Desert Sky K9
Reviews and Complaints

We are so happy that we chose Desert Sky K9! Our dog has learned how to walk well on his leash without pulling, sit, stay, and do all the basic commands. In addition, he seemed to really love working with the trainers and staff! He enjoyed swimming, socializing with other dogs, and playing while he was there for training, so I knew he was well-cared for. The part I am most grateful for is that the trainers and staff work with me and my whole family so that we know how to continue reinforcing the skills our dog has learned at home. And we can come back for tune-ups when needed! I highly recommend Desert Sky K9!

Years ago I had to have surgery and was in the hospital for several weeks and I had completely entrusted Desert Sky K9 with my GSD (German Shepherd Dog), Woody, for his care and maintain his skills and training. They were awesome! My Woody absolutely loved the staff and trainers! In fact, we became very good friends and if anything had happened to me, the staff and trainers would legally take care of him. Desert Sky K9 are devoted to their passion of training and befriending your dog as if it was one of their own. I highly recommend Desert Sky K9 for training your dogs, and as graduates from their BootCamp program, you get indefinite training for the life of your dog! How can you beat that?!

3 years ago I dropped my mini Aussie doodle Justice off for a 3 week boarding school. I felt confident in knowing a friend had referred me as he had taken his German shepherd there and he raves about it as dropping your dog off for 3 weeks is tough. Justice came out incredibly well-behaved that anyone and everyone asks me how she is so good. Today I just picked up my mini Berne doodle Liberty as she just spent 3 weeks there as well. Her listening skills and passion to please and do good were evident right away. I could tell she had been taken care of and a lot of time was spent on her. I would recommend desert sky k9 to anyone that wants to have a better behaved dog. I can't say enough how much I appreciate this family and their care for dogs!

I cannot say enough about Desert Sky K9! Our family adopted a 6-month-old Belgian Malinois (Loki) and he was in dire need of training (if you know the breed, then you know the need for them being trained properly). I researched all K9 training in the Phoenix area and Desert Sky stuck out of them all! No cookie cutter program, no e-collar forceful training, pure positive reinforcement. He went there not having any basic training, looking at our family as toys basically and came out a whole new dog! We spent almost 2 hours going over handling, we even had our 5-year-old daughter learn some handling and Loki even listens to her! Purely amazing people and such a great program they have! If your dog needs some training, do not hesitate to reach out to them!

They did great with our dog I would recommend this place to anyone

Desert Sky K9 is exactly what our pup and family needed. While she had a good foundation prior to going there, we knew she needed more training to build her confidence. Desert Sky K9 delivered that and much more. After completing the training, our pup is heeling, swimming, feeling confident around other dogs, and obeying all the commands she was taught. More importantly, the trainers trained us (humans) on how to be more confident and better communicate when interacting with her. This has helped tremendously. The trainers and staff are friendly and easy to work with. We love Desert Sky K9.

We could not have found better trainers than John, Sarah, and Emily for our 3-year old German Shepherd mix, JJ. We came to Desert Sky K9 after JJ began to demonstrate concerning behavior around strangers and other dogs while in public. After 3 weeks at Desert Sky, he's come home with newfound confidence and is an absolute dream! Yesterday we even sat in a moderately busy vet office with none of the typical reactions we would see from JJ - tension, dilated pupils, refusal to listen. Both we and our vet are so impressed. Thank you for all you have done and the peace you have brought to us!

We have an 18 month old Great Dane who had many behavioral issues and inability to focus, our biggest issue was his jumping on people. We had been to 3 other trainers, and spent quite a bit of time and money with no progress. Just 3 weeks with Desert Sky K9 working with Mark, and our “Oreo" was a completely different dog. We are so happy with his behavior. Now he obeys commands, goes on walks without pulling me, my wife can easily walk him now. And he hasn't jumped on anyone! We are so happy and pleased, especially with the extended training we get to enhance his behavior. Desert K Sky K9 is the best choice for any dog training.

When we rescued our abused, mixed breed dog, we wanted to ensure that he received the best training possible. I researched and spoke to at least a dozen training facilities. I kept going back to Desert Sky K9 and I am so glad I did! The two week boot camp has done wonders for our boy, and the trainer, John Smith, is simply amazing. When we had our 1-on-1 consultation, as John was watching my husband and how he worked with our dog, I was watching John. He was completely focused on what they were doing. I love his straight forward, calm approach and when we picked our dog up after training was over, I was amazed at his transformation. I could also see the wonderful connection John had built with our dog. I love that lifetime training is also a part of their boot camp. When we need to board him, it is great that he gets refresher training. Their flexibility is very helpful and John is absolutely wonderful! If I ever had a question, he was always prepared with an answer and he too loves our dog! I am glad that I chose Desert Sky K9 and highly recommend them!

Outstanding, compassionate & professional business! I travel 2 hours to board my year old German Shepherd/Huskie mix here. My dog had a great temperament & boundless energy which is great, but as a puppy made it difficult to train him myself as a new pet owner. I didn't want to drop him off for the 3 week training boot camp initially, but was thrilled I did! My fur guy came back with obedience tools and eagerness to obey. I was struggling with heel & stay before the training. Now when I call him to heel, he gallops over to me with enthusiasm. I have been enjoying sharing in his newfound capabilities for the past 3 weeks. Then yesterday we had a family emergency. Desert Sky K9 worked with me to make sure we had a smooth transition for my fur baby's boarding. It said it all when I dropped him off & he was thrilled out of his fur to see them again. And it was wonderful to pick him up having a happy staycation of his own, yet delighted to be reunited & on our way home again. My fur baby is convinced it's his home away from home & has spent all afternoon showering me with affection for the opportunity to be a part of DesertSky's "pack". Thank you Desert Sky K9 for all the little & big things alike that has helped my big pup strengthen our affection & trust for each other. It matters!

Desert Sky wasn't the first trainer I contacted but I knew after my initial telephone call that I had found the trainer for my dog. One of the things I recall about that first call is that I was told they wouldn't change my dog nor would they break him down. I'd get my same dog back, he'd just be a better version of my dog. I'd been working with him for several months but he was so distracted and unfocused and I would get frustrated because we weren't getting anywhere. I'm close to retiring and worked hard so that I can travel and enjoy the next phase of my life. I have a normal job, not rich and training a dog isn't cheap. Here's the thing. I asked myself two questions. One. What am I willing to spend so that I can travel with my dog and not have to worry about getting kicked out of a hotel because my dog can't behave. Two. If my dog can't behave, it is going to destroy all of my retirement plans and dreams. What value do I put on that? Then, compare the quote you got from the trainer who wants you to drive 45 minutes north of town once a week for six weeks for an hour a day in the middle of the summer in 110+ degrees to the quote from Desert Sky and you'll see that Desert Sky is the better deal. I got my dog back about two weeks ago. Every morning we go out and practice the things that Mark taught him. My dog loves it. He brought his lead to me this morning so I would get going! My dog is more confident and he isn't unfocused and distracted like he was before. I put him in his down/stay this morning, turned around and there was a cat. He looked at the cat, then me, then he stayed. Need I say more?