Kindred K9

06/01/2022

Taylor is now a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC-KA)! Committed to ongoing continuing education and helping you & your dog work through behavior concerns!

05/18/2022

Considering adding a new pup to your family? Check out this post about the process of choosing a dog!

http://kindred-k9.com/index.php/choosing-your-next-dog/

04/25/2022

Ba*****ed Ladies • Lookin’ Up

02/22/2022

William really doesn’t like people reaching for his collar, so I’ve been working with him on letting him choose to do a specific type of hand target that then signifies a collar grab is coming.

02/17/2022

Matthew & William have been reacting to the neighbor’s antagonistic shepherd for months. They usually charge the fence and bark back and forth at each other. But today was different.

Today Matthew & William chose to play with their toys with me instead of fence fighting. I muted the video to save your ears, but the shepherd is barking up a storm at the fence line throughout this video - and these drivey herding boys chose to play anyway.

Dogs making great choices when they have the option to not to is one of my FAVORITE training victories!!

Proof that is more than just treats. 😉

02/13/2022

Savvy was rocking her intro to stationing today! What a boss!

01/31/2022

Cooperative Care practice using the Bucket Game - starring Luna the Eurasier!

01/25/2022

When the bird dog discovers the bird feeder, starring Laszlo. 😂

01/18/2022

I’m officially collecting black tri herding gals! 😂

Accepting clients in the Portland metro area - don’t be fooled by the clients in the picture, I work with behavior issues and basic skills for all sorts of dogs!

01/17/2022

We are hiring an Assistant Trainer to help run small playgroups and work on basic skills with playgroup dogs 2-3 days per week. Some dog handling experience is required and any prior training experience is a bonus.

Days and hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9:30am - 5pm. There is potential for work on Wednesdays in the future. Candidates should have reliable transportation.

We use positive/force-free methods! This is a great opportunity for someone who is working on their hours for certification through the CCPDT or IAABC.

Duties:
-Manage small group play for day camp dogs to ensure safety, species-appropriate social behavior, and enjoyment
-Provide enrichment activities to dogs on an individual and small group basis. Examples of enrichment activities may include sniffy walks, food puzzles, etc.
-Assist with positive reinforcement based skills training for dogs attending day camp, including but not limited to: find it, mat work/place, automatic check ins, loose leash walking, and others. (The Assistant does not need to have a past background in training these skills, but should have a willingness to learn & grow as a trainer in the course of the position.)

01/05/2022

Working on “stand” and “back up” cues with a lovely group of pups today!

I love to teach “back up” to dogs that like to get a bit clingy when you’re moving around the house - everyone needs some extra breathing room now and then! It can also be helpful in close quarters, like if your dog sometimes ventures between furniture and the wall… and then gets stuck back there.

01/04/2022

Just a little video of recently-adopted Nell & me figuring out how we can work together! She had substantial training when she was younger with her last mom, but we still have to dust off those old skills and become a team. 😊

12/03/2021

You know muzzle conditioning is going well when you put the basket muzzle on your pup and he chooses to go take a nap.

I’m so proud of Wilbur and his mom for how much work they’ve put in and how far Wilbur has come!

10/26/2021

It’s so important for our dogs’ well being that they get opportunities to do “dog things” - this might look like lots of sniffing around where they want, opportunities to run off leash, or even formal activities like herding or nose work.

Don’t forget that even though they live in our human world, sometimes we need to create space for them to just be dogs, too.

10/02/2021

As a trainer, I want to be effective in helping people and their dogs live happily together.

But I also want to help people feel accepted, supported, and empowered during the training process. There is so much judgement in the world of pet parenting. Here’s some of the milder examples:

You let your dog share your bed? You’re being too lenient!
You don’t walk your dog daily? You’re being lazy!

I’m not here to do that to my clients. Working with reactivity is stressful and alienating. Working with anxiety is exhausting. Working with aggression, separation distress, overstimulation… it’s all hard enough without your trainer leaving you feeling judged or unsupported.

Humans and dogs, I believe we’re all doing the best we can. And we all deserve compassion and support.

09/20/2021

Trainer Tip: Dog bites don't happen out of the blue - instead, most dogs try very hard to communicate with us first that they're stressed, uncomfortable, or even scared! Unfortunately we humans aren't always so great at speaking dog. Here's a handy illustration about the signals dogs can give us before they resort to biting.

(Image shows a vertical ladder with arrows that point to different words, with the arrows turning from green to red as they move up the ladder. The words from bottom to top are: Yawning, blinking, nose licking; Turning head away; Turning body away, sitting, pawing; Walking away; Creeping, ears back; Standing crouched, tail tucked under; Lying down, leg up; Stiffening up, staring; Growling; Snapping; Biting)

09/07/2021

09/05/2021

Churro got his breakfast in a Kong Wobbler this morning - it took him about 15 minutes to roll all the kibble out of it, with lots of snuffling around the floor to find it all!

What’s your favorite enrichment feeding tool? (Store bought or DIY!)

08/31/2021

No dog is ever a truly “blank slate.”

Applied Ethologist and Dog Behavior Specialist, Kim Brophey, analyzes the issues with the pet industry and outlines a new dog training program that values a relationship based on mutual understandings rather than one based on dominance and control.

08/28/2021

What are you (and your pup!) doing to enjoy this beautiful weekend?

08/15/2021

We’re offering two unique small group classes starting Fridays in September!

If your kiddo would love to teach the family dog new skills, learn some pro handling tricks, and be a more confident dog handler - Kids & K9s could be a great fit!

And if your dog is shy or a bit of a scaredy-cat who could use some help learning how to exist happily in the world, then Confident Canine may be right for them!

Reach out to Taylor at 573-305-2930 for more info or to enroll.

08/10/2021

08/08/2021

Does your dog pay any attention to you around distractions? This is a new skill for Churro the cattle dog but he’s already getting better at it!

08/06/2021

A “sniffari” is a walk where your dog may be on a long line instead of a regular 4-6’ leash and where they’re allowed to choose where they go and at what pace, sniffing and exploring the world around them the whole time. This type of walk is great mental exercise for your dog and can also help them to relax and let themselves just be a dog!

Have you ever taken your dog on a “sniffari”?

08/02/2021

“We are only just beginning to understand the power of love because we are just beginning to understand the weakness of force and aggression.”

-B.F. Skinner

07/31/2021

Taylor is now Pet CPR certified - safety first! 😁

05/21/2021

Let's have some Friday fun - tell me about the coolest trick your dog knows!

05/20/2021

A key component to a solid “heel”: where is the dog’s attention?