MarathonK9 Academy

20/11/2024

There’s hundred… thousands of dog trainers out there! What sets us apart? It’s not just our love of dogs but our commitment to being better for you. We didn’t start with just the idea of being trainers because we taught our own dogs to sit. It’s more than that. Owner and head trainer Clover, has a background in zookeeping with a degree in Captive Wildlife Care and having trained exotic animals in the zoological field prior to being a veterinary technician for the Army. While employed by the Army he interned underneath a professional dog trainer and schutzhund competitor in Hawaii learning how to train working dogs for sport and law enforcement. From there he hit the ground running after spending time at a police dog vendor in Utah and now has been fortunate enough to have received such recognition that he teaches with military and civilian law enforcement all over the country in private seminars and conferences. Trainer Sofia attended one of the top dog trainer schools in the country, Kennelwood Academy for Dog Trainers, and came with recommendations from one of the head instructors noting, “she’s a valuable asset to any training company!” And she had made serious waves in the state of Colorado training several pet dogs over the last year she’s been on board and getting involved in the Protection Sports community here ready to compete with her personal dog. Trainer Kait, started her animal career in wildlife rehab and as she transitioned to training dogs she aimed to be one of the best so she took to learning the NePoPo®️ training system, earning certificates in both the Silver and New Gold school programs. We aren’t your average trainers. We are MarathonK9 Academy: We go the distance for you and your dog

13/11/2024

Cold facts of dog training. We can’t change genetics. But we can manipulate them as best as possible. Genetics is the hardware. Upbringing. Exposure. Training. Those are all the software input into your dog since birth. It’s up to us to plug in the right software to reach success. However - some hardware overrides all.

Due to unfortunate messaging over the years, coupled with a lack of knowledge, and compounded by the human tendency for denial/delusion, what should be obvious and commonly accepted is anything but.

A few of the messages:
-There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Wrong.
-Any dog can be “fixed” if you’ll get your energy right. Wrong.
-Every dog should be saved. Wrong.

The knowledge gap:
-We have a chaotic house, with lots of kids running all over, and we adopted a highly nervous but “sweet” herding breed. Bad.
-My dog challenges everyone in our family, and has bitten us all, but is great with my trainer. Bad.
-We got a guarding/working breed so it can protect the family, even though we’ve never had a dog before. Bad.

A bit of denial:
-He only bites us when we kiss/dance/move too fast/leave the house/vacuum because he had a traumatic early life. Delusion.
-She’s guards her spot on the couch, her toys, and her food, and will bite us if we get too close, but it’s only because she never had things of her own before. Delusion.
-He always growls at or bites my husband, but I’m sure he was abused by a man before I adopted him. Delusion.

Can people improve? Absolutely. Can dogs improve? Almost always. Does that mean that all fits can be made healthy and happy, or are wise? Nope. People and dogs come in many flavors, and many of these flavors work wonderfully well together, some work with certain other flavors, and some (human and dog) don’t work well at all. It’s a sad reality, but a reality nonetheless. We should be choosing the dogs we share our lives with based on an honest and informed assessment of who we are, what our lives look like, and what dog—both breed and individual personality—fits that reality best.

Ignore the silly messages, do your homework, and lose the denial.

Fairytales in dog land often end up as nightmares.

03/11/2024

**Colorado Springs: BOLO**

New details out about missing soldier...

31/10/2024

One of my oldest friend’s handles Loki and I couldn’t be prouder.

Smyrna Police Department’s K9 Loki has received donation of body armor!

Smyrna Police Department, GA, K9 Loki has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Loki’s vest was sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of Kathy W. Coldewey”.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,794 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $985 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

30/10/2024

If you are wishing to learn about e-collar use, this text should provide you some insight! Check it out! Eric Stanbro is knowledgeable and has produced a plethora of results that have not only changed my game but influenced countless others.

20/10/2024

Chihuahua, pug, terrier, and more. All that is Katie and then some. A month into her new home and causing a bit of a ruckus. A bit of focus and impulse control will help the family blend cohesively and help her become a solid companion animal.

19/10/2024

Winter is coming so best to keep warm… what better way to do that then with our extremely limited run of black multicam woobie hoodies we are working on. Only doing ten for the moment to see how the quality is. Will have the MarathonK9 logo embroidered over the left breast. If interested comment “King of the North” below.

18/10/2024

13/10/2024

For folks feeding Kinetic dog food in Colorado, reach out to Kingdom K-9 LLC he just got in a pallet full of 26K and the Power 30K formulas and can sell cheaper than ordering on Chewy

07/10/2024

Instructors huddle. officially kicks off tomorrow. Honored to have been invited to teach alongside industry greats to impart knowledge to teams from all over the country.

06/10/2024

03/10/2024

So your dog can sit, down, and recall inside the home but why won’t they do it outside?? Do they really know the behavior? Do they know what the expectations are? Behaviors proofing is key as we build distance, duration, and exposure to different variables. No matter where you go, sit means sit, down means down, and heel means heel.

02/10/2024

Our thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Helene. These specialized working dog teams are tasked with the grave responsibility of finding deceased individuals. It takes a special person to be able to handle this task and the burden they be are when they identify the remains of someone. Godspeed to these K9 teams as they aid in bringing solace to those still left wondering where family members are.

24/09/2024

There’s something to be said about those moments where you engage with your dog in a manner they crave. Providing structure and mental stimulation. Truly enjoy seeing clients continue to succeed and grow.

19/09/2024

18/09/2024

“Work for a cause, not for applause.”

That’s what we do here. Make good dogs great. Because we go the distance for you and your dog.

15/09/2024

Did you know we are an affiliate for Modern Icon? Entering the code: MARATHONK9 at checkout gets YOU 5% off of quality gear for your pup made right here in the USA. Leashes, leads, harnesses, and collars for your companion or working dog. Check them out!

High quality dog harnesses, dog collars, and dog leashes. Including tactical gear for Police K9, Military and Personal Protection Working Dogs. Made in the USA.