Kalm K9 Training (2026)

19/02/2024

If you purchase a dog, you're blamed for shelters being full.

If you adopt, you're faulted for acquiring a dog with weak genetics.

If you use a prong collar, you're labeled as abusive.

If you don't train force-free, your love for your dog is questioned.

If you don't punish your dog, your relationship with them will suck.

If you do punish your dog, you'll destroy whatever relationship you have with them.

If you crate your dog, you're accused of being abusive.

If your dog gets into something, you're deemed irresponsible.

If you go to dog parks, you're told you're ruining your dog.

If your dog never plays with other dogs, it'll become anti-social.

If you're a dog owner like me, this is just the tip of the iceberg in a never-ending list of things that make you feel like you can never win.

Here's my little secret for you: you can't and won't ever win, so STOP TRYING TO!

Stop striving to please others with your dog-raising choices. Stop listening to all the noise. Shut off the podcasts, cease reading the blogs for a bit, and take a hiatus from the dog social media world. You'll soon realize how much it impacts your relationship with your dog.

The constant barrage of messages suggesting you're not good enough weighs heavily on the average dog owner, causing even the best, most knowledgeable, and committed owners to doubt themselves.

My advice to you is to stop fixating on those messages. Find what feels and works best for you and focus solely on that.

To hell with their opinions of your life with your dog!

Stick to living your best life with your four-legged pals and let the world continue their chatter! If you're happy, your dog's happy, and you're both enjoying your relationship, then you’re already winning!

12/02/2024

Something for y'all to think about.

09/02/2024

Dear parents,

If you can't manage your dog and children to keep them both feeling safe and teach them both clear boundaries, then you shouldn't have them both. I guess you get to choose which you keep. 😂

Seriously though, so many children get hurt by good family dogs due to a lack of clear boundaries and management protocols being in place for both the child and dog.

If your child gets hurt by your own dog, it is entirely your fault, and the dog getting rehomed or killed as a consequence of that behavior is also your fault. Children and dogs should never be left unsupervised together regardless of how good you think your dog is and how mature you believe your kid to be. A dog is an adult responsibility. Having a household with dogs and children is a massive undertaking that must always fall on the adults of the home.

If you want to do it right and have kids growing up with an appreciation for these beautiful animals rather than trauma from being attacked, then stop trying to be cute and forcing a friendship between them. Instead, focus on teaching them both to have a peaceful and respectful coexistence with each other. It's definitely not easy, but neither is dealing with the fact that your irresponsibility got your kid hurt and traumatized, and your dog killed or dumped in a shelter.

With love,
Russ💛

02/02/2024

Everything that you give your dog and do with your dog is an opportunity to strengthen the bond and relationship you have with them. Don't waste those valuable moments.

Instead of just buying your dog toys and leaving them around the house, play with your dog.

Instead of just leaving food for your dog to eat, have them work with you for their food.

Instead of simply letting them out by themselves in the backyard, go for an enjoyable walk together with your dog.

Instead of allowing fido to wander around looking for ways to entertain himself, give him some direction and guidance, and have your dog learn to chill with you.

Everything you do with your dog has the potential to be a relationship building opportunity. The amount of involvement you have in any activity your dog does has a direct correlation to how much you will matter to your dog and what the quality of your relationship will be.

24/12/2023

Your dog is indifferent to Christmas (or any other holidays); they lack understanding as to why you've brought a tree into the house. The sudden influx of extra people perplexes them, and the concept of gift-giving is beyond their comprehension. They view the pretty lights as nothing more than extra environmental stimulation. Your cute PJs are meaningless to them, and they certainly don't care to wear them. Santa is just a strange individual with peculiar clothing and a big beard, and your dog has no reason to like or be happy about taking a picture with him.

I can continue, but I believe you get the point. Holidays are for us to celebrate, not for our dogs. I have nothing against giving your dog a special holiday treat or putting a sweater on them (if they are comfortable with it), but please remember that it's really just for us. Your dog sees it as an extra treat or another weird piece of fabric you're making them wear. I understand that dogs are family, and this time of year is supposed to be about family and loved ones. If your dog is your family and loved one, then please do what's best for them and don't try forcing all the holiday stuff on them.

All the holiday celebrations create a ton of extra stimulation and stress in the dog's environment that is not usually there. This can be extremely overwhelming for many dogs (and people too). Holidays can be overwhelming for us, and we understand what's going on. Now, try to imagine how much more stressful it can be if you had no comprehension of it all and were forced to be a part of it.

While you're celebrating, your dog is getting stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, or just overly stimulated. The safest and healthiest place for Fido during the celebrations is in their crate. Take the cute photos early, get them out for a walk, and then crate them with their special Christmas treat so they can avoid all the stress.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and to all who don't, life should always be merry, so happy days to all! 🎅

20/12/2023

Make a list of all the things that are important to your dog, ensuring the inclusion of the obvious ones like food and water, extending to less apparent resources such as access to space or sniffing grass.

Now, review that list and contemplate ways to establish yourself as your dog's gatekeeper to these essential resources. For instance, consider practices like hand-feeding or implementing a simple "waiting for the okay" protocol before meals. Have your dog walk nicely by your side, only allowing them access to sniff around upon your release. Begin keeping a leash on them even indoors, ensuring that your dog accesses space solely through you.

While I could continue with examples, I'm confident you can devise additional ideas on your own. The concept here is that your dog receives everything they need, enjoy, and appreciate exclusively through you.

Implement this approach consistently in a very strict manner for a month and observe how all the remaining training becomes significantly easier and smoother. This is because you are finally becoming important to your dog, giving them every reason to want to listen to you, and very little reason not to.

15/12/2023

Meet the two newest members of the Kalm K9 family, Little Miss Noopie and young Mr KC. These two are very different and at completely different stages of life, but they both need some basic rules, structure, boundaries, leadership, and alk that good stuff in their lives.

KC is a six month old Rhodesian Ridgeback. He is here to catch up on his puppy training that got delayed due to an injury and to learn some basic manners and how to live like a well-mannered gentleman. We will be working on teaching this young fellow on and off leash practical day to day skills, helping him learn how to chill when necessary, basic ecollar training and teach him to get rid of some not so appropriate behaviors such as counter surfing, nipping, jumping etc. A nice heavy dose of structure plus a clear system of communication is going to do this goofy boy wonders.

Noopie is an eight year old Dachshund. She is here to work on some very basic leash skills, learn about a structured lifestyle, learn to follow basic directions, and get her prepared for a big move to Israel and the many life changes that will come with that. She and her owners will learn how to communicate with each other better to help bring some clarity into her life. That, along with a system of boundaries, structure, and clear direction, will be all this adorable lady needs to help make the upcoming transitions in her life as smooth as possible.

28/11/2023

With the holiday season approaching, I know some of you might be considering the idea of gifting a puppy. We've all watched heartwarming videos of kids unwrapping a present to find a cute puppy inside. What those videos don't show is the harsh reality: that puppy ending up in a shelter six months later, a mom struggling with a dog she never truly wanted, a frustrated dad yelling at a pet due to a lack of understanding, and an unguided, unfulfilled dog struggling to navigate their life.

The unseen side also includes children losing interest in their once "best friend" as the novelty wears off, and a dog left in a cold cage at the pound, bewildered and wondering where its people are. These scenarios are the unfortunate truth for many dogs given as holiday gifts.

Let's avoid being that person!

Living, breathing beings are not surprise gifts; they are a significant responsibility that demands careful consideration, research, and understanding before bringing one into your life.

If you're contemplating a Christmas/Chanukah puppy, I urge you to wait six months. Use that time to educate yourself, conduct thorough research, and truly grasp the responsibilities that come with raising a dog. If, after this period, you believe you can undertake the commitment, then go ahead and welcome your "holiday pup" six months late — but just in time to do it right!

08/11/2023

If you've strolled through NYC or any bustling city, you've likely come across a homeless person with a dog peacefully lounging or napping at their side. Have you ever pondered how these dogs remain serene amidst the urban chaos? At numerous concerts and music festivals, you'll spot dogs in parking lots and vendor areas. What strikes me is the contrast: some dogs appear uneasy, while others calmly hang out with their owners. What distinguishes these two canine behaviors? Why do many family dogs struggle on walks, whereas a homeless person's dog nonchalantly lounges in Times Square?

I'd wager that the dog snoozing on the city streets with its owner didn't undergo extensive training, attend a board-and-train program, or wear an ecollar. These dogs have a life of substantial exposure to experiences that our indoor family pets often miss. Most street dogs grow up in that environment; it's their norm. The dogs at music festivals, nonchalantly embracing the chaos, have been on the road since infancy—this is their way of life. Those not at ease and well-behaved at these events aren't "road dogs"; they return to a cozy home, and that's their familiar setting.

The point is that city streets, loud noise, wild music, and dancing crowds hold no novelty for these dogs; it's what they've always known. They don't require special "exposure training" because their entire lives have been an exposure to it all. There's much to learn from these road dogs—they've been socialized with the world throughout their lives.

I'm not suggesting everyone should adopt a street lifestyle or take their dogs to concerts, but when you encounter one of these unique road dogs, consider this: when we integrate the world into a dog's everyday life without making it a novelty, they have no reason to react to it.

Photo taken with permission at Citi Field in NYC in a bustling, loud parking lot after a Dead and Company concert on 6/24/19.

16/10/2023

On this past Tuesday, October 10, 2023, I lost a piece of my heart, and heaven gained another angel.

I don't really have words to describe what my sweet Mama Bear meant to me and how much this loss hurts. I've been struggling to figure out how to even write this post. Anyone who's ever been lucky enough to meet her can attest to the fact that she was something very special. She had a soul, and she took a part of mine with her.

Mama Bear wasn't "just a dog." She was a beautiful being that brought peace, comfort, and love to anyone in her presence. My life will never be the same without her, and I don't really know what to do or how to move forward. I've always said that dogs don't come perfect, but she was an exception.

I miss my sweet angel and everything about her more than I'll ever be able to express. My love for her will never die, and I'm so grateful for every single second I was blessed to spend with her. She made me who I am and will forever be a part of me.

RIP to the greatest dog the planet has ever known. Thank you for giving me the gift of your love for eight beautiful years. 💔

19/09/2023

Preparing for Your New Puppy:

• Familiarize yourself with the breed you're considering to ensure it aligns with your lifestyle.

• Conduct research on various dog trainers, exploring their training methods and philosophies.

• Select a trainer whose approach resonates with you and arrange training before bringing your puppy home.

• Master the art of potty training to start off on the right foot from day one. (See my potty training post)

• Ensure you possess the time and patience required for proper puppy upbringing. (Way more than 20 minutes a day. You're raising a living being!)

• Consider reading a valuable puppy-raising book; "The Monks of New Skete" and "Ceaser Milan" both offer excellent resources.

• Investigate local veterinarians to find one you're comfortable with and trust.

• Scrutinize the source of your puppy to guarantee its health, well-being temperament etc.

• Remember that while puppies are adorable, playful, cute, and silly they grow into adults swiftly.

• Be prepared for sleepless nights, testing your patience, investing effort and lots of consistent hard work!

Once your adorable companion is home, initiate a foundation of structure and rules immediately. Training commences from the moment your dog becomes part of your life. By preventing undesirable behaviors early on, you'll reduce the need to correct habits as your puppy matures into adulthood. And, of course, don't forget to choose a charming name and capture countless wonderful memories through photos, as the puppy stage passes by in the blink of an eye!

Feel free to comment below with anything you'd add to the list of important topics for soon to be new puppy owners to consider.

31/07/2023

Children growing up around dogs can be wonderful, and many parents strive to foster a positive relationship between their kids and dogs. This can lead to a lifelong love for dogs, but it's essential to handle it properly.

The key to helping children build a strong bond with dogs lies in teaching mutual respect. Teach your dog to respect your child, and vice versa. It's crucial for kids to understand never to approach other people's dogs without asking, and that they all dogs can still be admired without always needing to touch them.

Regrettably, it's not uncommon for children to get bitten, even by their own family dog. Young kids can be unpredictable, making dogs feel uncomfortable. Children often miss the signs of a dog feeling uneasy, and parents may find many of the pre bite behaviors between the dog and child to be innocent and cute until the dog reaches its limit and bites. Rebuilding trust, love, and admiration after a bite can be challenging for a child, sometimes leading to a lifelong fear of dogs, which totally goes against the parents' intentions.

Just like any relationship, respect is fundamental in building trust and love. If you want your children to develop a long lasting liking for dogs, start by teaching them to respect dogs for who they are rather than just loving them for what they want them to be.

Kalm K9 Training

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