Hackles & Hide K9 Academy

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United States
Marion, IA
Hackles & Hide K9 Academy

At H&H, we take a psychological approach to training from a dogs point of view. We specialize is healing and rehabilitation for K9 aggression and reactivity.

We also offer basic and advanced obedience using positive methods.

09/06/2025

Are you really aware of what your dog actually needs⁉️ .. We have seen a lot of misconceptions surrounding this topic! 😵‍💫

We hear it all the time from owners, foster, shelters/rescues, I give my dog food, water, a place to sleep, vet visits, and a yard. But it's not enough for most dogs. – So, what else do they need? 🤔 I'm going to use the Hierarchy of Needs pyramid to talk about this!

At the foundation of the hierarchy, we identify the following biological needs:

* Physical safety
* Proper nutrition
* Access to clean water
* Sufficient exercise tailored to the individual
* Clean air
* Adequate sleep
* Indoor shelter
* Temperature regulation
* Grooming
* Veterinary care

The second tier involves emotional needs, including:

* Emotional safety
* Trust
* Consistency
* Love and affection
* Environmental enrichment
* Exposure to novelty
Third tier of the pyramid: Social needs:
Secure attachment
Bonding with people
Bonding with dogs
Play

The fourth tier of the pyramid focuses on meeting training needs, specifically including:

* Management
* Learning

Top tier of the pyramid: Cognitive needs:

* Choice
*Consent
*Problem solving

✨️Let's take a look at the appearance and behavior of a dog when all of its needs are met, in contrast to when those needs are not met.

This example is a 2-year-old German Shepherd working line.

He was provided with a house, food, water, neutering, up-to-date shots, and a fenced-in yard to run in.

He quickly became bitey and reactive towards other dogs. Not sure what to do or what caused the behavioral problems, she lacked the needed resources to help him, so she ultimately decided to rehome him.

When he arrived in his new home, his new owner worked diligently to help ensure all his needs were met. He bought him high-quality food, specific probiotics, and enrichment activities. He also got him groomed and started working on play and bonding with him and his other dog.

Once secure bonds were made with him and the German Shepherd and with his other dog, he then hired a trainer to help him learn and heal from his behavioral problems.

After about 7 months of committing to a new lifestyle for his new companion, he began to thrive. His hot spots went away, his anxiety went down, he no longer reacted to other dogs– and was no longer bitey!!!

Interesting how that works!!!
~Ashley~

Ashley : [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com

08/29/2025

FIGHT or FLIGHT.⁉️ What does that mean? 🤔

When a dog is leashed, they are limited in their ability to make choices. This restriction can lead to feelings of being confined.

This lack of control can trigger the part of the brain that processes fear, especially in situations where escape seems impossible. As a result, using a leash might make your dog feel vulnerable and restricted.

The constraint of a leash can limit a dog's natural flight response to stressors, forcing a shift to fight mode.

✨️THIS can result in reactive behaviors, such as barking or lunging, in an effort to increase the distance from perceived threats.✨️

I would also like to mention that not every dog that reacts to a leash is necessarily scared...this is just the most common reason!

If you need help understanding your dog's reactivity, reach out‼️

We are happy to help!

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com

Mike: [email protected]

Ashley: [email protected]

08/27/2025

We love our dogs every day, but today we're gonna show them some extra love!

✨️Happy National Dog Day✨️

✨✨️️Especially to our dudes!!! 🐕 🐕🐕🐕✨️✨️

08/25/2025

When you cant find a bite stick, remeber you aways have a cell phone 😏.. My phone took an unfortunate dive and is currently not working. My messages are being forwarded to a different phone, but I do not have contacts or previous message threads. If you send me a message, PLEASE put your name in the message so I know who you are ‼️‼️ Also, please call and not text today!

THANK YOU!!
Mike

08/23/2025

Is it disobedience, spite, or an unmet need? 🤔 .. ✨️Meet MY dog, Blizzard!✨️

Initially, Blizzard begins the exercise on the heel, and I then request him to switch sides. While he is performing the behavior, he exhibits some unusual actions, including a partial play bow, signs of stress, appeasement behaviors, and then completes the task. 👀

We continue practicing, and when I ask for a touch, he disregards the command and performs a full play bow. It is at this point that I recognize he has an unmet need and focus on addressing it. He then shakes, signaling the end of play, and we resume training, where he demonstrates improved focus and success! 🙌🏼

How do we determine if they are being disobedient, spiteful, ignoring, misunderstanding, or have an unmet need, you ask?

✨️Through context clues, body language, and the individual!✨️

For example, switch is a relatively new command, so for a higher drive dog, it can be stressful trying to be sure he’s doing the right thing, and he is *very* expressive! So, at the time he showed the half play bow, stress, and appeasement, I was unsure if he was stressed because it’s a new command or if he wanted to play.

Disobedience - you ask your dog for something they know well, there are no distractions or stressors, and no unmet need.

Spite - this is *NOT* a dog emotion. Dogs do not do things out of spite.. There is an underlying reason for that behavior‼️

Ignoring: Are there distractions or stressors? This may cause your dog to be less engaged and not listen right away! Be patient, redirect, and repeat if needed!

Thinking: Does the dog pause and shift their body language slightly? They are thinking! Give them a minute or redirect them into better behavior, depending on the situation!

Misunderstanding: Is it a newer command? Did you use a different hand cue? Are you marking and rewarding them enough?

Yeah, dogs are adorable, but sometimes they're a mystery.. right!? That's what we're here for!

If you need help.. REACH OUT!

HAPPY WEEKEND 🙃 ✌🏼

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com

Ashley: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

08/16/2025

✨️Sometimes, we encounter situations where the challenges make us take a deeper dive..✨️

Not everything is black and white. ✨️This is Kona✨️

While it may initially appear that this dog is terrified of the dishwasher, a closer look at the video, considering the dog's breed and herding instincts, tells us the real underlying reasons for this behavior.

✨️Go down this rabbit hole with me..

Kona starts with an eye stalk, spins around the washer to herd it, barks at it, and when it doesn't move, he becomes more intense and agitated.

Because as a herder, he needs to control where the dishwasher goes. Since the dishwasher isn't moving, it's building Kona's frustration.

As soon as I put my arm down to move the dishwasher door, he nose-bumps it to get it to move in the direction he wants. If you know how a cattle dog works, you know what that looks like.

Where this might seem far-fetched, his movements tell us otherwise.

✨️The fact that these dogs reside within a home as a pet does not erase their inherent instincts.✨️

Ashley and I will conduct a follow-up evaluation of Kona to further investigate his behavior, aiming to either exclude or validate an additional hypothesis.. So, stay tuned!

I would also like to add that Konas family has been incredible!

Have questions or need help? REACH OUT!

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com

Mike: [email protected]

Ashley: [email protected]

08/10/2025

⚠️✨️One thing that is really important to me is letting everyone know how great my teammate is and lifting her up. I am so proud of this girl and blown away by the knowledge she has, her willingness to help H&H grow, and above all her love and compassion for animals. I seriously struck ✨️gold✨️ with this one!

✨️ Here's a little background on Ashley : ✨️

Ashley is a certified professional dog trainer who specializes in behavior modification and obedience, and she has dedicated herself to studying canine behavior to understand the root psychological causes of behavioral issues. Her training approach focuses healing and growth versus suppressing emotions through fear.

Ashley holds a degree in Animal Science and has obtained certifications in obedience training and instruction, with experience that includes veterinary technician work and collaboration with animal behaviorists. She also holds a Fear Free Certification.

Ashley's compassionate approach, her strong desire to understand the reason behind the behaviors, and her want to help animals live a happy and healthy life are a few of the many reasons why I'm lucky to have her on my team and truly believe in her as an amazing trainer!

If your dog is struggling with reactivity or just needs some simple obedience, I encourage you to reach out! ✌🏼

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com
[email protected]
641-414-9644

08/09/2025

Event cancelled due to weather, thank you to those that came!

Come see Ashley today at Paws and Pistons at Hawkeye Downs 10 AM - 3 PM and play to win a prize! e

08/08/2025

AHH ‼️ Fence fighting 😱– An issue we see all too commonly. 👎🏼

In this video, you can see the dog barking as it approaches the fence, followed by the other dog running towards it.

Seeing this, you may wonder who the instigator is here? 🤔

How do I stop this behavior?🤔

How do I keep the dog from doing this if the neighbor dog is always barking, too?🤔🤔

Let's get to it!! 👊🏼

• Who is the instigator? The light brown dog is the instigator in this case.

✨️ Observing the German Shepherd's body language, it appears she is responding out of fear and attempting to create distance by encouraging the other dog to move away.

Considering that dogs, particularly puppies, have not fully developed the reasoning portion of their brains to the same extent as humans, when they bark or react, if the other dog responds in kind or does not retreat, they do not pause to consider alternative approaches. Instead, they may escalate their reaction, leading to a cycle that does not remedy itself.

• How do you stop this behavior? The best solution is a ✨️leash✨️

✨️This way, in the beginning, at least, you have some control over the situation and can work on teaching your dog to ignore the other dog through desensitization techniques, redirection techniques, and displacement behaviors.

✨️✨️We can use all these aspects to create a replacement behavior when your dog sees and hears the neighbor dog to end the behavior toward the other dog!✨️✨️

This technique also presumes that the dog does not have any underlying behavioral or medical issues!

If your dog is struggling with fence line reactivity ‐ REACH OUT!

Happy Friday!!✌🏼

~Ashley~

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com

Ashley: [email protected]

Mike: [email protected]

08/05/2025

Update, slot is filled, you can reach out to be put on our waitlist for the next class!

Ready to unleash your dog's best behavior?

Our foundational obedience course trains your dog in all the essential skills, such as sit, stay, down, impulse control, and loose-leash walking, all while strengthening your bond with your best bud!

Utilizing positive reinforcement and relationship-focused methods, along with comprehensive support, you will acquire the necessary skills to cultivate a well-behaved dog.

I have one spot open on the Aug 10th at 5 p.m.

Call/text Ashley @ 641-414-9644 or email at
[email protected]

Www.hacklesandhidek9.comst r

08/01/2025

Happy FOURTH birthday to my business partner, employee of the month ✨️every. single .month✨️, morning motivator, "number one scent dog", partner in crime, BIG TOBII!!

Im not sure what i did to deserve a treasure like you. 🫶🏼

I love you buddy!!!

Address

6270 Partners Avenue Suite #311
Marion, IA
52302

Telephone

+13199301499

Website

http://hacklesandhidek9.com/

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