Blog by K9 Pro and Steve Courtney Dog Training K9 Pro The K9 Professionals

So it won’t take you long to figure out that I wrote this article with the recent dog attacks in mind, in something like 5 days there were 4 dog attacks on 4 children, one resulting in the death of a little 1 year old girl. Of course there was an instant explosion from the “ban the breed” believers, but …

One of the most important things I have learnt as a dog trainer is the difference between feeding a dog and reinforcing behaviour with food. Learning how to use reinforcement correctly in training is usually just one element of successful behaviour modification but it is a critical part of helping the dog to develop work ethic, learn how to make …

As many people who follow us know, we specialise in Dog Behaviour Modification and Rehabilitation. There are hundreds of articles and videos that show our work including many before and afters, just check out our YouTube channel (K9Pro YouTube) if you would like to see some of our work.

I work with a lot of Assistance Dogs, these are often brought by people who are training their own Assistance Dogs, but other times I may be working with already certified Assistance Dogs that are displaying behaviour problems.

It is a real shame but most people that get a new puppy spend a very small amount of time on very basic training then stop. The next time they think that it is time to do some training is when their dog is behaving badly. This means that those people are reacting to their pups behaviour rather than training …

It’s that time of year where we all start to wind down into holiday mode and get ready to enjoy the Summer period. This often means holidays and trips away and if you are anything like me, you like to bring your dogs along with you when you travel. I love spending time with my dogs and I especially enjoy …

Every day I see a broken handler, broken by their dogs behaviour, they often describe their relationship with their dog as a “love / hate relationship“. There are parts of their dog that they love beyond what words can describe, but there are elements of their dogs behaviour that make them anxious, frustrated, frightened, feel weak – typically a broken …

There are many people that the title of this article will race shivers up and down their spine, they may have a dog that was, is or could be reactive or aggressive or one they do not want hurt, and when they see an off leash dog coming towards them, their world takes a big tumble. I cannot count the …

When it comes to dog training I find that using technical jargon, “big words”, scientific terms to describe simple things a complete waste of time and learning that Positive doesn’t mean good is a big part of clearing up misconceptions in dog training. I mean, many people I see, I would say the majority, are nervous and anxious about their dogs …

When developing a dog for a working or high end sport role, using the right working dog gear can make the difference between your dog performing at a very average level or worse, not being prepared at all, to a dog that has developed his or her mind, body and behaviour to excel at what he or she has been …

Does your dog know the road rules? Let’s talk about setting emotional speed limits for your dog Imagine this: a world where we can drive at any speed we want, any time we want. No need to indicate, get your license, stick to the correct lane – just zig zag along the road at any speed you desire. It would …

Today we have heard of a dog attack that has resulted in a “Woman Killed by dog in Canberra”, a man injured and Police having to shoot the dog dead to contain the threat. Amongst all the angst of dog lovers the country wide going through, the ranges of emotions that come when a dog is involved in an incident …

Given that the dog world is a highly political place where there seems to be a need for an “us and them”, a need to name and shame trainers and behaviourists that choose different methods and techniques than you, this post has to come with some caveats. * I would first like to state that I am NOT A VETERINARIAN. …

I was walking at our local markets with our young female Malinois, Blaze, the other weekend and I got chatting to one of the locals. They mentioned they had seen Steve and myself walking some of our board and train dogs in the area most week day mornings, and asked what they are being trained for? I gave the honest answer which …

The term dog handler is the term used to identify or describe the person who is in charge of the dog, who guides, drives and limits the dog and helps the dog achieve success in whatever the dog handler and dog are doing and provides access to rewards and rewarding activities. I wanted to talk a bit about this role …