Ancillary K9 Dog Training

Hiring Dion was one of the best decisions we ever made for our dogs. Our dogs were reactive but fairly manageable—unless we encountered another dog that was lunging, jumping, or barking. That’s when everything escalated quickly. One of our dogs even redirected aggression toward our other dog, and I was bitten in the process. After being approached by several off-leash or out-of-control dogs, I knew that for our own safety, I had no choice but to address our dogs’ behavior. Other dogs’ behavior is unpredictable, but ours didn’t have to be. When we first started working with Dion, I was extremely reluctant—and my husband was strongly opposed—to using training tools like the prong collar and e-collar. I had been conditioned to believe these tools were traumatic for dogs. Training began with leash walking, which I didn’t fully understand at first. I felt like I needed immediate help handling reactive encounters on walks, not focusing on structured leash work. I’m so glad I trusted Dion’s education and process because that leash work became the foundation for our dogs’ incredible behavioral transformation. Within weeks, they were walking beautifully and were far less concerned with outside distractions. Through Dion’s training program, our dogs have become noticeably more relaxed and calm throughout the day. Many of our houseguests have even commented on how calm and balanced they are. Although we didn’t specifically seek out Dion to address other reactive behaviors—like barking at dogs on TV or reacting to random noises—the training eliminated those unwanted behaviors as well. I am now a supporter of using prong collars and e-collars when they are used correctly and responsibly. I was initially afraid of these tools, but they helped create a major behavioral shift in our dogs in a relatively short period of time. I firmly believe that avoiding these tools earlier only prolonged our dogs’ stress and anxiety. If you are willing to put in the time and effort and follow Dion’s instructions, you will absolutely be rewarded with well-balanced pups. We are incredibly grateful for the transformation in our dogs and in our daily lives. Thank you, Dion!!!

I worked with Dion in 2021 and this review is long overdue. He helped us transform our dog reactive, aggressive, anxious, unpredictable 1 year old Husky/GSD into the PERFECT dog. The training we got with Dion wasn’t just for the dog- it was true leadership training for us as owners. That was my first time using an ecollar & prong collars- and we won’t go back. We now have a confident, well mannered dog who is a pride and joy to take everywhere. We get complimented daily on his behavior. It’s been 5 years and still to this day I am thankful for the experience we had with Dion. We even adopted a second GSD, Tyson who is another perfect dog, thanks to the long lasting training principles we learned from K9 Ancillary. The investment is well worth it- you’ll carry what you learn forward to every dog you have over your lifetime. THANK YOU!!!!

We can’t thank Dion and Ancillary K9 enough for all the help they’ve given us! We adopted our GSD/Mal mix rescue with the best intentions, but after struggling with behavior issues, we honestly didn’t know if we could keep him. That’s when we found Dion. From the very first session, Dion helped us understand our dog’s behavior and pinpoint exactly where his training needed to go. He made sure we learned what level our dog was at and gave us the tools and knowledge to be the leaders our dog needed. From basic puppy obedience to building a solid structure in our daily routine, the progress we’ve made has been incredible! Thanks to Dion, our dog is thriving, and we’re more confident as pet owners. We truly feel like Ancillary K9 saved our family from having to make a heart-breaking decision to rehome him. We highly recommend Dion and his training services to anyone struggling with their dog.

After much internet sleuthing for a dog trainer who would provide lasting results, I kept circling back to Dion’s website. Multiple peers recommended board-and-train programs, but I ultimately preferred to be involved in my dog’s training. This strengthened our relationship and has made maintaining what we both learned during our sessions straightforward. Although Dion specializes in reactive and “problematic” dogs, his training methods are equally applicable to dogs who struggle with the basics. My dog, Reicher, fell into the latter category. When we first started, he had absolutely no leash manners or recall. I dreaded walks with him, because he would incessantly drag me along. Pre-training, Reicher was also quite fond of darting out of the house and refusing to come back. This caused many stressful situations for both me and others. I avoided taking him with me out of fear that he would run away and be hit by a car before I could get him back. Fast forward about a year since we completed our sessions, and I have a completely different dog. Reicher gets compliments on his manners both on and off-leash. Using the e-collar has made it possible to supplement his reliable recall with off-leash adventures when appropriate. One of my fears about training was whether it would impact his friendly and goofy personality. Instead, it has allowed both of us to have clear communication regarding expectations, and he now has much more freedom. As a trainer, Dion is clear about the outcomes to expect from his program and empowers you and your dog with personalized advice to achieve success. He stands by his lifetime guarantee and responds promptly to any issues or questions that arise, both during and after training. I included some photos from numerous adventures we've been able to enjoy together since completing training.

Dion is an expert in his field. He provides detailed guidance, ideas, and instructions at each training specifically tailored to your dogs needs and behavior. He’s great to work with and cares about his clients. My Aussie shepherd was an unpredictable dog before meeting and training with Dion. With Dion’s training we have come up with solutions to make me feel comfortable taking him into public, go camping, and be around my 4 month old baby. Highly recommend! Thank you Dion and team.