In this episode of the My K9 Coach podcast, host K9 Coach Dana dives deep into what it really means to be a dog trainer. She shares her own journey from clueless dog owner to seasoned trainer, and reveals how her perspective of what it means to be and work with a dog trainer has changed. Dana also pulls from other trainers' and owners' perspectives to truly define what it means to be a dog trainer. With engaging anecdotes and practical insights, this episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about dog training whether you're training your dog yourself, looking to hire a trainer or thinking of becoming one! Tune in for a controversial perspective and discover what the job entails.

I found myself having the same conversation with multiple clients this past month so it deserved mentioning here. We've spent time during our lessons separating the expectations that we've adopted from external voices from our ACTUAL expectations for our dogs, ourselves, and our training goals. Listen in to find out if you're falling victim to an idealized version of dog ownership and realize what it is you actually want for yourself and your dog.

We all love dogs here; there's no denying that! And for some households, we can never have too many dogs! If you're considering adding another dog to your home, there are some management tips and training protocols that fellow trainer Rachel Weaver and I recommend you follow to ensure the integration of your new family member goes smoothly and stays that way!

Join us for part 2 as I continue my conversation with Rachel, where we dive further into the household management and training that is necessary for multi-dog households!

We all love dogs here; there's no denying that! And for some households, we can never have too many dogs! If you're considering adding another dog to your home, there are some management tips and training protocols that fellow trainer Rachel Weaver and I recommend you follow to ensure the integration of your new family member goes smoothly and stays that way!

Join us for part 1 as we talk about how Rachel went from a household of 1 to a household of 6 dogs and how she overcame her 5th dog's severe separation anxiety! Then tune into part 2 when it's released, where we dive further into the household management and training that is necessary for multi-dog households!

Does the crying never end when you put your puppy in their crate? Because that’s what it was like crate-training Loki when we first got him. Tune into this episode to hear how I truly struggled to master crate training with Loki until I was taught a new method that changed everything! This episode dives deep into our struggles, triumphs, and the arduous journey we embarked on to get Loki to the point he’s at now where he ABSOLUTELY LOVES crates. Plus, I’m thrilled to introduce my Crate Training Online Course, priced at just $19, because I believe every dog owner deserves to eliminate the stress of crate training. So, grab your headphones and tune in! Plus there’s a special offer at the end for those that listen all the way through!

Bri Rabine is a fellow dog trainer here in upstate NY that I am so thankful to have on this episode as we dive into her story of how she got each of her three dogs and spent time discovering what suited them best. We also head into the world of dog sports and share a few you might be interested in competing in, GRC, Schutzhund and more! Listen in to hear what it's like owning dogs as a trainer and explore the world of dog sports!

Are you tired of getting dragged around by your dog on your walk? Have you tried to put an end to it, but can't seem to get to them to stop pulling? Listen to K9 Coach Dana as she explains the real cause of leash pulling. And brace yourself (pun intended) the real reason your dog pulls is because you accidentally trained your dog to pull you 😱. But don't worry, K9 Coach Dana also shares the 3 exact protocols she uses to train her clients and their dogs to walk in a heel or walk nicely on a loose leash! Tune in to learn how to do them yourself!

If you've been looking for ways to train your dog to come back to you reliably, then you won't want to miss this episode! I'm excited to be joined by Amber Barry, who is not only a friend but also an experienced dog trainer and the owner of her own business called The Kinetic K9. During our conversation, Amber shares her insights into how to achieve off-leash obedience, particularly when it comes to training a solid recall. Tune in to learn some valuable tips and tricks on how to get started with training an off-leash recall, as well as some common mistakes to avoid along the way!

This episode is a follow-up to episode 5 Playing with Our Dogs. K9 Coach Dana expands on key points she covered in the previous episode and adds additional insights while also coaching her listeners on how to teach their dogs to play the cooperative game of fetch. Tune in to hear all about it!

This episode dives into the complex benefits and instinctual needs our dogs have to play! As a follow-up episode reflecting on what I learned from attending Ivan Balabanov's workshop last month, I take you through the many facets of play-based training, coach you on how to teach your dog games that can be used for training, relationship building and confidence building AND reveal how I train my dogs to look and behave so impressively! The secret's out in the episode!

Over the many clients I have worked with I’ve begun to notice there are similarities among my top performers, the clients that get the most out of our training lessons and get the best results with their dog because of who they are as a person. So in this episode, I'm sharing what those attributes are and why they so often lead to huge success!

What outlets should we provide our dogs daily to ensure their daily needs are met? K9 Coach Dana offers suggestions for providing your dog with breed-specific enrichment that doesn't involve food and discusses how much mental and physical work your dog should be getting on a daily basis. Come for the learning and leave with an action plan after listening to this listener-suggested topic.

Did you know that not all dog trainers train dogs the same way? Who you hire will determine the type of training methods and protocols you and your dog experience. So in this episode, K9 Coach Dana breaks down the various training systems utilized today and why you may want to seek out one kind of trainer over another.

Who even is K9 Coach Dana? That's what we dive into in this episode. Listen in to hear how K9 Coach Dana got started, in which she shares the major mistakes she made getting and owning her very first dog and how that catapulted her into becoming a dog trainer. Dana shares details regarding her personal struggles not only owning, raising and training dogs but launching her very first business and growing it to where it stands at the time of this recording.