North Star Family K-9

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North Star Family K-9 Twin Cities Boutique Dog Trainer. Board and Train • Privates.

Certified Training Team • Professional Kennel Staff

2 State of the art training rooms • Luxury canine suites.

10/03/2026

One year ago, on October 1, we merged with K9SF and began a new chapter in our new facility. ❤️🐾

These photos capture a few of our favorite memories from this first year—the dogs, clients, and staff who have made this journey so meaningful.

What started as a hobby, training dogs out of our home, has grown into a team of 12 and the responsibility of caring for an average of 20–25 dogs each night. That responsibility is something we never take lightly. Behind every dog is a family trusting us with someone they love.

This year has taught us so much about ourselves. We’ve grown as leaders, trainers, and business owners. There have been challenges, lessons, and countless moments that remind us why we do this.

Through it all, one thing has become clearer than ever: we couldn’t do this without our amazing team. Their care, hard work, and commitment make North Star what it is, and we are so grateful for each of them.

To our clients, thank you for your trust, your support, and the opportunity to be part of your dogs’ lives. You’ve helped turn our humble beginnings into something we’re incredibly proud of.

A special thank you to Jamie, Milo, Syd, Anne, Brian, Holly, and Frank; our trainers Ethan, Maddie, and Erica; Julia and Nathan, two of the OGs from the merger; and Anicia, Emma, Clara, Benji, and Kay. Each of you has helped shape this journey, and we appreciate everything you bring to North Star.

Thank you for being part of our first year in this new chapter. Here’s to the memories we’ve made and everything still ahead. ❤️

—Hank & Nicole
North Star Family K-9

09/25/2026

Tonight was one of those moments that reminds me why I love this work. ❤️

It’s felt good being back training in the evenings this week, and tonight with ZuZu was especially gratifying.

ZuZu’s reactivity is among the most intense we’ve seen and have worked with. We’re her third trainer, and her mom understandably came to us with doubts. Our first three sessions at my house were tough, so we adjusted.

We shifted from traditional private lessons to “seminar-style” evenings: several short sessions with breaks in between, giving us time to work at ZuZu’s pace. Tonight was her second evening at the facility, and she crushed it in our training aquarium!

We used tiebacks, treadmills, dopamine boxes, and carefully timed spatial pressure to give her clear pictures of what we were asking:

🐾 Moving while other dogs stayed still.
🐾 Staying still while other dogs moved.
🐾 Returning to familiar behaviors and earning high-value rewards through the dopamine box, rather than always getting food directly from us.

What you can’t see in the video is the low-level e-collar work we paired with those familiar behaviors—helping her learn how to turn that pressure off while working to keep her out of the heightened arousal we’ve seen before.

One of our biggest takeaways tonight was that the most meaningful corrections were relational. My presence, timing, and stepping into her space helped communicate: “That behavior isn’t okay. Come back to the behavior we’ve practiced—the one you know and have been rewarded for.”

We’ve seen ZuZu push through pressure before. Tonight, we found opportunities to communicate more clearly without escalating it. The tools were part of the session, but the progress came from how we put everything together: clear expectations, well-timed feedback, breaks, and meaningful rewards.

There’s still work ahead, but tonight was a big step—and I couldn’t be happier for ZuZu and her mom.

Thank you to her mom for continuing to show up and trusting us as we learn what works for her dog. And thank you, Anicia, for the assist!

🐾

🐾 Immediate Board & Train Openings! 🎓Friends and family—The kids are back in school, so why not send your canine family ...
09/18/2026

🐾 Immediate Board & Train Openings! 🎓

Friends and family—

The kids are back in school, so why not send your canine family member to school, too?

North Star Family K-9 has a couple of immediate openings in our three-week Board & Train program. If you’ve been considering training—or know someone whose dog could benefit—now is the perfect time.

Our program includes:

🐕 The opportunity to train alongside your dog during their stay
📋 A comprehensive coaching and go-home plan
🤝 Lifetime training support

Enroll now and take advantage of our Back-to-School Discount!

Message us today for details or to schedule a consultation.

TwinCitiesD

That’s a wrap on James J. Hill Days! 🐾What an amazing weekend! Our team taught, demonstrated, answered questions, bonded...
09/13/2026

That’s a wrap on James J. Hill Days! 🐾

What an amazing weekend! Our team taught, demonstrated, answered questions, bonded and grew even closer. We loved connecting with the community and can’t wait for our next event!

A huge thank-you to everyone who stopped by our booth—and a special shoutout to all the incredible vendors and our fellow canine professionals for the camaraderie all weekend long.

See yourself or your pup in our photos? Tag yourself and repost for a chance to receive a special prize! 🎁

🐾 We’re back at James J. Hill Days in Wayzata today!Stop by the North Star Family K9 tent to meet our trainers, pet a th...
09/13/2026

🐾 We’re back at James J. Hill Days in Wayzata today!

Stop by the North Star Family K9 tent to meet our trainers, pet a therapy dog and learn how to build a confident, stable lifetime companion.

Today’s demonstrations and conversations include:

🥏 Frisbee demonstrations
🐕 Loose-leash walking and proper slip-lead use
🦴 Dopamine Box demonstrations
🎯 Positively reinforced e-collar training
🐾 Debunking the myths around muzzle training
💬 Understanding canine reactivity and insecurity

You can also learn about our unique Train With Your Dog experience and the Lifetime Support included with our training programs.

Come say hi—we’d love to meet you and your dog!

What a BIG day at James J. Hill Days! 🐾🥏 Frisbee demo with Trainer Maddie📦 Dopamine Box demo with Trainer Ethan⚡ E-colla...
09/12/2026

What a BIG day at James J. Hill Days! 🐾

🥏 Frisbee demo with Trainer Maddie
📦 Dopamine Box demo with Trainer Ethan
⚡ E-collar demonstration with Owner and Trainer Hank
😘 Kissing booth featuring Aspen and Rumi

And Rumi, Aspen and Eiger were hard at work getting ALL the pets at the North Star Family K9 table!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, met our trainers and dogs, and learned more about how we create clear, fair and fun communication between dogs and their people. We loved meeting you!

Meet Lucy! This eight-month-old pup likes to party—and she’s here for our four-week Puppy Program while her dad recovers...
09/12/2026

Meet Lucy! This eight-month-old pup likes to party—and she’s here for our four-week Puppy Program while her dad recovers from back surgery. 🐾

Lucy will be working on emotional regulation, impulse control, basic obedience, leash manners and, most importantly, off-leash reliability!

Designed for dogs six to twelve months old, our Puppy Program takes advantage of an ideal imprinting window to establish clear communication and strong patterns of behavior. Owners can train alongside their dogs during the program, and every graduate receives lifetime support. 💙

📍 Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota

Come see North Star Family K-9 at James J. Hill Days this weekend! We’ll be at our tent Saturday and Sunday, with live d...
09/11/2026

Come see North Star Family K-9 at James J. Hill Days this weekend! We’ll be at our tent Saturday and Sunday, with live demonstrations from 9:00–10:30 a.m. both days.

🥏 Trainer Maddie will showcase disc dog and agility
🐕 Owner and Head Trainer Hank will walk through our training programs and demonstrate the fair, ethical use of tools—including slip leads, prong collars, e-collars and the Treat & Train
🐶 Trainer Ethan will debunk common myths about muzzle training and explain why properly conditioning a dog to wear a muzzle is such a valuable skill

Stop by, meet our trainers and learn more about how we train at NSFK9. We can’t wait to see you in Wayzata!

09/11/2026

Five-month-old pointer pup Bodie is in week three of our Puppy Program—and he and his mom are getting down to business with Trainer Erica! 🐾

Together, they’re building a strong relationship while Bodie learns puppy manners and a clear, fair and fun marker-based communication system designed to last a lifetime.

That’s why owners can train alongside their puppies during their stay—and why every NSFK9 graduate receives lifetime support. We’re not just teaching good behavior today; we’re building the foundation for a happy, fulfilled and engaged dog for years to come. 💙

Meet Winnie and Snappy—two of Rose and Chase’s three pups! 🐾They’re back at NSFK9 for a refresher, sharpening their e-co...
09/11/2026

Meet Winnie and Snappy—two of Rose and Chase’s three pups! 🐾

They’re back at NSFK9 for a refresher, sharpening their e-collar and off-leash skills while working through some leash reactivity—all in preparation for some big adventures out West! 🏔️

Fun fact: their dad played lacrosse for “Coach Hank.” The NSFK9 lacrosse connection runs deep! 🥍🐶

Address

1034 3rd Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN
55413

Telephone

+16179226619

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