Family K9 Dog Training
Montreal & Vaudreuil Dog Trainer & Behaviour Modification Expert for 30 years!
Proudly helping Humans and their K9’s for 3 decades! Using scientific, proven and humane dog training methods.
(514)990-5959 (K9K9)
Due to the high volume of training requests prospective clients are asked to use email. Phone calls cannot be returned due to Nick being in lessons all day. Emails will be returned as quickly as possible – typically within 1-2 business days. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Meet Nick Zevgolis – Montreal’s Leading Dog Training Expert for 3 decades! Professional help in all aspects of Dog Training:
Montreal Dog trainer – Family K9 Dog Training – Has been providing professional dog training services to Montreal Dog Owners for 30 years! Nick is often called upon by dog owners who have already tried to train their dogs with other dog trainers and not been able to achieve quality results.
In home dog training, one on one private dog training courses at the kennel and in kennel boarding and training options are available.
Professional Dog Training Services
Montreal & off island
- Puppy selection
- Successfully raising a well balanced puppy
- Puppy training
- Obedience training
- Help with obedience issues
- Help with dogs that trainers and methods failed with.
- Consultations for canine problem behaviour
- Courses for Confidence building
- Socialization
- Behavioural problems such as:
- Reactivity
- Fear Aggression/Avoidance
- Separation Anxiety
- Aggression
- Soiling in the house
- Excessive Barking
Referred by Veterinarians, Dog Trainers, Groomers and of course, Dog Owners.
Nick is a big believer in providing the highest level of service to his clients and their dogs. He enjoys relationships with many clients that have spanned over the course working with of multiple dogs. Family K9 Dog Training guarantees its training programs (except for Puppy Pre School since this is just the very beginning of raising an obedient dog).
Dog Training specializing in:
Building Human / Canine relationships
Through training, communication and understanding.
Family K9 has proudly earned it’s reputation the old fashioned way. By providing Montreal area dog owners with the best dog training available for over 25 years. Attention to detail , professionalism and treating clients and their dogs with the utmost caring and respect. Backing all this up with a guarantee.
In the 25 plus years that Family K9 Dog Training has been in business there have been a proliferation of new dog trainers that crop up each year. Anyone can claim to be a dog trainer – please make sure you are working with a professional who has a long standing track record of success in canine training.
Nick is sought after in the training of from across Canada, the US and abroad as well. See the Dogs trained across Canada and USA page for details.
Training for you and your puppy to get started in a positive direction!
Puppies love to learn and teaching them good habits is much easier than correcting bad ones later on. This course is designed to help people with puppies aged between 8-16 weeks old get started on the right track .
Topics covered:
- Crate training
- Socialization
- Housebreaking
- How to properly play with your puppy. The most effective ways to do this to promote good habits, motivation, bonding and avoid problematic behaviour.
- Avoiding separation anxiety
- Teaching manners such as not jumping, not nipping and not chewing or destroying items.
- Light obedience
- And much much more
Hands on training with you, your K9 buddy and Nick @ your home or at the kennel!
This course is designed for the owner who would like to have solid, obedience & control of their dog. Commands such as: sit, heel, come, place, leave it & off. Obedience as well as house manners are addressed and the course is taught in six 1-hour lessons.
All dogs should have good manners. Learning not to jump up on people and furniture, not to chew and destroy things which could be dangerous for your dog, not to bark excessively etc ..
Want to refine or take your dogs training to the next level?
Private obedience, coaching to help with your dogs’ existing training can be a very useful way to ameliorate your skill set.
Family K9’s most comprehensive dog training package!
Three weeks to a happy and obedient companion that you can confidently take anywhere. Your dog will receive daily lessons and playtime with the other dog as well as tons of TLC.
At the end of the dog’s training, Nick will teach you how to properly maintain your dog’s training for the rest of his/her life.
Nick’s methods are gentle and encouraging & help to strengthen the bond between human and dog. Family K9 is so confident in this service that it is backed it with a Lifetime guarantee.
This training package is in high demand with limited space available. Advanced reservations are required.
In certain cases a consultation can prove very useful when we need to asses a dog’s behaviour prior to training. Or for those who live very far away a phone consultation is the next best thing to training together in a hands on fashion.
Prevent & deal with the most common dog behaviour problems
“My dog is too needy – he constantly demands attention!”
Needy dogs exist for several reasons:
- Dogs are social creatures and enjoy our attention, affection and play.
- Most dog owners do not understand how and when to deliver the goods listed above so they constantly reinforce the wrong behaviours in their dogs.
Needy dogs almost always have something in common:
An owner who gives constant attention – wether willingly or as a result of being frustrated with the dog and thinking that they will get the dog to stop what they are doing or change their behaviour through attention, reward or correction.
Once the dog learns that the owner is like a broken slot machine – the dog will keep pulling on th eleven and hitting paydirt time and again.
In order for things to change – the dog needs to be trained and the owner needs to better understand their role as well as their dog’s mind and reset how they are living with the dog.
Dogs who counter surf – thievery at it’s finest
Dogs are opportunists. Leave something out – leave an untrained dog unattended et voila! It starts young – not wanting to use a crate, or maybe taking a chance leaving the dog alone in a room for a minute while you go to another part of the house. Or maybe you are adopting an older dog who has already learned this.
Once a dog learns that they can shop @ home – well this meats Amazon Prime. it isn’t next day delivery – it is same day delivery- same minute.
a combination of crate training, boundary training, leave it, and keeping things away so the behaviour does not get further reinforced helps Depending o the dog, the dog’s level of drive, it’s history – varying degrees of all of the above are needed.
How to give your dog affection and attention the right way
Attention given at the wrong time equals broken telephone. It sends a faulty message to your dog. In terms of neediness – the dog who is being looked at, shushed or touched while whining or pushing for attention is being paid for the behaviour.
What do you think happens to a dog when it finds a reward tied to a behaviour?
In order to help a dog not become pushy and demanding – or help one who already is – you need to audit your actions to make sure there is minimal to no incorrect reinforcement going on.
Using your attention, energy and affection to motive your dog to cooperate and work with you in training
That same attention affection and energy we just talked about can be used here to great success. Show your dog how much you enjoy what they are doing when they work for you. Motive your dog like I do with Blue in the video to change your dog’s attitude towards working with you from the equivalent of a dog who hates their job to a dog who is a full partner.
How to manage Dog Aggression Montreal Dog Training
Living with a Dog Aggressive Dog
Dog owners living with canines who have dog aggression often tell me how stressful their walks and outings are prior to training.
The common things that I hear are people being very selective about the time of day as well as locations they choose to go out into with their dogs.
They are constantly in fear of coming across other dogs on their walks and are very limited I where they can go.
Walks are very stressful.
Of course, making good environmental decisions is always wise, but living successfully with a dog aggressive dog goes far beyond this approach.
The single most important thing any dog owner can do is to train their dog properly.
This goes for any dog owner and any type of dog and 100 times more so for those who have dog aggressive dogs.
Managing Dog Aggression
Managing a dog aggressive dog takes a good understanding of canine psychology and instincts.
It also requires a handler to be very environmentally aware and to make sure that their obedience and means of communicating with their dog are very clear.
When you are in charge of a dog aggressive dog you have to see yourself as upper management. You give the dog direction, you make good choices as to what your employee is capable of and how much responsibility you place on them (environmental choices) and you make sure that you are a good team leader that can direct and motivate your employee.
Success or failure rests on your shoulders.
Can you “Fix ” or “Cure” Dog Aggression
You cannot fix or cure a truly dog aggressive dog.
If the dog is shy/nervous/fearful, and yet social this is a very different thing.
I’ve worked with thousands of such dogs who learned that defensiveness was not required and they became absolute “social butterflies” as a result of training.
The want to connect, engage and play with other dogs was in them to begin with (sometimes dormant). Either through the result of lack of proper socialization or bad experiences with other dogs they learned to prioritize safety over social interaction.
Do not confuse this with a truly dog aggressive dog.
In the case of the fearful or nervous dog who is indeed social, we simply work on confidence building skills and obedience.
With a dog aggressive dog, you are not going to cure or fix this behaviour because it is rooted in the dog’s character.
Meaning this is how some dogs see the world. They are adversarial and combative with other dogs.
Believing you can change is like believing you can control the weather.
We cannot alter the course of nature. All we can do is be well informed and take proactive measures to create the best possible outcome.
There are trainers who prey upon naïve dog owners hopes and dreams claiming they can change/fix/cure real aggression and the results are always a disaster. It is only a matter of time before these poor folks find out the hard way.
Why are dogs dog aggressive?
Dogs are aggressive for a multitude of reasons.
It can be genetic
It can be learned through bad experience, improper socialization and harsh or traumatic experiences.
It then gets compounded time and time again reinforcing a belief system in the dog’s mind.
Aggression is an instinct that we value or demonize depending on the circumstance.
- The dog protects you from a while animal while out hiking or camping – the dog is a hero.
- The dog bites the intruder who broke into your home – the dog is a hero.
- The dog wants to attack another dog on the sidewalk – aggression is bad.
- The dog wants to bite the pizza delivery person – aggression is bad.
Of course these examples are simplistic, but I think it illustrates that aggression cannot only be useful but desirable and other times it is completely inappropriate.
Helping owners of a giant dog aggressive Great Dane
Lexi’s owners came to me completely overwhelmed with their dog’s behaviour.
They are nice people, great dog owners with two other dogs at home who are completely fine around other dogs. They were not prepared for Lexi’s attitude towards the world and had tried to train her with another training school before coming to me. Needless to say it didn’t work out and I was contacted to consult with them and see what can be done to help with Lexi’s behaviour.
The videos here represent Lexi in training with me – and more importantly show her working with her owners at our transfer lesson.
I take great pride in not only the quality of instruction the dogs receive while in for training but equally in teaching dog owners how to maintain their dog’s training once it is complete.
How To Stop Leash Pulling and Dog Reactivity
How to solve leash pulling
Dogs pull on leash for a multitude of reasons:
- They move faster than us.
- Their focus is not on the owner.
- The owner consistently puts tension in the leash, causing the dog to pull and reinforcing the pulling.
- The list goes on.
Dog Training gimmicks and bandaids
There are so many gimmicks out there in dog training.
Bungee leashes, head, halters, different types of collars, magical, harnesses, etc., etc. etc..
All of these things are for people who don’t understand the core principles of dog behaviour and training and the companies know this so they market to the uninformed.
Nothing will replace the value and benefit of teaching your dog to focus on you.
Reread that statement it is an important one.
Nothing will replace the value and benefit of teaching your dog to focus on you.
The best way to solve leash pulling is to teach your dog to focus on and follow you.
Take a look at these videos for examples.
This large and powerful Doberman used to drag his owner everywhere at warp speed, pulling, barking, lunging and jumping all over.
After proper obedience training, he is now a very focussed and willing training partner and just such a beautiful and happy dog to watch in action.
Teaching your dog to focus
Teaching a dog to focus involves a skill set on the dog trainers part.
It involves fundamentals of dog training, such as understanding when and how to reinforce both what you want and do not want and how to exaggerate the positive so that eventually the dog wants what we want and our goals are in alignment.
Watch the dog in the videos and watch how he not only works and follows direction, but does so with a bounce in his step and with joy.
The movement and attitude he displays signifies a joy in his work that goes well above and beyond simply “doing his job”.
Reactive dogs
Reactive Dogs by definition are focused and reacting to stimuli in their environment. If we want to help improve a reactive dogs behavior, we have to shift their focus from whatever has the magnetic pull to the core of your dog and transfer that onto us so that the dog can follow our lead and our direction.
Building The On/Off switch for your dog’s focus
The on off switch is something I focus on with my clients day in and day out.
The more clarity a dog has with this aspect of training the easier it is to communicate with the dog, to guide, steer and direct our training partner.
Watch the second video to understand this better. This dog knows very clearly when we are healing and he is very focussed and then when I release him, he bounces around like a baby deer.
He is very silly and playful, which brings joy to work and I know how to exaggerate this for him. I love my dogs to be playful and joyful in training. It gives them purpose in their work.
This is also very useful to give the enjoyable moments and training, but it builds the dogs focus in anticipation for the next release.
Furthermore, it reinforces our on switch because the faster heat turns on the faster we get to work the sooner we can then have another release and play and then gradually we build the time to our next release.
By releasing him repeatedly and allowing him these little micro explosions the dog is also learning to control himself when he is excited and adrenalized, which goes along way towards helping us navigate through big distractions out in the real world.
Crate Training Your Dog – Advice From a Professional Dog Trainer Montreal
How to start crate training your puppy
Starting to crate train a puppy is as simple as feeding them in their crate.
Once your puppy is used to eating in the crate, you can begin leaving your puppy in for short periods of time.
Make sure your puppy has plenty of time to exercise and go potty before putting them in so that you do not add any additional stress or provoke accidents in the crate.
Crate training for older dogs and rescues
If you’re starting with an older dog, the dog may have already learned that barking, whining or acting up in the crate, may provide the dog with opportunity to get out.
It’s important to condition the dog to the crate and to use an approach that teaches the dog to be calm. Using positive reinforcement when the dog is calm and quiet in the crate so that the dog realizes that it is a temporary thing and one that brings reward if they are calm and quiet
Rescue dog used to panic in crate now is completely calm and relaxed
Take a look at Skyla who panicked in her crate when her owner tried to crate train her at home.
Look at how effortlessly she goes in on command despite the fact that her brother Dexter and I are having a great time & carrying on right in front of her.
She is able to follow commands, go into her crate up upon request and remain in there calmly until we let her out.
She is able to follow commands, go into her, crate upon request and remain in there calmly until we let her out.
Teaching a dog to remain calm and follow direction will always get you much further than any form of physical restraint be it a leash/harness/collar or door of a crate.
Dog training should be about communication with the dog and teaching the dog to think and follow direction.
And dealing with only the physical aspect of the dog. Ideally, we are communicating with the dog and teaching the dog to think and follow direction.
This creates a favourable outcome and teaches the dog to be calm and focussed as you can see.
Most important advice for rescue dog owners
How to help rescue dogs & dogs with difficult pasts
When someone comes to me for help with their dogs one of the first things I have to help the owner identify is that in addition to teaching skills to a dog, we also need to address lifestyle. That means getting the owner to change habits that feed unwanted behaviour and creates an unhealthy life for the dogs and their humans. In some cases it also involves how the owner perceives the dog. Perception can become reality – for better or worse.
If we treat our dogs like they are “broken or damaged“ because of their history, then we doom them to be stuck in the same place for the rest of their lives.
In fact, they will be even worse off as time goes forward because things will deteriorate as the years go on.
Our dogs need us to be informed, intelligent and purposeful. We must aid them to be stronger through proper knowledge, training and guidance.
To assume that every hardship a dog encounters is because the dog is a rescue dog, or has had a rough past in life, is to doom the dog to a future of no hope. Such labels are limiting, soul-sucking, joy robbing death sentences.
Neither love nor pity will train a dog & neither will help a dog’s situation improve.
How to strengthen your dog and give it a better quality of life
Let’s all be strong for our dogs so that they can be strong in the image we create of them.
Believe in your dog’s resilience and you’ll be amazed at where you’ll travel to together.
Follow this link to a YouTube video on things rescue dogs wish you knew in order to help them.
#Believe #Dog #strong #DogTraining #DogTrainer #MontrealDogTrainer
Serving Montreal area dog owners as well as the outskirts and eastern ontario
Videos and Dog Training Articles and blog posts important information for all dog owners interested in having a better relationship with their canine!
Family K9 Dog Training: Unleashing Harmony in the Montérégie Region! 🐾🏡
Attention all Montérégie pet parents! If you’re searching for a canine training experience that combines expertise, compassion, and a family-friendly approach, look no further than Family K9 Dog Training. Nestled in the heart of Montérégie, serving the regions of Vaudreuil, Hudson, Rigaud, Saint Lazare and clients from all over this premier dog training service is dedicated to transforming your four-legged family member into the well-mannered companion you’ve always dreamed of.
🌟 The Family K9 Difference: Expert Dog Trainer and Dog Owner Teacher with a Personal Touch !
A Collection of video clips of recent in kennel dog training students
In-kennel dog training is a popular option for those seeking comprehensive and effective training solutions.
Understanding In-Kennel Dog Training:
In-kennel dog training, also known as board-and-train or residential training, is one fo family K9’s most popular services along with one on one lessons at your home or at the kennel as well. Click here to find out more about Family K9’s training program and see some recent graduates in action!
Noise sensitive dogs – More common than you think
Our K9 companions bring boundless joy into our lives, but for some, loud noises can turn their world upside down. Whether it’s thunderstorms, fireworks, or even the clang of pots and pans in the kitchen, noise sensitivity can cause distress and anxiety in our beloved pets. Today, we embark on a journey to understand and assist our canine companions in overcoming their noise-related woes. Click here to read the full article and see a vide on how to help your dog with noise sensitivity
Unleashing Socialization Success for Montreal Pups
Welcoming a furry friend into your Montreal home? Discover expert tips on how to socialize your puppy, ensuring they become the bark of the town!
Click on the image to read more about how to properly socialize your dog, and watch an instructional video on socialization and obedience training.
Dog owners need to understand how to foster emotional health in their dogs. Teaching dogs that avoidance is not only ok but is actually encouraged is a very dangerous message that will doom a dog to getting locked into fear based reactions and patterns. it is a quality of life killer for both Canine and it’s owner.
Another training school had told them that there was nothing they could do to help this dog and had relegated this dog to having to be boarded up behind sheets of plywood to keep it from trying to attack the other dogs in class.
Investing time and effort into finding the right dog trainer will not only shape your dog’s behavior but also strengthen the bond between you and your furry companion. So go ahead, embark on this exciting journey of training and watch your dog flourish under the guidance of a skilled Montreal dog trainer!
Click here to find out more about the best training services for your dog and your needs!
Dog parks are a popular place for dog owners to bring their K9 buddies. They get to romp around and get some exercise and social interaction. Montreal (and its surrounding areas) is a very dog friendly city and as such has plenty of dog parks. So do the surrounding areas such as the West Island, the south shore and Laval.
The question is should you bring your dog to a dog park?
Most Important Tips For New Puppy Owners
Getting a new puppy is exciting and can be challenging and even overwhelming at times. here are some of the most important things you must do with your new puppy.
An article and videos from Montreal area, dog owners to learn about the right approach Anne Smart strategies in order to have a well-trained dog.
It is so easy and such a copout to blame the dog. A dog trainer should be an educator, a coach, and a motivator. We should be guiding & building our dogs up and challenging ourselves to continuously find the right way for the individual dog in front of us.
Play with a puppy should be fun and engaging for both the puppy and it’s human counterpart.
Learn how to properly play with your puppy from an expert so that you can optimize your puppies behaviour in record time and have fun together while doing it!
Click on the link to go to an article and video detailing how to properly play with your puppy.
Sharing our lives, and our hearts with our dogs can bring lots of joy for everyone, but like everything else in life it’s important to understand the rules so that we don’t fall into problematic patterns.
Dogs want our attention and affection and of course we want to give it to them, it is best to understand the impact of our actions on earth dogs in order to understand how to enjoy your relationship with your dog without creating issues.
Teaching a dog to focus especially under distraction is a cornerstone of good dog training. If your dog cannot focus and be obedient when distracted it renders your training ineffective.
“Handling a dog that cannot focus under distraction is like driving a car whose brakes only work under 30KM/H”
Here we have Popeye, a young poodle who is full of life, very sweet and playful. Click on this link or the image above to go to an article and video discussing and demonstrating important concepts in dog training in order to have a well-behaved dog around distractions.
Many dog owners make errors when trying to play fetch with their dog that ultimately cost them their enjoyment of the game.
Fetch can be a wonderful way to give your dog exercise and enjoyable activity that you can share with your dog.
No more pulling on leash
Focused heeling, communication and cooperation.
From playful dogs who pull on leash to get everywhere quicker to dog reactive dogs.
Dog Training for special needs dogs
Dogs possess very impressive adaptability
Teaching canine manners
Teaching dogs not to jump up, not to bite or bark excessively or steal/destroy items
Reactive dog Training
Dog Training with an expert who has been providing dog training solutions for 3 decades!
Help improve your dog’s behaviour today!
Montreal’s Best Dog Training for over 25 years!
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