Rachel Koehler Dog Training

09/07/2024

Grey just left for her forever home!
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Her new name is now Athena! So cute!! She is going home with my friends from highschool who adopted Bird (previously known as Kyra) so after their week of separation/desensitization to eachother they’ll get to meet and I am very hopeful that they will be best friends!! And I CANT WAIT for pictures of them together!!
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Shout out to Athena Grey for being the first baby I saw come into this world. It was a beautiful experience the last 10 weeks….but the RKDT nursery is CLOSED for a good while because I’ve got enough on my plate now haha. I know Lucy and Athena are going to love their best life just like Bird is now and it makes me so happy!

09/07/2024

Tiny went to her forever home today!
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Her name will now be Lucy! She was adopted by a friend I went to high school with so I am very excited because I’ll get lots of updates and I’ll get to visit with her!
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I didn’t cry… but feeding four cats tonight instead of five will feel different. I knew this would be hard, but I am so glad to have been a part of her journey, and I hope for many many years of love and happiness for her with her new family.

09/06/2024

Gaia, Fido and I went to a Sniffspot for the first time today!
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If you haven’t heard of before, it’s where people rent out their property by the hour and you can take your dog to their property and have your own PRIVATE dog park (the only dog park we approve of) I took them to a property out in Ruther Glen, we had 100 acres all to ourselves for three hours. It was AMAZING! It was so nice to hike and let the dogs explore without having to worry about off leash dogs! It was an AMAZING experience and I know we will be doing it again as soon as we can!
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What do you enjoy doing with your pups when you have time off?

09/04/2024

One year later and I was right - Moon Pie has a great family and is living her best life!💜💜💜

09/02/2024

Board & Train Availability - Next Opening November 25th
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There are only TWO OPENINGS for the year!
November 25th - 2 spots available
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During this Board & Train your dog will learn 10 Obedience Commands on and off leash as well as basic manners. You and your family will have a MINIMUM of four graduation lessons to learn everything your pup learned while they were with me. I send you home with post training protocols so you know how to adjust to living with a fully trained dog post Board & Train! Finally, you get three free follow up lessons after your pup graduates right make sure you are having success at home!
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If you get on the waitlist now it’ll be your pups time to shine before you know it! Clients tell me all the time that they have a fuller and happier relationship with their dog after getting them trained. Don’t miss out on this relationship any longer!
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Our waitlist is first come first serve so the sooner you place a deposit the better! You do not have to sign up for the next available spot, you can pick any start date that works best for you and your family!
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I do FREE over the phone consultations! All you’ve gotta so is give me a call at (804) 441-2484 and leave me a voicemail!

08/31/2024

Vaccinate your puppies!
It’s not optional- as soon as you get a puppy (if not before) you need to book them for their puppy shots.

Parvo, parvo and more parvo. This pup is the TWENTY EIGHTH parvo case we’ve treated in 2024. You know what we hate most about parvo? 😡 It’s PREVENTABLE with vaccines. You know what we also hate about parvo? 😡 It costs $3-6 THOUSAND DOLLARS per case to treat! Thank GOODNESS for donations made to our RACC Foundation. We are so grateful to have the funding to try and save these sick little lives. 🙏 Send all the anti parvo vibes you have our way today.

08/26/2024

I had a super fun follow up lessons with Miss Chocka today!
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Since graduating training her and her Frenchie sister have started to butt heads. So I went out to their river house to evaluate the behavior and see what’s going on. Chocka is a very sensitive girl and can be very easily overwhelmed with dog interactions (she came to Training extremely dog reactive). Her reactivity is almost nonexistent at this point, her family has done a phenomenal job with her Training… However, she has been getting overwhelmed and lashing out when playing with her sister. So we talked about ways for them to have appropriate play and to make sure Chocka has time to decompress before getting over threshold.
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Playing in the river is a PERFECT solution for them because Chocka is able to go a little deeper into the water when she needs a break because Flossy of course does not follow her. So we talked about playing outside and advocating for Chocka when she needs a break. Additionally we talked about keeping inside for calm existence time between the two dogs because it’s very important for Chocka to see that her and her sister can hang out and it doesn’t always have to be crazy wrestling playtime. I feel very confident that this is what they need to have a successful relationship with each other. Again, I’m so proud of her and her family for all the hard work they are doing and I feel really confident with how we left things!
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Additionally, they doing an excellent job with her training, they were able to show me how the dogs run around on the beach off leash and play together. It was so adorable!! so excited to hear updates, I’m very hopeful that the drama between her and her sister will be I thing of the past!
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This is a perfect example of how training / obedience is not the same as behavior modification and advocating for your dog. This is why you often see people go through multiple trainers and their dogs are “really well trained“ yet they are still having XYZ issue.- that will be a post for another day😉

08/25/2024

Board & Train Availability - Next Opening September 30th
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There are only FIVE OPENINGS for the year!
October 28th - 3 spots available
November 25th - 2 spots available
•
During this Board & Train your dog will learn 10 Obedience Commands on and off leash as well as basic manners. You and your family will have a MINIMUM of four graduation lessons to learn everything your pup learned while they were with me. I send you home with post training protocols so you know how to adjust to living with a fully trained dog post Board & Train! Finally, you get three free follow up lessons after your pup graduates right make sure you are having success at home!
🐾
If you get on the waitlist now it’ll be your pups time to shine before you know it! Clients tell me all the time that they have a fuller and happier relationship with their dog after getting them trained. Don’t miss out on this relationship any longer!
🐾
Our waitlist is first come first serve so the sooner you place a deposit the better! You do not have to sign up for the next available spot, you can pick any start date that works best for you and your family!
🐾
I do FREE over the phone consultations! All you’ve gotta so is give me a call at (804) 441-2484 and leave me a voicemail!

08/24/2024

Time and place, time and place
There is a time and place for all the different walks

08/24/2024

Salty Paws RVA is celebrating their ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Come join us in celebrating them on Saturday, August 31st from 12-4pm!
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Enter for a chance to win free ice cream for the year, chat with Rachel Koehler Dog Training (voted Richmond’s Best Dog Trainer), have fun with temporary tattoos for both dogs and people, and soak in the amazing atmosphere that Salty Paws RVA has to offer!
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If that all isn’t cool enough- Rachel Koehler Dog Training is offering coupons ranging from $500 - $1000 off for her Board & Train Program! So stop by, enjoy the festivities and win some prizes!
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See yall there!

08/24/2024

Fido, Gaia and I snuck out to Taylor Farms Park today!
The pups had a blast and did great. Of course going on a Saturday morning it was VERY busy! Im talking hundreds of kids, and the pups did so good! I have to admit though….I’m pretty jealous of those kids because the play areas there looked SO FUN! Definitely going to take them back on a week day and hopefully it’ll be less crowded and I can let the dog on the equipment (great for confidence building)
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It was@kind of like a dream though- none of the dogs there were rude, they all walked nicely with their owners on Leah’s (no off leash dogs) no one touched the dogs without asking, in fact only three people asked to pet them the whole time which was cool because I had to walk through a HUGE crowd of kids and I thought we were going to get swarmed! (I think everyone was too distracted by the play area!)
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It was just a great trip! I’ll take the dogs individually next time so Gaia and lounge around longer like she wants, and Fido and I can walk longer like we want. There was a trail but we didn’t go too far because I didn’t want to get half way through and then Gaia be too tired to make it back to the car haha.
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Do you and your dog(s) have any fun plans for the weekend?

08/21/2024

Watch the whole video

08/19/2024

Look at all these smart, loving and deserving of a home dogs that are available for adoption. Very

08/18/2024

Training that lasts a lifetime:
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Jorja Graduated 546 days ago.
As time has passed, how has her training held up?
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Her mom says “As graduates of RKDT (yes, we both are), the most profound thing we learned was to speak the same language. Because of this, Jorja always knows what I mean when I give her a command. I enjoy testing her in environments that she isn’t used to and she’s always able to execute. RKDT made our lives so much freer and easier and I’m always excited to see what new thing we can do together now that I have a fully trained pup. 🥰”
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Jorja and her mom have done an amazing job keeping up with their training! I love getting dates from them. One of Jorja’s favorite things to do since training has been to sunbathe in the front yard!💜

08/16/2024

Mr. Piccolo was back for Puppy Program today!
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He has been doing great work at home with food luring and can go into a sit, down and then back into a sit again following the food lure. That’s great improvement from his first lesson!
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He also got anther nail trim today and did great! His first nail trim he was very wiggly. Today he did so well! He was pretty still and o was able to clip his nails quickly!

08/14/2024

The Kittens are 7 Weeks Old today!
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They have gotten so big! They all have their own personalities and Reba is really coming into her own personality! I am really enjoying having them!💜

08/14/2024

Hey everyone! We wanted to let you know about a special event coming up on September 8th that will honor our friend Kat Simons 🦋 The Friends of Kat Simons Foundation, dedicated to continuing the community support that Kat Simons had dedicated her life to, invites everyone to join in a day of live music, charity, and remembrance.

The event will feature live music from local talents, Ryan Colton & Not Just 90's Unplugged, Susan Greenbaum Band, 64 Crayons Band, and KOS Band.

Come and enjoy local food vendors, live music and meet pet adoptable pets! Many of the organizations that Kat Simons supported will be on site providing information and support.

This is a family friendly event and all donations from the event will directly benefit the Friends of Kat Simons Foundation, helping continue support many local charities that Kat Simons cherished.

We hope to see you there! 🐱

08/12/2024

I am so so happy for all the cats and dogs who found their homes!

08/12/2024

Bigfoot- Gorilla, same thing right?🦍
Posing, getting ready, catching a treat!
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Bigfoot did very good on his field trip today and was noticeably more confident in the store. Can’t wait to see hose he does on his next trip!
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AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION

08/10/2024

Fido and I had a blast ‘s Doggie Olympics!
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Fido competed in three events and places in two!
He did not place for Fastest Recall (shocking for him)
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He got FIRST place for Fastest Loose Leash Walk!
He got SECOND for longs “stay” (he held a down)
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The “stay” competition was tough, lots of good doggies working hard! He won’t two medals and he got two goodie bags! So much fun and so proud of him!

08/10/2024

08/09/2024

08/08/2024

Miss Birdie was back for Puppy Program today!
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Her family has absolutely been rocking it at home with her! She’s doing great in her crate, she’s not having any potty accidents, and is just being a really good pup!
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There is a little bit of tension with her older doggy sister, so we talked about ways to address that. I even sent them home with a little bit of homework for big sister! Overall, they’re doing a really great job and I look forward to seeing her again in a couple weeks for her next lesson!

08/06/2024

Saturday August 10th is Clear The Shelter Day!
Rachel Koehler Dog Training is teaming up with Henrico Humane Society and Henrico County Police Animal Shelter to offer $750 OFF the Board & Train Program for ALL DOGS ADOPTED AT THE EVENT!
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Rachel Koehler understands the importance of training and believes that trained dogs are more likely to stay in the home and live long happy lives with their adopters. RKDT wants to help ensure that your new best friend fits into your home as seamlessly as possible! Training is also a great way to build a bond with your new dog since most dogs really enjoy training!
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To qualify for this discount you must adopt your dog through this event. Snap a picture of your new dog at the event for proof.
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This deal ends 12/31/24

08/06/2024

I got to see Miss Chocka back for a little follow up lesson today!
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I would say she’s pretty comfortable at my house because she immediately fell asleep on place! We took a field trip to Lowe’s to practice heel a bit more and I was very happy with the progress she made!

08/06/2024

I am so excited to announce that Rachel Koehler Dog Training was voted RICHMONDS BEST DOG TRAINER AGAIN this year! An honor that we have gotten TWO YEARS IN A ROW! Thank you for putting this together. Thank you to all my clients and supporters for voting for me for Richmond’s Best Dog Trainer!
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I am so thankful to live and work in such a dog friendly community! One thing is certain about Richmond- we love our dogs! I feel so lucky that through my training I have been able to help so many families build a stronger and healthier bond with their dog!
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So again, thank you to my clients, family, friends and supporters because RKDT wouldn’t be what it is without yall! I am so excited to continue to build on this amazing community of dog lovers and to continue to work hard to be worthy of the title of “Richmond’s Best!”

08/05/2024

Dalmatian Party🎉
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The “Sit”
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The Release

08/04/2024

The kittens are 39 Days Old Today!
They will be six weeks on Wednesday!
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Individual photos are getting harder and harder! These babies like to move! I tried a new squeaky sound to get their attention and they did not enjoy that. Also Hugo and Lila were napping and I woke them up for the photo….that worked because they sat still….but they were confused and cranky I woke them up. Oops!