Balanced Bonds K9 Training LLC

05/30/2023

Welcome Niko!💙

Niko is a 5yo Husky who is with us for a 3-week board and train. Although this guy doesn’t have any serious behavioral issues, he does have some naughty habits like going potty in the house (still!) and playing Houdini in the backyard.

His family reached out in hopes of integrating more structure into their lives with Niko and to curb the bad habits he’s formed over the years. Luckily they are in the right place!

Over the next few weeks, this stunning guy will be learning all the things to become a more balanced member of his family, stay tuned👏🏼

05/30/2023

I believe any and every dog can benefit from e-collar training, but above all, nervous & fearful dogs take the cake!👏🏼

I have seen countless rehabilitations of high-anxiety dogs into confident, happy pups in only a matter of weeks spent e-collar training. It is truly amazing the impact clear & consistent communication can have on nervous dog’s mental health.

Unfortunately, I see a lot of misinformation out there saying quite the opposite: that putting an e-collar on a nervous/fearful dog will only make them more nervous, will shut them down more, make them not trust you, blah blah blah. When the e-collar training is done properly, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Frozen (pictured above) is a perfect example of this. Her family life pre-training was a hot mess. She was incredibly scared around any man, even her own male human. He was never able to interact with her at all. Furthermore, she was unsure around some of the kiddos in her household, which led to her growling at them. Her family could tell she was not doing well mentally and things were not getting better.

Post-training, Frozen is a different dog in all the best ways. She has a fantastic relationship with her male human now, understands boundaries and leadership from the kids, and is all around a much more calm & confident girl. She can even be trusted off-leash and is living her best life now!

So if you’re considering training with your nervous or fearful dog, know that rehabilitation is possible if you look in the right places!💜

03/26/2023

Welcome Boudreaux🫶🏼

This handsome boy is a 1-year old golden retriever with all the typical young golden tendencies: jumping all over new humans, pulling on the leash, and selective listening.

He is here with us for 3-weeks to work on his manners & obedience, and to help him become a more well-behaved, balanced member of the family.

Follow along to watch Boudreaux become the best version of himself🤩

02/21/2023

Santi wanted to be apart of tongue out Tuesday too😋
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02/20/2023

Welcome Frozen!❄️

Frozen is a 1.5 yo mini Bernedoodle with some pretty gnarly anxiety. She is insecure around men, children, and strangers. Even her own male human is unable to interact with her at this point.

Her mom says she can tell Frozen is unsure of her place/role in the household, and this manifests through barking, growling, etc. Not only is this not good for Frozen’s mental health, it’s a safety concern as well.

Over the next few weeks, Frozen will learn proper e-collar communication and get some much needed confidence building to help her feel more comfortable in her own skin and become more sure of her place in the world.

Follow along to watch her become her best self!🫶🏼
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02/20/2023

Your dog is SO capable, maybe even more than you think!

One of my least favorite things when on field trips with dogs is hearing people say “my dog could never!” Yes👏🏼 they👏🏼 could!👏🏼 More often than not, it’s not the dogs capabilities holding them back from reaching their training goals, it’s the fixed, limiting mindset of the owner.

Your dog will only ever accomplish what YOU push them to. In my experience, pushing the boundaries of what you think you and your dog are capable of achieving together makes your bond that much stronger!

Shoot for the stars💫
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02/11/2023

Watch young Santi learn heel!🥰

This clip is from my second heel lesson with 12-week old Santi. However, the actual “heel” position doesn’t come until the end. Why is that🤔

It’s because “heel” is so much more than just body position! The actual goal of heel is for your pup to ~follow~ you. That’s why I work on this specific follow concept before even showing the dog the heel position, as you can see me doing at the beginning of the clip.

This way, your pup understands what is really expected of them when in heel: to focus on you and follow your pace and direction. Cleaning up the position is the easy part, it’s the core concept that takes work!💪🏼

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02/08/2023

Welcome Santi!🫶🏼

Santi is a 12-week old Aussie puppy enrolled in private lessons with us to help set him & his family up for a lifetime of success.

Beginning training this early on is a total game changer, and after only a few lessons his family says they can already tell such a difference!

Follow along as this cutie learns all the things and continues breaking misconceptions of what puppies are capable of!!🤯
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12/07/2022

It’s the most wonderful time of the year🎄🎁

And having pups who can join in the holiday celebrations (without adding stress😅) makes it that much more wonderful!🤩

What fun things will you and your furry friends be doing this holiday season?

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12/02/2022

Balance is key to a healthy life.

For both dogs and humans! Just like us, dogs will suffer from too many imbalances.

For example: a dog who spends all day in the back yard running, pacing, barking, etc is not going to be a happy, fulfilled pup. This unstructured activity should be balanced out with downtime (like the crate or place) so they can reset and recharge. Or better yet, replaced with a more structured activity, like a structured walk or engaged play. (Which should still be balanced out with some downtime)

A dog who spends most of their time in the house on the couch with you is likely not going to be a healthy, independent dog. This access to your personal space should be balanced out with some distance, again with either the crate or place. That way, your dog has the opportunity to create some healthy comping mechanisms of their own, allowing them to self-soothe instead of relying so heavily on their human.

Even more than a dog who is obedient, we want a dog who has a healthy state of mind. And balance is the key 🔑

11/28/2022

11/28/2022

⚠️BIG NEWS⚠️

We hope everyone had a fun & fulfilling thanksgiving! I know we sure did, Thor’s face says it all🤣

On another note… we are excited to announce that we are officially moving to Williamsburg, VA! All services will still be offered, just in our new location. We are looking forward to serving our home-town and bring the balanced fam back to Hampton Roads!

If you or anyone you know in the area is in search of a more balanced relationship with their pup, our DM’s are open 🙂

11/23/2022

Layla, a young blue heeler, and her human completed a private lesson package with us a few months back. Since then, her owner has continued working hard to help Layla keep growing and be her best self!🔥

Here’s what Layla’s human said about her progress:

“Little life update on Layla. I’ve worked with her over the last six months and it’s changed her tremendously. I can now call her off leash, and she’s so much more calm. I’m also able to take her into public without her anxiety being blown through the roof every time she sees a new dog and or face. She’s become so in-tuned, that E-collar made the biggest difference for her. Thank you! From not only me but Layla too 🫶🏼”

Thank you Layla & family for trusting us to help get your training journey started on the right paw, we are so proud of how far you’ve come!! Keep up the great work👏🏼

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11/14/2022

We’re back baby!!

After some time away spent growing and deepening my knowledge of dog training and behavior… Balanced Bonds is back!!🥳

It has been a busy, productive, action packed several months and I am excited to continue sharing our experience with balanced training!

The most exciting news since we last spoke… we have a new addition to our balanced fam🤩

Ebony has brought so much light and joy to our lives and to everyone she meets. Just look at that smile!😄 She has been with us for about a year now and is living her bestest life. More to come on her and what we’ve been up to…

For now we are happy to be back online and look forward to continue advocating for our lifestyle and lending a helping paw where we can🤗

Thank you for being here, we’ve missed ya!!!
M, T, & E🖤

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11/14/2022

Golden boy Thor here to wish everyone a great weekend❤️‍🔥

This weekend, the gang is in Richmond visiting some 2 & 4 legged friends. Going to the city (or anywhere other than my apartment honestly) used to be a nightmare for Thor & I pre-training. Now it’s an enjoyable experience for everyone involved!

Thanks balanced training (:

What are you & your pup up to this weekend?
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11/14/2022

Place goes where you go!

(And so do the rest of your commands, that’s part of what makes them so great🤗)

Whenever I travel with my dogs, one thing I’m always sure to bring with us is a place bed or cot.

Not only does the place command allow my pups to tap into their inner calm no matter where we are, it also helps them settle into new places quickly because it’s so familiar to them. It’s a consistent space where they know exactly what’s expected. Peace out anxiety✌🏼

Not to mention, my friends & family really appreciate that my dogs aren’t roaming around their house making poor choices!😅

How has place helped you & your pup while on the move?
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