ADK-Nine Behavior & Training

12/14/2025

12/01/2025

Helpful tips

11/28/2025

I’m home a day early from Thanksgiving and I’m available for lessons all weekend—dog training, social walks, or behavior problems. Send me a message if you’re interested.
Here’s Colvin enjoying the snow. 🐶

10/22/2025

As Halloween approaches, help your dogs to not be afraid of the Halloween decorations. Give them time and distance and information so they can resolve their confusion and discomfort with these weird and slightly threatening figures.

Send a message to learn more

10/19/2025

It's so important to recognize our dogs' emotional states and respond appropriately! A well-regulated dog who knows what to do is a well-behaved dog!

Send a message to learn more

09/28/2025

It’s Not Your Dog’s Job to Know What You Hoped For

Your dog wasn’t born knowing how to be the dog you imagined when you first brought them home. It’s not their job to figure that out. Their “job” is to do what feels safe and what helps them survive in the world.

If there’s something about your dog’s behaviour you’d like to change or improve, the first step is is understanding. Ask yourself:

What is my dog trying to start?

What is my dog trying to stop?

What does my dog need or want?

Every behaviour has a motivation behind it. Once we understand why our dogs are responding the way they do, we can step in with compassion. That means managing situations to reduce stress, and then helping them learn new ways to get their needs met, ways that work better in our human world.

In the end, it shouldnt be about expecting dogs to stop being dogs. It’s about building a bridge between what they need and what we need and thinking if our expectations are fair or idealistic.

Both sides can feel safe, understood, and connected when we consider the motivations and how we can support not surpress our dogs.

08/22/2025

I love it when people have this attitude 🙏🏻❤️🐶

08/15/2025

Colvin loves wrestling and roughhousing, and Tony is a great playmate!
If your dog has a preferred play style, they will appreciate having opportunities to play with like-minded, well-matched dogs!

07/07/2025

If you train with me, this is what you get 🐶