Sandman’s Boarding and Canine Training

For anyone out there looking for a dog trainer, Mike Sandman is outstanding! We contacted him about a month before we brought home our new puppy. We were not new to having dogs, however this was our first new puppy after having had multiple children in the house. We knew we wanted to start out with great behavior from the get-​go.
We found Mike by reaching out to our good friends who had recommended Mike to us in the past. They used him AFTER they had a problem with their dog. The problem involved food aggression and other types of behavior that are not suitable in any household, let alone one with children running around. They had only positive remarks about Mike.
Mike is extremely professional. Beyond being great with animals, he is great with people too. He made an appointment to speak with both my husband and me side-by-side…to make sure we both understood the commitment to dog training. He was eager to accommodate our busy schedule, coming over late in the evening to meet with both of us. He brought his dog with him to our appointment. We were very impressed with how well behaved he was. He set up appointments with us starting the night we brought Cruizer home. Each time we meet with him, he gives us something precise & reasonable to work on. It is never an overwhelming situation where he sets unrealistic expectations. We follow exactly what he tells us, and it has and is working out great for us. I believe our dog has responded so well to Mike because we set our expectations out from the start. Having Mike come over the day we got Cruizer was the best decision.
We just completed a week long «boot camp» where Mike took our dog for a week of training. He answered my nervous texts or calls over the week he had Cruizer to update me on his progress. When Cruizer came home, he was able to show us all that he learned. We are continuing with his training. He remembers his command words & follows instructions with simple commands.
For anyone truly interested in the well-​being of their pet, Mike is your guy. Disregard any poor comments left by other Unilocal Users that do not have first hand knowledge or experience with Mike. We have met with him at numerous locations over the course of many months. He treats animals with respect and care. He has over 20 years experience working with dogs. It shows 100% in his demeanor and results!

Never use this company! I was at the gym parked next to the company truck. I was shocked & saddened to see a beautiful dog sitting inside the truck! Windows were cracked open. But it was hot outside. I contacted security & they blew it off saying he does this all the time. Terrible! Terrible!

Whoever is driving this truck drives like a complete idiot.
If his driving reflects the way they care for the animals, best of luck for those who choose to use this company to care for their pets.
Hope there were no animals in this truck…

As a professional dog walker and pet sitter in the Orange County area I have seen Mike transform poorly trained dogs into very well trained dogs. We constantly have clients asking us for a great dog trainer, I never hesitate to refer Mike, he is a miracle worker. I can’t begin to say enough good things about Sandman’s canine training. He teaches dogs to heal, down stay, and off leash obedience. Any problem he can correct to make your dog a better dog. He has ever retrained several of the dogs we walk that have been trained by other trainers in Orange County area.

I am going to write a lengthy review because since you stumbled upon this page you are probably looking to make a huge decision and investment in your loved one. I cannot say enough good things about Sandman’s K9.
I first met Mike based on a referral from very good friends of mine about 8 months ago. I had never had a puppy before and was having trouble adjusting to «mommy hood» and struggling to get my new furry son potty trained. Mike came over right away and helped get me started on basic training and commands. He helped me teach my puppy his name, he gave me the tools for almost perfect potty training, and was there for any other advice I needed.
It took me a while to send my puppy in for the full training. I was nervous at first because I was worried my dog would come back «different» — I know that’s the point but you know what I mean :) I didn’t want to change his spunky personality and my husband and I wanted to try to train on our own. Needless to say, last month I dropped my 10 month old puppy Moki off at the Costa Mesa animal hospital where he would be staying for the next 10 days while being trained.
Mike kept me updated on his progress throughout his stay (when I would ask). When he brought Moki back home, he went through all the different things he had taught him and explained to us what we needed to do at home. He then proceeded to show us what he taught Moki and my jaw hit the floor. There was my stubborn, defiant, free spirited husky obeying every command and doing exactly what he was told. He didn’t even attempt to test him. Mike took the time to show both my husband and I exactly what the commands are and explained WHY it was important to do every step. There was going to be a short breaking in period where Moki was on a short leash (no pun intended) until we broke him of his old habits. We listened to Mike, we did as we were told and now I am proud to say we have a perfect, calm, secure dog. I never thought we would be able to take Moki off leash. Huskies are known to flee and not listen, and mine was no exception. Now I only use a leash when I absolutely have to. Moki is a happier dog and he is still his same old playful self.
What motivated me to write this review is today I was at Mike’s dog beach class. Moki ran up to this girl who was jogging on the beach. After she pet moki, she came up to us and said «this is the sweetest coolest, most well behaved dog I’ve ever seen. How old is he?» When I said he was 11 months she was in disbelief. I credited Mike for the compliment and we laughed at what a difference a month cam make! I knew Moki was a great dog before but this was a proud moment for me and I’m sure for Mike too.
For the negative review on here, this is someone who never had their dog trained with Sandman and had no idea what the situation was. I would take it with a grain of salt and make the choice that feels right for you!

My vet recommended my dog receive training with Sandman’s to help deal with his developing agressive behavior. I was hesitant at first leaving my dog in someone else’s hands. However the owner kept me updated and never became upset with my frequently calls for check-​ups. When my dog returned he was very well trained dog, but Sandman made me realize that I needed training now. He has walked us through the «coming back home training» with ease and reassurance. Now I can take my dog in public– even around children and he only looks at me! People approach him now and he allows them to pet him. Our quality of life has greatly improved because of Sandman. After spending thousands of dollars on trainers and behavior tools that never worked– I am so happy to have found Sandman’s Canine. He is a trainer with a true understanding of animal behavior and a passion for helping dogs. I would not be surprised if he landed his own show on Animal Planet. Thank You

We took our dog to sandman’s for training. He was developing aggressive tendencies toward other people and dogs. Needless to say our walks were difficult. Also my wife was not able to walk him cause he would drag her down the street (she is little, he is big). We dropped him off at sandman’s where he stayed for just over a month. We were able to visit when we wanted and see how he was doing. The facility is not top of the line, but there was someone there at all hours of the day, which made me feel comfortable.
My biggest fear was that he would come home and be neurotic, or have separation anxiety. When he came home, he was exactly the same lovable mutt, with the major differences being, he listened. He was also clean and pest free. I was amazed at the difference in him on walks. He does not pull us down the street anymore, he is not aggressive, and does not bark or growl at other people or dogs. Sandman has come out and done three in home meetings with us since he has come home. Each time he has worked with us to train us and show us (my wife and I) how to work with our dog to help him succeed. We have already suggested him to one if my wife’s coworkers and would suggest him to anyone who has a problem dog or who just simply wants to interact in a more positive way with their dog. Kudos to sandman’s dog training :)

We have taken our dogs to Sandman’s several times over the past few years and it used to be a nice place. It has now gone down hill fast and is very run down. We left our dog there a couple of months ago and she came home with a tick. We left her this weekend and when we picked her up she had 11 ticks on her. Needless to say we will not be taking our fur baby to Sandman’s.