Defy Gravity K9 Rehab & Training

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Defy Gravity K9 Rehab & Training

DGK9 utilizes Balanced Training methods for behavior modification.

28/08/2025

It’s no coincidence that as the cultural shift has begun, there’s been changes in our children and in our dogs.

When society determines that shielding, protecting, negotiating, and allowing are more valuable than exposure, self-responsibility, rules, and accountability, it’s no wonder both species are struggling.

We’re so consumed with trying to ensure everyone and everything avoids discomfort that we’ve guaranteed that the lessons that come from a less protected, more honest reality are never taught.

And so we see the struggles. And funnily enough, we ask: “What’s wrong with kids/dogs these days?”

Here’s the hint: the problem isn’t them. The problem is that anyone is naive enough to be asking the question.

27/08/2025

I want you to remember today that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. As long as you are willing to learn, grow, and try new things. As long as you are consistent. As long as you are open.

Raise the ceiling for yourself. Raise the ceiling for your dog. Never put a cap on you or your dog's potential if you aren't willing to put in the work. Amazing things can happen if you are ready to accept the work and the challenge to achieve that greatness.

26/08/2025

Why do we teach the "place" command? The better question may be, why wouldn't we teach it?

When looking at dogs, most of the time, they are always "on," so to speak. They are ready to go all the time. They are in constant motion. But what happens if we teach a dog to slow down, to stop, to relax, to watch the world going on around them? Magic, that's what happens. We see start to see a clearer headed dog emerge while anxiety decreases. We see dogs who formerly couldn't handle being alone become dogs who are robust and resilient. Separation anxiety decreased, overexcitement diminished, and an overall better state of mind started to shine through.

And isn't this something we want for all of our dogs? To be able to relax? So again, why do we teach the place command? Because the alternate to not doing so would only hinder the dog's progress.

25/08/2025

Until you put in the work and train your dog, you'll never know what's possible. You'll never know where your dog's ceiling is at because you have never put in the consistent effort to get there... or to raise the ceiling.

And until you put in the work, you can only guess where your dog's ceiling is. You can only guess where they "could" be. You can only guess the greatness you both could achieve because the effort hasn't been put in yet, consistently.

So many people are quick to judge, quick to dismiss, and quick to “know”. But the truth is unknowable, until the work has been done. There is a ceiling for every dog. And for some, that ceiling is very low. So judge slowly, cautiously, and with an open mind.

24/08/2025

Environmental exposure and public outing at Lowe's for Rosie the Border Collie (Stay & Train Program) and Dot the Doberman (Rehab and Train Program). These young ladies are coming along nicely in their training!

22/08/2025

Nope, it’s not the training. Nope, it’s not the tools.
Nope, it’s not the amazing presence you have.

For many dog trainers, their job title can mislead them. They get so focused on the dog and the amazing work they are able to do with the dog that they forget what actually changes dogs deeply and permanently.

Owners.

You can be an amazing trainer, but without owner follow through, owner transformation (lifestyle and emotional), and owner desire to put in the above work to get the desired outcome, all that amazingness will be for naught.

Yes, owners need the boost, insight, and the foundation you can provide, but the only thing that will create lasting and continuously improving results are changes in the environment the dog lives in every day.

Whatever YOU do, if it isn’t passed on, understood, and implemented by the owners, it will fade. Promise.

So this means we’ve got mutual responsibilities going on. We need to train the dog and get them into the best space. We then need to train the owners and help them to understand what they need to do and why they need to do it. And then, it’s up to the owners to make it all stick.

Trainers can struggle by being too dog-centric and missing the human element (you have to be a great communicator with humans and actually care about them, too). They can struggle by taking whoever comes through the door (taking just any client guarantees you’ll have many who aren’t as committed as you are). And trainers can struggle because they forget that they’re only the beginning (you are at best the reset or new launching point, not the finish line).

When trainers and owners both understand how the process works, both parties can find success and dodge disappointment and frustration.

Whatever the dog experiences consistently and continuously is what the dog will become. So unless the dog is going to live with you, the trainer, you better make sure you and your owner/client understand this concept very clearly.

21/08/2025

How do we go about creating wildly positive transformations in dogs? The answer may not be what you think.

We aim to turn off the dog's "auto pilot." You know, where the dog completely doesn't think before making a decision and instead just reacts. While in auto pilot, the dog has zero impulse control and do as they please. We see this often at our drop-off consultations where, a lot of the time, the dog is already barking in the car or creating havoc while the owner attempts to get out of the vehicle. They drag the owner around, head to the ground, sniffing, barking, jumping, and yes, sometimes growling and lunging (praise the Lord for the "cupcakes" we've had recently).

Now, this doesn't stop as soon as the owner leaves, either. This is something we have to work on to achieve the desired outcome. We have to "reboot" the dog. We have to teach impulse control and teach the dog how to make better choices. They start to become aware of their actions and understand there are consequences for the negative choices they make. They become "self-aware."

That's when the magic starts to happen. That's when the truly transformative stuff occurs. The kind of stuff where the dog goes from being anxious to being relaxed, from being reactive to chilling, and from being overly goofy to learning when being silly is appropriate and when it's not. And it all happens through the little moments: not bolting out of doors, being respectful in a crate, structured walking, learning to be patient, etc. And you know what? The end product is a far more peaceful and enjoyable life for both you and your dog.

20/08/2025

Creating what you don’t want...

This is a super common mistake, and one that is made by many people. Their goal is to improve their dog’s behavior by reinforcing “positive” experiences and feelings. The problem is, reinforcing, does just that... it reinforces. And if your dog is doing anything that you don’t want more of - jumping, barking, growling, pulling, possessing, guarding, or reacting aggressively or fearfully, etc. - then sharing food, affection, or playing with your dog when they are engaging in these behaviors means you’re going to get more, not less of them.

How do you get a dog to sit more? You reinforce it. How do you get a dog down more? You reinforce it.

But if you’ve got a dog exhibiting unwanted behavior, reinforcing is the exact opposite of what you want to be doing.

The appropriate approach is to punish/correct the unwanted behavior (even if it's fear, nervousness, uncertainty, etc.), and THEN reinforce the new wanted behavior through leadership and guidance.

It’s a simple concept, but it’s done wrong so often that most dogs are trained to do exactly what the owners DON’T want, rather than what they do. Most dogs are conditioned to become exactly what owners don’t want and create more of a mess.

Instead, keep it simple. Punish what you don’t want, and reward what you do. Don’t attempt to soothe, relax, or comfort through reward, and don’t attempt to stop poor choices through reward.

Get this right, and you’re on your way to a much improved dog.

19/08/2025

What you allow and what boundaries you set for your dog determine what you get. There are no two ways around it.

So if you don't like the results you are getting, evaluate what you are reinforcing. Because, most likely, one of those or both of those need to be tweaked.

17/08/2025

A little off-leash training with Rosie the Border Collie who is in the 3 week Stay & Train Program 🙌🏼

P.S. I don't recommend jogging in Chacos 🤣😅

11/08/2025

Week 1 Progress Report for Rosie and Dot, who are currently in our Stay & Train Program and Rehab & Train Program.

I am exceptionally proud of both young ladies for being able to maintain a down-stay while my toddler not only carried her plate of little snacks between them but also while she ate and played. Do both Dot and Rosie still need a good but of training, patterning, and proofing? Oh, absolutely! But I'm thrilled with their progress so far!

I am looking forward to seeing what the next couple of weeks have in store for these exceptional young ladies!

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Why Choose Us?

We’ve been there! That’s right, we’ve been the people with the unruly dogs that everyone avoids. We’ve been the people whose dog is aggressive. We’ve been the people that couldn’t go to the dog park. We’ve been the people whose dog controlled the walk. We’ve been there! We understand what you are going through without a doubt.

Here’s the good news, it doesn’t have to be that way! Once we applied our proven dog psychology techniques, our pack became balanced almost overnight. This can be the same for you too!

We are certified in dog psychology and will help you to read your dog’s body language to what they are trying to tell you. We decided on the name, Defy Gravity, as not so much of a physical thing (however exercise and obstacle training goes along with it), but we also rehabilitate death row dogs that we have given another chance at life and have now found loving homes for. So in a sense, we are beating the odds for these dogs and “defying gravity”.

Here are a few of the things that we can help you and your dog with: