Man-K9 - San Diego Dog Training

Ron Edri · 5★ · 2025-09-10

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️\nBefore we started working with Ricky, my dog was very reactive – barking, lunging, and not listening at all. After training with him, she completely transformed into an amazing dog. She is calm, obedient, walks right by my side, listens to us, and even enjoys playing with other dogs. Ricky gave us clear tools and guidance, and now we feel confident and in control. He is professional, patient, and truly knows what he’s doing. I highly recommend him!

Richard Kang · 1★ · 2026-06-01

It's taken me a long time to write this review. I got training from this company about 3 years ago. I chose to go here bc it was cheaper than most places(get what you pay for), had good reviews online(I think they pad it somehow but have no proof of that), and I assumed police dog trainers would be better than a dog trainer for household pets(biggest mistake that people, myself included make) I have a German Shepard mix he's about 80lbs. Intuitively I knew the training they were doing was pretty horrible, I even skipped the last few sessions I had and never looked back(didn't even ask for a refund bc I just wanted to not deal with them and take my dog away). But until I got another trainer and did a ton of research on my own, I didn't feel right just going off my gut and writing a review, at the time I knew nothing about training dogs, I was a first time dog owner. I wish I remembered the trainers name(I think Ricky, or Bobby but I could be wrong) He basically used nothing but very harsh treatments on my dog, which I think made my dogs anxiety worse than it was. One session we were working on recall and my dog never screams or barks from pain he just jolts away from it, but the trainer put the e-collar on very high almost the highest setting from what I remember(bc my dogs hair was possible getting in the way but also my dog doesn't really react to pain until its horrible) and shocked my dog and continued to shock my dog while my dog was screaming bloody murder and yelping in pain for about no lie 20 seconds until he came to me. I've seen some horrible things and given the context it was a horrible thing to see. Looking back I wish I would have known enough to just stop the trainer as soon as my dog started screaming and end the training and ask for my money back, but I trusted them and believed they were the experts(they try to reassure you that this is normal and fine for the dog, do more research and find a better trainer). He also prolonged the sessions by talking about non sense for about 20-30 min of the training session(things like the gym, and my/his personal life) and I didn't want to be rude so I went along with it. He basically use a pronged collar and a super strong snappy whip with the prong collar to get the dog to follow me on my leash. He basically abused my dog and I didn't know any better and regret ever exposing my dog to this poor excuse for dog trainer. I wish I wrote this review back then so that way I can remember the trainers name, but I'm writing it now in hopes that someone who is thinking of going here looks elsewhere for training and do some more research. I will say this I am not a police officer nor do I want a attack/guard dog, maybe they are good at that, but if you are a regular dog owner with a rowdy dog that won't listen don't think that bc they train police dogs they must know how to train pet's it's a different ball game, that's a mistake people make.\n\nPS. I'm writing overpriced(google options) bc even though the price was very competitive the training is worth nothing at best and would pay a lot of money to somehow go back in time and never go to this place. They also like I said try to draw out the sessions with small talk.

Ali Tehrani · 5★ · 2026-05-13

This review is long overdue, but after years of working with Man-K9, I can confidently say they have exceeded every expectation we had. From the very beginning, the level of professionalism, knowledge, and genuine care for both the dogs and their owners has been unmatched.\n\nOur GSD, Zeus, went through recall and off-leash training with Fon Jon when he was around 2 years old, and the transformation was incredible. He came back not only obedient and reliable, but truly more confident and balanced overall. The ability to walk him off leash with complete peace of mind completely changed our day-to-day life with him. It wasn’t just about commands or obedience — they helped bring out the best version of our dog.\n\nWhat really separates Man-K9 from other places is the people. The entire staff treats you and your dog like family. Anthony at the front desk is always welcoming, personable, and genuinely kind every single time we come in. Dillon and the rest of the team have also been amazing to work with over the years. You can tell everyone there is passionate about what they do and deeply invested in the dogs they train.\n\nEven after moving to Orange County, we still continue to bring Zeus back to Man-K9 for boarding and maintenance training because we trust them completely. At this point, it truly feels like his second home. Every time we pick him up, he’s happy, well cared for, and sharp with his training. That consistency and trust is hard to find.\n\nMost recently, we welcomed a new 8-week-old GSD from Man-K9 into our family, and she has already stolen everyone’s hearts. You can immediately see the quality, temperament, and foundation they put into their dogs. We’re incredibly excited to watch her grow, mature, and eventually step into her role as a family protection dog.\n\nIf you are looking for a team that genuinely cares, produces incredible results, and stands behind what they do long-term, I honestly cannot recommend Man-K9 enough. They’ve become much more than just trainers to us — they’ve become part of our extended family.

Lexi Brown · 5★ · 2023-01-29

10/10 would recommend and also recommend Ricky as a trainer!\n\nWe have a 1 year old medium labor-doodle who has a great personality, but was beginning to progressively get worse in terms of walking, lack of any sort of recall in public areas off the leash and general lacked obedience. Within the first class our dog not only stopped pulling on the leash, his entire attitude toward walking changed. This was practiced through not only the 4 sessions, but also at home with his "homework". Over the next month our dog not only went from pulling to "heeling". We also worked a lot on recall, so that we could make sure our dog came to us in private places, as well as public. You will hear a lot about when to train a dog and how to train a dog. I would recommend as soon you get your puppy, but also any trainer needed is never too late. These are not only professional dog trainers, but are also police K9 unit trainers, so they know what they are doing. I cannot express how grateful we are for the training with Ricky. Although the price might seem like a lot at first, you have to understand you are training your dog with skills that they will have for the rest of their lives!

Angela Grace · 5★ · 2023-12-10

I can’t say enough good things about Man-K9 Dog Training. I am going to have the best two dogs imaginable after working with the trainer Ricky. One of my dogs is very large, a Cane Corso 7 months old and I knew I would need firm training in order to handle my dog full grown. Ricky's training methods are firm and kind and they worked very quickly especially if you follow thru with training at home. Ricky gave me such great advice even on things like house breaking bad habits, jumping up, and recall.Ricky has a lot training experience and I am beyond happy that I selected Man-K9 and would highly recommended the trainer Ricky.