Upper Left K9 Dog Training LLC

07/25/2023

07/25/2023

Yes it’s true!
I realized I never officially announced it on here but everyone has figured it out one way or another😆

I am on maternity leave until further notice.
I don’t have a time line to get back or know what it would look like if I do come back to running ULK9.

Right now we are prioritizing these last few weeks of pregnancy, and then figuring out how to be parents for the first time.

And yes, we have moved to a house. Not far from where we were but we have walls, washer/dryer and even a porch now! A huge upgrade from the trailer. We feel so blessed to have found this new little slice of heaven.

All previous clients, I’m always here.

Email, text, call whatever you may need. I’ll never leave ya hanging. We worked too hard together.

And if anyone wants to get a follow up in during these last few weeks before I have this sweet boy, please reach out. I’ll be down for a little bit after having him but will be available again for follow ups after I heal up.

Thank you all for your crazy support over the last few years. Each dog is so special to me as are all you owners who invested the time into your dogs and your trust into me.

It’s finally hitting me how much this specific chapter is closing and life is changing. At the end of the day, I’ll always be a dog trainer.
Most of all, I’ll always be YOUR dog trainer.

Love you all🧡

Pc:

07/25/2023

Hank~

Another exceptionally special dog.
I had the true blessing of working with his owner when we were both Corrections Officers trying to survive a crazy work environment and very long 16 hour days.

Hanks dad that I worked with has since passed and his mama trusted me to help Hanky work though some fear and anxiety that he had developed.

We worked hard to give him obedience to redirect his anxiety and desire to shut down quickly.
He needed a little more confidence to help him push through loud sounds, quick movements and different environments. We went on so many field trips and worked our booties off to help him live life to the fullest.

Getting to work with him and Jenn was so amazing and special. I still feel so grateful to get to be apart of their journey.
Love you Jenn and Hank!

07/25/2023

Oso~
This dude was a dog I was somewhat on the fence about. As dog trainers everything is a calculated risk and most of the time we all let our emotions get in the way of decisions.

I was iffy on working with his described behavior while being pregnant but I felt like I needed to give him a chance.

AND IM SO GLAD I DID.

Not once did I get that feeling of being spooked by a dog. He is such a loving, goofy, and damn smart dog.

He took to all his training so smoothly, he impressed me at every turn with his adaptability in training.

It was hard to not ask to keep him because the potential Oso has is endless.

Oso did come with issues that I see a lot of people deal with when it comes to young GSD’s that get thrown into a pet home.

His energy was misdirected, causing him to act out and get overstimulated to the point where he got super mouthy. Which is not good when your mouth is that large, it leads to misinterpreted intentions and sometimes even blood.
We worked hard to give him the tools to be respectful and a good steward of his breed. With so many stereotypes about GSD’s I didn’t want him to become another misunderstood stereotype.
Because I know the true Oso and he is pretty dang amazing!
Miss you dude!

07/25/2023

Rocky~

Oh Rock Man.
It’s true I love every dog that comes through. Each one is special and is so important to me.
But Rocky was different, very rarely do I cry when I send a dog home but I definitely did with him.

He made me WORK for it. With such an unknown past, diverse issues and so much of his personality being based in fear we had to get to know each other deeply in order to make progress.
We went on weeks worth of field trips, spent hours gaining trust through belly rubs and hanging out on the floor together, and he learned to relax enough to enjoy life a bit more.
He left a totally changed dude that I was so proud of. Knowing we worked so hard together and seeing him mesh back into this new version of himself with his owners was so magical.
I am so proud of him and his amazingly dedicated and loving owners.
Hope Oklahoma is treating you well buddy!

07/25/2023

Fennec~

Girlfriend is a cattle dog through and through.
Luckily I’m quite versed in that area, but there were moments where she overwhelmed even me.
She is high speed, low drag and so passionate about letting you know how much she loves ya!
All this energy and stimulation was misdirected at other dogs, people and sometimes objects when out and about. Making it very hard for her owners to include her in their lives outside of home.

However, Fennecs energy meant I could use it as motivation. She was so eager to learn and was so fun to work with. We went on a ton of field trips and worked hard on positive exposure/reconditioning her around other dogs. And of course ecollar brought her so much clarity during the higher distraction moments.

She has an amazing and dedicated family full of kids who love her endlessly.
Love ya crazy girl!

07/25/2023

Chinook was also here at the same time as Gracie.

I’d describe Chinook as the dark and mysterious dude in a book that turns out to be a giant softy when you get to know him as the book goes on.

He started out so serious, so tense and very slow to warm up.
He was with me to get a good basis of obedience to use to redirect him and as well as give him some confidence to not feel so guarded.
Chinook doesn’t love other dogs, and had some resource guarding as a result of that mixed with his lack of confidence.
He worked up to regularly working around and just being around other dogs in the house while muzzled (he was very sneaky and discrete with how he resource guarded, he’s an impeccably smart dude)
So we needed to show him how to use that thinker for the better and that not every dog is out to invade his space. He can relax around other dogs and trust his handler to advocate on his behalf.
He left with a lot of experience and positive association. He was a rockstar obedience wise and his owner is so committed to helping him grow that confidence.
Miss you fluffy butt!

07/25/2023

Gracie girl was here in February for a 3 week Board. Train.
She came to us for her high energy levels and to give her productive ways to direct it.
When we started her energy was very misappropriated but it was rooted in friendliness and love.
She was excited to see and meet and experience everything and everyone. She just needed to learn how to be calm and appropriate in certain situations.
She was such a joy to work with because she was always so happy and motivated to just be with me.
This sweet heart left with great obedience and ways to redirect her during those over stimulating moments.
Hope you’re still our there rocking it sweet Gracie!

05/27/2023

In the wild, insecure dogs would die.

The reason we have insecure dogs in this world is because we (the owners) feed our dogs and provide shelter for them.

A wolf pack will not provide for a member who cannot contribute.

But we do.

And it’s a beautiful but sad thing.

The sad part is because dogs don’t deserve to live in an anxious, fearful, and insecure state of mind.

Humans do that to them.

We breed bad genetics, and then we enable insecurity through our permissiveness.

We need to do better.

We need to step up, and act like pack leaders who won’t allow our pack members to be weak.

We need to step up and ask our dogs to be better.

And we need to SHOW THEM how to be better.

We need to be better leaders.

Stronger leaders.

More confident leaders.

Our dogs will follow the examples laid out before them.

They will weather storms with us.

We need to take charge, challenge our dogs, and help them conquer their fears.

Insecure dogs deserve to overcome their fears and become confident pack members.

Insecure dogs
• fearful
• anxious
• reactive
• aggressive
deserve better.

04/12/2023

Moo🐾

He was also here in January for reactivity.

He made some big progress and took to his training super well.

He used to love getting worked up and redirecting on his brother. And sneakily seeking out things to react to.

He worked hard on redirecting focus and offered some of the best engagement I've ever had a dog give.

The potential He has is crazy and I know his amazing owner will continue the good work with him.

He's a pretty special dude. Love ya Mr.Moo🧡

04/12/2023

Maggie🐾

She was here in January to work on some severe reactivity.

We worked really hard to get her some solid rediective obedience, a good look command and positive exposure.

She was a tough cookie with her reactivity but we got some great management plans in place for her. She wasn't perfect but she sure was heavily improved!

She's a big girl with a lot of power so having her be able to be safely handled and able to enjoy the world with her owners was the most important goal.

I'm so proud of how far she came in just 3 weeks. She has some very loving and dedicated owners, so she is one lucky pup!

Miss you Mags🧡

04/04/2023

Genetics matters, and anyone who says otherwise doesn't know dogs.

It's not all in how you raise them. That statement is completely false. Does how you raise a dog matter? Yes. Does it fully determine the outcome of the dog? No.

Genetics - and not just the genetics from the parents, but also the grandparents, great grandparents, great great grandparents and beyond - affects the outcome of the dog.

Genetics determines size, coat type, coat color, eye color, shape and more.

Genetics determine dominant and recessive genes.

Genetics determines personality traits, drives, predispositions for disease, joint health and more.

Environmental factors affect joints too, but genetics plays a major role, especially in large breed dogs prone to dysplasia.

Genetics is the parameters within which training takes place.

For a well-bred dog, the sky's the limit. You can do so much with a dog who's bred to be stable, clear-headed, drivey and bombproof.

For a poorly bred dog that inherited undesirable traits like fear and timidity, genetics will always hold that dog back. At that point, training is done to bring the dog to its greatest potential within the limits of its genetic potential.

Fear.
Timidity.
Aggression.
Territorialism.
Possessiveness.
Energy.
Drives.

Dogs are born with a genetic predisposition for certain traits.

Genetics matters. Training matters. Upbringing matters.

It is not just one that determines the outcome. It's all three working in unity to help a dog fit the role it's intended for. It's all three working together that help a dog become a service dog, a therapy dog, a protection dog, a hunting dog, a companion.

Genetics. Training. And upbringing. You cannot simply focus on one and leave out the others.

A poorly-bred dog can have a great quality of life and go on to do great things, but when you pull back the layers, you'll see its weaknesses. When the rubber meets the road, you'll see the flaws. And that's OK. That dog can still be a great dog.

My service dog was not well-bred. And at five months old, she was extremely fearful and skittish. Training and upbringing enhanced who she was and brought out the best in her. But she isn't perfect.

My protection dog was well-bred. And for the entirety of his life, I have always strove to deserve the dog that he is. Everything I throw at him, he excels at. Every challenge is a piece of cake for him. His confidence. His nerves. His drives. His temperament. His structure. His off switch. It blows me away.

When good breeding meets good training and good upbringing, the result is a one-in-a-million dog.

I bought seven German Shepherd puppies from Europe two years ago for my protection program. I raised five of them myself. And I can tell you, genetics matters.

Similar pedigrees plus similar upbringing and the same training resulted in uniform dogs. Social. Stable. Sound.

Copy + Paste.

Three of them were sold early to become service dogs. Four of them are protection dogs.

I doubt I would have had the same success if I had gone to a backyard breeder or purchased puppies from a greedy pet store.

Good genetics stacks the deck in your favor. It enhances your investment.

Poorly bred dogs can be amazing dogs. But saying that "It's all in how you raise them" is false, uneducated and downright illogical.

It's not all in how you raise them.

Your genetics predetermined who you are and how you look as a human being. Your upbringing and education finished shaping your outcome as a person.

Genetics matters.

You can shape behavior, but you can't change genetics.

02/27/2023

Board & Train Update!
And an important one.

Things have changed and shifted. I now only have 2 spots left for the rest of the year (for reasons I’ll announce later, but all good reasons so no need to worry)
The available dates are listed on the second picture!
So if you’d like to train with us, this is the last chance for a while.

That being said, I’m going to be picky about who gets these spots as these spots are NOT available to aggression cases or separation anxiety. I have had an influx in these cases wanting to train through us that I have had to refer out since I can’t take them on for the time being.

This includes:
- dogs with perceived aggression
- dogs with a bite history either towards other dogs or humans
- dogs who have reacted aggressively to touch
-extreme resource guarding
- dogs needing help with separation anxiety/ kennel anxiety.

I hate having to be this picky and not take on just any behavior issue as I have in the past. Because I love getting to help all types of cases. I understand the risk that comes with my job and normally, welcome it. So this honestly kills me to turn dogs away.

However, I have to prioritize and play things overly safe for a while.

I appreciate your understanding and support! If you’d still like to have a phone consultation and further evaluate if your dog qualifies for these spots I’d love to chat. Because of this, all consultation fees are waived!

Let me know if you have any questions and get those consultations booked to snag up these spots!🧡

02/21/2023

Sugar 🧡🐾

Sweet Sugar was also here in November.

She came to work on leash reactivity towards other dogs when out in public. As well as setting a foundation that can be built upon for possible therapy work.

Sugar lives up to her name with how sweet and loving she is. Kind to all people and animals. She just needed some extra work to help her work past her leash reactivity. And the reliability and trust to follow through.

She did so well in the program and went home with solid obedience and reactivity management.
Keep being the sweetest Miss Sugar!🧡

02/20/2023

Shammy🧡🐾

Shammy was here in November (I know yall, I'm going to work on B&T posts)
And she came for some extreme fear and reactivity to literally everything as a result of that.

Starting out it became obvious she was an amazing dog. So kind and loving. Really does love people and other dogs. However, she definitely has a deep seeded fear that I think started to just become habit for her. Mixed with her genetic tendencies.

We worked a lot on confidence building, redirecting and positive exposure. It meant a good foundation of obedience needed to be built to fall back on but we worked hard on just doing things.
No being weird, no freaking out, just trying and going for it.

By the end she had improved greatly! She still had a lot to work on when she went home but it was a great start for her.
Love you Sham!🧡

12/18/2022

2023 Dates🧡🐾

These are up for grabs for the coming year. I am so excited to get started working with all of you.

Before claiming a spot you do have to set up a phone consultation ( a quick and free 30 minute conversation) so that we can create a personalized training plan and get to know each other. That can be booked through the websites “BOOK NOW” section.

The open January spot will be a great one to take since I normally do not have availability with that little of a wait. It’s perfect for someone needing help NOW. 🧡

The dates offered land on Fridays and Saturdays. It can always be flexible but I thought offering a weekend slot would help people out.

If there is enough interest I will open up an opportunity for a third dog to attend during these time frames as well. We hit it hard last year and achieved major goals, so I want to keep that momentum going. Plus I hate turning people away. I want to help as much of you as I can as a one woman show😆

*Waitlist- I have reached out to the waitlist multiple times. If you have not signed contracts then you are not guaranteed a spot. So please get in contact with me as soon as you can so I can make sure you get the time slot you want. 🧡

Get your phone consultation scheduled soon so you can claim the exact date that you want. Let’s train together!🐾

11/23/2022

We are on break!🐾

Upper Left K9 is on a training break for December. Taking some time to rest and recharge is important so I can better care for your sweet pups!

We have hit it hard and had an amazing first full year of the Board & Train program. Because of all your support to this small business, I was able to completely pay off my student loan. Which to me has been a huge deal. So thank you everyone who has trusted me to not only help your dogs have a fuller life but also your families. I’m forever grateful to each and every one of you who enable me to work my dream job every day.🧡

🐾Updates:

2023 Board & Train- This next Monday I will be reaching out to the Waitlist, in order, for those still interested in claiming spots. After the waitlist dogs have been scheduled I will post the dates that are still up for grabs. So be looking out for those.

Also, even though I’m taking a break, I’m still taking consultations for those interested in getting scheduled for Board & Train in 2023.
If your interested schedule a phone consult asap since these spots go so quickly!

I will also be taking this time off to definitely post the board and train dogs that have graduated (still have to post October and now November). As well as adding even more to the go home book and restructuring it so that I can make it an Ebook available for anyone to order online through our website.

Again, thank you all for your support. See ya in 2023!🧡🐾

10/15/2022

Zahra🐾

(I have been trying to post this for over a week now and my phone keeps deleting it before It fully posts. So we are doing photo only for this post, sorry🙃)

Her size would never let you know she was only 10 months old when she was here in August!

Zahra came to us to address some puppy behaviors and create reliability and follow through to help her be a well rounded dog. Her and Nasa worked together a lot since they were very similar in how they learned plus they both greatly benefitted from it. It worked out perfectly!

We worked on giving her some reliable obedience and positively exposing her to new environments. She learned that going places is fun and even more fun to work in!

Her easy going personality is such a rare find these days. She was always ready to do the next thing and just wanted to do what was right. She is such a gem and I'm so happy she's back home with her people and getting to go to work with her mom!

Love ya beautiful girl!🧡

09/24/2022

WE ARE NO LONGER ON FACEBOOK! Here’s why:

I have made the decision to delete Facebook from my devices.

Please know we are still very much active on Instagram and keeping the website updated.
We are on Instagram

It’s an app that in my opinion has become obsolete with connecting me with people. Rather than being in contact with those who could enjoy our content, I’m met with non stop ads, forced to look at often crude posts from people I’m not friends with, pages I don’t follow and things that are irrelevant to training.

It’s also safe to say that probably 95% of the clients who have trained with ULK9 or found us to train with; came from/have Instagram or went to our website.

It has been hard to keep Facebook as updated as the Instagram page/website as its just not as cohesive as those platforms are. Not to mention my messages I receive on Facebook are suppressed or just not shown to me. It’s been a problem over and over again.

I don’t want to miss out on your messages so please, if you have sent anything recently please text me or email and I’ll get back to you asap!

Business related communication should be done on more reliable platforms.

When it comes to sharing and connecting in a professional way, it just isn’t cutting it any more.

So PLEASE contact us via website/email or phone if you:
- Are inquiring about services/interested in a spot
- Previous client needing advice or sending an update
- Someone needing advice or a referral (please set up a consultation)

And of course go follow the Instagram to watch all the fun stuff going on and see progress videos of whichever dogs are currently with us!

I will still keep the Instagram set to automatically post our stories and photo posts to Facebook but please know I will not see or be able to reply to comments/messages/etc.

Thank you for your understanding, see you on Instagram!

09/09/2022

Updated logo!🐾

I’ve been working on this for a while and I’m happy with how it turned out.

I wanted to showcase my golden child as well as some elements that show why we are called Upper Left K9. While simplifying the logo and making it look a little cleaner.

Let me know what you think!🐾🧡

07/22/2022

Wow.

Thank you all for supporting this small business but big dream of mine.

All the spots for the rest of the year are claimed!

I know I say it all the time but I’m so grateful for every single one of you and appreciate the trust you put in me. I never take it lightly and feel so blessed to be able to help the people and dogs that come through the program.

You all have invested into, not only your dogs, but my passion.

I can’t wait to get the opportunity to work with the variety of dogs scheduled to come and get to help all these families.

Y’all are amazing🧡

People ask all the time how they can thank us and the best way is to leave a google review. It helps us tremendously and means so much to me when people take the time to write one.

-🧡 Brynn

07/10/2022

Update: 2 more spots left for the rest of 2022!

When I came back to the business I was terrified that I wasn’t going to have steady business. That I’d fail and not be able to help people the way I so desperately wanted to.

But that has never been an issue.

Y’all have trusted me with your dogs and your families dynamic so much that I’ve almost always been booked out at least 3 months in advance.

And now this.

Thank you thank you thank you for letting me live my dream. And thank you even more for trusting me to be the trainer that helps you and your pup live a more full life together.

It’s something I will never take for granted🧡

Snag up these spots, they are going QUICK!

07/05/2022

Update: only 4 more spots left for 2022!

I’m also making the October spots 2 weeks instead of 3.

This will be great for clients interested in one of the following:
•puppy foundation
•tool conditioning
•limited obedience goals
•singular behavior issue

If interested book a consult and let me know you’re interested in the 2 week October spot!

I look forward to chatting with those who are booked for consults and the dogs booked and waiting to get here!

Thankful for you all!🧡🐾

06/03/2022

"He's afraid of X, so he must have been abused by/with X."

In rescue, a lot of dogs come into care with unknown histories. Many of these dogs present with specific or generalized fear and anxiety.

It can be easy - so, SO easy - to attach a story to their behaviour. In fact, it's becoming increasingly common for people to adopt dogs BECAUSE of their story. The more tragic, the better.

The problem with this is that it tends to freeze dogs into their neuroses. Their owner becomes so attached to the story, so emotionally invested, that they themselves cannot move past it. When the owner gets stuck, so does the dog.

Then the story becomes an excuse.

He's aggressive to the postman because one must have abused him.

He's leash reactive to other dogs because he was a 'bait dog'.

He runs from us when we grab the fly swat because someone has hit him with it.

In most cases, these behaviours are caused from a lack of experience in the critical period of socialization. Their inexperience can present itself as fear, anxiety, stress and aggression; mechanisms they develop over time to cope.

But what exactly caused their rescued dogs behaviour is irrelevant. It's a fools errand to try to figure it out; an addictive oxytocin-fueled quest to justify a lack of action.

He's afraid of men? Make men = good things. He runs from the fly swatter? Pick the damn thing up and throw the dog a handful of steak a few times. See what happens.

When we adopt a dog, we're making a commitment to BETTER their life. Holding on to their past is doing the opposite. Show them they're in a better place by overcoming their problems, not nurturing them.

06/03/2022

HAPPY ONE YEAR ULK9!
Well technically almost 4 years.

But after I first started the business survival had to come before training for a while. A couple years of weird jobs to set myself up and support us. Training where and when I could.

For the first bit I thought I would never get back to it. Tried to forget about the business because it was painful to have to leave it in the first place.
But I hated and quit every job because nothing compares to what I get to do now.

With love and support from my husband literally begging me to get back to it after watching me hate all other jobs. I was able to start offering lessons again. Which within a month turned into me quitting my job and going full time with ULK9 again.

There is nothing more rewarding than working with these dogs and their families. I can truly say I have some of the best clients and leave most lessons, check Ins and even consultations feeling so loved and appreciated. But most of all proud of how dedicated the people I get to work with are.

Thank you for trusting me with your dogs, thank you for investing in your dog and families well being and thank you for keeping me consistently booked out. Knowing I have so many diverse dogs coming and lovely families to help, gives me a reason to keep going each and every day.

I love you all so much and your dogs who leave such an impact on me. Thank you all, this big smile is the norm now🧡🐾

04/28/2022

I am taking Vacation time for all of May!🐾

This has been scheduled since November so I’m looking forward to some much needed time off.

I will, of course, still be available for contact for previous and up coming Board & Train clients. I’m not leaving anyone hanging, please still feel free to contact for questions, advice, updates, etc.

I will however not be scheduling lessons for this time. It’s been very hard for me to stick to because I want to be available for everyone always, but I need to commit to taking the month to recharge so I can fully pour into the rest of the 2022 dogs.

I’ll be spending the month catching up on projects, business admin stuff, as well as working with my own dogs who are dying for some one on one time.

They work hard and have been a huge part of this business and the Board and Train program. They deserve some time off to train and have adventure too!

Inquiries and messages might have some lead time on them as I will not have service some days depending on where I’m at/ what we are doing. Or I might just have my phone off and put away to have a break.
As always I will try to get back to everyone as soon as I can and not keep you waiting too long.

Thank you everyone for understanding and encouraging this.

It’s become apparent lately that this is much needed and I already can’t wait to come back in June recharged and refocused. 🧡

*I will also be getting June and Pluto’s Board and Train posts up as soon as I can so look out for those!*

04/05/2022

Got some June in spring. 😉🐾

June has been so fun and reiterated why I love this breed so much.
Quirks, yes. But so dang smart!

03/22/2022

“I’m scared of messing up”
“I don’t want to do the wrong thing”
“My leash handling isn’t smooth”

I get it. I’m a bit of a perfectionist too. Ive also worked with a lot of clients that have a hard time learning something new just because … it’s pretty scary.

The dogs are the easy part, they don’t care about those little things we worry about.
We are afraid to look silly.
We are worried because you don’t look like the trainer when you take the leash.

I love that people place such an importance on their dogs training and well being. You all just want to do right by your dogs.
In my opinion, I’d rather you feel that way than look like a professional when it’s your turn.

If you care, then you’re going to try and thats the hardest part.
Trying.
It’s scary, intimidating and nerve wracking.

But that’s why we call it training. It’s meant to be a time where you and your dog learn, together.

Training sessions are the time where you’re supposed to make mistakes, where you learn, where you develop a rhythm.

My cheer coach in high school always said “mess up now, in practice. So when it’s time to perform the chances of messing up are less.” Her version was slightly more colorful😆

Training isn’t a performance. It’s not your big show, It’s practice. It’s the time to mess up and lessons with your trainer are a time to be coached.

We aren’t judging you, we are trying to help you and your dog become an even better team. So that when you do make it to a “performance” ex: Walking through the farmers market, dinner at the brewery, family is over for the holidays, or encountering an oncoming dog with your reactive pup.
We train and practice for the big moments. The milestones and achievements, whatever they look like for you is why you spend that time learning.
Looking a little silly or awkward, or being new at something is just that.
And the best news, it’s temporary. As long as you keep trying everything gets smoother.

Don’t be afraid to be new at something, it’s always worth it🧡