I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE
HI, I'M K9 COACH DANA
As your coach in these courses, I see it as my job to empower you to truly understand what's driving your dog to act a certain way and how to respond in a manner that helps them feel good about their choices, provides them with clarity, builds their confidence, and enhances their trust and relationship with YOU!
MY STORY
My dog training journey started when I got a dog and had no idea what I was doing. Koda arrived and I had not prepared for what was in store for me.
Instantly, I was in way over my head. The razor-sharp baby teeth, the potty accidents, the whining, the sleepless nights, the destruction, the pulling, the barking, the stealing, the endless energy… I was stressed, frustrated and crying over a puppy that needed my help and I didn’t know how or what to do.
At the time, I lost sight of the funny, goofy, and exhilarating side of owning a dog and loaded myself with the weight of all the negative things I had to deal with as a result of getting a puppy.
It felt like I was always saying this phrase to myself: If I could just get him to stop ______ I'd be able to make it through this.
That fill-in-the-blank changed more frequently than I realized...
IF ONLY I COULD GET HIM TO STOP...
Biting me...
Peeing everywhere...
Jumping on me...
Stealing my socks...
Biting me...
Chewing up my furniture...
Being so energetic ALL the time...
It felt like whenever I got one thing taken care of, a new bad behavior would take its place. It felt like a maddening circle of constant issues I had no idea how to overcome.
I found myself ticking off the months as I counted up to the 6 month mark, then the 1 yr mark, then the 1.5 yr mark... With age, I thought Koda would get better and become more manageable. This is true, your dog will begin to calm down and settle into a routine, but not in the way you might be imagining.
TIME ISN'T EVERYTHING
Age will not wipe away all of the bad behaviors your dog does that drive you mad. Only through training, will you get the dog you've always imagined owning.
When I came to this realization, I spared no time in hiring a trainer. Turned out, his training style and framework weren't what Koda nor I needed. So as the problems continued to mount, I tried again. We hired a second trainer who, unfortunately, again wasn't capable of giving us what we needed.
Out of money to spend and severely lacking in trust or hope that we would find someone worth the money left to spend on, I dove into learning everything I possibly could find online and in the library about dog training. It took me hours every day of combing through materials, testing methods, failing, winning, and figuring out what information was actually helpful.
I STEPPED UP
I knew I needed to step up for Koda. He was just a few months old, in a foreign world and needed a guide to help him navigate it. That is when I poured over any dog training material I could get my hands on. Hours, turned days, turned a life-long obsession to absorb all that I can to make our lives together the best they can be.
I made many mistakes along the way, so I am ever grateful dogs are such forgiving animals. Over time, I learned to pick up on the signals Koda was giving me and adapt to them. We began understanding each other and working as a true team to build the loving and reliable relationship.
Koda began impressing other owners with his skills and our bond by the age of 8 months old. I started getting questions about how I did it and if I could train their dog.
Fast forward 1 year and I officially began working as a dog trainer founding K9 Coach and I've never looked back!
Oh, and I am so happy I struggled to get to where I am now.
ARE YOU READY TO STEP UP?
Your dog is waiting for you to say yes. Let's train together!