CORRECTING K9S

I knew early in my life dogs were special. Like most kids, I loved our family dogs. They put up with my rough play and were always there for hugs. As a constant companion, they were eagerly ready for the next great adventure.

Living in Lansing Michigan, in my early adult life, I got my first dog, a German Shepard named Johann. He was very intelligent and though I had no formal training at that point, I taught him mostly to do lots of what I call “party tricks” on command such as fetching my shoes, picking up dropped objects, army crawl and retrieving his leash off of the wall hook. He would follow basic commands like sit, down, come and speak in both English and Spanish, as well by hand signal. People took notice and told me I should pursue working with dogs. I smiled, said thanks and went on with my life. My biggest regret, looking back, was that I never taught him obedience. Sure, he could “WOW” my friends or family while visiting, but take him for a walk? Forget it! He would drag me around and pay no attention to me yelling at him to do this or stop doing that. He also had an aggressive side that I did not address and that led to other problems. If only I knew then what I know now, what a difference it would have made!

Many years later, and with my current dog, (a beautiful black Lab named Hannah) I decided to follow all my friends suggestions and pursue working professionally with “man’s best friend.”

I did not want to attend a dog trainers class taught by a pet store or be taught by another private trainer. I wanted a formal education at a recognized and accredited school. After a lot of research, I selected The National K-9 School for Dog Trainers (see “FAQ” page) in Columbus Ohio. With small class sizes providing lots of student/teacher time and the school being recognized around the world (I had a classmate from South Korea!), NK9 provided me with just what I was looking for.

I graduated being certified in Breed Recognition, Basic Obedience, Behavior Modification and Utility Training (also know as Agility). I am a member of the National K-9 Dog Trainers Association and the International Association of Canine Professionals.