Kilo 9iner Dog Club

08/09/2024

Force multiplier...

06/10/2024

Echo girl testing gear with some amazing folks in the industry

Trusted, tried, and true...

06/03/2024

You can send your dog off to be trained…..or you can train with them. We choose to work with the dog not have the dog work for us. captured these badass shots during advance agility yesterday.

05/28/2024

A gift from my dearest friend

My mentor

The guy who taught me to honor the dog

A hand drawing of my first working dog….

Rosko

Thank you Warren

04/21/2024

A dog that’s tuned

Have you ever wondered why your dog is selective about certain humans?

Are you uncertain about what they bring to the table as quality humans, or is your dog so dialed in that they can read the intentions of the folks you interact with?

It’s not that far-fetched, but it takes years of work to establish that consistent tolerance of what you deal with in your circle.

The dog is watching and calculating if you put in the work. 📸

10/28/2023

Not a IFAK

Over the years I’ve witnessed some gnarly injuries in both dog and human during training

Snapped ankle, falling off obstacles, human being opened up through the bite suit, having to stop the bleeding from a dog fight(dark red blood), snapped canines(teeth), me, personally giving CPR to a puppy on the training field. No, it’s not a sucking chest wound but it is experience in the realm.

When it comes to treating injuries you don’t want to be the one lacking knowledge.

There is a ton of information to remember which I’m not a expert on when it comes to treating a dog or human. Hell, I have a hard time remembering exactly what medical supplies I have. While we don’t have a ton of injuries on the training field, that being said it is hard to stay current when it comes to treating injuries.

There are a few things you can do to make your kit work a little harder for you. Organize and label your first aid kit. You might not be the one getting into the kit to treat injuries. Make sure the kit is easy to navigate.

If you’re a trainer, set aside time to go over everything in the first aid kit with your students.

Organize it based on the common injuries you face. If you run hog dogs you might want your suture kit or staple gun to be the first tool you have access too. If you work in the blistering heat you might want your ice packs/IV bags on top to treat a heat injury. Organization is on your needs.

I cannot stress this enough. You are your dogs first aid.

10/13/2023

Random thoughts……

The dog world is very sensitive.

Folks get their feelings hurt if you don’t buy into their philosophy….it can be how they decoy, how they reward the dog, how they treat the dog for injuries, how they condition the dog for work.

I find most folks are not that confident in what they’re pushing…maybe they’re in the wrong work, maybe they have a toxic mentor, maybe they shouldn’t be in the dog world.

In my years I’ve seen egos make and break folks.

There is no right answer but finding what fits you and the dog. I can promise the dog will follow you no matter what route you take. But… put your ALL into it, because the dog will see a fake.

09/06/2023

Experimenting is only hurting the dog

The dog pays the price of the handler that has very little experience (5 years or less you’re still new and don’t know s**t) and tries to experiment in different philosophies because the one you’re working in isn’t giving you the results you want in the time you want them. Philosophies in the dog world is a thought process we are teaching the dog. That thought process can go against the grain of many other philosophies ultimately asking the dog to perform but has never been taught the foundation of ________ philosophy. It takes time if you want solid results. For example; when a dog is taught to bite when certain equipment is shown and not the actions of the threat it is a HUGE liability for a civilian but works great on the sport field. When a dog that has been taught to only bite when a threat is presented keep in mind they will not bite simply because they’re asked to, it goes against their foundation. This pi**es a ton of people off and it turns into a dick measuring contest when it is much deeper than “just the bite”. It’s the reason the dog decides to bite. If this doesn’t make sense you need to keep digging for the deeper understanding of why you’re teaching your dog to perform in certain environments.

Bringing it back around; asking the dog to bite a threat when it has never seen a threat in training is super unfair (using a sport dog as a civil dog). Same goes for the dog being told to bite a non threatening individual is also unfair (getting a civil dog to bite because a bamboo stick was clattered). That dogs entire life (if taught correctly) has been corrected for trying to bite a person that isn’t a threat (kids, grandma, uncle in the black hoodie with a beard and ball cap). Asking the civil dog to bite for no other reason in their eyes is nothing but a game.

I’m all for innovation and constantly improving our work to then apply to the dogs if its organic to the philosophy. But when one tries to experiment trying to stack legos with their lincoln logs it makes for a very unstable foundation and a dog that will never meet their full potential.

09/02/2023

The white fur that stands out amongst the gold brindle.

Those hairs have stories behind them.

Some were hard lessons. The demeanor of the dog can help you figure out if they were the teacher or the student of that lesson.

Then you have the old wise dog who once had a all black mask. But is now being over taken by the white fur.

The white masked dog still crushing dudes is the once in a lifetime dog….learn everything you can from them.

07/23/2023

Record your tracks

Study your track. Hindsight is an amazing teacher in this setting.

The amount of data the dog is spitting out but is missed during the actual track because of….traffic, weather, terrain, gear, radio, stamina…there are many more…. is mind blowing.

The dog is talking the entire track. You have to learn to listen. Rewatching your track can help you connect those dots.

07/05/2023

Excuses are the reason one doesn't progress.

Just do the fu***ng work.

06/28/2023

Trust

Drills to build trust are crucial. Why?

Does your dog trust you around dogs they don’t trust? Trimming their nails without a fight. Treating wounds/injuries without being bit. Needing to wear equipment for safety..booties, rex specs, cone. Has your dog ever had a tick and they won’t stay still for you to get it off. Brushing. Picking them up. Checking whats in their mouth or examining their teeth. Giving them meds…putting the pill in peanut butter is a trick not trust.

Developing and maintaining trust will be something you have to consistently work on throughout your dogs life.

But how do you do it? This is broad but you must train the dog in a stressful environment (stressful to the dog, it’s great if the handler is stressed as well!). Not so stressful that they cannot succeed but stressful enough so they can make micro accomplishments through the training. This then feeds right into the larger picture of everything I listed above(nail trimming, wearing PPE). It sounds simple and it is. The dog is not a complex animal once you understand their thought process. Luckily the dog is usually very forgiving; to put it in 2 legged terms. If the human fails the dog but has always been more consistent when working with the dog. The dog will usually not let the one hiccup be the end all be all of the task.

If you have built trust it will take you and your dog very far in training and life in general.

06/23/2023

Why do we take these measures?

Big industry farming has failed my dogs. Chickens pumped full of hormones or saline that you buy from the store. Grass fed beef (one its too lean for dogs) causing skin issues and inflammation causing joint pain.

We have an amazing source for beef (we buy a whole cow)

And now we are taking on raising our own meat birds. Not only will this save us money (a little over $2000 a year) but I know what these birds are eating and drinking, lets not leave out their health.

I’m really looking forward to this journey not only for us but the health of our dogs.

Their diet plays such a huge role in their ability to work. Just ask any professional athlete.

Side note…the sensor push helping me maintain temps the chicks like in their brooder

06/05/2023

Lots of gear headin out the door tomorrow!!

06/02/2023

All Natural Holistic House Hold Essentials

I am not a Veterinarian do your own research before using. These are remedies I have learned over the years working dogs and making “cocktails” of these supplements/medicines for unique illness and injuries.

♠️Golden Paste - (Internal Use) You can make this yourself (buy ingredients from a health food store) Google recipe!
• Anti-inflammatory effects
• Antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal benefits
• Promoting heart and liver health
• Promoting digestive health
• Antioxidant properties, which may help prevent certain cancers
• Preventing cataracts
• Treatment for allergies, epilepsy, and liver disease
• Pain relief
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Natural detox agent
♠️Anti-Germ - (Topical Use) Super strong anti-fungal/fights infection (Our Vet makes it)

♠️Anti-Swell - (Topical Use) Swelling in any form. From bug bites to swollen joints. This is only to give the dog some relief its not a cure (Out Vet makes this also)

♠️Colloidal Silver - (Internal Use) This is used if any of the dogs become sick or have had to have any type of surgery.
• Kill bacteria, including some antibiotic-resistant bacteria
• Control some fungi and yeasts
Fight E coli and cholera bacteria
• Manage sinus infections (as a nasal spray or rinse)
• Fight eye infections like conjunctivitis
♠️Colloidal Silver Gel - (Topical Use) I use this for dogs with hot spots, minor cuts or scrapes. I use the gel because it doesn’t waste as much and absorbs better into the dogs skin compared to the liquid silver.
• Manage skin inflammation, infections and rashes
• Heal burn and wound infections
♠️CBD - (Internal Use) I mainly use this after hard days of agility or if the dogs are injured to chill them out while they’re on crate rest.
• Anti-inflammatory
• Reduce seizures

02/23/2023

Gut Check

Most accidental bites during a engagement are due to the work of the decoy teaching the dog to bite when it is not justified. IE lack of teaching the dog to read and address what a actual threat is along with never teaching the dog to read what a threat is to the handler.

It is a art, building a dog to only bite when their is the presence of real danger. It’s what builds a capable and stable dog. The LEO/MIL tactics have their place in their world and are a necessity but not in the civil world.

IE civilians cannot send their dog to find and bite a person that broke into their home, ran away and is now hunkered down hiding in a unknown location. It’s a awesome drill to run and I believe builds confidence in the dog in many different ways, but as a civilian….it’s illegal as f**k because its pretty hard to justify that your life is in danger when someone has ran away from you. It’s like shooting someone in the back.

Your drills should be organic to the fight of the threat and absolutely nothing else if you’re doing civil work.

02/02/2023

For everyone that has been asking.

Siggy is back home and everything went well with her root canal.

Its still up in the air as to how she broke it but we think her and Deakon collided into each other running with the Rzr from the training field.

Its always a little stressful when we don’t get to see our regular Vet Dr. Tran for a surgery because he lets us be with our dogs through the whole process.

They did how ever let Siggy stay with us for her shot for sedation which is always a request of ours. It helps the dog out a ton when there is already a s**t load of stress on the dog.

01/26/2023

You are not perfect and your dog accepts you for who you are, willing to take on times when you may not be fair. They’re always willing to give you their time even when you don’t have time for them.

We owe it to them to provide and make their laps around the sun meaningful. There is no other animal on the planet like a Dog and it is truly remarkable how much it is over looked.

01/14/2023

Something you may not know about us!

We offer 2-3 day courses for out of town folks!

Courses range from live fire, tracking, protection, agility, obedience, scenario training, and setting your team up with drills and exercises to continue your progression back home!

We allowing auditing too

So far we have students in TX, TN, MS, CA, NJ, FL, and CO!

These courses are set up to address your teams specific needs!

Reach out if you’re looking to set up a weekend to really connect with your dog on a different level that ultimately fulfills their purpose within your family!

01/10/2023

01/07/2023

New patches are in and these are pretty dope!
They’re velcro (which is sewn on this time) and reflective! If you don’t run a light on your dogs collar this should at least be your bare minimum tool to identify your dog at night, especially if you run them off leash! Reach out if you would like one or ten they’re $7 a piece plus shipping. Green, Red, White, Black, Yellow, Blue. We only have ten of each color.

12/08/2022

Perspective

Each day with your dog, whether on the training field or not, is a lesson to be learned.

You can look at it as an unachievable task; purely just a frustrating obstacle or road block

Or

You can view it as an opportunity to address discrepancies on both ends of the leash.

Don’t let your mindset and perception hold you back. Viewing a challenge as an opportunity vs an obstacle and failing forward from mistakes or s**tty training days- this is the line in the sand to separate the great from the good. 👣🐺

12/03/2022

Deakons anxiety vest

11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I sit back enjoying the company of loved ones (2 and 4 legged). I think about lessons passed, people that believe in me, my dog that trust me, the students that trust us as Kilo 9iner with their journey.

I’m truly thankful for every opportunity.

I hope you all are also enjoying this day and passing thanks.

Be well and again Happy Thanksgiving 🥃

11/20/2022

Balanced mindset

I’ve been told I am jaded….I am to a extent, it’s what drives me to keep pushing.

While I feel it’s important to highlight training that is solely to feed/stroke ones ego (I fu***ng despise these people) it is just as important to inspire and pass knowledge.

While we draw DEEP lines in the sand with most training in the dog world; but not just training. The dogs wellbeing, their food, their mental state, their thought process, their capabilities, the veterinarian we let practice on them, setting the structure they desire to build a bond. We disagree with majority of the dog world which is why we produce and train dogs that are far superior than what the dog world has to offer. 📸:

11/17/2022

We expect our dogs to preform extraordinary task…..so we train in extraordinary conditions.

11/10/2022

Happy Birthday Marines

Semper Fidelis

11/01/2022

When we decided to breed Echo and Deakon there were a number of check boxes to hit.

Echo and Deakons health.

Not just their ability to work but are they dogs that are beyond just good dogs at tracking, bite work, agility, lake dogs, and stable dogs (the most important one)

The sign off from my mentors giving the green light that I should breed them.

Placing them with individuals that work them mentally and physically.

I love getting feed back about the litter and how they’re doing. It makes all the crazy days of prepping meals, cleaning up after them, keeping them from killing each other so worth it.

Super stoked for these two here and glad they’re closer to us. The work has only begun. 📸

10/30/2022

Never undermine the dogs ability to problem solve under stress

Linear training teaches the dog to only perform when presented with a sequence that gets them to the end result. A small example…dog has to do a “sit” before going into a “down”..the dog is totally capable of a down from the standing position, and the sequence of sit first is unneeded. The dog will learn the down quicker and understand the down position on a deeper level when holding the dog to a higher standard (teaching the down position from the stand position) which ultimately sets the dog up for success later in their training. A large example…the dog is never shown true violence in bite work and fails to engage when a real threat doesn't back down from the dogs bluff. The dog again is totally capable of engaging a true threat but must be taught what a true threat is that matches the dogs skill set to build upon, for success later in training and real life…our pups from the time their brains can absorb information are taught how to deal with threats. Some of this might seem like common sense but a lot of times it is not common practice. It stems from the two legged projecting their thought process to a animal that does not reason or troubleshoot like we do. So we have to think about whatever task is at hand to help the dog problem solve in a manner they understand that doesn’t hold them back.

10/18/2022

Mission Statement

We do not just train dogs and their person. We do not just teach handlers about reading dogs. We do not just create a environment that pushes you and your dog physically and mentally.

We as Kilo 9iner Dog Club provide a experience with you and your dog that builds a unbreakable relationship between you and your dog.

The dog was bred to please the two legged, it’s in their blood. They depend on us to help them meet their full potential. They look to us to push them.

As Kilo 9iner Dog Club we will never be ok with the dog just knowing heel, sit, down, stay, come, watch them, stop them, and find them. We strive for the handler and dog to know and understand this work so intimately that it becomes a life style. 📸: