The Suburban K9
Difference

In September 2018 after the sudden & tragic loss of our Leonberger at 4 years old, we ventured out to get a new puppy... read moreIn September 2018 after the sudden & tragic loss of our Leonberger at 4 years old, we ventured out to get a new puppy which was an unusual giant breed called a Caucasian Mountain Shepherd. We named him Granite, as we knew he would grow to be big and strong. He was projected to grow to over 150 pounds, the largest dog we’d ever had. We loved giant breeds and had previously been pet parents of a Great Pyrenees, a Great Dane / Mastiff mix, and a Leonberger. The rare Caucasian Mountain Shepherd was bred to protect the flock from large predators such as bear and wolf. Having this knowledge and knowing he would grow to be a big strong boy, we knew we needed some help training him. Our dogs are our children, and we take them with us everywhere we go, including long trips in our RV. It was critical that we be able to walk him in our neighborhood, in campgrounds and on hikes where he would encounter many strangers – both people and other animals. We did some research and landed on Suburban K9 because they could accommodate our busy work schedule by coming to our home for training sessions. The sessions included both individual sessions of the trainer with Granite and sessions with us as owners. Our trainer was Nelson, who had great experience with large and aggressive breeds.

Nelson was exactly who we were looking for…….he earned not only our trust but the trust of our dogs (our boys) Granite, and his Dane/Mastiff brother (Tucker) and his soon-to-be new little Leonberger brother (Trax), who both also benefited from Nelson’s training. We had complete confidence in Nelson and were comfortable letting him in our home when we were away at work, and more importantly, allowing Nelson to take our boys on field trips as part of their training. He exposed them to other dogs at nearby parks, strangers in retail stores that allow dogs, and even Suburban K9 events for the trainers. We also really appreciated Nelson’s responsiveness, as he was always available via text or phone if we needed guidance in between sessions. In short, not only did Granite learn to be an incredibly well-behaved magnificent companion that we could trust in all circumstances, but we as pet parents learned so much. After all, the pet parents are really the ones who need the most training.

Now, Granite is almost three years old, and we have recently moved from the Chicagoland area to large property that we purchased in the mountains of Idaho. Granite is really in heaven here. With large predators all around us now, including bear, mountain lions and wolves, we feel so comfortable with our protector Granite around. He actually chased off a bear that was within 100 feet of us that we didn’t even know was there. We also have lots of elk, deer and turkey here, which are great temptations for Granite to chase. As a result of Nelson’s training, Granite is now not only controllable on the lead but also by voice commands when he is off lead and running free on his ranch. And he loves greeting the many different construction workers that come to work on our project, including their dogs that some often bring to our property for the day’s work. We would have never imagined that Granite could be so well-behaved with other people and animals, while also maintaining his natural breeding traits of being a fierce protector when truly needed. There are not sufficient words to express how much we appreciate Nelson for all he did for Granite and our family. Thank you, Nelson and Suburban K9! read less

Nelson is amazing! He has work with our Golden retriever Sunny for several months and everything he has taught her (and us) is pure... read moreNelson is amazing! He has work with our Golden retriever Sunny for several months and everything he has taught her (and us) is pure gold. This is our first family dog so Nelson has been able to teach us how to train Sunny. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about dogs. He is always available via text/call if we have any questions or concerns. My favorite is his sense of humor and his exuberant personality. I could chat with him all day if I could! Our experience with Suburban K9 and Nelson is more than 5 stars! 🌟✨⭐️💫 read less

We rescued a 10 month old Lab/corgi mix and although good natured was completely untrained. Contacted Suburban K -9 and set up an... read moreWe rescued a 10 month old Lab/corgi mix and although good natured was completely untrained. Contacted Suburban K -9 and set up an evaluation with Nelson Medrano. After meeting Nelson and watching him work with Jack, we set up a number of sessions to work on basic commands and behavior. Jack is now one of the best dogs in our neighbor—always wagging his tail, good on his walks and most importantly obeys our commands. Nelson was extremely knowledgeable and patient with Jack and us. read less

After having several different trainers, Nelson’s techniques finally stuck! We have two, four-year-old English (stubborn) bulldogs and they instantly took to Nelson. We heard... read moreAfter having several different trainers, Nelson’s techniques finally stuck! We have two, four-year-old English (stubborn) bulldogs and they instantly took to Nelson. We heard such good things prior to starting training with Nelson and he completely exceeded our expectations. He is knowledgeable and helped immensely. Highly recommend! read less

We have worked with Nelson at Suburban K9 for about a year and a half & are so grateful in his help and guidance... read moreWe have worked with Nelson at Suburban K9 for about a year and a half & are so grateful in his help and guidance in training our GSD mix! Nelson is prompt and always takes the time to listen. He is knowledgeable and consistent in his training. We are so lucky to work with him! read less

Our experience with Suburban K9, more specifically our trainer Nelson, has been more than we could have asked! We had previously taken Payton (our... read moreOur experience with Suburban K9, more specifically our trainer Nelson, has been more than we could have asked! We had previously taken Payton (our 1.5 yo pup) to a different training facility last year before we quickly realized this was a waste of time and money. Well it has been night and day difference working with Nelson. We jumped right in and he had Payton going on 45 minute walks perfectly, no problems at all. Mind you, my boyfriend and I had been trying and taking Payton on walks her entire life and could not master a peaceful walk. Working with Nelson, for only 2 sessions(!!!), gave us the tools and knowledge to make walks an enjoyable experience for both Payton and us. We are more than halfway through our sessions now and that momentum has only continued, now tackling more difficult things. Nelson is amazing and does such a good job at not only training Payton but educating my boyfriend and I as well! Definitely recommend Suburban K9 and certainly Nelson as a trainer! read less

Our family got the privilege to work with the trainer Nelson. And when I say privilege, I mean it! He is knowledgeable, thorough,... read moreOur family got the privilege to work with the trainer Nelson. And when I say privilege, I mean it! He is knowledgeable, thorough, trustworthy and not to mention our two, two year old aussies (Hudson and Harper) love him! Nelson has never been too busy for a quick text or call if we’ve had behavior or correction concerns when it’s not our scheduled date and is always asking us what we would like to work on today. Prior to Covid, when we were going into the office, there is no company/trainer such as Nelson that I would allow into our home when we were not home; Nelson’s character and professionalism provided us the comfort for that entrance to happen. Our aussies have come a long way from when we started today. I don’t know how we would have handled two high energy aussies if it was not for Nelson! Hudson, Harper and the rest of our family say thank you Nelson and Suburan K9 for letting our family enjoy walks again, helped us grow on dog knowledge and truly enjoy spending time working on this with our dogs. Thank you Nelson and team! read less

We have been using Suburban K9 dog training for several months now. Our sheepadoodle was a real handful. Nelson is very knowledgeable and has... read moreWe have been using Suburban K9 dog training for several months now. Our sheepadoodle was a real handful. Nelson is very knowledgeable and has taught us a lot about why dogs act the way they do. Nelson has really helped get our pup under control and better behaved. Would highly recommend!! read less

Nelson Medrano is awesome! I love his training style for both our dog and us! My favorite is when he pretends he’s our dog... read moreNelson Medrano is awesome! I love his training style for both our dog and us! My favorite is when he pretends he’s our dog talking. Through Nelson’s training and the ease of learning to replicate what he has taught our dog Theia, we are thrilled with the results we’ve experienced. Thank you so much Nelson! read less

Nelson Medrano has done wonders with my golden retriever puppy! He helped me with leash training, place command, greeting visitors at the door... read moreNelson Medrano has done wonders with my golden retriever puppy! He helped me with leash training, place command, greeting visitors at the door and overall helped my puppy to be the great dog she is now. I constantly have people compliment on how well behaved my puppy is and that is thanks to Nelson’s help! I would recommend him to anyone looking for help with training. read less

Our trainer Nelson Medrano was so knowledgeable, dedicated , and friendly throughout our entire training experience . He worked with us and our one... read moreOur trainer Nelson Medrano was so knowledgeable, dedicated , and friendly throughout our entire training experience . He worked with us and our one year old English Mastiff on basic commands and behavior issues we were having in and out of the house. We saw improvement and learned so much about Max’s behavior cues and how to help him socially. We will continue working with Nelson! read less

Nelson Medrano was very highly recommended by some of his previous clients so my expectations were very high when I scheduled with him. And... read moreNelson Medrano was very highly recommended by some of his previous clients so my expectations were very high when I scheduled with him. And to say he exceeded every one of those expectations would be an understatement. I adopted a young purebred GSD from a rescue and the people who surrendered him had not socialized him and basically left him alone in a crate all day. Thankfully he was gentle and loving with my other dog but he had no door/greeting manners, no leash manners, and was very strange-dog reactive.
Nelson took the time to speak with me at length before even meeting Gideon to learn as much as he could about his history and his current environment and behavior. Nelson was always very professional and courteous and accommodating of my schedule. More importantly he is incredibly knowledgeable and shares that knowledge in a way that I could relate to and apply to my situation with Gideon.
He immediately developed a bond with Gideon and I could tell he cares about him and is invested in his improvement. Nelson taught me what to look for in Gideon’s demeanor and how to correct him and focus him before any escalation. I feel he truly gave me the tools to understand my dog better. He worked with Gideon on manners and confidence and we could see marked improvements almost immediately.
Nelson was always available by phone or text in between sessions when I would have questions or issues. I can honestly say Gideon is more confident and relaxed and a more well rounded happy dog after his work with Nelson. I cannot thank Nelson enough for all his help! He has greatly improved Gideon’s quality of life. Thank you, Nelson! read less

Julia is the the best with my dog Tank and getting him trained! She is very patient and helps me to understand best approach... read moreJulia is the the best with my dog Tank and getting him trained! She is very patient and helps me to understand best approach in training him and a adding corrections to him! You can see she truly loves what she does and it shows In the results I have seen with Tank! Highly recommend her and have to friends and family! 10 out of 10! She is AMAZING! read less

Our trainer, Julia Rose, was very helpful in fixing our dogs’ bad habits. Including jumping, bad door manners, and overall anxiety. She had... read moreOur trainer, Julia Rose, was very helpful in fixing our dogs’ bad habits. Including jumping, bad door manners, and overall anxiety. She had a solution for every question that we had. Julia brought an abundance of knowledge and understanding to our at home session. After just one session our dog has started to show signs of improvement. We would highly recommend Julia to anyone looking for training. read less

Zach is the absolute best and I don’t know what I would do without him! He is very professional, personable, easy to learn from,... read moreZach is the absolute best and I don’t know what I would do without him! He is very professional, personable, easy to learn from, and became our dog’s best friend! My husband and I just bought our first dog together, Hobbes. She is a 9 month miniature labradoodle, fun, loving, and a bundle of energetic love! My husband and I needed help with basic command training, leash training, decreasing specific identified behaviors, as well as teaching us on how to properly communicate with her/have her listen to us (because obviously what we were doing before wasn’t working). Hobbes completed the 2 week board and train with Zach, and when returning home to us the results were amazing, it was everything we could have asked for and more! She was a whole new puppy, well trained, listening, still loving and controlled energetic puppy! Zach was able to tailor the training to met our specific goals on each individual behavior I initially identified to him! It was amazing!
In the beginning we were a little hesitant about boarding her for two weeks, especially during Covid, and knowing that she still needed more socialization we weren’t sure how she would do without us. It was very sad saying goodbye to her but Zach made the whole experience for us as stress free as possible. He was always there to answer any question I had without hesitation! Everyday I was excited to receive our daily updates, videos, and pictures, it made us feel a part of the whole process. We could see how she was interacting with other dogs as well as seeing her training progress.
The information we learned from Zach was amazing! It is knowledge that My husband and I will take with us forever. Even when completing the 2 follow up sessions, Zach was able to tailor training within our home environment and help us understand how to properly continue training! He always made us feel comfortable and confident, even when letting us know what we were doing wrong, so we could continue growing our bond with our girl. The most important thing is that now after a month of her being home, the results of her training are still present and she hasn’t fallen back into any bad behaviors! read less

I sent my 11 month old Zoey off to the 2 week board and train program with Molly. I am thrilled with the results!... read moreI sent my 11 month old Zoey off to the 2 week board and train program with Molly. I am thrilled with the results! Prior to the training she would bark non stop and any little noise or sometimes at just nothing, was having accidents in the house, jumping and nipping at people as she would meet them. After the two weeks and a few follow up sessions with Molly, she knows all of her commands, no more jumping, counter surfing, or nipping at people, she is even good now with off leash heeling and commands off leash. I would highly recommend Suburban K9 for anyone looking to get their dog trained. read less

Oh my god...life changing training !! I have an Airedale - 9 mo old at the time I reached out for help.....He is over... read moreOh my god...life changing training !! I have an Airedale - 9 mo old at the time I reached out for help.....He is over 90 lbs ... a sweat heart--- but out of control ! wow! I am so grateful to Suburban K9 - and especially MOlly his trainer.....its impossible to express what a difference this training has made - I can now walk my dog anytime any where (this is wildly different!) and he even has manors in the home as well!! I love this pup so much...and now I know we will all stay safe ! as he is a big enthusiastic nearly 100lb pup but now under control....interestingly, we are all happier!. THANK you! so grateful to Molly and to Holly as well! - the best !- and to Suburban K 9 for their professionalism and keen organization! if I could give 6 stars, I would. read less

We had our 8 month old golden doodle trained through Suburban K9. Lilliana did an amazing job with our dog, Stan. She keep in... read moreWe had our 8 month old golden doodle trained through Suburban K9. Lilliana did an amazing job with our dog, Stan. She keep in contact with us while he was working with her sending us emails and videos of his progress. He learned all the commands and behaviors that were a priority to us. She spent time training us on how to continue improving his expected behavior. She is always avail through text and email to help answer any questions or concerns. We are very happy with Suburban K9 snd our trainer, Lilliana. Any family who has Lilliana as their trainer is lucky, she treats your dog like one of her own. read less