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Dog Training in phoenix reviews
What Real Clients Say About Us
At Desert Sky K9, we take great pride in our commitment to excellence. When a potential new client contacts us, we have a thorough discussion to understand their concerns and what they hope to achieve with training. Because all dogs are different, we set up a free meet and greet with new clients. At the meet and greet, we get to know the dog and his owner to assess the situation. When we understand what we’re working with, we can tailor the training to each individual dog. Below you will find heartfelt dog training in Phoenix reviews from REAL Desert Sky K9 clients.
"It feels so good when we have taken a dog that knew nothing or had real issues and the people just can't believe the transformation. Sometimes they are crying, they just cry."
Mark Govoni has almost 30 years’ experience with training dogs for all sorts of purposes. From house pets to service animals to security dogs, Mark can work with you and your dog to help the dog be the best he can be! Once your dog has completed training with Mark, you have lifetime handling lessons for free. If your dog ever needs a little tune up, we’re here for you!
Let’s face it: Being a dog owner takes work. But if you put in the effort to ensure that your dog has the tools to be successful, everyone benefits. Mark and our team at Desert Sky K9 have unwavering dedication to our clients and their dogs.
Don’t take our word for it. Read real customer reviews below.
Dog Training in Phoenix Reviews
Mark Govoni is a top rate trainer and friend to our French Mastiff, Ockham. His program is focused on intelligent discipline, confidence building and positive reinforcement, and his results are outstanding. He genuinely cares about animals, and it shows. I recommend him with confidence.
Tim O
I don’t know where to begin. I’m speechless how well Mark trained my dog, Bella. I used to hate taking her for a walk because she would end up walking me! Lol! Anyway, she still is the same dog. Mark’s training never changed her personality, but he did teacher how to obey!!! I took her for walk after the training and WOW! I can’t believe it! She walks by me on leash. She listens when I call her etc.!!!!! Amazing Job! Well done!!!! Definitely, I will recommend you guys as my First Choice! I can’t wait to bring my other dog to you guys….Thank You Mark and Gail!
Teuta
Just wanted to say how remarkable the transformation is in Patton. He still gives people the eye but no more Cujo out in public! We’ve been incorporating mini training sessions into our day and he’s doing splendid. Best money I’ve said goodbye to in a long time. Thanks!
Amelia Yourison
I just want to say that Desert Sky K9 did a phenomenal job of training my dog. Mark also won many awards for his training and competitions in the sport of PSA. I know all of this about Mark because he has been a wonderful trainer with my girl “Bulla,” she’s a pit/bulldog mix. We hired Mark in January. Once you hire Mark as your trainer, he will always be there for you. Mark is a GREAT trainer and I always tell people about him. Again, I can’t say enough good things about Mark and his wife Gail. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants a really well trained dog.
Jackie Kinkaid New River, Arizona
We can’t thank you enough for the professional training your performed with out great Dane puppy, Fenway. You instilled the confidence and ideal behavior in our young dog that we continue to appreciate to this day.
We were exceptionally impressed with how you graciously explained our dog’s behavioral issues, and clearly explained the steps involved to obtain resolution. You are extremely knowledgeable tin your occupation and it is obvious that you have a true passion for your work with canines.
Bob and Amy K.
Thank You Mark and Gail at Desert Sky K9 for taking such good care of me at Bootcamp and making my owners very happy that I am now under control and not the wild child I was before coming to you. My mom almost gave up on me before she realized that she just couldn’t let me go and then found you to train me. We are all much happier now and mom say’s I am a joy to live with now. To all those that think there’s no hope for their unruly dogs, give them a second chance and have them trained by a trainer that knows what he is doing.
Sarge Glendale, Arizona
You will not find a better, more professional trainer in the valley. Mark is a pro who is passionate about his work and the animals in his care
Sergio DeSoto
Hi, Mark and Gail! I just wanted to let you know that Cocoa is doing fantastic and is so well adjusted now! Thank you for all of the wonderful work and training you did! You made it possible to socialize him work with him and keep his training moving forward!
Misty Morgan
Thanks Mark and Gail for training and taking such great care of Pepper and Kodi. We have taken them out for a couple of sessions since picking them up yesterday and they are doing great.
JulieAnn Henry
Had a great time this morning when I took Bablu for a tune up with Mark. Bablu is Devon’s five and a half year old daddy. Mark was very patient with both of us, particularly as I am not good at obedience and needed to be retrained!!! We came away renewed, refreshed and tired. However, it was all worth it since Mark is such an incredible trainer. I know we will be going back.
Audrey Emery
Dear Mark,
I cannot thank you enough for the superb job you did with our dog. Before calling you, our dog would not listen to commands, nor would he walk on a leash without dragging us along. I am so impressed with the level of service and commitment you bring to the training.
Your dedication to the training program was without a doubt second to none. My family and I are very grateful for your patience and expertise and will gladly refer you to friends and family.
Sincerely, Robert O. and Family
I have used Desert Sky K9 for the training of my two dogs. I was very impressed with Mark’s knowledge of dogs and how well they respond to his training. It was obvious to me that he is very experienced and knows what he is doing. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for dog training, whether it is from the very basic to the most advanced. If you want results, Mark with Desert Sky K9 is my choice and I encourage you to make him yours.
Jim Patterson Peoria, Arizona
Dear Mark,
I have had the privilege to have had my sister in law use Mark for training of her two pups, he always kept his appointments and Gail is very friendly and professional whenever we spoke on the phone. I was happy to have them help us out.
Liz Mitchell Glendale, Arizona
Thank you Desert Sky for staying so committed to helping us with Baron, who, with Mark’s help, was able to go inside a dog park today for the first time since he was little …he really is just a big sweetie…thanks.
Eric and Amanda
Thanks you guys for training Bubba!! It is amazing what you taught him in just one week!!
M. Clarke
I rescued a 7 yr old German Shepherd that had a couple issues, he was fearful of everything! Especially Men! He had some manners but he needed to have a little refresher course. A friend recommended Mark from Desert Sky and it was the best thing that has happened to him besides me bringing him home! Mark was so patient and gentle with my boy and we thought that Mark had switched dogs. My big boy now knows he is 100% German Shepherd! Thanks to Mark my boy is happy, healthy, and doesn’t fear much of anything and he has awesome manners! I have recommended Desert Sky to several of my friends with “NO” complaints. Thanx Mark for all you have done!
Darlene McQuitty Glendale, Arizona
So grateful for you guys! Thank you so much for taking on our baby for your training program! It means so much to our family that you are doing this for us free of charge in recognition of Joshua’s service in the Army. We would not trust our baby with anyone else! You are absolutely amazing! We can’t wait to see the change Kallie goes through just before her first birthday!
Tory Walker
Dear Mark,
Mark with Desert Sky K9 came out to our group (East Valley K9) several times a couple of years ago. He is good with the dogs, knows his protection work and is a trustworthy decoy. We saw no problems with his work and is welcome to train with us anytime. Give him a call and try him out. This recommendation is unsolicited by Desert Sky K9.
Glenn and Kayren Dunn Mesa, Arizona
So happy to have Kallie home! We are still amazed at her transformation. It is truly amazing what a difference two weeks can make. Thank you so much Mark and Gail for your kindness and generosity, not only shown to Tory and I, but to Kallie as well. We are so happy we did this!
Joshua Bullis
Dear Mark,
My Husband and I hired Mark from Desert Sky K9 to train our rottweiler/great Dane puppy “Blaze,” when he was three months old. Blaze was a very destructive puppy, so on the recommendation of a friend, we contacted Mark. Mark worked with Blaze and in a very short time Blaze had learned the commands. Blaze is now 110 lbs and we can proudly take him out in public with total confidence.
Thank You Mark,
Luke and Heather J.
Desert K9 is the BEST, Mark treats each and every dog as if they were his own. I have tried several other training facilities, and put my dogs through hell. After finding Mark I will NEVER go anywhere else. Thank you Mark & Gail
Shannon Kaay
Made ALL the difference in our dogs-seeing is believing. Mark is the absolute best trainer with proven results. He was on time, professional and guaranteed he would work with the dog until we were satisfied. Our Malinois needed training and they are so well behaved we love them being a part of our family. I’d recommend mark for any dog and any issue.
Roberta G.
We have had the great good fortune of working with Mark Govoni for the training of our four-month-old German Shepherd puppy. Before we enrolled Lakota in the Desert Sky K9 boot camp, we had already been working on training her based on books and a lot of conflicting advice from various “professionals” at local pet supply stores. The results were mixed and we were increasingly frustrated. Then we discovered Mark and Gail at Desert Sky and the results were nothing less than phenomenal.
In the two weeks that Mark worked with Lakota, he trained her to reliably walk on a lead as well as sit, down, stay, and come on verbal command or in response to hand signals. During this time he also socialized Lakota with his own dogs, and transformed a shy, skittish dog into a much more confident pet. But beyond this, after the boot camp Mark made four trips to our home to work with each member of the family to teach us how to maintain the training. During these sessions he imparted simple principles for us to use to continue to reinforce the training. He also helped us identify and change some of our own counter-productive behaviors to be more effective in working with Lakota. His calm, confident, and authoritative attitude was a key factor in helping us establish an environment in which dog and family fit together seamlessly. At this writing Lakota is almost seven months old. We rely on the training she received from Mark every day.
So we heartily recommend Mark and Desert Sky K9 to anyone who wants their dog trained right–anyone who is looking for training that sticks. It is incredible the difference that working with a consummate professional makes.
The Corts Phoenix, AZ
One of our dogs, sweet and lovable at home, became aggressive when we would try to go for walks. Excessive barking and pulling made it embarrassing and almost impossible to take her anywhere. In addition to that, her struggle for dominance with our other dog escalated into fighting. The situation became overwhelming and frankly, we had lost control over it and both dogs. The thought of having to “give up” one of the dogs was heartbreaking.
Looking back, we still don’t know what we would have done without Desert Sky K-9. Not only were we impressed with Mark’s knowledge of canine behavior and training, but also his willingness to listen to all our concerns and answer all of our questions. He was dependable, kept the training upbeat and fun for the dogs so they actually enjoyed it. They seemed to thrive on understanding what was expected of them and the techniques that we learned helped us gain control without being mean or harsh (something that was important to us.) The training did not make them robotic, they are still the same dogs with the same personalities-They Just Listen Now.
Deb Swilling
Mark Govoni has been out to my training club to train his personal dog which is a very large Malinois, the largest I have ever seen. Mark is a good guy and the man definitely knows how to train dogs. I know it’s hard to figure out who you should go to if you don’t know how to train your own dogs.
As a protection dog and high level trainer, I have no issues recommending Mark and his services to anybody that needs it. The bottom line is, It’s obvious to me that Mark cares about the animals he trains and he does it out of love and passion for the animal rather than money.
- Chris M. Phoenix, Arizona
Thought I would take a moment to praise Desert Sky K9 Training and brag about Gunner. Gunner is doing extremely well. He just turned a year old on the 16th of June and weighs in at about 130 lbs. After we brought him home, I changed him to the Exceed dog food and the chicken Gail recommended. He loves it. I have continued to train him as Mark recommended.
One Sunday morning it was nice enough to go out, so we went. He was so good that by the time we arrived at the store, he and I stood outside right by the door with people walking in and out and he sat right by my side and never moved. I completely attribute that to the training he and I both received by the door with people walking in and out and he sat right by my side and never moved. I completely attribute that to the training he and I both received.
As you know Gunner also loves other dogs. A friend of mine has a 4 year old lab mix, Joe, who is not really well behaved and seems to be dog aggressive. I say aggressive in the sense he wants to dominate all other dogs he is around. Joe came to the house last week and we tried to socialize him with Gunner. Keeping both of them on a leash of course, Gunner was friendly and wanted to play and Joe didn’t. Once Joe showed wanting to be dominate, Gunner sensed it and became very aggressive. So, Joe was taken home but, I wanted to point out that although Gunner was ready to defend himself (or whatever he was doing since they were still 5 feet apart) he listened very well. I was impressed that in Gunners “not happy” state of mind, he still listened to his sit, stay, commands. My friend was so impressed with Gunner’s manners that if he lived here, you would another customer. Sadly he lives in Virginia. I wanted to thank you for the love and training you showed Gunner. It really shows!!
Tracy G
I had the pleasure to have Mark Govoni train my German Shepherd, Nate. I took Nate to Mark when he was four months old and he gave him one on one training for three weeks. Today, I have a 90 lb, 17 month old very well behaved dog, thanks to Mark and his constant demands that Nate listen and that I continue working with Nate. I would highly recommend any one, no matter the age or size of your dog, to have Mark as your trainer.
P Giles
Mark and Gail are the kindest people I have ever met in the dog training industry! I was never made to feel insecure and learned so much! My crazy puppy is now sweet but protective machine! Thank you for everything and I look forward to many follow up sessions!
Brooke Cook
Mark, the owner of Desert Sky Canine, has trained our Labrador retriever. She follows all commands on and off leash, including verbal and hand signals. Currently, Mark is in the process of training our dog to specialize as a Service dog. Mark willingly comes to our home to do the training. As customers of previous canine trainers, we are completely satisfied with Mark, as the trainer. If you are looking for a GREAT trainer, Mark Govoni is who you want!
I highly recommend Mark with Desert Sky K9.
Sincerely, Ken and Sheryl Blevins
Prior to boot camp, Cooper had severe leash aggression and refused to listen when distractions were present. Mark discovered the underlying cause of his misbehavior’s: obedience. Due to the two week boot camp program, Cooper now listens regardless of the situation and just as importantly, continues to have his fun and spunky personality. Mark has taught us how to use the skills and techniques from the boot camp training in our functional environment. We can now take Cooper for walks, hikes, and go to Petsmart with much greater confidence. Familiar hikers cannot believe the drastic change in Cooper’s behavior on the mountain, as well as unknown customers at Petsmart constantly praise Cooper with compliments!! With the skills that Mark embedded in Cooper coupled with continual practice, Cooper is becoming a much happier and obedient dog. We can’t thank Mark enough.
Sarette and Bryan McIntosh
Desert Sky K9 took great care of our 3 month old bernedoodle. Gail was so friendly from the start and gave us regular updates on how our boy was progressing with training. We picked him up and were thoroughly impressed with his obedience on the leash. Gail and Mark work with your schedule on one on one trainings which is imperative to ensure training techniques are not forgotten.
We have also utilized their boarding services when we travel. Our puppy still remembers Mark and Gail and is so excited when he sees them. I would recommend this training program to any breed and all dog ages.
Jenna Lee Curtis
I would highly recommend Mark Govoni at Desert Sky K9, They have a wonderful team there that will efficiently train your dog. Armani is a large great Dane that needs proper training and Mark instilled an eagerness in her to want to learn even more techniques. She has retained what she learned at Desert Sky and we continue to build on that. Thank you,
Tina S
Now at the age of 46, and being permanently disabled for 16 yrs from multiple TMJ implant failures that were recalled by the FDA in the late ’80’s and early’90’s, the resultant Silicone and Teflon bio materials poisoned my immune system and caused my seizures and a demyelinating disease similar to multiple sclerosis, I …have had a GSD seizure alert/response service dog to help me w/ my daily life struggles from my disabilities. On May 5th, 2006, my most faithful companion lost his battle w/ cancer of the bone marrow and I had to put him to rest and that fateful day was the worst day of my life and my seizures went uncontrolled but IF it weren’t for my new GSD, Woody, an import from the Czech Republic, I would literally not be around to tell this story!
I received Woody on May 1st, 2006, from the help of the Glendale Evening/Long haven Lions Club of Glendale, AZ and donations from private parties and especially from my fellow agility community thru fundraisers to train Woody as my replacement service dog. When I first set my eyes on my new service dog I couldn’t believe how lucky I was, he is the most handsome GSD I have ever seen and I soon found out that he was the PERFECT dog for my seizures!When I obtained Woody, he and I first had to learn to communicate with one another as he did not have any English commands and I had to learn his Czech commands and though Woody was already trained in obedience, he had no service dog training, as of yet, as Woody and I were going to Texas in a few months to Canine Academy Training Center for his formal service dog training. Within 5 days of having Woody, my seizures were out of control from my first service dog’s passing from cancer, that I was in such a shock and emotionally distraught that I went into seizures. I vividly remember standing in my office, ALONE, then suddenly waking up bent over on Woody’s back! WOW! I was shocked as to how Woody knew I was going to have a seizure and that he ran into the office to stand in front of me and stood there so that to prevent me from falling on the ground from my blackout seizures! Woody again did the exact same thing two more times that same day and he literally saved me from having serious injuries from falling on the hard tile floor! And Woody did all of this without formal seizure alert/response training, he had the innate ability to detect my seizures and knew that he had to be there to catch me! I am forever in his gratitude!Woody has been written up in the Arizona Republic newspaper several times for his role in saving my life and also to help raise money for the allergy injections that he has to have weekly from when he obtained allergies while living in Texas for his service dog training. Then, while having to have another surgery to remove a synthetic mesh that was wrongly implanted against my signed surgical consent, I had to have somebody that I could trust to take care of him while in the hospital for the 2 weeks, and I was so fortunate to meet the owners’ of Desert Sky K9, Mark & Gail Govoni, at a local store. We talked about his qualifications and experience of working with a GSD from the Czech Republic, trained in protection from the Border Patrol Program Woody came from and of service dog handling skills…
Mark is VERY well experienced with exactly what I needed. Mark proceeded to tell me that he trains and competes in the sport of protection dogs, known as PSA, and also French Ring at the National level and trains almost every weekend with experienced protection dog handlers, even the people of whom I found Woody from! What a coincidence! I read the pamphlet of Desert Sky K9 and he has a Board and Train program, a Doggie Day Care and training classes where he goes to people’s homes to train their dogs. So, I had Mark and Woody meet on a trial basis away from home for a few days and was completely blown away how Woody really took to Mark! Woody did extremely well!So, I had decided to have Mark take care of Woody while I was in the hospital. Mark took Woody out in public so that Woody wouldn’t forget his service work duties. Mark elaborated on his retrieving skills and stopped Woody from pulling at the leash! Desert Sky K9 even took Woody to his Dermatology Vet to get his weekly allergy injections and to the groomers! Woody gets along with all of their dogs and loved to swim in their pool… Woody really likes Mark and Gail, in fact, when they come to visit, Woody goes crazy and whines and runs around, gets his ball for Mark to throw! I explicitly entrust the life of my service dog with Mark as I won’t just hand over his leash to just anyone, and in fact, arrangements have been made that if anything happens to me, that Mark will take over the care of Woody. Woody has the best temperament in a service dog I could ever hope for, as he is always there when I need him and whenever I bend over he thinks I’m going to have a seizure and there he is, lifting me up with his huge head so that I don’t fall on the ground! Everywhere I go, people just adore him and he brings such a calmness and peaceful serenity to the public’s hectic daily activities, and that when they see him the people tell me that he just made their day a whole lot brighter! PAWSitively yours,
I received Woody on May 1st, 2006, from the help of the Glendale Evening/Long haven Lions Club of Glendale, AZ and donations from private parties and especially from my fellow agility community thru fundraisers to train Woody as my replacement service dog. When I first set my eyes on my new service dog I couldn’t believe how lucky I was, he is the most handsome GSD I have ever seen and I soon found out that he was the PERFECT dog for my seizures!When I obtained Woody, he and I first had to learn to communicate with one another as he did not have any English commands and I had to learn his Czech commands and though Woody was already trained in obedience, he had no service dog training, as of yet, as Woody and I were going to Texas in a few months to Canine Academy Training Center for his formal service dog training. Within 5 days of having Woody, my seizures were out of control from my first service dog’s passing from cancer, that I was in such a shock and emotionally distraught that I went into seizures. I vividly remember standing in my office, ALONE, then suddenly waking up bent over on Woody’s back! WOW! I was shocked as to how Woody knew I was going to have a seizure and that he ran into the office to stand in front of me and stood there so that to prevent me from falling on the ground from my blackout seizures! Woody again did the exact same thing two more times that same day and he literally saved me from having serious injuries from falling on the hard tile floor! And Woody did all of this without formal seizure alert/response training, he had the innate ability to detect my seizures and knew that he had to be there to catch me! I am forever in his gratitude!Woody has been written up in the Arizona Republic newspaper several times for his role in saving my life and also to help raise money for the allergy injections that he has to have weekly from when he obtained allergies while living in Texas for his service dog training. Then, while having to have another surgery to remove a synthetic mesh that was wrongly implanted against my signed surgical consent, I had to have somebody that I could trust to take care of him while in the hospital for the 2 weeks, and I was so fortunate to meet the owners’ of Desert Sky K9, Mark & Gail Govoni, at a local store. We talked about his qualifications and experience of working with a GSD from the Czech Republic, trained in protection from the Border Patrol Program Woody came from and of service dog handling skills…
Mark is VERY well experienced with exactly what I needed. Mark proceeded to tell me that he trains and competes in the sport of protection dogs, known as PSA, and also French Ring at the National level and trains almost every weekend with experienced protection dog handlers, even the people of whom I found Woody from! What a coincidence! I read the pamphlet of Desert Sky K9 and he has a Board and Train program, a Doggie Day Care and training classes where he goes to people’s homes to train their dogs. So, I had Mark and Woody meet on a trial basis away from home for a few days and was completely blown away how Woody really took to Mark! Woody did extremely well!So, I had decided to have Mark take care of Woody while I was in the hospital. Mark took Woody out in public so that Woody wouldn’t forget his service work duties. Mark elaborated on his retrieving skills and stopped Woody from pulling at the leash! Desert Sky K9 even took Woody to his Dermatology Vet to get his weekly allergy injections and to the groomers! Woody gets along with all of their dogs and loved to swim in their pool… Woody really likes Mark and Gail, in fact, when they come to visit, Woody goes crazy and whines and runs around, gets his ball for Mark to throw! I explicitly entrust the life of my service dog with Mark as I won’t just hand over his leash to just anyone, and in fact, arrangements have been made that if anything happens to me, that Mark will take over the care of Woody. Woody has the best temperament in a service dog I could ever hope for, as he is always there when I need him and whenever I bend over he thinks I’m going to have a seizure and there he is, lifting me up with his huge head so that I don’t fall on the ground! Everywhere I go, people just adore him and he brings such a calmness and peaceful serenity to the public’s hectic daily activities, and that when they see him the people tell me that he just made their day a whole lot brighter! PAWSitively yours,
Karen D. Morin Woody z. Podradbuzi, CSD