Delaware K9 Academy

06/01/2025

Think you can’t train in this weather? Think again! Hank might look like he’s just lying on a dog bed, but this is actually the hardest thing I’ve asked him to do since he’s been with me— nothing. Duration place is a great catch all to build many different skills, but with Hank, we are learning an off-switch, impulse control, and environmental neutrality. As a young working line Labrador, that’s a lot to ask! But he’s giving it his all and doing a wonderful job.

01/01/2025

We trained so many dogs in 2024!! It was a great year full of wonderful clients and canines, and we can’t wait to do it some more in 2025. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to your dogs💙

01/01/2025

I fear our new board and trains, Hank and Rose, are having a cute off

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! We hope everyone has a safe, happy holiday!!

16/12/2024

END OF YEAR SALE!!

If you’ve been wanting to sign up for training, now’s your chance! From today until December 31, we are offering 10% off all programs! Both lesson programs and board and trains qualify.

Is your New Year’s resolution to have a happier, better behaved dog? Reach out today!

29/11/2024

Maisy hopes everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving! She sure enjoyed her turkey and veggies!

26/11/2024

I know the puppy dog eyes can be so tempting, but don’t give your pets thanksgiving scraps! Pancreatitis is so dangerous and thanksgiving is one of the busiest times for ERs. If your dog has a tendency to sneak foods or you have family that might not be able to resist sharing, put the pups away during mealtime. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! 🧡 Please be responsible and feed your pet's their normal diet during the holiday season. No matter how cute and irresistible their begging might be. 😉

19/11/2024

*FIRST COME FIRST SERVE*

I had a board and train drop out of their November 30-December 21 spot due to some life conflicts. Because of this, I’m offering $500 (the cost of the deposit) off of this slot. If you’ve been wanting to book a boarding train, but it hasn’t felt like the right time or you’ve had financial constraints, now is your chance! Just email us to get on the schedule!

05/11/2024

Leptospirosis is an incredibly dangerous bacterial disease that is not only difficult to treat, but also zoonotic (which means you can get it from your pet)! Luckily, we can vaccinate against it. AAHA now considers it to be a core vaccine, rather than elective, so make sure that when you take your dog to the vet for their next set of boosters, you add lepto on.

🚨 Important Update: Leptospirosis Now a Core Vaccine for ALL Dogs
The 2022 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines have been updated to classify the leptospirosis vaccine as CORE for all dogs starting at 12 weeks of age – regardless of lifestyle, location, or breed.
Why the change?
🌆 ALL dogs are at risk—urban, suburban, and rural.
⚠️ Potentially fatal, even with treatment.
🔄 Zoonotic—it can spread from pets to humans.
🏢 Dogs in daycare and kennels also face exposure risks.
You can find the full update in the Nov/Dec issue of JAAHA, or check out the full 2022 Canine Vaccination Guidelines here: aaha.org/canine-vaccinations

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween from us at Delaware K9!

06/10/2024

Luka and his family finished their 8-week program today! Luka was a very nervous guy who’d started using his mouth to communicate, especially in home environments. Today, he accepted a stranger into his home without a moment of concern, even wandering over to see if The Stranger had food for him! I’m so proud of all the work his family has done to help him build this confidence and neutrality.

01/10/2024

Most dogs are dog-selective, and that’s totally fine! Your dog doesn’t need to hang out with other dogs, and they especially don’t need to run around a dog park with a bunch of strangers. Take it as a compliment that they’d rather hang out with you!

Good info here!

01/10/2024

Happy spooky season!

23/09/2024

Good rally day!! Three qualifying runs and a first place ribbon for the dogs on team Delaware K9!

31/08/2024

Luka is having a great time learning to be a confident, respectful gentleman who doesn’t use his mouth to communicate!

🔆If you’ve been thinking about getting into a program, now’s your chance! Today through Monday we are offering 10% off any program for Labor Day! Just reference this post in your email or contact form!🔆

30/08/2024

Congratulations to Cassius and his family on finishing the 6-week obedience program last night! He made so much progress and I can’t wait to see where he goes from here!

17/08/2024

Read this!! Then read it again. Your dog isn’t better for me because they like me more than you. It’s because I make more sense. Why? Because it’s my job to make more sense! I’m a translator between you and your dog.

It’s not you, it’s the nature of learning a new language. Trust us and trust yourself!

“my dog does so much better for you than they do for me”

something that most trainers hear.

and they should. if your dog isn’t performing for your trainer, then your trainer isn’t good at their job.

don’t let it discourage you. if your dog can do certain things for your trainer, that means that they can do it for you too!!

here’s the thing, when we (trainers) are working with you and your dog, we are constantly “on”. we are working.

everything we are doing with your dog is intentional.

you have lived with your dog 24/7 one way, and now you are changing things, probably pretty drastically, and that is going to take time. and it’s hard.

your dog sees you on your bad days. when you don’t feel like doing the work. when you’re tired and don’t feel like performing.

and that’s okay! you cannot be perfect or “on” all of the time.

as trainers, we can’t allow ourselves to have off days with your dog because that’s not fair and you wouldn’t get the results you need to transform your relationship with your dog and their behavior.

we are only seeing your dog for a few hours or weeks, so we need to get results quickly so we can show you what your dog is capable of and their potential.

so just because your dog behaves better for us than they do for you, doesn’t mean that they’ll never do that for you.

it just means it’s going to take some time!

the fact that your dog is showing these behaviors means that they can do it for you too!! and that’s amazing.

you might never be a dog trainer.

we don’t want you to be a dog trainer if that’s not what you want.

we want you to be able to live with your dog harmoniously and we want you and your dog to be happy.

don’t play the comparison game because then you’ll never be able to see what amazing work you’re doing and how great your dog is.

so keep working hard and focus on the positives, because you can do this.