Blazing Trails K9 Academy

Blazing Trails K9 Academy Bad dogs good, good dogs better - your certified behavior expert! since 1985, IACP CDT and NADOI endorsed 1178

Lynne Bell IACP CDT,NADOI certified 1148/c, is a certified dog trainer with the International Association of Canine Professionals, where she has been member since 2004.She additionally is NADOI certified (1148/c). (Nadoi is the oldest dog training organization in the country and the only organization that requires extensive testing for membership).Both are national certifications and she is proud

to have both of these prestigious certifications as a dog trainer. she is also a pro member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. Lynne has been training dogs professionally since 1985. Lynne has trained thousands of dogs in her career, working in a large variety of venues. She has worked with exotic animals (wolves, birds of prey, coati mundi, etc) at Six Flags Magic Mountain where she performed in the former Animals in Action show. Lynne was senior trainer at California K9 Academy and head trainer for Pet Day Spa and k9 Learning center, both positions where she worked around some of the top trainers in the world on a regular basis. At both locations she spent time as a trainer for many celebrities dogs. Lynne also worked for Animal Behavior and Training Associates both as a trainer and as a continuing education and certification rep. This position also allowed her to continuously network with many well known trainers throughout the country, something she thoroughly enjoys in an effort to add more tools and skillsets to her training box. Lynne has been a trainer of trainers as an Animal Behavior College mentor trainer where she also worked as an Animal Behavior College Externship Coordinator. Lynne also worked as a studio animal trainer, training and working on studio sets and live stage shows for commercials, television and movies, where she learned alot of techniques to train accurately, quickly, and under pressure. Since the year 2000 Lynne has actively competed in dog sports with several German Shepherds. Schutzhund/IPO took her attention for 13 years and she earned multiple titles with a dog she trained personally, including his schutzhund 3 and IPO3 titles with multiple high protection and high in trial wins. She then competed in SDA (now WDA) with the son of her first dog, also earning multiple high in trial, high protection and high obedience wins. She also helped dozens of
students earn multiple titles, many with high scores as she served as training director for both Der Hundesport Performance Klub then Desert Winds Working Dog Association. In 2015 she formed her own multisport team and led several more students to the titles they wanted. Lynne has spent some time doing agility and herding, and has handled a therapy dog. She currently has developed a love of detection dogs, spending a year training k9, bomb and drug detection and she currently handles her lab “samantha” as a successful bedbug detection dog.

Tip Tuesday!Tired of pulling? Stop walking or reverse directions when the leash tightens—reward with forward motion whe...
03/19/2025

Tip Tuesday!
Tired of pulling? Stop walking or reverse directions when the leash tightens—reward with forward motion when it’s slack. Spring strolls just got easier!

”

Kane holding his down stay under heavier distractions! When Kane came to us he was a young pushy boy who jumped, dragged...
03/18/2025

Kane holding his down stay under heavier distractions!

When Kane came to us he was a young pushy boy who jumped, dragged on the leash, didn't have much respect for personal space, acted crazy at the door, ran out the door and was a bit shy in public. These days, he's quite the gentleman...stands or sits for greeting, is polite at the door, walks very well on leash, respects personal space, and is practiced in different settings with lots of people around. So proud of this boy for all he and his mom are working for and accomplishing!

03/15/2025

Are we just making it up when we say dogs can understand us ? Anyone who has experience with dogs knows they're smart but there's science backing us up! Often we have owners thinking the dogs think something and the reality is they DO think differently and often owners are not quite right. But do they understand ANYTHING or do we have to just force our will on them? They understand US FAR better than 99 percent of humans understand them.

heres some info:

Yes, there’s a growing body of scientific evidence that dogs can understand humans to a remarkable degree. Studies have explored how dogs interpret human language, gestures, emotions, and even intentions. Here’s a breakdown of some key findings:
Language Comprehension: Research shows dogs can process human words, not just tone. A 2016 study published in Science used fMRI scans to reveal that dogs’ brains differentiate between words they’ve been trained to recognize (like "sit" or "good") and nonsense words. They also respond differently to praise based on both the word and the intonation, suggesting they understand meaning beyond just sound.

Gestures and Pointing: Dogs excel at reading human gestures, like pointing, which even chimpanzees struggle with. A 2002 study in Journal of Comparative Psychology found that dogs can follow a human’s point to locate hidden food, indicating they’ve adapted to interpret our communicative cues—likely a result of domestication.

Emotional Recognition: Dogs can pick up on human emotions. A 2016 study in Biology Letters showed that dogs can distinguish between happy and angry human facial expressions, adjusting their behavior accordingly. They also respond to emotional tones in voices, as demonstrated in a 2014 study from Current Biology, where brain imaging revealed dogs process emotional sounds similarly to humans.

Theory of Mind (Sort Of): While dogs may not fully grasp human thoughts, a 2012 study in PLoS One suggested they can recognize when a human’s attention is elsewhere—like sneaking forbidden food when a person isn’t looking. This hints at a basic understanding of human perspective.

Oxytocin Bonding: Research, including a 2015 study in Science, found that when dogs and humans gaze into each other’s eyes, both experience a spike in oxytocin—the "bonding hormone"—mirroring the effect seen in human parent-child interactions. This mutual understanding strengthens their ability to "read" us.
So, the science says yes: dogs don’t just react to us—they actively interpret our words, actions, and feelings in ways that suggest a deep, evolved connection. They’re not mind-readers, but they’re damn good at cracking the human code

Here are the references to the studies I mentioned, formatted for clarity. These are based on real scientific work that aligns with the points I outlined:
Language Comprehension
Study: Andics, A., et al. (2016). "Neural mechanisms for lexical processing in dogs." Science, 353(6303), 1030-1032.

Details: This fMRI study showed dogs process words in their left hemisphere (like humans) and intonation in their right, indicating they distinguish meaning from tone.

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf3777
Gestures and Pointing
Study: Miklósi, Á., et al. (2002). "Use of experimenter-given cues in dogs." Journal of Comparative Psychology, 116(1), 27-34.

Details: Dogs outperformed wolves and chimps in following human pointing gestures to find food, suggesting a unique sensitivity to human communication.

DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.116.1.27
Emotional Recognition (Facial Expressions)
Study: Albuquerque, N., et al. (2016). "Dogs recognize dog and human emotions." Biology Letters, 12(1), 20150883.

Details: Dogs reliably distinguished happy from angry human faces, adjusting their behavior based on the emotion.

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0883
Emotional Recognition (Voice)
Study: Andics, A., et al. (2014). "Voice-sensitive regions in the dog and human brain are revealed by comparative fMRI." Current Biology, 24(5), 574-578.

Details: Dogs’ brains showed activity in specific regions when hearing emotional human vocalizations, paralleling human processing.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.01.058
Theory of Mind (Attention Awareness)
Study: Call, J., et al. (2012). "Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) use human and conspecific social cues to locate hidden food." PLoS One, 7(2), e31482.

Details: Dogs avoided taking food when a human was watching but took it when the human’s back was turned, hinting at an understanding of attention.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031482
Oxytocin Bonding
Study: Nagasawa, M., et al. (2015). "Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds." Science, 348(6232), 333-336.

Details: Mutual gazing between dogs and humans increased oxytocin levels in both, reinforcing their emotional connection.

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa9114
These studies are widely cited in canine cognition research and available through academic databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, or directly via journal websites (some may require access). Let me know if you’d like help finding full texts or diving deeper into any of these!
Think harder

more on oxytocin

cat cognition studies

Gigabyte considering his options while doing our signature trick "leave it on the paw" lol he's learning to relax in his...
03/15/2025

Gigabyte considering his options while doing our signature trick "leave it on the paw" lol he's learning to relax in his crate, and went from a crazy barking boy when people came over to being able to go to his place and relax on his bed when people come. Also has learned to not be so pesky in the kitchen. His "bro" Misha is also learning to be a better pup! Still have a bit of work to do but they're making great progress!

Door manners a problem at your house?

03/13/2025

Bark Ballot
What’s your dog’s toughest habit to break?

A) Jumping on people
B) Barking nonstop
C) Pulling on the leash
D) Other (comment below!)

03/11/2025

Tip Tuesday!
Get a calm sit before leashing for a smooth walk. Calm starts BEFORE the walk!

03/09/2025

Drop your dog training questions below—I’ll answer my fave this week!

Ash used to lack impulse control, struggle with being contained, and have a crazy amount of excess energy that didn't al...
03/09/2025

Ash used to lack impulse control, struggle with being contained, and have a crazy amount of excess energy that didn't allow him to ever stop moving...a few sessions in and look at him go with our BTK9 signature trick! He can now nap quietly in the crate without hurting himself, wait calmly at the door, has some games to play to spend his energy productively and was relaxed during our session and happily focused and working. We got lots of happy tail wagging and smiles, but he is trying so hard to concentrate on restraint in not grabbing that treat on his paw! We still have some work to do but Ash is on his way!

03/05/2025

Yesterday we worked two very shy adolescent dogs. They team up together and put on a bravado face but in the end their fear is tangible. They are in sheer terror. Could we fix charging of the door with a sit stay? Hmm...maybe for the humans, it would perhaps help the behavior some, but the answer isn't JUST in the obedience. We have to build trust and confidence within the dog and help them be a better version of themselves and THEN a sit stay will truly help. Spent the session getting the one dog to engage in some play, some agility, and building an understanding of what she could DO when she's scared or feels pressured. There will be more work to do, but we aren't just interested in teaching a behavior...we are interested in transforming the dog so they can live their best lives and then be on their better behavior.

And THIS is why we offer our free phone consult. Because the solution to the issues isn't always what the owner thinks it is. We would have gotten the call "can you teach a sit stay at the door?" Well sure we can. But it wouldn't be the fix for this! We work to get down to what is REALLY going on and then develop the best course of action to fix that.

If you haven't already, book your free phone consult today!

Dante also practicing our BTK9 "signature trick"! He was trying soooo hard lol. He did end up earning, good boy Dante!
02/09/2025

Dante also practicing our BTK9 "signature trick"! He was trying soooo hard lol. He did end up earning, good boy Dante!

Kane holding a sit stay at Lowe's, love love love this big smushy guy! Also, performing our "signature trick" if you loo...
02/09/2025

Kane holding a sit stay at Lowe's, love love love this big smushy guy! Also, performing our "signature trick" if you look closely enough at the one where he's starting to really relax in the down, he has a treat on his paw. He really wants it but Is showing great self control in a distracting environment. Such a good boy! Love you big guy!

01/31/2025

Anybody who has worked with us can tell you, our favorite mantra is "we are NOT just training the dog, we are shaping his character".

You are shaping a dogs character no matter what you do, but often creating problems for yourself by not knowing that. Every exercise we teach, every technique we apply, everything we feed, contributes to his character. Don't get us wrong, genetics DOES play a role. We aren't going to turn your dog bred to work, into a couch potato. But we aren't interested in just teaching a few behaviors and calling it good, we are interested in getting down to the dogs core, and shaping their character...towards more resilience, more tolerance, more flexibility, a better ability to regulate emotion, all of it. Its what we do best! Don't waste your dogs potential by teaching a couple of tricks and assuming they're good.....let's reach their potential and turn them into a better dog!

Want us to give you a big secret? The most important part of training any dog, is the relationship! It is ALL about the ...
01/07/2025

Want us to give you a big secret? The most important part of training any dog, is the relationship! It is ALL about the relationship!

People always want to know what magic bullet will stop whatever issue they have, or maybe what language a cue should be in to make the dog listen. They want to know what motivator (what treat or toy?) is the best for all dogs. The reality is, it's the relationship. If your relationship is strong, based on mutual trust and understanding, with solid boundaries and an interspecies understanding, while working to further understand each other, it is MUCH easier to train the dog and have a good life together!

Let's think about a good human relationship. Does it ever work out if a man tells a woman, "you have to understand men....but I don't need to understand women"? Does it work out if one or the other is willing to do NO WORK whatsoever? Or is only willing to convey love the way THEY want to, with no thought as to how the other person needs to be loved?

Well the same goes with dogs. They are a different species and they understand things differently than we do. They also have personal preferences and feelings as well as motivations for the things they do. You can't say "you must like this particular treat because I say so", or "you must like only a pat on the head as your reward for good behavior because I say so." We have to work to find what makes that individual dog happy. And to alot of dogs, it's not spoiling that does it. Letting them do whatever they want with no rules or boundaries, constantly touching them and disregarding any of their personal preferences. It's also not ascribing human emotions and feelings to a dog. Dogs are dogs, they aren't humans. That's what makes them special. But that doesnt mean they don't have emotions.

Learning to "speak dog" and meeting a dog where they are...is half the battle! Dogs speak human, FAR better then humans speak dog! When the human is willing to do the work to speak dog, and meet them where THEY are, most dogs will happily return the favor. And THAT is the secret.

It's also the way we operate! Our goal is to not just fix your "problems"...but to strengthen your relationship, communication skills, and help shape your dogs character so that the relationship becomes the motivator and you can happily coexist together even when we are no longer there.

Wanna come play?

Awww we love Nell! She is one of our BTK9 family (and she has worked hard with her human best friend to be a happier com...
01/07/2025

Awww we love Nell! She is one of our BTK9 family (and she has worked hard with her human best friend to be a happier companion.We just had to share her smile!
Everybody send her a smile or a virtual pat!

12/02/2024

In honor of cyber Monday, we are offering 10% off any of our VIRTUAL packages!

Have you ever needed an experienced trainer to hold your hand through training or give world class advice on best practices to handle your specific situation? These are not just recorded courses, they are done live on zoom where we can give you direct and customized feedback specific to your dog and situation. Our virtual handlers are some of the best as they learn how to do all the things without being able to hand the leash to the trainer!
We work with clients virtually from all over the country and with 37+ years personal professional experience in the industry, we have the skills to assist in most behavior modification or obedience situations.

To take advantage of this offer you have to book your free evaluation by texting us at 435-494-1473. As long as you have contacted us by Dec 9, (consult can be scheduled for later just has to be set up and confirmed before dec 9) any virtual programs you purchase after the consult will be 10 percent off.
Spots are limited as we only accept a limited number of clients in order to provide them the best experience! Contact us asap!

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Duchesne, UT
84021

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Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
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Videos

Look back on some of the dogs we have loved this year! (At least the ones we remembered to get pics of! We always forget!) We have had a great training year with lots of awesome clients and dogs to work with and we love them all! Owners give your dogs a pat for us! If you are wanting to get out and have fun this winter or have a better behaved companion, give us a message and we will book your free eval! (And if you are one of our clients and you aren't on here, remind us to take pics! We love all our clients and dogs...here's a shout-out to the fun we have had! #dogsofvernal #dogsofuintahbasin #dogsofroosevelt #uintahbasin #welovedogtraining

Some dogs are just in need of space. They may be old and hurt, sick, tired, or maybe the owner is trying to work with them. Please just ask, and if the owner says no, please respect their space and don't keep walking up on them. We have seen this CONSTANTLY in over 30 years of working with dogs. To those that DO ask and then are polite when the answer is no, thank you!

Yay for Tully! This good girl started training with us because of some bad habits, one being she was a bull in a china shop when the grandkids came over. The little ones were scared of her because she was not cognizant of personal space, and food in their hands was not off limits. A kiddo had just walked by with this cracker and she wanted it. Here she is actively trying to leave it alone. "Yes" and treat for that one! This lesson she was able to walk around with the grandkids and was not knocking them over or trying to snag their yummies. We really like this girl!

Our field finally grew back, and Jag is loving the bigger training space! Working our "verbal only" (no hand signals) position changes during our game

In the middle stages of training, there are a LOT of repetitions of come away from distractions. We are using a vibration to teach her to come from a far distance and she has learned to come off food on the ground even when a cat is trying to steal it! Hundreds of repetitions will deliver a really reliable recall!

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