About Us
Our Philosophy
I am a “Real-World” dog trainer, who will work with your dog in real-life situations. It is highly unlikely that there will come a point in time when your dog is at the dog park with tons of dogs running, playing, and wrestling around them and they will be sitting waiting for you to call them, it rarely happens, which is why it is important to have a dog that has 100% off-leash recall abilities no matter how high the distraction is. Your dog might lie down on command or sit on command and “stay” at home but not when distracted by kids running around, ambulances driving by, baby strollers rolling by, or other dogs barking and lunging at them. Your dog should do a solid “down/stay” AND a solid “sit/stay” until you give another command, with no problem.
Most dogs are born to be followers but the big mistake most people make is when they humanize the dog, which gives them that role of authority and they begin to become leader and telling YOU what to do. If you treat your dog like a kind/Queen, don’t be surprised when they set rules for THEIR kingdom. Because we deal with a lot of aggressive dogs, I have incredible structure in my training. Some people might find my training extreme, but when your dog is chasing a squirrel and heading into the street, do you want your dog to respond to you only 50% or 75% of the time or listen to you 100% of the time? Remember, too, that I do not attempt to take the playfulness out of your dog. Play is important, at appropriate times and places. We incorporate in our training rules, boundaries and limitations which betters the dog understanding of becoming a follower and understanding there is a time and place for everything.
Meet Our Team
Nelson Mendoza – Owner & Founder of The Happy K-9
Katherine
Why I choose to work with dogs.
Working with dogs is one thing but working with dogs that have a past is another. They come in shutdown, nervous, fearful, aggressive, etc and when they go through our program and finally can do what owners never thought they would ever do, it’s a life changing moment. I love being apart of the transformation whether it be a rehab case or a maintainer case, we just want to make sure they go home the best version of themselves. Knowing that I was apart of that process – that’s why I work with dogs.
Why The Happy K-9?
I trusted Nelson from the beginning, don’t know why, I just trusted my gut. His drive, his determination to help owners and dogs and his ability to problem solve. He told me 8 years ago and I’ll never forget, “I want to help the owners that everyone turns away, I want to give them hope”. He always makes sure his team is taken care of, makes sure his clients are taken care of and will not sleep unless everything is taken care of — trust me, I know! Been here 8 years and don’t plan on leaving.
Lauren
Why I choose to work with dogs.
When I was a kid I had this gigantic encyclopedia of dog breeds (with pictures) that I absolutely loved. I would read about each dog breed, memorizing and learning everything I could until all the pages started to fall apart. I think that’s where my obsession with dogs started! In my opinion, dogs are one of the most selfless creatures on the planet. I get to honor that every day by being the voice that advocates for them and to be the teacher that shows both the dog and handler, how to be the best versions of themselves together.
Why The Happy K-9?
For the last decade I’ve gotten to work in all aspects of the animal care field…I’ve seen what works and experienced the hard way what definitely does not work! Nelson and his team go above and beyond when it comes to your dog and the quality of care they offer. I chose to work at The Happy K-9 because I wanted to work in an environment that challenged me as a trainer but also allowed me to learn and grow as a team member and leader. Nelson’s patience, training style, knowledge of dog behavior and dedication to the dog and owner is not something everyone in this industry has. Everyday I get to change dogs lives with their owners because of the skills he has taught me. I am very grateful he took a chance on me and allowed me to be apart of his amazing team of dog lovers.
Angela
Why I choose to work with dogs.
Working with dogs is so therapeutic in a way and it just brings a smile to my face every morning knowing I’m coming to work and seeing my fur balls!
Why the happy k-9?
I had a dog his name was Hunter who was food/ human aggressive. We had contacted a trainer beforehand for his aggression but we didn’t see any changes. I entered in contact with Nelson and he had asked me to come in for an evaluation. During the evaluation, that didn’t even last an hour, Nelson managed to touch Hunters food bowl while he was eating and managed to introduce a new person in the room without him showing any aggression. Since then I’ve always looked at dogs different and once I saw the job listing I knew I had to join his team to continue learning about dogs.
Nathan (Nate)
Why I choose to work with dogs.
Growing up, I always had dogs! I’ve always had a passion with animals and working with dogs was definitely one of them!
Why the Happy K-9?
I chose The Happy K-9 because it is a structured environment. Before THK-9, my dog had no discipline, rules or boundaries, plenty of love though. After coming to our training/ daycare facility, there was a dramatic change in her behavior and behavior towards dogs. She strives through structure!I
Nelson Sr.
Why I chose to work with dogs.
They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Why The Happy K-9?
The main reason I chose The Happy k-9 is because they welcome everyone and never believe that hope is lost because change is always possible with proper tools and information.
Patrick Bova
Why I chose to work with dogs.
My experience professionally with dogs has been even more rewarding than my personal one. Building a relationship everyday with each dog is so much fun and rewarding. Working with dogs has been one of the best decision I have ever made. Being able to express my love for dogs has become more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.
Why The Happy K-9?
The professionalism and experience that is on full display on a daily basis is definitely the most important reason why I love working here and why the Happy K-9 is where I choose to be. Working with Nelson and the rest of the team here has been one of the best experiences of my life, personal and professional. Everyday i learn something new and everyday is better than the one before.
Haley Roy
Why I chose to work with dogs.
Throughout my life, I’ve always wanted to find my purpose and make a difference in this world. I believe I have found that through dog training. I’ve been training for over 3 years already and have seen many different methods. After a few years in balanced training, I decided to switch to positive reinforcement. I learned that positive reinforcement does work for some dogs, but not all. With behavioral issues, you don’t always have the time it takes with positive-only methods. When searching for a new job, I came across The Happy K9, and it seemed different than most places I’ve worked for. I’ll admit I was scared to go back into balanced training because of things I’ve experienced. But when I met with Nelson and discussed his training methods, I became relieved. After hearing and seeing it firsthand, I came to the conclusion that he had actually created a balanced system. Not only is it a good system, but he still continues to improve it all the time. The rest of the staff also made me feel welcomed from the start.
Why The Happy K-9?
At a young age, I was not allowed to have a dog, but the thought of having one never left my mind. I always strived to connect with animals in any way I could. I had guinea pigs, cats, and even did horseback riding for 8 years. I made deep connections with all these animals, but it still wasn’t the same as having a dog. When I turned 18, everything changed, but I had no idea where to start. A friend recommended volunteering at the animal shelter, and that’s exactly what I did. I quickly saw how just 5 hours of my day made such a difference in those dogs’ lives. At the same time, I realized how much I had enjoyed caring for and connecting with them. That’s when I decided to pursue a career with dogs.