Amani K9

Caranina Palomino _{on Google}

Sep 1st, 2021

We are so grateful for Amani! Since adopting our rescue, Teddy, he has struggled with severe separation anxiety and prey drive. We weren’t able to leave him alone for longer than 20 minutes without him becoming panicked and destructive. After he got to the point of self injury and his escapes became increasingly expensive we knew we needed a more sustainable solution.
From the very first assessment Niquolette walked us through ways we could better communicate with our dog. She was able to explain the rationale behind each method they employ and was realistic with what we could expect and the work we would need to put in to help Ted succeed. We learned how to be consistent at home with all he had learned while in training and had hours and hours of support from Niquolette. Teddy is more confident, he has impulse control, he fits in to our life now that we can leave him alone safely, we know how to keep working with him and he brings so much more joy to our lives than ever before. We are astounded by his progress daily. We wish we had found Amani sooner, they are incredible at what they do!

Jade Zhao _{on Google}

Aug 30th, 2021

Eddie is our first dog. Even though he is a golden retriever, we had challenges to handle him well. We sent him to Amani K9, and this is one of the best choices we made in our life. Eddie completely changed his behavior. From a dog pulling leash and has 0 attention for us, Eddie starts paying attention to us, excels at structure walk and could place for the entire morning.
Training is a life-time thing, and we feel grateful to have Amani K9 along the way!

Celeste Curry _{on Google}

Aug 24th, 2021

The trainers at Amani K9 are incredibly knowledgeable and very professional. I called when my Rottie pup ended up being a lot more than I could handle. Without proper training, there was a chance her behaviors would have evolved into aggression. Trainer Niquolette evaluated our situation and quickly identified areas that needed work, and provided detailed instructions and tools to make sure we could give it our best shot. There were times when it got hard, and throughout those times Niquolette was there to help us through and because of her, my pup and I have an incredible relationship. I chose to enroll my pup in their board and train program when she was old enough, and that was a game changer. She is well mannered and can safely travel everywhere with myself and my son. We owe so much gratitude to Niquolette and Amani K9, without them our situation most likely would have turned out much differently.

Maysanne Burns _{on Google}

Aug 20th, 2021

I highly recommend Amani K9! I reached out to them when it became clear that I would need help training my 10 month old cockapoo puppy. After assessing Bentley’s behavior with their team, we decided that the 4 week board and train program was the best route for us. Trainers Niquolette and Marianna helped set my expectations for the training, and worked hard to ensure that we reached those goals. The changes I saw in Bentley’s behavior were amazing. I loved receiving weekly email updates on his progress, as well as having the opportunity to visit and be trained on what he was learning. Most of all, I really appreciate that the Amani K9 team is still there for us. They answer my questions and have been available at group sessions to work on and discuss my training concerns. Bentley is now a more socialized and happy dog. Thank you, Amani for giving us the tools to be successful. I am very happy that I chose Amani K9 and look forward to continuing our training journey with them.

Robin Farrand _{on Google}

Jun 15th, 2021

We enthusiastically recommend Amani K9 to anyone needing expert dog training. Like many who have a dog with serious behavioral problems, we’d worked with quite a few trainers, and had been unable to resolve our dog’s worst issues. Thankfully, we now have a training plan for our much-loved dog; we’d been afraid that we would not be able to keep him.
We got Benny, our Landseer ECT, at 8 weeks old, from a reputable breeder. He completed the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen classes. At 6 months old he began showing resource guarding behaviors. We worked with a behaviorist and with several other trainers to address this, and his reactivity to children and other dogs. Although he made some progress, he was never reliable with our grandchildren and some of his behaviors were worsening. We realized that positive only/ “force free” training was not working to let Benny know what was NOT an appropriate action or mindset.
We started looking for a balanced board and train program, and the first balanced trainer we worked with, although very helpful, turned us down for his board and train. (At age 2, Benny is 155 pounds and is a very strong, athletic, powerful dog.) That trainer recommended we call Amani K9.
We are so glad that we did!
From the no-fee phone consultation with Niquolette Rodriguez, during which a very thorough assessment was done and all of our initial questions were answered; through the initial training session in Lakewood, when we were able to meet the whole team, and they were able to observe us and Benny; we were so impressed by the dedication and knowledge of these trainers. We were especially appreciative of the team approach, with “back up” trainers, if our dog required that or if a team member was unable to be there on a given day.
It became clear that our dog required their four week behavioral program. The Amani team said they would need to special-order a crate big enough for Benny; another example of their commitment to helping an individual, and difficult, dog.
We’re not inexperienced dog owners or trainers; Benny is our 14th dog. But we realized the depth of our ignorance with reactive/aggressive dogs and were desperately looking for the skills and knowledge to make life with us work, for Benny and for our family.
Working with Amani K9 changed us as much as it did Benny. We realized that we were unintentionally reinforcing some of his behaviors, and we were taught how to remedy that. Throughout the board and train, Benny’s trainer Niquolette was patient and respectful of our many questions. She kept us apprised of Benny’s training journey, and when he had a minor medical issue in the first week, let us know about it immediately and updated us on its treatment throughout. During the “go-home” session, the whole team came to our house, and included our multigenerational family (ages 5 to 63) in Benny’s training plan. They evaluated the layout of the house and gave suggestions as to how to manage Benny safely as we continue to train and work with him.
Benny still needs a lot of structure, management, and consistent training to have his best life. But we know that Niquolette, Marianna, and Nick will be there for Benny and us, and we can see the path ahead of us much more clearly.