Nitro K-9 LLC

Bill Gaskins

We have a rescue dog that exhibited high aggressiveness and anxiety. We also had a lot of difficulty with consistent compliance. We have worked with Steve and Matt and seen a lot of improvement. We now are able to go on walk without aggressive behavior (people or other dogs). Most importantly, with their help we have learned how to proactively work with our dog rather than needing to react to their behavior. I would recommend their service to anyone looking for all levels of training.

Christopher Smith

You can't teach old dogs new tricks? Well all I can say is that thank goodness Steve Walter and Matt Pearlman don't buy into that thought process. I took my dog Champ to Steve and Matt at the age of 7. Although Nitro K-9 is the first training facility that I ever took Champ to, I had already spent years training Champ on my own. Champ is a working line Sable coat German Shepherd, and based on his level of drive I was very successful using techniques that through various resources to train him. However I was stuck using resources such as food and toys to train him. This was fine for teaching obedience commands but I struggled to gain good compliance when I did not have food or a toy, such as a ball or tug. His compliance to his obedience commands however was not my biggest challenge or concern. My biggest concern with Champ was his leash reactivity and the potential risk of liability if Champ had the chance to engage aggressively with other humans and or dogs. This concern was real, his reactivity would appear viscous and completely unhinged. The suggestion to put him down was mentioned to me many times over the years. However I knew that was not the dog I had when he was at home. At home he was a sweet gentle dog, as long as he was with his "pack", people he knew. I knew that it was my responsibility to help Champ and putting him down did not seem like an option to me, if there was something I could do about it. Throughout my time working with Steve and Matt the relationship that I had with Champ changed significantly. Champ began to know he must stay engaged and that compliance was not an option. Not only that but the changes in his behavior made a huge impact in our ability to work around other people and dogs, which greatly increased Champ's level of comfort and confidence being around other people or dogs. Now I will be honest Champ is not a new dog. He is the same dog, I still have to be smart in how I manage him, his nature is a working line GSD. However now I can work with him and assimilate him to new places and people on a much quicker basis and his compliance is much better both on and off leash. Long story short I really appreciate Steve and Matt for what they have taught me and how much it has impacted my dogs life in a better way. If you are someone who is interested in really changing the relationship you have with your dog and you don't want to rely on toys or treats for compliance this type of training will be right for you.

Kacey Rosenthal

I take my dog Riley to Nitro and make the drive up from Seattle... it it totally worth it. Riley is leash reactive and I was not confident in being able to control her in any setting. We have had 5 30 minute sessions and she was able to calmly meet another dog in her last session without a single reaction. I can feel her becoming more confident and having much less anxiety in her daily life. We have worked with 3 of the trainers and are happy with every experience we have had. I am so proud of the work Riley and I have put in and I cannot wait to keep it going! Feels nice to have control of my dog without a bag full of treats and even with just my voice.

Juliette Dootson

Calling Nitro to help me train my doberman puppy was the best decision I have made. We are training our now 9 month dobie to be a service dog and at 7 months (just after 8 lessons) Steve and his team had Cairo heeling off leash in addition to all his basic obedience. I frequently get comments on "how well behaved" and how "well trained" my dog is. He was able to go everywhere with me with his service training just after the first lesson. No more pulling on leash and he would sit on command. Steve and his team have a wealth of information to help not only train your dog but you as a trainer. The bond between my Cairo and myself has grown stronger because of the training tactics of Nitro. I don't know what we would do without them knowing we can call anytime about any behavior or concerns.