Nick @ Family K9

About Nick @ Family K9

https://www.familyk9.com

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Top tips for dogs with anxiety

How to calm an anxious dog Each year countless dogs are diagnosed with anxiety disorders and prescribed medication. As a Dog Trainer for over 25 years I am contacted daily with inquiries on how to calm an anxious dog. In Many cases a consultation is required to figure out the best course of action. Let’s take a look at a dog who came in for a consultation and whose owners enrolled in Family K9’s Board & Train in kennel training program named Stang. Does my dog need anti-anxiety medication? In this video, we will take a look at a young […]

Results oriented dog training

Take a look at these dogs in the video. Each has its own distinct personality. Over the course of training each dog comes to a nice balance point where they are playful, cooperative and easily manageable. This is what we are after.

doberman learning to focus montreal board train reactive dog

Reactive dog training

Training reactive dogs brings its own unique set of challenges. Jack is a young male Doberman, who was incredibly dog reactive. According to his owners, he would start barking, getting wildly out of control and lunging from well over 100 feet away from even a passive dog. His owners brought him to Family K9 Dog training for a consultation in order to see what can be done to help Jack’s anxiety (as well as their’s) while out on walks together. Training reactive dogs It was apparent right from our consultation that Jack is a very trainable dog and just needed […]

Puppy Biting

Puppies bite in an effort to try and play with us.
They don’t know any better and they are doing what comes naturally.
Learn how to communicate properly with your puppy as well as give your puppy an outlet for what is a very natural and necessary behavior.

How to socialize your dog

Socializing, a dog is a very important and often misunderstood concept. How to socialize your dog Our goal, when socializing should be to give her dog, a sense of well-being in the world, he/she lives in. Many people confuse this with trying to create a dog that is overly excitable, too distracted, and trying to interact with everyone and everything around it, we also have to keep in mind our balance point and what we are trying to achieve with our dog and what our dog’s individual traits are.

Science based dog training

Understanding the science of how dogs learn. If you don’t understand the basic science of how dogs learn it’s like driving somewhere without a GPS or perhaps more accurately like trying to drive with your eyes closed. Dogs are intelligent, highly trainable creatures, and if we understand how they connect darts in training, we can be clearer communicators to our dogs about what criteria we want to see from them. When people don’t understand or utilize, some key principles are often referred to the dog as “difficult or stubborn”. Learning how to effectively communicate with your dog. Basic principles of […]

Saying goodbye is never easy

From our first days to the last I somehow thought we had more time We managed to create a tapestry of days running one into the next Patterns, habits and expectations that created a sense of forever Life with our dogs is so short and eventually we run out of time And no matter how long we’ve had It is never enough Never enough time to sit on the couch and cuddle To play in the snow To laugh as you rubbed your back under a tree, under my desk until I yelled (while I was simultaneously laughing), rubbing yourself […]

Dog reactive, aggressive training, montreal

Rehabilitating dogs with aggression issues

If you have a dog with aggressive behaviour causing you stress you should definitely check out these videos. Dogs exhibit aggressive behaviour for a multitude of reasons. The key to working successfully with a dog’s aggressive behaviour issues is to understand their reason for being aggressive as well as being able to direct their energy and focus into a task we ask them to do for us. Once we do this we can them train the dog to work for us and give us it’s focus and lead them through situations that were previously unthinkable. We must also respect their […]

Board and train test six years after the dog was trained

Does the Board and Train work? The dog in this video is an excellent example of several things: First of all, she’s just a wonderful dog everything you could hope for when bringing a young puppy home and imagining your future with your grown-up dog. Second of all her owners contacted me when she was young and we’re serious about having a well trained dog. She was well trained at the time we finished our program. All of that is well and good however what you’re seeing in this video is six years after I did my work, so what […]

Montreal training dogs with fear aggression

What your dog with fear aggression want you to know

Dogs with fear aggression need specialized training and owners who understand how their dogs mind works Training a dog with fear aggression is the best gift you can give both yourself and your dog. Not only does it make your life easier but it teaches your dog that he doesn’t have to act out in order to stay safe. Dogs with fear aggression possess a very high threat perception. What that means is they see threats behind every day normal situations, people, and things. By teaching them that they don’t have to act out in order to stay safe and […]

training dog reactive anxiety leash pulling

Training a dog reactive dog

Passion Fruit’s owner contacted me with a request to help with their dog primarily due to dog reactivity. It was clear from speaking to her that she had major issues with walking him. He would lunge and bark at dogs – and some people too. He was difficult to walk due to his size, strength and intensity. When he would focus on something they would not be able to control him during an outburst. Reactive dogs make life challenging for their owners Many owners of reactive dogs find themselves planning their routes carefully in order to avoid triggers. They plan […]

Puppy training test

Puppy Training Test Can the young, trained labrador retriever puppy follow around and listen to someone who is not a dog trainer? This is a test of the dog’s training and gives me great insight to just how easily he will work for his family comes time for our transfer lesson. Training a young puppy to be an obedient, happy Canine Companion Biscuit is a 5 month old Lab puppy. he is a happy, sweet and silly pup. My daughter Nina came by the kennel to hang out and I offered her to test biscuit. She did a great job […]

Montreal West Island Dog training

A collection of video clips highlting dogs in training from Montreal’s West Island Montreal’s west island is a very dog rich part of the city. There are plenty of parks as well as dog parks to enjoy withy our canine companions. I have trained all over the west island for just about three decades. In that time I have enjoyed helping countless dog owners in their goals with their K9’s. From puppy training to obedience, advanced obedience and helping resolve behavioural issues.

Rewards and treats for puppies and humans

Montreal Dog Trainer in the Media

These media clippings go way back. Front page of the Westmount Examiner in 1996 I was a young man, starting out having only been training dogs for a few years and eager to make a name for myself. When I think of the schedule I used to keep back then – training 7 days a week sun up to sun down…. A clipping from the Montreal Gazette when invited by a now defunct pet supply store in NDG to host a “ask the trainer” night. Over the years I have had the pleasure of appearing on TV being a […]

Montreal puppy boarding school

The above photo was snapped during a play and training session. these dogs are from different families, are close in age & all have a very similar social drive to play with one another. This is very useful in training. Puppy Distraction Training Of course it is also tons of fun for them – but we reap the benefits of using their playful nature and friends as distractions and also as a reward for a job well done – driving the incentive to focus and work higher. Teaching puppies to control themselves when excited Starting training young, ideally close to the […]

Training montreal reactive dogs

Dogs can be reactive for all sorts of reasons, ranging from over excite ability, and a lack of focus, being overly social and having learned bad habits early on in life to fear and outright aggression. Over the years, I’ve worked with tons of reactive dogs, and every single case they can be taught to have better focus and control if we use the right techniques, and we are also respectful of their limitations. Teach your reactive dog to focus on you Sounds like a good concept and it is but your obedience and understanding of how your dogs mind […]

Training blind dogs

Luna is a French bulldog who cannot see.Her owner brought her to me for a consultation with hopes of having her trained.It was very apparent to me early on that Luna was very capable, and able to focus in great detail, despite the fact that she’s blind.After working with her a little bit in our consultation, her owner and I were chatting while I was holding the leash and Luna was just sitting on my foot.As I shifted my body weight, purely out of comfort on my part, Luna immediately turned ready to follow me.

Teaching your dog to heel and not pull on leash

Teaching dogs to heel goes far beyond the basics of them not pulling us around on leash. Heeling in its purest form is symmetry, focus and communication. Anyone can strong arm a dog into walking by their side if they are strong enough however, this is not a true heel.

Teaching your dog good manners

Reliable Dog Training If you want to train your dog to listen reliably – especially under distraction and high levels of stimulation you need to develop a belief system as part of your training program. What this means is that the dog believes in or trusts the outcome of the process to be favorable for him if he follow your rules of conduct. This dog training video dives into developing a belief system as it pertains to helping Tabasco – a 4 year old rescue dog not jump up for petting or play. This system can and should be applied […]

Unique Dog Names

Over the years, I’ve trained some dogs who have had really unique names that stand out. Here’s a small gathering of some of my favourite unique dog names. Malamute Passion Fruit – nicknamed “Dan” Passion fruit is a large malamute mix whose owners contacted me because he had aggression issues towards dogs and some humans. He was wonderful to train with as was his owner Anne. Here are a couple of videos, both showing him in training with me, and then working with his owner for the first time. I know they explained it to me, but I still can’t […]