Defy Gravity K9 Rehab & Training

27/11/2024

Mika had her first training session yesterday afternoon and it went really well! I wanted to see where she's currently at and what she needs to improve on.

I took the training session nice and slow (video is sped-up) because she's pretty exuberant. I wanted to give her time to think and really process what I was asking of her instead of her just moving through the motions as quickly as she could. She's an extremely smart little lady and if she thinks she can get from Point A to Point M by missing all the steps in-between, she absolutely will. But this is a nice start for her and helps me know what all we need to work on from here forward.

She's extremely underweight so we are working diligently to help her put on some healthy weight and gain muscle. Since arriving on Sunday afternoon, she is already starting to look better and her energy level has risen astronomically 🙌🏼





P.S. if I look a little stiff it's for two reasons 1. Because I'm wanting to work her slowly while patterning what I'm asking but mainly for reason 2. I'm currently under the weather and my nose wants to leak when I lean forward 😅

26/11/2024

What are you saying to your dog?

We aren't just talking about words either. Everything you allow your dog to do or don't, every behavior you allow or don't, everything you ask of your dog or don't all adds up to a bigger picture. All of this equates to what kind of relationship you have with your dog. What's allowed and what's not allowed.

Your dog is always watching you. Listening to your actions. They know what they can and can't get away with from YOUR actions.

So, what are you allowing your dog? What is "up for grabs" through a leadership gap? More often than not, if there is this kind of gap and the dog knows it, they will swoop in and take over the leadership position no matter how much the owner thinks they are in charge.

And when this happens? Reactivity/aggression, bullying, pushy, bratty, and resource guarding problems, just to name a few. What else happens? Fears, insecurities, anxiousness, stress, and not being comfortable in their skin because they are being forced into the leader role.

So, how does one go about working to improve this? Leadership. Because leadership is influence. Period. Holding the dog accountable for their behaviors, whether pretty or ugly behaviors. Reward the good and add consequences to the nasty stuff. You'll see your dog start to respect you more and start to become balanced and comfortable. A stronger bond will form with both of you.

25/11/2024

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Miss Mika, who joined our Rehabilitation to Adoption Program yesterday!

She is a lovely 3 year old Dutch Shepherd who has tried a few sports (FastCat and SAR drive building games) with her former owner. We'll be working on continuing her drive building for various sports, brushing up her obedience commands, and getting some healthy weight/muscle on her. We'll also be updating her vaccinations/vetting.

Surrendering a dog is never easy, and we commend her former owner for making that extremely hard decision. Sometimes, things happen, and people have to make those tough decisions in the best interests of their dog. All of that to say, never judge someone for rehoming their dog when you don't know what they are going through (we see so many people casting judgment on others in various animal rehome groups).

So here's to Miss Mika and the future ahead of her! We are so excited to start working with her and dive into her full potential!

24/11/2024

When did leadership and leading become something viewed as a negative? When did being a positive influence, sharing knowledge, paving the way, guiding, being in charge, accountability, and helping your dog succeed become something that is avoided?

Instead, society (this is, in general, as there are exceptions) has shifted to a more soft approach. An evolved, educated, scientific approach where the good is praised and the bad is utterly ignored. But what happens? A feeling of being stuck starts to creep in. The world for both you and the dog slowly gets smaller and smaller. Until you are stuck. You are forced to live in constant management. In fear that something will happen or you are forced to put your dog away in a crate, room, or backyard.

Let's break it down: consequences are the result or effect of an action or condition. We all face them. Daily. If you speed on the way to work, well, you more than likely will get issued a hefty ticket. The consequence was getting pulled over while the punishment was the ticket you'll have to pay. Behaviors can not be stopped, lessened, or shaped without punishment (even if but small). Punishment is heavily viewed as a "bad word" as something that inflicts harm or abuse. However, the definition is quite the opposite: something that reduces or eliminates a behavior. Now that's not so bad, is it?

By definition, it actually sounds extremely ethical. There's no harm, no abuse, but instead decreases negative actions and behaviors. And that's both good for you and the dog. The goal through healthy leadership should always be first and foremost to teach in a fair manner. So why are so many owners feeling "stuck"? They avoid correcting their dogs for unwanted behaviors because it might hurt their dog's feelings or make them "unhappy." But here's the thing, what's truly cruel is depriving the dog from appropriate information about what is and what is not acceptable. By denying this, the dog never learns how to navigate the world safely.

So many owners feel stuck because the thing that can improve their relationship is left out. Here's the thing: if something is comfortable, no change will happen (even if the action is unwanted), whereas discomfort has the ability to change behavior because it is uncomfortable. We see so many dogs with behavior issues who are returned to the shelter, rehomed, put away in crates, rooms, or the yard, and in many cases euthanized because leadership is omitted from the relationship. So, if you are having issues, dig a little deeper. Do the hard work. Look past what society in general tells you and discover what you've known all along.




P.S. there are always exceptions. Some relationships can be more lax while others require a decent amount of daily leadership.

P.P.S. we work with many dogs with extensive behavior issues, and this is one of the things we see commonly ommitted from owners who are struggling with their dogs.

P.P.PS. you'll notice we choose to talk about the "tough" side of the human/dog relationship over the affectionate side. That's because the majority of people don't have an issue giving affection but heavily struggle in the leadership department. Why? Because one side is comfortable and the other part of the equation of a balanced relationship is uncomfortable.

23/11/2024

If nothing else today, think about this: strong leaders lead; weak leaders create chaos.

Which are you? Are you leading by influence? Are you learning and growing? Are you taking ownership of your actions? Or are you blind to what's going on around you? Do you find fault and blame others?

Being a good leader requires you to take ownership of difficulties, problems, and opportunities. Leaders lead by example. So what kind of example are you setting? Are you someone you'd follow?

22/11/2024

The Pup-a-long Pack here at DGK9 is thrilled for these cold mornings to go bikejoring!

22/11/2024

Has your dog bought into your leadership? Think about it this way: Are you a believable leader to your dog? A leader who your dog can trust and know you have them covered even through the chaos of life or through things that worry them?

One of the main components of having a great relationship with your dog is having your dog "buy-in" to your leadership. Are you your dog's biggest advocate? Do you lead and guide them through things that make them nervous, insecure, or overwhelmed? But most importantly, are you able to hold yourself together when life throws a curveball all while giving guidance and direction to your dog so they can relax and feel comfortable knowing no matter what the world throws, you have it covered?

Your dog needs to know that your leadership is real through consistent rules, boundaries, and limitations. Through consistent guidance and that you can be trusted to have your dog's back no matter what; even through the challenging stuff and not just the fun parts of life. If you can do this, you'll start to notice your dog start to trust you more, buy in to your leadership, and ultimately feel safe. It's a great feeling for both you and your dog.

19/11/2024

You'll never know what you can achieve until you put the effort in. You'll never find the ceiling if you never try, and you'll definitely never be able to raise the ceiling if you don't have the work ethic and desire to strive for better.

Where is your dog's ceiling at? Where is your ceiling at? Are you putting in the hard work to find both? It takes time, patience, knowledge, accountability, and leadership to get there. Are you prepared and ready? If so, get ready for you and your dog to achieve great things.

17/11/2024

Talented trainers CAN help your dog reset, learn new behaviors, become reliably obedient, and even stop seriously problematic issues. They can also teach you how to use the tools, the methodology, create structure, share rewards and punishment appropriately, build a healthy relationship, better read your dog...and become a leader who creates a respectful, rewarding, enjoyable life for you and your dog.

However, we can only teach, pattern, and reset your dog, and we can only teach pattern, and reset you. All of our work is simply the beginning, the foundation. It doesn’t last on its own. How could it? The dog lives with you and will respond to what you share moment to moment. If you don’t do what we did to make the initial changes and continue these new ways of being, it only makes sense that your dog and you will revert.

The owners that “win” are the owners who learn to be their dog’s trainer...and their own as well.

It’s one of those universal challenges. Knowing something—even something you’ve seen be enormously positive—and continuing the hard work of daily effort to maintain the great results that you know about, is sadly one of the most challenging things us humans continuously work (and often fail) to overcome.

So the good news is, most likely, what you need, as far as help, is out there. The bad news is that it requires you to implement it. No shortcuts. No delegating. No outsourcing. It starts and ends with you.

16/11/2024

Having dogs know snappy obedience commands is great, but what we work towards is everyday life training with dogs. Teaching them how to relax when the world goes on around them. We enjoy letting dogs play, romp, tug, and run, but there also needs to be an "off-switch" when they need to take a break from playing. Or be able to relax when kiddos are running through the house, or supper is being cooked, or guests come over, or the doorbell rings, or the UPS guy delivers that much anticipated package, or....

So yes, snappy obedience and quick movement are great, but that's also easy for dogs. We ask dogs to settle down, relax, and take in the world around them. Drop all of the anxiousness, fears, excitedness, etc. at the cot and be still. It's so much harder for dogs to be still than it is to move and pace. The mind follows the body, and we are creating dogs who are comfortable in their own skin and can watch the world around them while relaxing.

15/11/2024

*ADOPTABLE PUP-A-LONG ALERT*

Name: Magnolia
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Gender: Spayed Female
Age: ~3 years

Meet Magnolia! This gorgeous lady is roughly 3 years old, spayed, microchipped, UTD on DA2PPL-KC-RV vaccinations, and UTD on monthly heartworm prevention.

Magnolia is low-medium energy but is willing to try new things such as canicross. She is a velcro-dog who is extremely loving and always asks for "hugs" in the most polite manner. Speaking of hugs, she also knows how to do the Conga Line for a cool party-trick!

Magnolia does well with most other dogs after proper introductions. She can be a bit pushy and will posture towards other dogs at first meet, but she also plays beautifully with the other dogs here (as seen in an earlier video). She probably shouldn't be paired with other dominant females, though.

Magnolia hasn't met a stranger so far and enjoys "hugs" from others. However, she does have odd body language where she postures and flag-poles her tail even when she's "happy." It can be a little hard to read her by body language alone and will take some time to get used to her body language.

She does great for brushing, grooming, general vet care, and nail clips, but she does not like her collar being grabbed if she is unsure of the situation. She is muzzle conditioned and conditioned to low pressure on a Herm Sprenger prong collar and Mini Educator ecollar. She is also conditioned to a PetSafe Wireless Fence System.

She would do best in a dog-savvy home who continues with rules, boundaries, limitations, and training for her so that she can be her absolute best self.



*DGK9 is located in Northeast Alabama near Fort Payne. We do not offer transport for the dogs in our Rehabilitation to Adoption Program. We ask that all potential adopters meet the dog in person to ensure a good fit for the dog and the adopter.

15/11/2024

Excellent information from Solid K9 Training 🙌🏼

15/11/2024

Things truly desired rarely ever come easy. There are no shortcuts; just consistent hard work and effort. A desire to improve and a determination to get there. How strong is your drive? How much are you willing to put into it? Because that will determine your outcome.

Now people could try to argue it's because of the training tools being utilized that the dogs behave so well. And while those are helpful, they are only part of the equation. Hours and hours of training go into utilizing the training tools correctly. They aren't being used because deep patterning, reinforcement, and training weren't set into place prior. No, they are there for those life moments, much like how a pilot still has a parachute should something happen even after all the grueling training they have been through.

Training tools aren't for the lazy. They aren't band-aid "fixes." They aren't for those not willing to put in tons of effort. They aren't for "slapping on a dog and shocking or choking into submission." Whoever says that has no idea how to properly use the tool (even a flat collar and harness can be used inappropriately). They take considerable time, effort, and training for the trainer/owner to be effective with them and build communication with their dog. They aren't for the lazy, and they aren't used instead of actual training.

13/11/2024

What prevents chaos? What keeps the peace? What helps create good choices? What causes us all to do and be our best and play by the rules?

Accountability with Consequences.

This is the same for us as it is with our dogs. The knowing that a significant, unpleasant, and valuable consequence will happen when poor choices are made (much like if you go above the speed limit you'll get a ticket or if you touch the hot stove you'll get burned).

It's really that simple. Humans typically try to make this more complicated than it really is, but think about it: behavior is always formed through consequences. Humans and dogs may know what the rules are, what the boundaries are, and what the limitations are, but without real consequences to ensure they are adhered to, then they won't be followed. They'll take the easy path. Even if it is a poor choice.

Without valuable consequence to unwanted behavior, you'll most likely find yourself and your dog in some big trouble.

It's that easy. So be honest with yourself. What behaviors are you allowing by not providing consequences through accountability? Be proactive. Be effective. Be consistent.

10/11/2024

It shouldn't have to be hard. Yet for so many, it is. Here's the thing, though: things truly desired rarely ever come easy. There are no shortcuts; just consistent hard work and effort. A desire to improve and a determination to get there. How strong is your drive? How much are you willing to put into it? Because that will determine your outcome.

Now you could argue it's because of the training tools we use that the dogs we train are behaving so well. And while those are helpful, they are only part of the equation. Hours and hours of training go into utilizing the training tools correctly. They aren't being used because deep patterning, reinforcement, and training weren't set into place prior. No, they are there for those life moments, much like how a pilot still has a parachute should something happen even after all the grueling training they have been through.

These training tools (Herm Sprenger prong collar, Mini Educator ecollar, etc.) aren't for the lazy. They aren't band-aid "fixes." They aren't for those not willing to put in tons of effort. They aren't for "slapping on a dog and shocking or choking into submission." Whoever says that has no idea how to properly use the tool. They take considerable time, effort, and training for the trainer/owner to be effective with them and build communication with their dog. They aren't for the lazy, and they aren't used instead of actual training.

09/11/2024

We see and hear many comments from people stating that with love, patience, and time, the dog who is engaging in (insert any unwanted, reactive, aggressive, or bad behavior) will be okay. But here's the thing, we have to get away from that toxic belief. That approach gets you and the dog nowhere. Instead, it only puts you farther down the rabbit hole.

It’s not a deficiency of love that’s creating the issues. What we typically see is the overabundance of it that’s creating the problems or a complete lack of structure and boundaries.

Here’s something to remember: while we work with some very challenging dogs, and are able to regularly turn them into much safer, happier, healthier dogs, it’s never due to the love we share. Although we care deeply about all the dogs we work with, and we do love our jobs, we aren’t bathing dogs in love and affection to turn them around.

Typically, we’re being tough, strict, and playing very hard to get with all our interactions. At some point, we’re usually able to soften up and share some affection, but that ONLY happens AFTER the proper relationship dynamics have been set in place. Only after they put their teeth away. Only after they stop being reactive. Only after the aggressiveness goes away. Only after the nervousness goes away. Only after we move through insecurities and fears. Only after....

Owners either want to skip the hard stuff and jump right to the fun, easy, rewarding stuff—or they simply are unaware of how dog/human relationships are built in a healthy fashion. They see the cute happy-go-lucky pup and smother them in affection only to have some major behavior issue hiccups arise a couple of months down the road. Why? Because there was no leadership from the owner.

And wherever that decision emanates from, the fallout is the same: messy dogs. Dogs who won’t get better because more love was shared with them, but it will most definitely get worse.

Why does your trainer get such great results? Is it just timing, mechanics, and training knowledge? Or, perhaps, do they happen to know something else you don’t. Something that helped them discover the other answers.

Let’s just say that the actual training isn’t the hard part. The hard part is learning to understand you, your dog, and your life.

So if “love” means learning how to lead, guide, and help, even when help isn’t fun or comfortable, then “love” away.

08/11/2024

We highly recommend Borderline Psychos Dog Training & Sport Handling for boarding your dog. This is who we trust the Pup-a-long Pack here at DGK9 with.

📣 Now booking in-home boarding for Thanksgiving! 📣
If you’re going out of town to see relatives, consider boarding your dog with me! Indoor, outdoor, and enriched boarding available as well as pickup directly from your home! Message me to book before they fill!

08/11/2024

*ADOPTABLE PUP-A-LONG ALERT*

Name: Magnolia
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Gender: Spayed Female
Age: ~3 years

Meet Magnolia! This gorgeous lady is roughly 3 years old, spayed, microchipped, UTD on DA2PPL-KC-RV vaccinations, and UTD on monthly heartworm prevention.

Magnolia is low-medium energy but is willing to try new things such as canicross. She is a velcro-dog who is extremely loving and always asks for "hugs" in the most polite manner. Speaking of hugs, she also knows how to do the Conga Line for a cool party-trick!

Magnolia does well with most other dogs after proper introductions. She can be a bit pushy and will posture towards other dogs at first meet, but she also plays beautifully with the other dogs here (as seen in the video). She probably shouldn't be paired with other dominant females, though.

Magnolia hasn't met a stranger so far and enjoys "hugs" from others. However, she does have odd body language where she postures and flag-poles her tail even when she's "happy." It can be a little hard to read her by body language alone and will take some time to get used to her body language.

She does great for brushing, grooming, general vet care, and nail clips, but she does not like her collar being grabbed if she is unsure of the situation. She is muzzle conditioned and conditioned to low pressure on a Herm Sprenger prong collar and Mini Educator ecollar. She is also conditioned to a PetSafe Wireless Fence System.

She would do best in a dog-savvy home who continues with rules, boundaries, limitations, and training for her so that she can be her absolute best self.



*DGK9 is located in Northeast Alabama near Fort Payne. We do not offer transport for the dogs in our Rehabilitation to Adoption Program. We ask that all potential adopters meet the dog in person to ensure a good fit for the dog and the adopter.