Positive K9 Training

Positive K9 Training Positive K9 Training provides effective dog training methods for dogs of all ages and abilities.

The Goldilocks Method: Not Too Hot, Not Too ColdLet's talk about feedback. In training, we've got two main pieces of com...
20/11/2025

The Goldilocks Method: Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold

Let's talk about feedback. In training, we've got two main pieces of communication with our dogs: "Yes" when they get it right, and "Ah" when they make a mistake.

Here's what most people don't realise: both are equally important for learning. You need to balance them.

Too Much "Yes" If all you're hearing during training is "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes" that's telling you something. Your dog already knows this. It's too easy. If I sat you down to do 10,000 math equations of 1+1, you're not going to develop. Same goes for your dog.

Too Much "Ah" On the flip side, if all you're hearing is "ah, ah, ah, ah, ah" and your dog is making non-stop mistakes, that's also unproductive. How can they learn if they don't even know what they're supposed to be doing?

The Sweet Spot What we're aiming for is a balance of both "yes" and "ah." We want to challenge our dogs while also setting them up for success.

Just like Goldilocks: not too hot, not too cold. Make it just right.

AI vs Real Trainers: Who Wins?Everyone's talking about AI training apps these days. Puppr, Dogo, and a bunch of others a...
13/11/2025

AI vs Real Trainers: Who Wins?
Everyone's talking about AI training apps these days. Puppr, Dogo, and a bunch of others are promising to replace your local dog trainer with an algorithm. So what's the deal?

What's Available Right Now These apps analyse your dog's breed, age, and behaviour to create "personalised" training plans. They adjust in real-time if your dog struggles with commands and offer step-by-step tutorials. Some even use your phone's camera to "watch" your training sessions. No privacy concerns there ha ha...

The Reality Check Here's the thing, regardless of how good AI gets, it's always going to be the middle man, explaining things to you. Only it can't give you real-life demonstrations. It can't work with your actual dog in your actual environment.

When your dog is losing its mind over the neighbor's cat or when they're having a meltdown at the dog park, the AI is just going to sit there on your phone screen, telling you stuff.

My 2 Cents? It ain't worth the hype!
People, let's wait for the robots to enter the fray, and we'll revisit this one. Until then, you need a real human who can read your dog, adapt on the spot, and actually show you what good training looks like.

Skynet can keep your grocery lists. Leave the dog training to the professionals.

Summer Heat Safety: Don't Cook Your DogSummer's here, and while we're all excited for outdoor fun, let's talk about keep...
31/10/2025

Summer Heat Safety: Don't Cook Your Dog

Summer's here, and while we're all excited for outdoor fun, let's talk about keeping your dog safe.

The Palm Test Want to know if the ground is too hot for your dog's paws? Put the back of your hand on the pavement for 5 seconds. If it's too hot for you, it's too hot for them. Simple as that.

Use Common Sense Playing fetch with a bulldog in 40-degree heat? Probably not your best idea. The problem is your dog won't see the danger, they'll chase that ball until they collapse. It's up to you to be the smart one here.

How to Cool Them Down Fast:
Wet their paw pads and belly - these areas have less fur and help release heat quickly

Cool, wet towel on their chest and neck - where the major blood vessels are

Fresh water available at all times - but don't force them to drink

Get them into shade or air conditioning immediately

Things to Avoid:
-Ice-cold water (can cause shock)
-Leaving them in cars (even for "just a minute")
-Exercise during peak heat hours (10am-4pm)
-Hot concrete, asphalt, or sand
-Assuming they'll stop or show signs when they're tired (they won't)

Bottom Line: Your dog relies on YOU to make smart decisions. When in doubt, stay inside, crank the air con, and save the adventures for cooler parts of the day!

A Close Call at the ParkThis morning I was at my local park with a few other dogs around. The park is shaped like a big ...
24/10/2025

A Close Call at the Park
This morning I was at my local park with a few other dogs around. The park is shaped like a big tube with exits only at each end. We were about 300m deep, almost at the halfway point.
One owner had his dog on lead, then decided to let it off.
The dog was fine for maybe 10 seconds. Then it bolted. Full speed toward the exit.

Lucky for everyone, some extremely handsome guy chased after it and managed to catch the dog but not before it had sprinted out of the park, bolted across train tracks, crossed a road, and was wandering down a side street.

This could have ended very differently.
Look, I get it. You want to give your dog freedom. But unless you actually know how your dog behaves off lead, you're rolling the dice.

Two simple rules:
Start in an enclosed area. Fully fenced. Nothing can go wrong. Watch how your dog behaves so you know if you can trust them.
Use a long line first. A 10-meter line gives your dog all the freedom of being off lead without the risk of them becoming a traffic statistic.

Don't find out the hard way.

Let’s Talk Treats 🍖🐾Whether you’ve just brought home a new puppy or you’ve got a more seasoned dog, finding a treat they...
02/10/2025

Let’s Talk Treats 🍖🐾

Whether you’ve just brought home a new puppy or you’ve got a more seasoned dog, finding a treat they really love can make all the difference.

Here’s the thing: sometimes a dog looks “difficult” or “distracted,” but the real issue is the food. If your reward isn’t valuable to them, why would they care? I see this all the time in class. Someone’s struggling, I ask what they’re using aaaaaaand it’s kibble. Kibble is your dog’s baseline. It’s fine for training at home, but when you’re outside or in class, distractions are bigger, so your rewards need to be bigger too.

The moment I swap in a higher-value food, you can literally see the switch flip, suddenly the dog is laser-focused and eager to work.

⚠️ A quick warning though: don’t go overboard with only feeding slices of steak or chicken. If you set the bar that high, everything else looks bad by comparison.

👉 The sweet spot? Take the time to experiment, spend a little extra, and find that perfect treat your dog values. Pick the right value treat for the situation. It’s one of the fastest ways to supercharge your training.

🎓 Lifetime LegendsIn 12 years of PK9, only 10 dogs total have passed every single level of our program.This week we adde...
21/09/2025

🎓 Lifetime Legends
In 12 years of PK9, only 10 dogs total have passed every single level of our program.

This week we added four more to that elite list:

🐾 Hudson (GSD)
🐾 Maya (GSD)
🐾 Mila (GSD x)
🐾 Rosie (Cavoodle)

Becoming a Lifetime Member isn’t about luck — it’s years of commitment, consistency and hard work from both dog and owner. Huge congrats to the teams who made it happen 👏🐾

Cause and Effect Everyone understands the yes marker. Dog sits, you say yes, they get a treat. Simple. Cause and effect....
12/09/2025

Cause and Effect

Everyone understands the yes marker. Dog sits, you say yes, they get a treat. Simple. Cause and effect.
But when it comes to discipline, suddenly people freeze up.
“I don’t want to be mean…”

So instead, we get this classic:
“I SAID NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
As if saying it angrily and shouting will magically make it more effective.
Newsflash: to the dog, nothing happened.

Human is just making loud noises. Who cares?
So this one’s for all the softies who can’t bring themselves to discipline their dogs or lay a finger on their precious hair.

Use isolation.
Dog jumps on a guest? Mark it with “no,” calmly take them to the laundry or crate. Then repeat. Over and over.
Now suddenly, when you say “NO,” it has meaning. Cause → effect.
That’s how dogs learn.

The Flat Buckle Collar(aka your dog’s first ever collar)This is where most puppies start, and for plenty of dogs, it’s a...
14/08/2025

The Flat Buckle Collar
(aka your dog’s first ever collar)

This is where most puppies start, and for plenty of dogs, it’s all they’ll ever need.

In a training context, it offers a baseline: you can give leash feedback, and for some dogs, that’s all it takes. It’s simple, accessible, and gives you a starting point to communicate with your dog.

But here’s the catch...
If your dog has learned to lean into it and pull like they’re hauling a sled team across Alaska, it’s lost all sensitivity to leash pressure. At that point, you’re not training — you’re just getting dragged.

If that’s your situation, it’s time for your dog to graduate to something else. A flat collar’s not going to fix pulling once it’s a habit.

Use it as a starting point, not a finish line.

Love/Hate Relationship: The Slip LeadAhhh, the slip lead. Probably my favourite tool! Simple. Clean. No nonsense. Gets t...
01/08/2025

Love/Hate Relationship: The Slip Lead
Ahhh, the slip lead. Probably my favourite tool! Simple. Clean. No nonsense. Gets the job done.

Let’s start with the love:
✔ Lightweight: easy to carry, easy to chuck in your pocket or bag
✔ Instant feedback: When used properly, it communicates quickly and clearly
✔ Versatile: good for everything from basic obedience to managing tricky dogs
✔ Effective: The best part about this tool? IT WORKS!

There's not much to hate!
The hate:
✖ If you’re not paying attention, it can slip down too low
If it sits too low, you're losing most of the effectiveness
Requires handler awareness — you’ve got to actually use it correctly
✖ People think it’s harsh, but it’s usually just their technique that’s harsh
That’s about it, honestly.
It’s a tool I use daily— I just wish people would learn how to use it properly before writing it off.
Keep it high, keep it snug, and keep your timing sharp.
Slip leads are elite — but only when you treat them with respect.

Where are my slip lead loyalists?

Address

288 Doncaster Road
Balwyn North, VIC
3104

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 10pm
Tuesday 8am - 10pm
Wednesday 8am - 10pm
Thursday 8am - 10pm
Friday 8am - 10pm
Saturday 8am - 10pm
Sunday 8am - 10pm

Telephone

+61409759759

Website

https://pk9online.com/, https://pk9gear.com.au/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Positive K9 Training posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Positive K9 Training:

Shortcuts

Share

Category