Due to the many variables involved to create a well-behaved, balanced dog, including owner commitment, consistency, and follow-through, it would be unethical for us to offer a 100% guarantee.

However, we only choose the most dedicated and diligent owners, so no matter how severe the issues your dog is experiencing, we consistently see breakthrough results and amazing transformations. We work with our clients hand in hand as a team in your dog's rehabilitation. This process of teamwork and collaboration begins before we even meet your dog, moves through the training process, and continues long after your dog has gone home. Once you hire us, we consider you part of The BK9 family, and your success is our utmost priority.

You will be working with The Blackhawk K-9 Team. All trainers have been personally trained by Samantha. She will be involved in and in charge of all training programs. Sam will always be present for your initial consult/orientation lesson, and your go home/transfer of training lessons. If any dog's training has not been achieved to a certain level of client satisfaction, at the fault of any of our trainers, including Sam herself, the client will be compensated with free services until their dog's training is satisfactory.

Although we understand that it can be difficult to be away from your dog, we do not allow the owners to see the dog during the Board and Train process as it can be counter productive.  Please be aware that owner's presence can cause some dog's training process to move backward, and it can be difficult to predict, as such, visiting your dog during board and train is always at your own risk if you truly insist. If your dog regresses, we will not be responsible for compensating you for extra training.

Every training session your dog will work for their meal (whether it be kibble, air dried, freeze dried, etc). If your dog has more motivation for toys or praise, they will be given their meal directly after their training session in their crate while they decompress. Occasionally we work with dogs who will not work for food, or will not take food in the presence of their stressors. For those dogs we either require more time and training be purchased to build food motivation or desensitize the dog, or we can proceed with using our training tools to build food or toy drive with our dog. This decision will be made individually by each trainer and owner team.

We use prong collars because we find them to be one of the best tools for gently communicating and connecting with the dog. Even though they are often portrayed as dangerous or harsh tools, they are far from that. Do not let their appearance or the uneducated opinions of others mislead you into deciding without asking your trainer about them first.  Prong collars are one of the safest and most gentle ways to effortlessly communicate both during training and after.

We often work with dogs who have been failed by other training programs. Unlike other techniques and approaches that only focus on developing rehearsed behaviors, bribing with treats, or merely managing/bandaid-ing the problem, we have developed a unique approach that fundamentally changes the dog's state of mind. Once we address the dog's state of mind, the sky is the limit for what we can create. By cultivating new habits, teaching the dog to make better choices, building confidence, training calmness instead of excitability, and employing our unique duration work, we are consistently successful with dogs that others are unable to help.

We have a very strict no refund policy. Your payment for services and commmitment to your training plan supports our two non-profits that save the lives of dogs in need and veterans in need of service dogs. When you pay for services with us, you are reserving space that we no longer advertise as available to new clients. The only clients eligible for a refund are those who we are unable to provide the services that they paid for due to the fault of one of our trainers, or our company. We do not ever offer refunds for those who change their mind about services they have not yet received, relocate out of our service area, or are unhappy with their dog's progress. We will always try to accommodate our clients by offering an alternative as a courtesy, but we cannot approve refund requests for any reason other than our own inability to provide and complete the service that you paid for.