APK9

05/08/2024

Had a blast catching up with Miss Queen during a drop-in visit! She’s always an angel when she comes to board, loves fetch, and is a huge cuddle bug!

25/07/2024

Meet housemates Lily and Zoe! These girls take some of the best pictures! They are absolute angels to have over as boarders and I can’t wait for them to come hang out again! ♥️🥰

14/07/2024

Say hello to Mr. Zeus! He is so much fun to train with and I can’t wait to see how far he goes! Big plans in this young pups future 😁

04/07/2024

I am so excited to have Miss Nora staying with me this week! She indulged me in some really nice pictures to send to her humans 🥰🥰

25/06/2024

Miss Luna definitely had the most comfy ride to and from her stay with us! Snoozing like a champ!

July is gonna fill up fast! Call or text to secure your spot, 256-527-0484

14/06/2024

Boarding will book up quickly with everyone going on vacation. Make sure you have somewhere for your special pup to stay without worry!

22/05/2024

Boarding Update: All boarding clients will be required to have flea prevention prior to boarding.

Unfortunately, despite having fenced areas, I can not prevent neighborhood cats and dogs from walking on some parts of our 2+ acres. With the weather getting warmer, the risk of fleas in the grass increases. The last thing I want is for your pup be playing outside, unprotected, and potentially taking one home to you. My dogs are current on their flea prevention (and will remain so!) and I will be getting quotes to have the yard treated as an extra precaution.
We haven’t run into an issue yet and I would like to keep it that way for all of our sanity.

Additionally, with summer time comes mosquitoes. Heartworms start with a mosquito bite that can turn into a life threatening situation. Please talk to your veterinarian about heartworm prevention! I am also very happy to talk to you about preventions for fleas, ticks, and heartworms. Feel free to message me any time to discuss and I will give you my vet tech best!

Thank you for your time,
🐾 Trainer Erika

16/05/2024

Mr. Max got to board with me this week 🥰 Not only is he a regular boarder now, he is also one of my weekly walkers! I take Max for a stroll every Monday and Wednesday out in Madison/Huntsville area!
If anyone is looking for a dog walker, dog training, or dog boarding, give me a call or text! I’d love to chat and meet your pup!
🐾Trainer Erika

12/05/2024

Whether your kids have two legs or four, our team wishes all the moms out there a wonderful Mother’s Day!! 💕

01/05/2024

Let’s welcome Bear to the family! This handsome pup is boarding with Trainer Erika for the week.
Do you have plans for the summer and need someone to keep your pup? Erika is doing in-home boarding for $35/night. Just like with her training, any size, any breed, any age! Everyone is welcome to join the APK9 Family!

Call or text 256-527-0484 if you have any questions in regard to training, boarding, and/or other canine services.

28/04/2024

We had a blast at the Canine Expo today! We even got to practice some proper socialization! All dogs are calm and relaxed, on a loose leash (despite my horrible angle), and not trying to play with the others or the people around them.

24/04/2024

Today is International Guide Dog Day! We would like to say thank you to all the hard work the trainers, breeders, and volunteer homes put into these wonderful dogs.

The first guide dog was issued in 1916 to a blinded veteran, Paul Feyen. Within a year there were 100 guide dogs issued and 539 guide dogs had been issued by 1919. In 1922, the first classes for civilian blind men commenced.
www.igdf.org.uk/guide-dogs/history-of-guide-dogs

Small glimpse into American guide dog history! Dorothy Eustis and Morris Frank co-founded The Seeing Eye, a school for guide dogs, that is still in use to this day! Eustis went from training police canines to guide dogs after receiving a letter from Frank asking for help, inspired by reading an article she had written for a newspaper. Buddy, formally known as Kiss, was a female German Shepherd that took the first steps to molding what we see today.

The Seeing Eye, Inc. was co-founded by Morris Frank in 1929. Morris proved the capabilities of Seeing Eye dogs with his first guide, Buddy, a German shepherd...

23/04/2024

Meet Freki (handsome man up front) and Farrah (beautiful lady in the back)! I had the pleasure of bathing these two and LET ME TELL YOU! They were FANTASTIC for their baths. We’re working on becoming more comfortable for nail trims, but I couldn’t have asked for better behavior. Hard work pays off!

Even when grown, there is always something new to learn. Keep training and you will see the results you crave for your pups. Perfectly adorable examples here!
-Trainer Erika

21/04/2024

Talk about some creativity! Just proves that things are always changing, sometimes for the better.

Is it better for your dog? Without those long ears, probably not. It’s the same with training. Training evolves over time. Your own training style changes over time. What works for one person may not work for another. What works for one dog may not work for another dog. We are always changing it up, adapting, and aiming for betterment.

Keep up the good work everyone!
Keep training but most importantly…
GO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR PUP!

37.7K likes, 68 comments. “ ”

15/04/2024

It’s April 15th, aka Tax Day. But it’s also National Doberman(n) Day!! If you know the history of the dobermann, it should make perfect sense why these days go hand in hand!

Dobermanns were first bred in the 1880s by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector who ran a dog pound in central Germany. No one likes to see the tax collector, so Karl needed a dog to help protect him. The exact ratios of mixing, and even the exact breeds that were used, remain uncertain, although many experts believe that the Dobermann Pinscher is a combination of several breeds including the Beauceron, German Pinscher, Rottweiler and Weimaraner. The single exception is the documented crossing with the Greyhound and Manchester Terrier. Karl was largely concerned with character over appearance; he wanted a brave, loyal, and intelligent breed with a well developed instinct to protect him. After Dobermann's death in 1894, the Germans named the breed Dobermann-pinscher in his honor, but a half century later dropped the word 'pinscher' on the grounds that the German word for 'terrier' was no longer appropriate. The British did the same a few years later; now the US and Canada are the only countries who continue to use Pinscher in the name and have dropped an "n" from Dobermann's surname.

Fun Fact #1: During World War II, the United States Marine Corps adopted the Dobermann as its official war dog, although the Corps did not exclusively use this breed in the role.

Fun Fact #2: Did you know that dobermanns are the only breed created for the original purpose of human protection? All other breeds commonly used as protection dogs today were originally bred for another purpose.

15/04/2024

Ms. Nori aka Little Monstrosity 😂 She is a princess and demands to be treated as such! So, she is currently learning that even a princess doesn’t always get their way and must be patience and exhibit self control.

11/04/2024

Happy National Pet Day! Share your pets with us in the comments! Domestic and exotic, we love them all!

01/04/2024

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Look at Mr. Bacon lookin’ handsome in his ears!

Photo credit: Town and Country Animal Hospital, Athens

16/03/2024

Now through April, all adult and puppy classes are $75!

02/02/2024

It’s National Brown Dog Day! Share your brown dogs with us in the comments! Every breed, size, and shade of brown, we love them all!

30/01/2024

We are so happy to be back in the full swing of things. Can’t say the same for Moose. Temptation is never fun but look at that control!

We have missed all of our pups and glad everyone stayed safe during the bad weather. There is suppose to be another round, so let’s cross our fingers for an easier time!

17/01/2024

Share your snow pictures with us!
Trainer Dollie’s beautiful pack of Dobermanns in their winter coats 🥰

17/01/2024

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm! All training will resume when it’s safe for travel. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to leave my house for at least the rest of the week.
-Trainer Erika
*Kalum enjoying the snow

15/12/2023

Introducing: the lovely Miss Miya! She took a few classes with us earlier this year, right before her big move out of state. She has come all the way back to do a board and train with us and we are so happy to work with her again! Miya is doing wonderful with her obedience, but has been struggling with impulse control. During her stay with us, we have been practicing self control and implementing an “off switch”.

For high energy dogs, especially those that seem to have endless stamina, learning how to be comfortable not doing anything is just as important as learning how to sit and stay. They feel like they constantly have to be playing, working, investing, etc., which can make just resting a chore. It's good for ALL dogs to know how to relax and decompress.

"One of the most important skills you can teach your dog, is how to do nothing at all." -The Collared Scholar

13/12/2023

Training is daily, setting your dog up for success, and using every opportunity presented to you.

07/12/2023

Meet Moose the Frenchie! He is here to prove even the small guys go through training and excel! He’s learned so much so quickly, we couldn’t be more proud of him 😁

05/12/2023

If you’re looking to help support local animal shelters, keep a close eye on their pages. Food, quality beds, durable toys, and treats are just a few things they are always in need of.

Off The Chain Training & Rescue (Powered by OTC Pet-homing Corp.) has specifically chosen the items listed here for purchase. They are asking for Kuranda Bed Donations to make the animals in their care more comfortable. Thank you for donating a Kuranda Bed!

05/12/2023

We’re thinking about doing a photo contest this month. What do you think the prize should be and should we do a theme? Ugly sweater? Most festive?

23/11/2023

We love our APK9 Family and want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving full of paw prints, full bellies, and memories to last!

Please feel free to share pictures with us in the comments! Especially if you have ever worked with us! I know there are MANY of you that we never had a chance to snag pictures of.

23/04/2023