Reviews

Meet Murphy – what a ham…

Murphy came into our lives when he needed to be rehomed from his family of 4 years. How frightening it must have been to be picked up by strangers and taken far away to a new place

Murphy has been a lovable best friend from the start, but he was in fear of the new world around him. Murph was extremely reactive, barking, growling and lunging at the many things that scared him. We did not have experience with this level of doggie fear, and there were moments that we questioned our ability to give Murph a safe home, but his love and devotion to us was unconditional.

Our rescue organization, Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue, interviewed trainers in Ouray and Montrose County, and Melanie Wonneberger of R.E.A.L. K9 was the ONLY trainer they approved and recommended!

Melanie educated us on reactive dogs, and taught us what Murphy needs to be comfortable out in the world, including agility exercises that help to build his confidence and reduce the fear. We have easily incorporated training into our daily routine and Murph has really taken to his agility exercises with joy. When we head out for a walk now, we find rocks for Murph to show off his “four paws on the platform”, or a bench for him to crawl under. It is remarkable to see confidence blossom for all of us.

Thank you Melanie, for helping us become a happy family!!

From Murphy, Sharon and John

Melanie is hands down the best trainer there is. She has worked with my Bentley as a service dog since he was 8 months old. He is about to turn two years old. She knows how to train you, to train your puppy. Bentley is a Pointador with lots of energy. He wanted to pull, adventure, lead and could be quite stubborn at times. He now comes back when called, walks beside me, tucks, gets things for me, follows commands and so many other things. I could have never taught these things without Melanie's guidance and patience. She is on time, responsive and knows her dogs!

Best Trainer There Is

Jamie Clishe

I had a wonderful experience with R. E. A. L. K9 Training. I appreciated her gentle, positive and successful approach. She was professional, compassionate and committed to her work

Wonderful Experience

Jamie Deluccio

Talented Trainer

Letter Of Recommendation

Mary Hudson

Melanie is an awesome trainer and very knowledgeable. The courses, whether private or group, cover all the basics that your puppy/dog need. She will also help you in any way she can to continue your animals training. Also, she can help you with any collars, leashes and other equipment you may need. Give her a call today! Lily had so much fun!

Awesome Trainer & Knowledgeable

Tracey Merralls

Melanie is a wonderful and extremely talented! She took care of and trained our dog Blue for 5 days while we were on vacation in Telluride (dropped him off at her house). He is 9 months old and we have been having issues with his reactivity to other dogs that we couldn't figure out how to deal with. We also were wanting to train him to be a Service Dog. Melanie diagnosed the issue like a champ and connected a bunch of dots for us that we didn't realize were connected. Then she started implementing the solution. We had a follow up training lesson where she took us on a walk through Telluride (aka dog central) and showed us how to implement everything she had started to work on with him. Worked like a charm! We still have a ways to go, but he is improving every day now that we have the proper tools. Couldn't recommend her more!

Wonderful & Extremely Talented

Jared Forde

I was so grateful for the help Melanie gave me over a year ago with my new rescue dog. He was more than a bit out of control and she taught me how to work with Brody to make him a happy dog who understood and met my expectations. I also worked alongside Melanie during the summer as a volunteer trainer helping to train veterans with their new rescue service dog. Even after a year of training experience, I still learned something new every day from Melanie. She has a calm but authoritative demeanor that all dogs respond well to. She can "read" dogs and identify which dogs are scared and which have aggression tendencies. She can also "read" owners well and can effectively help those frustrated with their dogs behavior. Enrolling in dog training was one of the best choices I ever made. My dog is extremely well behaved now on walks around other people and dogs. Do yourself a favor and sign up for R. E. A. L. K9 Training!

Dog Training Ridgway, CO