Connected K9s, LLC

23/12/2023

Thank you to all the pups in this video that have impacted my life so much this year!
I am blessed!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

Please Like & Share!!

21/12/2023

Love getting updates on sweet Dixie!!

“Hasn’t been on the table or counter once!

17/12/2023

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Thunder in Puppy Start Right Preschool and for 8 sessions of private training.

Thunder is the sweetest boy with a zest for life! He’s the epitome of adolescence ~ exuberant, playful, testing boundaries, excitable, and active! Meeting a dog’s needs and being consistent is key to living cohesively ~ especially with an adolescent! Even though it seems like an adolescent dog isn’t learning what you are teaching, just hang in there! Just like our human teenagers ~ when they mature, you realize they really were paying attention to everything you said!

14/12/2023

12/12/2023

Meet Hank Jones ~~ I know!!… I thought it was his stage name, too, but it’s not!! Hank is the real deal!

Hank was about 3 ½ months old when we started working together. We worked on foundation behaviors, potty training, exposing Hank to novel things, reading his body language, and observing his posture and how he navigates himself through an ACE Free Work course. I had a blast with this incredible family! I love how committed they are to Hank and how they support him on his learning journey! It's amazing what you can accomplish in six sessions!

09/12/2023

I just spent 3 days last week attending the L.E.G.S. in Motion Conference (virtual). L.E.G.S. is an acronym for Learning ~ Environment ~ Genetics ~ Self. Being licensed as Family Dog Mediator is one of certifications I'm working on, and this conference was a deep dive into looking at the whole animal and considering everything about that animal, rather than looking at how we can just manipulate behavior to suit what we want.

Thank you, Kim Brophey, for bringing the ethology lens and this framework to the forefront of dog training and focusing on truly understanding why a dog acts like a dog!

The longer I'm in this profession, the more I realize that the most effective way to understand your dog and live cohesively together is to consider them like you would a young child. With children, you consider how they learn and their learning history (L); you look at what environment you expect them to be able to function in (E); you consider what they were born with (G); and you look at who they are as an individual, including their health, emotions, resiliency, etc. (S). Teachers completely understand this.

It seems simple enough, but humans often let their egos get in the way and demand that a dog fit into whatever role they want them to without really considering who they really are and what they really need and that they are sentient beings ~ just like us. 🐾💕

07/12/2023

When I meet with Zoe, all I want to do is SMOOCH her little face!! 🥰🥰🥰 She’s so adorable that it’s really hard for me to concentrate… 😍

Zoe is a 15-week-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier. We’ve been working together for just about 6 weeks already and let me tell you, she is a ROCKSTAR!! ⭐️

Zoe’s mama wanted to get a great start with her precious little puppy, so she started Zoe’s learning journey a little over a week after bringing her home! It’s so much easier on the family and on the pup when you begin the process as soon as they get home. Tuning into what they’re telling you and giving them appropriate experiences makes your bond very strong!

01/12/2023

Can everyone please join me in gushing about my super awesome daughter-in-law, Krysta Rybarczyk??

Krysta texted me yesterday telling me Addy had a rough morning getting her nails trimmed, so she set up an ACE Free Work course when they got home so she could reset, rebalance, and relax!!

Addy (aka Sassafras, Miss Addy, Addy-pants…) is so lucky you’re her mama!!
Adam Rybarczyk

29/11/2023

All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW!! This sweet little English Springer Spaniel is a SUPERSTAR!!

June is a puppy that absolutely thrives on learning new behaviors! We just finished 6-sessions and had a blast together! Her mom is so vested in her learning that she can’t help but succeed!

Teaching a young puppy to relax, reset, and release tension in their bodies promotes general wellbeing and allows them to be the best version of themselves. Simply slowing down and observing our pups is a valuable piece of the puzzle that is often overlooked. Observe more ~ do less.

By not delaying training, June didn’t have much of an opportunity to develop unwanted behaviors and is off to a great start in her learning journey!!

24/11/2023

Gio loves leftovers 🐾💕

13/11/2023

Love this update I received at the end of October from Daisy’s mom! 🐾💕

“Daisy made it all the way around the block just now for the first time😭”

Daisy has come so far ~ getting her to the point where she is confident enough to walk around her block is a big deal. 🥳 This family put in so much work supporting Daisy, which has resulted in her making great progress! A lot of times it’s not about “training behaviors” as much as it is about getting to the underlying emotional issues which is what ultimately helps your dog be the best they can be! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

31/10/2023

Congrats to my Begindergarten Connections Class! They all improved so much in 4 weeks! I had such a blast with these beautiful pups!!

30/10/2023

Oh Addy, how thoughtful of you! Gio loves his birthday presents! 🎁

27/10/2023

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! 🥰
Can hardly believe that Gio is 10 years old today!

For his birthday, Gio got special treats from Glitzy Bones!
Boy oh boy, did he love them!

Gio has been the most amazing teacher I’ve ever had ~ everything changes when you listen to what your pup is telling you.

When I got Gio I thought he was a devil dog lol! 🙃
Ends up that he is the most wonderful, smart, happy, easy to live with, incredible dog! 😍

Plus, he’s a very cute boy! 😘 🐾💕

26/10/2023

They can be–just ask an emergency doctor or veterinarian how many retractable leash injuries they see every year.

21/10/2023

I loved working with Tucker and his family! With the support of his family, his trainer ☺️, and his veterinarian, Tucker is on his way to being able to trust people he doesn’t know. By looking at the whole picture, we can better support our pups. Pain has a direct impact on behavior, so sometimes we just need to tune into what their bodies are telling us and work as a team to bring out the best in them.

16/10/2023

I was just thinking about Dixie and wondering how she was doing since our sessions ended, and I received this text from her mom:

"Hello! It’s Stephanie & Dixie, just wanted to show you her tonight while we are eating dinner 😊

We were thinking about you today, we miss you coming over but so thankful for your training!"

Love, love, love getting updates!!

09/10/2023

Say hello to my Begindergarten Connections Class!

06/10/2023

I had such a great time working with Fly & Auggie! These two made steady progress and over 6 sessions were able to manage the environment better. Plus, they learned behaviors, pattern games, and some loose-leash walking strategies!

They’re going to Florida for the winter, but I’m looking forward to continuing with them when they return to Michigan. We may even do a couple virtual sessions in the meantime!

02/10/2023

Can't seem to get enough of this behavior stuff... 🙃

Spent this weekend attending the Aggression in Dogs Conference ~ absolutely mind blowing!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

Trying to understand and break down the complexities of canine behavior is the only way to help a dog that is struggling with aggressive-like behaviors.

26/09/2023

This may not look like a big deal but being able to relax next to each other doesn’t always come easy to all dogs. These two get along, but they had difficulty relaxing next to each other for very long. Teaching them to relax and de-stress was a huge part of their training plans. Multi-dog households can be complex.

Living together can sometimes cause anxiety ~ just like humans living together. We expect so much from our dogs, yet if we look at our own feelings and behaviors, we will realize that all sentient beings’ behavior stems from their emotional, physical, and mental well-being. Meeting those needs makes living together so much easier.

It is well known that posture and pain have a direct effect on behavior. Through ACE Free Work we help an animal holistically relieve body tension, relief from frustration, and stress. By engaging their seeking system an animal is able to reset and relax.

21/09/2023

These two dynamic dogs finished up class last week! 👏

Don’t let them fool you, this class was just an excuse for them to continue their love affair! 🐾💕 💜 🐾💕 💙 🐾💕

Either way, we did work on maintaining behaviors during high distraction environments and proofing simple behaviors.

Hans & Addy were just meant to be!

14/09/2023

Finished a couple classes last week and starting new ones next week!

13/09/2023

New classes starting!
Reserve your spot!

05/09/2023

Who doesn’t love a Chiweenie? This is Blue… Blue is a little guy with big feelings! Behavior modification takes time, patience, and consistency to help dogs reframe how they feel and view the world. Classical counterconditioning by using pattern games is part of his training plan.

I’m also using ACE Free Work with Blue to help him reset, rebalance, and find a place of calm to pull from instead of just reacting. Posture and pain affect behavior and ACE Free Work is a great way to observe your dog while it helps them to build confidence by engaging all of their senses.

03/09/2023

This is Willa, a black sable German Shepherd. Willa is my oldest son’s adolescent pup! I’ve been lucky enough to spend five days with her ~ she is full of energy and personality!

I may steal her from him…

02/09/2023

Meet Calli ~ almost 4 years old, Zipper ~ 9 ½ years old, and Lily ~ 11 years old! We’re working on them living a little more relaxed together. A dog is never too old to learn how to cope with the things that bother them. Giving them strategies and guiding them to make better choices is all part of a good behavior modification training plan.

31/08/2023

Jemma and Jackson are a couple of enthusiastic doodles! Learning how to hone in on a pup’s energy is key to successful training!