Meet K9 Advantage
Over 40 years of Experience
Roy Hayes is a highly experienced canine behavior specialist and professional dog trainer who has been training dogs and their owners since 1986.
He founded K9 Advantage in 1989 in Richmond, California, with the goal of giving clients the "K9 Advantage" through effective, psychology-based training methods.
The company, now based in the Kingman, Arizona area (serving locations including Lake Havasu, Fort Mohave, Bullhead City, Laughlin, Las Vegas NV, and Needles, CA), emphasizes understanding dog psychology, instincts, and emotions to address root causes of behavioral issues—without relying on treats, pinch collars, or shock collars.
Roy's formal training began at Pro-Train, a state-accredited school in Oakland, CA, where he completed certification programs in:
- Puppy & Adult Obedience
- Behavior Modification
- Police Dog Training
- Kennel Management
His skills led Pro-Train to hire him, where he specialized in training police dogs for agencies such as the San Francisco PD, Napa PD, and the Solano County Sheriff's Department.
Additional early experience included volunteering as a behaviorist at the San Francisco SPCA, where he helped dog owners nationwide with behavioral issues and developed a training program for volunteer dog walkers to reduce the return of adopted dogs.
He also taught an impressive 22 obedience classes per week (for puppies and adults) in the San Francisco Bay Area and co-initiated a Dog Bite Prevention program for Oakland Elementary Schools in collaboration with Oakland Animal Control.
In 2005, Roy relocated to the Kingman, AZ area. From 2006 to 2011, he trained dogs for PETCO.
In 2007, he co-founded Mohave CARE-Net(Companion Animal Rescue Effort Network). The following year (2008), he partnered with CARE-Net to create the Friends From The Pen program at Arizona State Prison in Kingman. This innovative initiative had inmates train and rehabilitate shelter dogs with issues like aggression, fear, escaping, destructiveness, and unruliness—successfully saving 125 dogs from euthanasia during its two-year run. Roy oversaw the program, reviewing daily training logs and adjusting methods as needed.
Between 2006 and 2012, he also collaborated with local shelters (such as For the Luv of Paws, HALT - Help Animals Lives Today, and Western Arizona Humane Society) to socialize and train dogs.
Today, Roy continues to offer personalized, positive training services through K9 Advantage, helping owners build confident, well-behaved dogs that become lifelong companions. His mission focuses on empowering owners with the knowledge to understand and communicate effectively with their dogs.
Friends From The Pen
K9 Advantage - Friends From the Pen, Dog Trainer, Carenet
This photo from the Friends From The Pen program at Arizona State Prison - Kingman shows Roy Hayes (back row, far right) alongside participants, inmates, and trained dogs, highlighting his community impact in dog rehabilitation. alongside inmates and trained dogs, highlighting his community impact in dog rehabilitation.
Patience & Experience
Images of Roy himself are limited on the site, which focuses more on program and general dog training visuals, but client testimonials praise his patience, expertise in handling various breeds/behaviors, and effective teaching style.
More Reviews
Rebecca P
Rebecca P
Rebecca P
I was ready to take Maddie back she was uncontrollable and if you did catch her, she would bite. After seeing the add I thought this would be a real challenge for someone who says any dog can be trained. After the first week of working with K9 Advantage she sits and is starting to walk on a leash. I know she has a long way to go but I kn
I was ready to take Maddie back she was uncontrollable and if you did catch her, she would bite. After seeing the add I thought this would be a real challenge for someone who says any dog can be trained. After the first week of working with K9 Advantage she sits and is starting to walk on a leash. I know she has a long way to go but I know at the end I will have a great friend. He is kind and firm with the dogs that get results. In fact, some of the information I passed along to my daughter.
Grace B.
Rebecca P
Rebecca P
Roy Hayes of K9 Advantage, in 3 sessions, has taught my 10-month-old Rottweiler and me how to cope with his strength and inability to focus. Roy’s insights into my dog’s behavior and his skill at finding my dog’s best response has been wonderful to watch. His ability to then teach me how to duplicate the obedience training has given me t
Roy Hayes of K9 Advantage, in 3 sessions, has taught my 10-month-old Rottweiler and me how to cope with his strength and inability to focus. Roy’s insights into my dog’s behavior and his skill at finding my dog’s best response has been wonderful to watch. His ability to then teach me how to duplicate the obedience training has given me the confidence to give my dog what he needs to be a happy member of our family. Roy is kind, genuine in his attitude, professional in his conduct, honest with his business and work ethic and I would recommend him for dog training and behavior correction to anyone that wants quality and results.
Kay S
Rebecca P
Kay S
We had our first session yesterday and are amazed at how much we learned to help Stormy be the dog we want her to be! Can’t wait for our next session. Roy was great with her and was very professional, this is THE trainer you want to hire!
Robyn D.
Patricia W.
Patricia W.
I have had dogs all my life. They were really good dogs by nature so I thought I was doing a good job. I learned more from Roy in an hour than I have learned with 4 generations of dogs. My dog was completely different within the first 10 min. I will be recommending him sincerely
Patricia W.
Patricia W.
Patricia W.
OMG!!!! I'm the problem!! Like a band aid being ripped off I came to the realization that my "baby" is a d.o.g!! Implementing a technique taught I am absolutely amazed at the change in her behavior. When we practice her brother never fails to accompany us and follows directions! Roy was Spot On, my dogs need leadership!!! Boy do I feel sheepish!
Rita B.
Jennifer H.
Jennifer H.
Roy Hayes worked with our 4 dogs from puppies. Today they are 12, 10, 9, and 8 and are and have been extremely well trained. I take them to the vet-all four, big dogs, together. They come, sit, lay, stay on first voice command. Thanks to Roy for training and helping us to continue to work with and enjoy immensely these beautiful, wonderful dogs.
Jennifer H.
Jennifer H.
Jennifer H.
Just what we needed to get our new rescued Heeler back to presenting her sweet self to others. She had begun acting like “The Alpha”. When I called I left a message and got a return call a short time after. He then scheduled an appointment quickly to address our concerns with her being aggressive to visitors. From the first moment meetin
Just what we needed to get our new rescued Heeler back to presenting her sweet self to others. She had begun acting like “The Alpha”. When I called I left a message and got a return call a short time after. He then scheduled an appointment quickly to address our concerns with her being aggressive to visitors. From the first moment meeting us he was assessing our needs and how to begin. Every decision was ours but we were given ample information to make the best plan. In just a short time we had some things to start on and after just two sessions we had our sweet girl to introduce to friends and family. We learned the skills to take back and keep the Alpha or “Boss” role. We now have a balanced household for both dogs and our friends and family too.