K9ology

27/04/2025

If we could please stop normalizing damaging dog bites ... maybe we wouldn't be so obsessed with how clean their mouths are ...

If you get bit, seek treatment or medical care as needed. Infections are no joke folks.

And OF COURSE they're filthy. They CAN and DO lick their own buttholes and enjoy snacking on f***s.

People have been told that dogs’ mouths are cleaner than a human’s. This is a myth! Dogs’ mouths contain just as many bacteria as our own.

26/04/2025

We have a newsletter coming out real soon... but here's a preview and teaser! BIG THINGS ahead for K9ology!

There are going to be some wonderful changes over the next couple of months and we are so excited!

Charlotte and Josh recently got approval from the local BZA to operate a portion of K9ology in Churchville! They are currently moving their own dogs and farm animals to a beautiful 5 acre property in Western Augusta County!

ALL SLEEP AWAY CAMP WILL BE OFFERED FROM HOME IN CHURCHVILLE! This means we get to have our client dogs live at our house in their own digs while owners are out of town! We aill continue to offer activities and playtime throughout the day. We will have select pickup and drop off options from Sperryville for our existinging clients.

BOOTCAMP PROGRAM WILL BE IN CHURCHVILLE! However, we are happy to make special accommodations if owners wish to do the follow-up private lessons in Sperryville.

REGULAR GROUPS AND PRIVATE LESSONS will still be held in SPERRYVILLE on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays! We will be offering a bunch of weekend group classes and continue to accept Rappahannock clients!

NOW ACCEPTING BOOKINGS for AUGUSTA COUNTY and surrounding areas including for our totally revamped BOOTCAMP!

Photo of fencing going up for the activity yard, sunrise over the dales, and Ralph training on his GPS Fence.

22/04/2025

Over the last couple of weeks I have been "playing" with the Spot On GPS containment system. After researching numerous brands and options, I decided to give it a try.

Don't get me wrong, I was skeptical at first... how accurate are the boundaries? How consistent is the feedback? How much GPS drift occurs? Does it require cell service? Are you forced into a subscription? How many static levels are there? There seemed to be an infinate list of concerns and questions.

The customer service rep and marketing member did an amazing job explaining their system beyond advertising and jargon. The hardware is carefully thoughtout and meticulously designed. The software is easy to use and incredibly capable. They have a training system that stresses positive training as a ciritcal part of the program before any type of correction occurs.

I have been training Ralph to the perimeter at our home base in Churchville. We have 5 acres out here and I want to extend his freedom under supervision. I think his big ole smile says it alll ... we started on a 10ft longline and are now working on a dropped leash with supervision.

I am super impressed so far and am excited to get some of our other guys trained to the fence! Today we focused on PROOFING with our neighbor cows. He did great!! We are super satisfied!

Coming Summer 2025! We will be offering GPS Fencing and Training Programs!

21/04/2025

Ch. Yorkhill's Circus Clown was one of two Golden Retriever Club of America “Hall of Fame” members in Geraldine R. Dodge had at her Giralda Farms in Madison, New Jersey, otherwise best known for English Cockers, German Shepherds and a Dobermann who won BIS at Westminster. Circus Clown won five BIS and 14 Group Firsts in 1957, making him one of the Top 10 Sporting dogs in the country that year.🐾

Source: Bo Bengtson's Great Show Dogs of the Past

https://showsightmagazine.com/dog-breeds/golden-retriever/

18/04/2025

Some of Charlotte's dogs are competing at the Columbia Terrier Show just outside Baltimore tomorrow, kicking off the next show season!

We look forward to meeting up with K9O Community Members at the Fishersville show for Conformation and Rally in June!

17/04/2025

Benny came to K9ology to work on visitor greetings. Don't let the cuteness fool you - this oh so clever Yorkie / Schnauzer mix completely lost ALL his marbles with strangers.

We worked on specific skills to help instill impulse control, give him tasks to focus on instead of spiraling into a rampage, and worked on coping as well as self-soothing exercises to alter his behavior!

We started using lots of cookies and reinforcement at first - and ended his program with a significant reduction of food rewards, and utilizing life rewards as alternatives!

Congrats to his owner's on their persistent efforts doing their homework and helping Benny be the best version of himself! Happy Graduation!

16/04/2025

Hearty the Cattledog / Beagle mix just finished 2 weeks of our Custom Bootcamp program! We had one of our multiple private lessons yesterday, where both dog and owner sailed smoothly through all skills and exercises!

We are excited to be expanding this program for summer 2025! Moving forward, each Bootcamp participant will receive:

🐾 2-Week intensive Board and Train: dogs stay at our home and are worked multiple times a day, so we get to know your dog's ins and outs, introduce new skills, build muscle memory, and work on distractions!

🐾 4 Private Lessons: learn how to give commands, improve communication, work on consistent handling, and troubleshooting!

🐾 NEW! 12 Group Classes: we are offering each participant 12 group lessons to furtherer work on distractions, increase difficulty, and maintain skills! This is a great way to maintain owner-accountability and make sure your pup stays on track!

🌟 BOOTCAMP OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SUMMER 2025 in CHURCHVILLE! 🌟

❤️ We provide daily updates for a worry-free stay!
❤️ Program includes a personalized Youtube channel showing your dog learning skills!
❤️ Step by step training handouts to reference any time!

Now taking inquiries via our website at : https://www.k9otraining.com/bootcamp

12/04/2025

Summer is just around the corner! Did someone say road trip?

Make sure to read our blog post "So, Your Dog Hates Car Rides" to learn more about how to prep your pet for car travel.

https://www.k9otraining.com/post/so-your-dog-hates-car-rides

Like/comment/share the knowledge!

There's loads of reasons for your dog to be stressed about getting in the car. Joy rides are not for everyone. Yes, it may seem stupid to you - but it's not your opinion that matters here, it’s your dog’s perception of the car! SICK TO THEIR STOMACH Have you ever felt sick to your stomach and no...

11/04/2025

Olive says HAPPY NATIONAL PET DAY! Now let's see your puppers!

06/04/2025

Mason the Terrier Mix is available for adoption through Hail Mary Rescue in Warrenton! Terriers are fun, whimsical, and silly - great for hours of companionship and a life full of adventure and love!

K9ology is excited to offer a FREE lesson to Mason's forever home to help transition to a new life with the option of additional lessons/classes at a discounted rate! Make sure to check out Mason if you are thinking of adopting!

https://www.adoptapet.com/pet/44233510-warrenton-virginia-border-terrier-norfolk-terrier-mix?fbclid=IwY2xjawJfVVxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqsGAAfFiR5-7HLcJMoQ6a_clICLBbn9v8ROxnwx89vcJKFvqQh2JTXjSuTr_aem_286cH_JkkPp6nQ24-Vd0TA

Pictures of Mason a Border Terrier/Norfolk Terrier for adoption in Warrenton, VA who needs a loving home.

04/04/2025

We have some crazy exciting news to share!

As of 06/01/25 K9ology will be operating out of two locations!

Our current group classes and private lessons will still be offered in Sperryville on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays!

Our popular Board and Train Bootcamp, Sleep Away Boarding Camp, and select private lesson services will be available at our new Churchville location (just outside Staunton)!

We look forward to continue serving our beloved K9O Community in Rappahannock and surrounding areas while we expand our offerings to the Shenandoah Valley!

19/03/2025

Agnes had a blast practicing her manners around the Staunton train station today!

14/03/2025

This is Training Thursday: Train for the Dog YOU Want

I was working with a behavior case of a dog who is not immediately everyone's friend. He can be hesitant and become frustrated by social interactions.

3 lessons into the program, he starts soliciting me for treats. Awesome! After tossing a few he begins sniffing me, inspecting my clothes, and offering eye contact. A big milestone for this pup!

Later in the session he was able to sit for me (a challenge due to vulnerability issues) and ultimately jumped and placed two paws on me. Hallelujah!

I explained to his humans that I will not be teaching him to get off of me. We had just built somewhat of a relationship and agonizing over jumping habits (right now) would set us back. They responded with "it's ok we let him jump on us!"

I explained "awesome! My little guys get to put their paws on me too!" In my household, the dogs under 20 lbs are welcome to place their front feet on me, the big dogs are not allowed unless invited.

Now, I know everyone thinks good dog training is a dog who avoids jumping, who does not get "people food", or one who never blurts a peep. But here's the reality ... who cares? I know, major shock right?

There are no cardinal rules that will unleash hell if you don't follow them. The MORE important thing is that you decide on, maintain consistency, and follow through on YOUR rules, for the dog YOU want!

With my own personal dogs, I prefer they put their paws on me so I don't have to bend as far. This also means sequestering them when I am about to head out with nice clothing (management) and putting them in a stay to greet strangers (prevent jumping in context) and ensuring I move my head when Olive comes to divebomb me. I could stop the behavior all together, but I like it - I WANT it, and if that's no one else's cup of tea... cool, I'll keep MY dogs away, no problem.

My dogs give me 110% when at a competition or in the ring, they recall like badasses, they travel well, they adapt to any environment, they will focus amongst distractions. THAT is what I value in their skills. And yes, I enjoy working on impulse control while sharing *people food* (newsflash, it's not for human consumption only, it's just food...). I rather work on stays so my dog earns a morsel than withhold food to address begging.

In the end ... remember, train for what YOU want your dog to know/learn/perform. Demand absolute excellence in the skills you are curating. Focus on behavior, impulse control, and engagement as much as obedience drills, and in the end ... it's ok to allow your dog to exhibit habits that 1. Please you 2. Don't cause behavior issues and 3. Help improve the bond with your dog. Enjoy every moment!

09/03/2025

Say Something Sunday ...

The "Shock collar" or "ECollar" is not a training method. It's literally a tool. A tool that more often than not is misused and abused under the guise of "quick fix" and "results guaranteed" gimmicks.

Be very cautious of Ecollar use. It can be an excellent tool to fine tune and polish behaviors once the dog has learned it using positive, reward-based methods. And even then ...

- the dog must be given lots of choice as you progress learning
- you still have to work on proofing and generalization
- it should be used in addition to positive reinforcement methods, not instead of
- the stimulation should be for tactile feedback and to increase communication ... not to punish, suppress, or teach new behaviors

We have seen an increase in dogs who have bad side effects from poor ecollar use. This includes behavior cases where ecollar use is an inappropriate tool! This includes:
- dogs that will be weary of strangers as they associated the shock with people
- dogs with apathetic disposition ... a form of learned helplessness leaving dogs with a flat affect
- redirected aggression ... a dog who gets revved up by the stimulation and channels the frustration to the handler or another dog
- suppression of communication ... that dog who used to growl gave warning, but now bites "out of the blue" since attempts to communicate discomfort have been eliminated

We have so many options available when working with our dogs thanks to science! The "one size fits all" methodology is not an appropriate approach considering the varying dispositions of breeds, mixes, households, and environments. Just like people - dogs are individuals, and have very personal needs. I wonder if the "one size fits all" crowd knows anything beyond their limited repertoire.

05/03/2025

🌸 WEEKEND OPTIONS ARE BACK THIS SPRING! 🌸

Starting April 5th we have a great selection of classes coming your way!

11AM - Agility Foundations
https://www.k9ocenter.com/funsportgroups

12PM - Basic Manners
https://www.k9ocenter.com/basicmanners

1PM - Impulse Control
https://www.k9ocenter.com/impulse

3PM - Private Lesson Opening

We are excited to be training outdoors as soon as the weather improves and hope to see you there! As always, our classes are limited to 4 participants to allow for a semi-private learning environment!

Join us at the K9ology Center at 12167 Lee Hwy, Sperryville, VA 22740!

Fun classes and introduction to a variety of dog sports!

28/02/2025

We have a few spots remaining for our AGGRESSION IN DOGS seminar next Thursday at 7!

Come join us to learn about the various types of aggression, what influences, and how to set realistic expectations for your pup!

$30 per person to attend, roughly 90 minutes total for this lecture. Discussion will be open during the Q+A after!

Register at the bottom of our main page at:

Are you looking for top-notch dog training and behavior solutions? Look no further than The K9ology Center! Our award-winning establishment, led by Certified Dog Trainer and Behaviorist Charlotte Wagner, offers group classes, private one-on-one lessons, educational seminars, and dog-friendly social....

26/02/2025

AGILITY IS BACK! Starting SATURDAYS at 11am on April 5th!

This 4 week intro class teaches you and your dog all about the agility equipment! We will cover the A-Frame, Teeter, Pause Box, Weave Poles, Jumps, Tunnels, and more!

Limited to 4 participants for a semi-private learning environment. Lessons held outdoors in our agility yard!

Join us for some fresh air and fun this spring by registering through our website:

https://www.k9ocenter.com/funsportgroups

Happy training y'all!

19/02/2025

WHAT IS RALLY OBEDIENCE? AKA RALLY?

This fun and energizing sport consists of a course of various stations which dog and handler must complete by performing obedience skills, turns, and various maneuvers together. Think of it like agility - but instead of scaling equipment, you are performing commands. It's definitely one of my favorite activities!

Video of Zoe the rescue, who thoroughly enjoyed a short Rally course during her camp experience. Shout out to Hail Mary Rescue for getting this wonderful girl a forever home!

*INTRO TO RALLY CLASS COMING UP!( Tuesdays at 7pm starting March 25th, 2025! Join us at The K9ology Center at 12167 Lee Hwy, Sperryville, VA 22740. Spaces limited to 4 participants!