Midwest K9 Training and Fitness

11/11/2024

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served—human and dog alike. Thank you for your bravery and service!!

11/07/2024

Can your dog hold a solid "down" when you need it?

There are so many situations where a reliable down can be a lifesaver.

In this video, I asked Nya to hold a down when I spotted a reactive dog approaching, so the owner didn’t have to worry about her.

Having a solid down is a must for real-life scenarios like this!

Ready to level up your dog's training? Message me to get started!

Send a message to learn more

11/04/2024

Happy Monday from Nya! ✨

Rainy days = finding indoor training opportunities like dog friendly stores ☔🐶🐾

11/02/2024

Building solid foundations ✨ starts with a strong partnership between you and your dog, working together as a team! 👊🏼

Is your dog easily distracted on leash? Want to give them more off-leash freedom? Let’s work together to help them focus on you, no matter what’s going on around them.

Contact me to begin your dog training journey today!

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween! 🦴🎃👻

A Dog Trainers Haunted House..... 🐾

10/30/2024

In dog training, a strong relationship with your dog encourages them to look to you for guidance. This connection is rooted in trust and respect, not in the outdated notion of being the "alpha."

So, how do we foster that trust and respect? By incorporating play, establishing boundaries, providing corrections, offering rewards, and ensuring our dogs succeed. Remember, the bond with your dog is something to cultivate from day one.

10/29/2024

Fall hike yesterday with Nya 🐶🍂🐾

09/11/2024

04/10/2024

Training your dog is so much more than obedience.. it's about building a solid relationship so you understand each other, respect each other and work together.
You work as a TEAM 🐾✨

04/09/2024

Meet the dogs! It's only fair to introduce the dogs that started it all 🐶

Nya .. Aka little woman 🥰

Age - 1.5

Breed - German Shepherd

Favorite things - frisbee, tug, doing ANY kind of work, canicross, wrestling around with dad 😅

Least favorite things - garbage bags

Sports - currently training to compete in American Schutzhund/PSA

Goals - continue to increase confidence, trial in sport, give some new things a try this summer- kayaking, dock diving

04/09/2024

Meet the dogs! It's only fair to introduce the dogs that started it all 🐶

Monty ... Aka Mr. Handsome 😎

Age - 6 (best guess from the shelter)

Breed - pitbull terrier mix (Half Pitbull Terrier, with a bit of German Shepherd, Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Sharpei and Beagle.. the perfect mix 😉)

Favorite things - ANY food, working for his food by learning new tricks, hiking, playing with his favorite pack of griffs, ear scratches

Least favorite things - dogs he doesn't know, the city bus

Sports - dabbled in GRC (Monty loves the weight pull and slatmill), American Schutzhund obedience

Goals - Continue to build confidence and have fun trying different sports

04/08/2024

Meet the trainer!

With some new faces around, I wanted to reintroduce myself. I'm Regan, the head trainer/owner of MidwestK9 Training. My passion for dogs began in my youth, growing up with a small Shih Tzu mix and hunting dogs. In 2020, I adopted Monty, my first personal dog, who presented unique challenges. Monty struggled with various forms of reactivity and lacked exposure to many basic experiences. Despite the difficulties, my determination to help him never wavered. Consulting with numerous trainers and facing rejection from one due to Monty's severe reactivity only fueled my commitment to his improvement. Our journey involved personalized training, group classes, community activities, and exploration of dog sports like GRC and American Schutzhund. Through it all, I've learned not just about obedience and reactivity, but also about meeting a dog's genetic needs and strengthening the bond between dog and owner.

Fun facts!

Favorite breed - I am a sucker for bully breeds - any bully breed mix has my heart (thanks Monty)

Favorite thing to train - basic obedience and reactivity

Favorite activity with my dogs - fetch and teaching new tricks

04/02/2024

Want to include your dog on your weekend adventures? Whether it's hiking, boating, kayaking, camping or just chilling at a café, it all starts with training in your home! Set your dog up for a lifetime of adventures 🐶
Ready to begin? Drop me a message or email to book your first lesson!

03/30/2024

What a quick training session looks like with Nya. And yes a HUGE part of it is PLAY!
Training should be fun for you and your dog! My sessions with Nya look different than my sessions with Monty because they are motivated by different things, but having fun, laughing, making mistakes and most importantly spending quality time with them is part of every session. 🐶✨

03/28/2024

Sharing this again! As warmer weather is approaching, more and more people are adopting dogs and looking for breeders.

Breed matters!! - you can't train the genetics out of them 🧬

Puppy season is upon us! With the weather warming up many people are seeking out breeders and heading to the shelters to bring home a dog. When looking for your perfect match, it's important to keep genetics in mind. Know the breed before you get the dog.
Genetics 🧬 are so important when picking out a dog that will fit your style. Dogs were bred for a purpose - to do a job. In this day and age many people have taken away that job and tried to water down the breed. This is entirely UNFAIR to the dog, and results in a lot of working breeds flooding the shelters.

Huskies were originally bred for sled pulling. So, if you decide your heart is set on a husky be prepared to provide lots of physical and mental stimulation. A 2 mile walk isn't going to cut it for this breed.

Think Great Pyrenees are super cute fluff balls as puppies? Well that fluff ball turns into a 100+lb dog that was bred to deter sheep-stealing wolves and other predators in snowy mountain tops.

Hunting/sporting breeds have become very popular for people that aren't hunting! The GSP was originally bred to be all-round hunting dogs that can hunt, point and retrieve. Don't be surprised when they venture far from you. A short walk isn't going to cut it for this athletic sporting breed.

Think an APBT is going to make you look tough? Or that they are just big babies who have a bad rep? Think again - these powerful and athletic dogs were originally bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. When baiting large animals was outlawed, people turned to fighting their dogs against each other. APBT are genetically prone to DA AND AA. It is disrespectful to the breed to water them down and act like they are big babies - they were bred to work. Taking them to the dog park and treating them like children is not doing them any favors.

Not respecting what your dog was bred to do is doing your dog a HUGE disservice.

So, research the breed you are interested in BEFORE getting it. Reach out to owners and ask to meet their dogs. Talk to a trainer to see what breed would fit your lifestyle best. And make sure to have a trainer lined up when you bring your pup home! 🐾

03/18/2024

Do you play with your dog?
Playing with your dog is SO important... Maybe the most important aspect of building a solid relationship with your dog. Some dogs make it easier than others. Nya would play with a rock whereas Monty REALLY makes me work. It's taken a lot of time to figure out what clicks with him, but it's all been worth it.
Play can help build your relationship with your dog, improve obedience and impulsive behaviors, fulfill them mentally and physically, improve reactivity and so much more!




Ready to take the next steps? Send me a message!

03/16/2024

Do you have goals for your dog? ✨👊🏼
My goals with Nya - continue our journey in PSA and AS, enroll in some detection classes and give some dock diving a try 🐶
My goals with Monty - continue to work on his reactivity and find a sport he enjoys - Monty LOVES working for food. I think some nose work classes and agility would be fun for him! 🤩

Drop your goals in the comments! ✨