoned at about two months old. All of the symptoms we have dealt with with patience as we were seeing a bit of improvement. However, one symptom was growing worse. Molly would whine, whine, WHINE. We tried ignoring her thinking the negative attention was feeding the whining. But after ignoring her for hours the whining continued. Inside, outside, in the car, daytime, night time, whatever time with whatever was going on. No matter how I spoke to her to correct her, instruct her to quit…it was of no use. It was so severe that we could not take her places or have someone come to our home to care for her in the rare event we were to be gone more than a few hours. Our only option was to board her if we were to be away overnight. She’d come home hoarse as she barked & whined the entire time she was boarded.

In December 2012, we lost our other ‘best friend’ at age 13.5 years old. Molly was devastated & missed BarLee greatly right along with us. The whining increased to the point that I was ready to leave home myself. I checked back with North Fork Veterinary Clinic for the name of the trainer. I came home & checked out his website. I was greatly impressed & slightly hopeful. Out of total desperation I called Victor. I explained the situation & without any hesitation he said he could ‘train me’ to stop Molly’s whining. I immediately responded with, “Sign me up”.

At the first class I’m sure it was apparent to Victor’s ears within a few minutes why I was desperate for his help. With a repeated gentle pop on Molly’s new training collar there was a marked difference by the end of the 90 minute class. Thank you Victor for being knowledgeable enough to train us by having the collar on Molly & not me. 🙂

By the end of the second week there was even more improvement. The third week Molly had digressed a bit probably because I hadn’t worked with her as much during the week. Victor was able to explain the thinking process of a dog, the important of our family being the ‘boss’, not the dog, so that my husband understood the importance of consistency & unity by us.

So, in essence, Victor trained my husband too. With this part of the process learned, we decided to repeat the beginning classes in order for us humans to get better trained, thus helping us all.

Our twelve year old granddaughter attended & participated in most of the classes too. She has been delighted with the training by Victor. She has more confidence in her ability of working with dogs & has a better relationship with Molly. As we went through the last class of the second session, it was easy to hear Victor & the other participants, due to almost NO whining by Molly. Going for walks are now a real pleasure. We enjoy the family’s dogs, Molly, Lucky (our daughter’s fourteen year old Husky mix) & Rosie (our newly adopted ten year old Golden Retriever) so much more. They are happier too. We can interact happily with much easier, less time consuming instructions that the dogs eagerly follow. Sometimes the hesitation on their part is because they know we’ve messed up. Golly they are smart!

Thank you Victor & Elmer (Victor’s dog) for your expertise & caring. Thank you for the PEACE too. If Molly does whine now she is usually easily quieted by a mere “Molly, quiet”. There is more positive verbal communication by Molly without the whining. She has learned to ‘grin’ thanks to the helpful suggestions of Victor. We’ll be back when we humans need a refresher course &/or for the intermediate classes. We have the barking issue, while we are away from home or away from the car, to deal with yet. We KNOW we can master it too, with Victor’s training.

I recently adopted a young Jack Russell Terrier and with the reputation that terriers have for being stubborn, un-trainable, hyperactive etc. I wanted to get involved right away in an obedience class. We signed up for a class at the local pet store which focused on a food reward for good behavior method. That worked fine as long as I had food but I felt it was not the best training method for long lasting results. I searched around until I found Victor who has a similar philosophy to mine in that we teach our dog to be our follower and I am the pack leader. I appreciate his teaching methods and the written lessons so I can refer back as I continue to train my dog at home. Victor brings enthusiasm and great communication skills to his human and dog clients!

When we got our dog Bella from the rescue, she was 2 years old and had been in the pound and at the rescue center for 7 mos. During that time she had developed a very aggressive attitude toward other dogs and was pretty much uncontrollable out of doors. Victor’s classes taught us how to manage our dog. Now I can take Bella for a walk and know that I will be in control. The difference in my dog is like night and day because with what Victor taught me I now know how to control the dog consistently. If your dog has obedience issues I would recommend that you take a course from Victor. I’m sure that it will make a difference in how you are able to handle your dog.

My husband and I have had Anatolian Shepherds for the past 13 years. While we have experience with the breed, we also understand each dog is an individual – each one has had very different personalities. Within the past year, we had started calling Ruh (3 yrs) – our special dog. She had become fearful and very shy in a variety of situations. Afraid of the vet, couldn’t go in or out certain doorways, didn’t like certain people – that she had no problem with previously, fearful of the car and the final “challenge” – growling at us as we tried to put the collar on – even if we were going to go on her favorite thing to do„the walk! We realized that we were quickly losing the battle – she was making the decisions and in the meantime – teaching Hanya (14 months) who was in charge. It definitely was not us. We felt that we were at a tipping point and needed professional help. This is where Victor comes in. From the first meeting with Victor we felt a sense of relief. There was hope. Victor has the ability to instill a sense of confidence in the owner – which we were lacking. We had become just as fearful as Ruh. She has lost her trust in us and we had reached a point where we couldn’t trust her either. But with Victor’s guidance and based on his innate ability to read people as well as he understands dogs, we have been able to regain what we all had lost. As a result, Ruh is such a happier dog. She has overcome her shyness and her fearful behaviors have all but disappeared. She has found her place again and has learned that we are the leaders – which is just fine in her book. And Hanya has also learned that while Ruh may be her leader, we are the Big Dogs. Victor’s teaching methods are clear and concise. His patience and understanding shows, not only with the dogs, but with the owners as well. We appreciate his obvious love of dogs. Never once was there a need for anything more than calm assertiveness. We have been to other trainers but have never felt the need or desire to recommend them. It is not the case here; we would recommend Victor without question. He has made an enormous difference in both our lives as well as our dog’s.

Thank you Victor for dog training “us”. We will continue to learn and grow with Opal using everything you taught us. And thank you for being available on the phone at moment’s notice when we had a small crisis on New Year’s Day. Good luck on your growing business. And again, thank you!

My wife and I enrolled our newly adopted dog – Mishka – in Victor’s Beginning Dog Training class more than a year ago. Victor has a straight-forward, no-nonsense approach to dealing with dogs, especially when they have a mind of their own! And when you have a large Dobie/Shepherd mix, you have a very independent dog who wants to do things her way! We were so impressed with what we learned and were able to achieve with the beginning class, that we enrolled Mishka in a private, 5-lesson Intermediate Class with Victor. Over the next several months, Victor was very patient and firm with both Mishka and us, with the result that when we finished on August 1st, we now have a dog that is very responsive to our commands, and does not chase cats and squirrels even when she is off-leash. We could not be any happier with her progress. I recommend Victor to anyone who is serious about training their dog. It takes effort on everyone’s part, it is not easy, but it is so worth it! Thank you Victor!

Recently we lost our Family German Shepherd. Whiskey was a big, gorgeous WELL behaved German shepherd. We began training with Victor when Whiskey was 7 mos. old. Whiskey, though smart, was stubborn and a hand full until we met Victor. He gave my wife; she did a majority of the training, the confidence and skills to have complete control of our close to 100 lb. German shepherd. On or off leash whiskey went everywhere with my family and people always commented on how well behaved he was. Without Victor I’m not sure we could have ever achieved the same level of success. Victor literally taught us the routine to keep our very energetic Shepherd challenged and happy. Once you understand that bad dog behavior is usually due to your own behaviors and not being consistent, it’s easy to understand why other dogs you have owned didn’t live up to your obedience expectations. It is now time for a new dog and it’s a no brainer Victor will be involved. Frankly, this time we have contacted Victor before we bring our new puppy and he has already made suggestions that never crossed our minds! Any family thinking about bringing a dog into their home should consider Victor as a positive influence you will not regret. Thank you. Jason, Diana, Peyton & Taylor Herron

I got my German Shepherd when she was 1 ½ yrs old. Having been raised in a kennel up to that point, she didn’t have good manners or socialization skills. I took her to Victor in Feb. 2013. She learned all the basic commands and how to wait for a command before leaving the house. The other day I realized just what a good trainer Victor is when I stopped and waited before entering my house, without my dog! Training the owner is the biggest part of the battle. Today I took her to the vet for the 1st time – I had her in the lying down command for over 15 minutes while people came in and out of the waiting room. She behaved perfectly for the entire visit. No corrections needed. I asked Victor many, many questions. He answered each of them with suggestions that really worked. I can’t praise him enough!

Thank you so much for helping us with Bindi. What a difference we saw in Bindi’s behavior after just one week of training! At 6 months, she certainly wasn’t too young for obedience training. I’m glad we didn’t wait. It’s really amazing that our 8 year old son Aaron was able to be the main trainer for our dog and got such excellent results. You trained Aaron, so he could train Bindi. He did all five sessions and the daily walking and training too, and of course, lots of playing. Thanks also for helping us tame her “dominant female” attitude. She is a much better family dog now.

I have a male akita – big dog! I adopted him at 3 years old through the Akita Rescue. He is a good dog but, does have his challenges and being a powerful dog I wanted a program that would not only train us both but, also help in bonding our relationship. Prior to Victor’s classes, (I have attended 2 beginner and 1 intermediate) – I took my dog to other trainers. The results I accomplished from Victor’s training was definitely the most effective. His methods reflect a firm, consistent discipline with positive results. My relationship with my dog is now much more enjoyable because it is based on mutual respect and trust. I have been extremely happy and satisfied with our training with Victor and plan to take additional classes in the future.

My husband and I (and Nelson, the student pooch) can, without reservation, highly recommend the “K9-101” training program for your precious pet. The group classes are fun and the trainer, Victor Rogo and his assistant, Elmer (a beautifully trained Rottweiler) will introduce you and your pet to all the basic commands and movements, as well as providing a great deal of general information to improve your relations with your dog. Victor’s K9-101 program ideally suited us, and has made life with a large puppy a joy.

When we first came to K9-101 dog training, we had a 10 month old Puggle who was totally out of control. Grandma could not walk the dog without being pulled off her feet. After only 2 and 3 sessions our dog Amber showed a marked improvement in her ability to understand, anticipate and follow basic commands (like sit, stay, come, down…). We feel we have a “new dog” and love how behaved she has become due to the classes at K9-101. We highly recommend K9-101 to anyone and their dog

Over the years I have owed and trained three dog breeds: (Doberman Pinchers, German Shepherds and Rottweilers) using proven methods by the renowned Heinz Peters (now deceased). Even after years of experience and education by taking his classes and learning his training techniques; I’ve always seemed to run up against issues that some of my dogs have developed; either due to genetics, or the lack of “me” not fully understanding the “how” to redirect the dogs negative energy. In August 2009, I felt the need for a basic obedience class “tune-up” since I was now the proud owner of a five month old male Rottweiler. I took procession of Kona at age eight weeks, after having him flown down from the State of Washington. Upon Kona reaching the age of five months, I felt that it was time to go to class, not only for the obedience aspect of it, but also the socialization he would received by being around other people and their dogs; also, I needed that “tune-up!” After discussing with Victor about his basic obedience (BO) class over the phone, I was convinced that I was going to be able to not only receive “my” tune-up, but also learn new methods as to how to better teach Kona basic obedience. After attending K9-101 BO class I came away with a respect for Victor and his top level abilities as a professional trainer and his understanding of dog psychology. The time spent was well worth the effort, and Kona loved every session of class. As time progressed, he quickly learned everything that the class had to offer (upon graduation, Victor stressed that if we ever had problems or questions, to please call him for assistance). With that said, Kona is now 12-months of age, and unfortunately has developed an aggressive behavior issue towards other people. Even though I took the time to socialize him in Old Town Auburn, he developed his aggressive behavior when in the backseat of my vehicle. Anyone who approaches within 25 feet of the vehicle will be met with a snarling, growling Rottweiler. This is NOT what a responsible Rottweiler owner or the owner of another breed ever desires. I finally decided it was time to consult with Victor regarding Kona’s issue. After consulting over the phone, Victor instilled in me that Kona’s issue was VERY solvable! Believe me, I felt instant relief and assurance that I had not lost control of my dog and he would soon be emotional stable with no negative energies!!! I’m glad to report, that after following a few specialized training techniques that Victor outlined, Kona is now transitioning back to being a calm, emotionally stable Rottweiler. Without Victor’s professional guidance and understanding of dog psychology, Kona would have continued to be emotionally unstable and a potential threat to others; this was unacceptable! He is now on his way to being a balanced and happy dog. Thank you Victor for your professional understanding and knowledge of the issue, and your ability to redirect Kona’s negative energy in a positive and assertive way.

My experience with Victor’s dog training classes was life changing. I’ve always considered myself, as many people consider themselves, a dog lover. I thought this naturally gave me the ability to properly care for and train my dog. Over the course of my classes with Victor, I learned that genuinely caring for and training this animal demands much, much more. His explanation of the rationale behind his techniques provided a welcomed education for me on how dogs think and what they truly need from their caregivers. I believe Victor has a wealth of knowledge and the skill to share it effectively with people to help us understand how different dogs are from human beings, and, therefore, how different their behaviors and and needs are. This understanding is critical for effective dog training. I found Victor’s techniques to be incredibly effective, demonstrating to me that he knows how to communicate with dogs in a way they understand. His love of, devotion to and respect for dogs is obvious, and I believe that he can help anyone achieve amazing results with their dog training. He is upfront in asking for one thing from his students: commitment.

Victor had trained my German Shepherd Tuffy back in 1999. We trained her for about a year on Saturdays and I worked with Tuffy on my own for about an hour a day. She went from a hyper disobedient adolescent puppy to a well trained and happy adult. What made me so proud was that I would take her to the CHP academy and the cadets thought she was part of the K-9 unit program. To this day even though my work schedule hasn’t allow me to work with her as much, once she sees her collar she jumps to attention and runs to the front door. Even though I only work her once a month at most, she still remembers all her training. Some of Tuffy’s training included heal, sit, down, switch, back up, come, sit and down on the run. She can do all of these without a leash out to 100 yards through verbal commands or hand signals. If you’re a jogger the training also helps because the training will teach your dog to keep their head close to you, so in the event you come across other joggers or pedestrians you don’t trip them when they are on a leash. Victor is an awesome trainer and his passion and the love he has for his clients success is phenomenal. The relationship between you and your dog will grow and you will look upon them as your pride and joy. Don’t worry if you are hear your puppy whine and squeak when you first start. After a few lessons, when you take the collar and leash out, your dog will jump in the car in anticipation of what they will learn at school that day. I won’t lie to you, it takes time and dedication to the training program, but the results are unquestionable the best I’ve ever experienced.

The day I purchased my Australian Shepherd puppy I was floating on air with joy. I showered this dog with love, attention and treats. In about 72 hours he had my number and was Alpha Dog in our little pack. My joy quickly turned to despair. I called Victor, whom I had known for years, and under his guidance training my dog is once again a joy. In fact total strangers stop me and want to buy him.

I thank Victor so much for the incredible training my dog Brady and I have received. The best honor I ever gave my dog was to teach him. We adopted Brady at 3 years old and had him about 6 months before I decided to enroll him in an obedience class. I did not enjoy taking him for walks or to places where people were around because he was undisciplined and pushy. I knew he was a smart dog, as he had learned a few tricks in the past, but I couldn’t get him to do everything I wanted him to.

I quickly came to realize this is a class for the parents, not the pets. When I started lessons with Victor, I received far more knowledge and practical advice than I ever expected. All that was required of me was to listen and be willing to work with my dog “consistently, insistently, and persistently.”

After the very first lesson, Brady started out confused but because I made our training a pattern, he quickly came to respect me and do what I was showing him. Brady and I were quick learned and mastered the basic elements with great satisfaction. I was finally enjoying our daily walks, even looking for opportunities to show off what he could do.

You have to be willing to trust Victor because he has had incredible training himself and he can teach you anything! He can prevent habits in a new puppy or even “teach an old dog new tricks.” He does not want to see you or your dog unhappy. Since dogs usually become members of the family, they operate much better when they get boundaries and responsibilities. This may mean that you need to step out of your comfort zone with something he asks you to do. For me, it was training with the prong collar, for I was initially fervently opposed. However it works and you have to trust that he does not want to hurt your “child” but wants them to understand. It was the most amazing thing I could have used for Brady.

Victor changed my view on training, showing how every dog deserves to be their very best. I promise you will never regret the outcome of a well-taught companion.

My dog Katie is a Labradoodle who is now 2 years old. Because she was my first dog I knew little about dog behaviors (even though we took her to PetSmart for puppy training and had read countless books) and at a year and a half found my sweet, wonderful dog becoming increasingly head strong. I was worried that she would not “come” on command, or “heel” during walks (which were more like a tug of way) and to boot she had a habit of jumping up on everyone!

In a chance meeting with Victor we ended up discussing our dogs and he explained how I was not the alpha dog and until I established the relationship I would never have control over Katie. Control was the key word my ears perked up. I had tried treats, choke collars but never had complete obedience from my dog and knew that I really wanted that. Because of Victors obvious love and passion for dogs, he captivated me with his theory on dog behavior. Well I immediately agreed to a five week lesson for Katie. At first I was a little taken a back with the prong collar and the strict approach that was necessary. “Would my dog fear me and not be as affectionate and loving as before?” After the first week, Katie was not only heeling and making turns on command, she was also the loving attentive dog that we adored. We were thrilled with the outcome and never looked back.

Katie is so much better after Victor’s five week obedience training. She learned quickly and she and I had lots of fun getting out everyday and training. I know with her collar I am in total control of her behavior and better yet even without the collar she is more obedient and well trained. Katie and I work every day on the lessons we learned and are looking forward to more advanced training in the near future. I obviously highly recommend Victor’s K9-101 Training. Your treasured pet is well worth your effort and the rewards are priceless.

In March we brought home a cute little eight week old golden retriever puppy.   We read books, watched videos, talked to experts, and tried to do everything right in order to ensure that we would have a well behaved, happy dog.  By July we had a happy dog, but she was not well behaved!  She was “in charge”.K9-101 was exactly what we needed.  After just one lesson things began to change.  By the end of the five week course, we had a new dog.   We highly recommend Victor Rogo.  K9-101 truly is “dog training that works”!