What was evident to me from our consult is that Odin was a joyful, engaging dog who wanted to connect with me (or anyone really!) and had a lot of drive. This is typical of many OCD dog’s. Drive. It is a living organism and unless you’ve lived with a highly driven dog you just can’t imagine how powerful it is.
Odin had a serious problem chasing light, reflections of light and shadows.
This all started when his owners would play with him as a youngster with a laser pointer.
What started as a fun pastime quickly turned into an obsession and spiralled out of control.
Behavioural strategy for a dog with OCD
The strategy for many OCD dogs is actually very simple.
Replace the unhealthy with the healthy.
It’s a fool errand to get caught up in trying to simply stop a dog from doing something it is obsessed with. This is exactly like playing whack-a-mole with your dog 24/7.
Does my dog need to be medicated
In some instances medication can be helpful, but in my experience, it is largely overprescribed, overused, and done so before we have exhausted, behavioural intervention options.
The first action we should take is to evaluate the dogs behavior, assess the level (if any) of training and create a plan of action for such a dog that includes training, a healthy outlet for the dogs drive, and lots of mental and physical stimulation to give all that energy, a healthy direction to flow into.
for ore information on OCD check out the AKC website
Hi Nick,
I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for Odin, he is truly a man’s best friend that just wants to play all day everyday.
His favorite game nowadays is fetch! We bought these RuffDawg toys and they are seriously his favorite thing in the world. It’s his new “shadow” obsession. The great thing is he calms down and relaxes once we take it away.
Wishing you the very best and more doggos to train!
Seham, Cj, Reuben and mostly Odin!
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Training a pitbull with shadow chasing OCD – Montreal Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training
Dog Training PitBull – OCD – shadow chasing – Family K9 Dog Training
Montreal Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training Will a dog listen to a whisper?
Training changed dog’s life. Pitbull W/OCD. Montreal Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training
Montreal Dog Trainer – Family K9 Dog Training – Dog Training plan for special needs dog
Hadley is a one-year-old spaniel who is extremely anxious and cannot relax her mind.
Her owners contacted me for help because she barks nonstop outside on a walk, around the house, whines continuously and show a general restlessness and unease despite all of her owners efforts. ‘from Hadley’s owner’s original email:
”We have been to different trainers and they have all given us different methods to try to help us but nothing has worked.”
”When she is inside, she is constantly barking. It gets worse when she sees birds, people, dogs (anything that moves really) from the window. I know she barks for attention, and we have tried to correct this but it has not worked.
“On walks, she lunges at cars, barks at everything and seems very aggressive towards other dogs. “
“Focusing on us in different environments. She rarely pays any attention to us when we are outside. Constantly pulling on lead, she looks like a sled dog trying to drag us along. When we stop walking and tell her to sit, she sits for a second then is back up and pulling/whining. “
“Aggressive” towards other people and dogs. If someone comes over to our house, she growls and barks, then lunges and backs off. She has never bitten anyone. The barking can last for five minutes, but sometimes it lasts for over an hour. The moment someone tries to pet her once she is calm, it starts up again. With other dogs however, they could be out of her sight and she will still be barking and lunging. Even just hearing another dog bark, she goes crazy. “
“Her vet has told us that she is anxious and has prescribed Trazodone, but only for when we know a “stressful” event is coming up.”
Take a look at Hadley in these videos to give you an idea of her progress!
Video number 1 is minute one of her arrival at the kennel. It will give you a glimpse of what she was like and you can see the transition start to take place in her very first session.
Video number 2 is towards the end of her first week of training.
Video number 3 is towards the end of week 2 of training. Upon seeing the video Hadley’s owner commented:
”Holy moly!! She’s like a completely different dog! We are so happy she is doing well and I can’t believe how quiet she was! We have tried bringing her into Chico and mondou before, and even without any dogs or staff around it did not go well. I’m beyond happy she is calming down. I don’t know what to say! “
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One year-old spaniel, nonstop, barking, and anxiety 1st session
Nonstop barking & anxiety changed in 1 week #dogtraining
Non stop barking and anxiety – 2 weeks of training – training test #dogtraining
Anxious, fearful, nonstop barking after two weeks of training. #dogtraining
Bicycle touring with a dog from Vaudreuil, Quebec to eastern Ontario
Before setting out on such a large undertaking, I conditioned my puppy to be comfortable in a crate on a bicycle trailer without the trailer moving.
This meant simply parking my bike and having him hop in and out of the trailer and staying in there for progressively longer periods of time.
Once he was comfortable with this we started to go for small rides of 30 to 40 km.
I had the trailer set up indoors as well when I would be riding my bicycle on an indoor trainer and he would get in there and fall asleep while I did my workouts. In fact, he liked it so much that I would often find him napping in there on his own when I was not in that room or doing anything bike related.
Considerations when cycling with a dog
For a ride as long as the one in the video above, I had several criteria:
The weather had to be cool enough for him to be able to be outside comfortably for several hours.
I had to be prepared to stop frequently so that the ride was a pleasurable experience for the dog and not simply me hauling him around while I paddled away on a bike.
I had to make sure I packed extras that I don’t normally take along on my rides. Benadryl in case of reactions to bug bites, an extra water bottle with no electrolytes or carbohydrates in them so he would always have freshwater available, poop bags, snacks for the dog .
an extra spare tube suitable for one of the tires on my dogs trailer.
I do this bike ride fairly often and on average it’ll take me about two hours and 45 minutes door-to-door.
With a 55 pound puppy and then all the added weight of the bicycle trailer and all the extra accessories totalling approximately 80 extra pounds and not to mention the additional aerodynamic drag I imagined the right to take me about five hours of moving time and an additional 2 to 2 1/2 hours of stopped time.
This is exactly what it turned out to be and we had a fantastic time and I look forward to many more rides with my dog!
Dog Training is as much science as it is an art. We have so much information about how dogs process information, adapt and learn. We have a better understanding of how a dog’s drives, DNA and early life experience can influence their behaviour. We also need to balance all of this with a keen and observant eye in training and analyzing what we do to help guide our dogs to success. We have to be able to understand our dogs’ feelings and in this particular case Odin’s feeling ran away from him like the bus in the movie Speed. It was full speed, no brakes out of control unhealthy obsession with shadows.
Training Challenging dogs
Helping dogs with specific issues like Odin is a joy to partake in. As a professional dog trainer fo 30 + years I love when people bring me challenging dogs. In many cases they bring me dogs who have already seen multiple trainers and yet they have not been able to successfully remediate the problem behaviour.
Creative Dog Training
You can’t simply force an obsessed dog to stop. We have to work on teaching skills, replacing and redirecting the dog’s focus and energy and in essence showing ther dog a new reason to get up in the morning. Very driven dogs of any breed are purpose driven. Their drives must achieve satisfaction or the frustration will bubble over like a full pot of boiling water on top of a burner set to max on the stove top.
Odin’s owners requested a consultation towards the end of last year and then he came in for Family K9 Dog Training’s Board and Train In January of this year. Since he has gone home from training they have followed up on his work and have done very, very well learning how to live with Odin and follow the condors explained to them in our transfer lesson. Everyone is living a much more content and peace filled life now – Humans and Dog enjoying their days together as it should be!
Dog Training Success Story!
Hi Nick,
I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for Odin, he is truly a man’s best friend that just wants to play all day everyday.
His favorite game nowadays is fetch! We bought these RuffDawg toys and they are seriously his favorite thing in the world. It’s his new “shadow” obsession. The great thing is he calms down and relaxes once we take it away.
Wishing you the very best and more doggos to train!
Sincerely, CJ, Seham, Reuben & mostly Odin
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Training a pitbull with shadow chasing OCD – Montreal Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training
Dog Training PitBull – OCD – shadow chasing – Family K9 Dog Training
Montreal Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training Will a dog listen to a whisper?
Training changed dog’s life. Pitbull W/OCD. Montreal Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training
Montreal Dog Trainer – Family K9 Dog Training – Dog Training plan for special needs dog
Family K9 Dog Training: Unleashing Harmony for Vaudreuil area dog owners ! 🐾🏡
Attention all Vaudreuil 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 Vaudreuil, 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:
1. Expert Dog Trainer and Dog Owner Teacher with a Personal Touch:
At Family K9, your dog is not just a student; they’re a valued member of the family. Nick Zevgolis is an experienced trainer of 30 years who bring a wealth of knowledge and a genuine love for dogs. The personalized attention ensures that each dog receives the tailored training they need to thrive.
2. Family-Centric Approach:
Recognizing that dogs are an integral part of the family, Family K9 Dog Training emphasizes a family-centric approach. They believe that involving the whole family in the training process creates a stronger bond and a more harmonious living environment.
3. Comprehensive Dog Training Programs:
Whether your furry friend is a rambunctious puppy or a seasoned senior, Family K9 offers comprehensive training programs to meet every need. From basic obedience to advanced skills, each program is designed to address specific behaviors and enhance the overall well-being of your dog.
4. Positive Reinforcement Philosophy:
The training philosophy at Family K9 is rooted in positive reinforcement. This means focusing on rewarding desired behaviors rather than punishing undesirable ones. This approach not only fosters a loving relationship between you and your dog but also makes the learning process enjoyable for your furry friend.
5. Real-World Dog Training:
Family K9 understands that dogs need to function in various environments. Training your dog with the right approach will enable you to make the most out of your dog’s good behaviour and take your dog anywhere. The Montérégie region offers many outdoor activités for nature lovers and active people and why wouldn’t we want to include our dogs on hikes, walks, runs, cycling just to name a few? Being able to control and communicate with your dog opens up a world of possibilities and potential for enjoying nice outings in places such as parks and busy streets, allowing your dog to generalize their skills and become a well-behaved companion in any situation.
🏡 Serving the Montérégie Region:
Conveniently located in the heart of Montérégie, Family K9 Dog Training serves the entire region, from charming communities to picturesque landscapes. Whether you’re in Vaudreuil, Hudson, Rigaud, Saint Lazare or Longueuil, Brossard, or any other part of Montérégie, access to high-quality dog training is just a paw’s reach away.
EXCELLENT
143 reviews
Helena Levitt
2024-04-12
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We brought our Goldendoodle home 12 years ago with no idea how challenging the puppy stage can be. Nick came highly recommended and so we reached out and he was amazing! He was patient, knowledgeable and incredibly skilled. After spending 3 weeks in his care our puppy returned with all the skills needed for a seemless transition into our family. We had such a well behaved, happy and trustworthy 12 years with her. Fast forward to today, we are bringing home our new puppy and have already secured a spot in Nick’s program. Knowing he will be part of this puppy’s journey brings us confidence that we can enjoy this next chapter with our new addition without the concerns that come with a puppy! I highly recommend his services.
Emerald Jayde
2024-03-23
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I have known Nick for about 5 years now and in that time, he has trained my 3 dogs and my family dog. Needless to say, I trust him wholeheartedly with dogs and I recommend him to everyone looking for a dog trainer.
In 2019, I brought him my 1year old Frenchie and 5 year old German shepherd family dog. Neither of the dogs had any discipline, it was super hard to walk them, they had zero recall, the GSD loved to bark and runaway. Good dogs, just not easy to incorporate into our everyday lives. The GSD had been previously trained but it just didn’t stick. The Frenchie had an excessive amount of energy and he didn’t know where to direct it. The 2 went to the “Board and Train” and it was the best decision we had ever made. Both dogs came back fully trained and ready to work. Nick supported us through the transition and we ended up with amazing pets!
In 2022, I adopted a 5yr old chihuahua who came from an abused home. He was terrified and extremely towards dogs (except the ones in the house). He would lunge to kill, he didn’t care how much bigger the other dog was. He didn’t even know his name. I sent him to the program, and now he can heel, come, place, leave it and most importantly, he knows his name! I’ll attach a video of him leaving a dog alone.
The most recent one, she came back last week from training. She is a 8 month old cocker that has very low confidence and very high energy. We wanted her to speak the same language as my other 2 dogs as she was getting hard to manage. Now, everyone is on the same page, we go for pack walks comfortably, I can put everyone in a place, I can tell them to leave it and know that they will. My cocker looks to me when she’s scared instead of reacting.
The dogs are all more relaxed because they trust that I will guide them, and that is thanks to Nick’s training. I have given him 4 dogs with completely different personalities and the results have all been amazing. He tailors his training to the dog and makes sure to give the human the right tools to follow through.
Forever my dog trainer, 100% worth it!
Owner's reply Thanks Emerald! It’s been a pleasure training each of your dogs. I appreciate your trust in my abilities and value our relationship through the years. Best of luck with the newest kid - stay in touch and let me know if you ever need a hand.
Romy Hutman
2024-03-09
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An exceptional dog trainer indeed! We've had the pleasure of working with Nick for over 20 years, and his dedication has always shone through. Maintaining a strong relationship throughout the training process, he's helped shape our fur babies into well-mannered companions. Highly recommend his services for anyone seeking expert guidance and a lasting bond with their pets!
Owner's reply Thanks Romy! Cant believe it’s been that long already. It’s been a pleasure helping you with each of your dogs.
Karel
2024-03-03
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Our beloved golden retriever Rex has just finished his obedience training with Nick. We couldn't be more happy. Nick is the best trainer we've ever met. He explained each step with patience and passion. Rex enjoyed each session, and we saw the improvement from week to week. We strongly recommend Nick experience to people looking to have the dreaming dog.
Owner's reply Thanks Karel - it was a pleasure training with the three of you. Happy to help you with Rex!
Jill Gale
2024-02-21
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We recently adopted a 2 year old dog from a rescue that had been taken from a hoarding situation where she had very limited exposure to the outside world. Ellie had no training whatsoever and was very apprehensive around new people and reactive with kids. She was also a challenge to walk because she would react to any dog that barked at her. We knew we needed help with her and chose to entrust the training with Nick after reading multiple reviews (thanks for those....so helpful!) and watching his educational videos. What a great decision. The consult with him enlightened us to why she was displaying the behaviours and what training she needed to help her feel safe and more confident. She spent 3 weeks in the in-kennel training while we were away on vacation and we came back to a huge transformation. When new people come to the house she greets them calmly and confidently. She heels like a pro on the leash and we are able to use the tools we were taught (yes, you have to be trained too :) to avoid confrontation with other dogs. Two days after we brought her home the grandkids came over and she was amazing with them. It is obvious that Nick is very committed to helping dog owners have the best possible life with their pet and appreciate being able to reach out to him down the road if we have any questions/concerns. It is without hesitation that we recommend Family K9 Dog Training.
Owner's reply Thanks for entrusting Ellie to me Jill. It was a pleasure helping you both with her!
Sarah Roy
2024-02-13
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I started training with Nick after having a few incidents with my 5 year old Aussie/border collie. After just the assessment, I could tell how knowledgeable Nick was and how well my dog responded right away. People told me my dog could no longer be trained being 5 years old but I knew they were wrong. We choose to do 6 training sessions one on one and after the first session, he was already learning and behaving better. I’ve never been able to walk him without having to walk very fast at his pace or without my arm extended. He would bark at dogs or people walking by along with lunging at cars. We have completed 4 training sessions and today I was able to push my daughter in the stroller and have Murphy walk right by my side for an entire walk, along with being able to walk pass people and dogs with no reaction. One person even asked if that was the same dog!
I’m excited to see how far we will continue to get with not only walks but jumping on people when entering the house, barking at the window, and overall a calmer / happier dog. I am forever grateful to have taken the one on one sessions and learning myself how to handle my dog. I can see the benefits right away and can’t wait to continue training him. I highly recommend Nick to help with any age dog and breed.
Owner's reply Thanks Sarah! Murphy is a great dog and I am so glad you’re seeing positive changes in him as a result of our work. Keep up the practice and I’ll see you both at our next session!
Seham Slllll
2024-01-30
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
There aren’t enough words to thank Nick in all the work and lessons he’s taught us and our 1yr old Odin. He is patient and takes the time to explain how we should approach situations to set ourselves up for success.
I definitely feel a huge sense of relief knowing that we are now taking the right steps in giving a healthier quality life for Odin, all thanks to Nick.
Nick - thank you for all that you do. I truly appreciate the time and effort you provided and look forward into keeping in touch for years to come!!
Owner's reply Thanks so much Seham. I’m grateful to have been part of team Odin. He is a tremendous dog and training him was a very pleasant and linear process. Look out for a full length YouTube detailing his journey coming soon. Stay in touch and reach out any time for extra help.
Michèl-e Robinson
2023-12-18
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Nick delivers fantastic results and helps you develop a connected relationship with your dog! He is an incredible e-collar trainer (please don't try DIY e-collar training). I hired him for his six 1:1 training sessions plus the e-collar add-on and it changed my daily life for the better. Here's my story:
My australian shepherd Heidi was rarely engaged with me and had developed violent aggressive behaviour towards dogs at age 2. She is the cutest ever, and sweet as pie when we're alone inside the house, but walking her caused my family and I so much discomfort stress that I was mentally preparing myself to give my dear friend away. Although I learned so much and felt great about my consultation with Nick, I couldn't afford to work with him at the time. It was obvious that Nick could help me, but I opted to meet with two cheaper trainers... only to waste my time and money.
Eventually, I got the money together and took the leap!
**It has been so, so worth it**
My dog Heidi and I are living our fantasy. We are connected, happy and peaceful together. Instead of suffering through tense walks (or I should say pulls instead of walks) and tracking her down in the car after one of her runaways: now we walk on leash around the village for fun, and she comes back to me when I call her in from the field, even if she is on something's trail.
I didn't think it was possible to feel so relaxed with my dog. I'm forever grateful ❤️
Note: I don't believe I would have reached my goals as quickly and easily without the e-collar add-on. And, please don't try to train your dog yourself on the e-collar; you can really mess up your relationship and your dog's personality.
Owner's reply Hi Michele, Thanks so much for your review. I’m really pleased to have been the trainer who managed to help you have the dog you dreamed of. Heidi is awesome and your an excellent dog owner. That was absolutely a pleasure to work with. I love the picture of her running through the fields. A dog out, running in nature, wet and dirty, and above all happy! Thanks again for your words they mean a ton to me and I look forward to seeing you both at our next lesson.
Gianni Fusco
2023-12-16
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
There are many dog trainers out there but those like Nick and Family K9 are quite rare. We chose Family K9 almost 10 years ago for our first Cane Corse Zoe and she remained the reference to everyone that met her of an incredibly behaved dog. After we lost her in June we contemplated whether we ever embark on this journey again with another dog. What we knew without any doubt was that any other dog would have to be trained by Family K9 as we would rather sacrifice getting another dog before getting one that wasn’t trained by them.
I’m am glad to say that we’ve decided to go forward with another Cane Corso and Kira has been the blessing we needed. We picked her up yesterday after what felt like the longest three weeks of our lives and the results are spectacular. We may sound biased after all these years but we truly cannot put in words what a difference it makes. Training any dog comes with a cost but after having trained our two dogs with Family K9 and witnessing the benefits first hand, we are convinced that it is an investment rather than a cost. What your dog will give your family back for many years after being trained by Family K9 is invaluable. Forever grateful.
Owner's reply Thank you Gianni! It was a pleasure working with you again. Wishing you and your family many happy years with Kira - she’s a lovely puppy. I appreciate your confidence in my dog training services and am grateful to have helped you with both of your dogs. The fact that you contacted me before getting your new puppy and told that the only way you would embark on a new puppy journey is if I were to train her for you is very meaningful to me. Thanks again and stay in touch!
Jason Wolofsky
2023-11-02
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Max, our 3.5-year-old, 70-pound golden doodle, is a gentle giant who's wonderful with kids and not at all aggressive. However, his needy behavior when people come over, his penchant for pulling during walks due to his incredible strength, and his selective hearing when it comes to commands without food were starting to pose some challenges. That's when we decided to seek the expertise of Max Dog Trainer Nick. After a three-week training program, Max returned as a completely transformed dog. While he's still very needy, we now have the tools to correct this behavior. Walking with him has become much more manageable, and when he gets hyper, we can put him in his designated "place." We've heard great things about Nick from friends who've used his services, and the hype is real! We're thrilled with Max's progress, though the real work is ongoing once you're back home. Nonetheless, Nick has armed us with all the right tools, and he's been incredibly responsive via email for any questions or concerns. We couldn't be happier with the results.
Owner's reply Thank you Jason! Max is a wonderful dog and I am glad you all have some tools you can now use to live a better life together!
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📍 Contact Monteregie Dog Trainer Family K9:
Ready to embark on a journey of positive transformation with your furry friend? Contact Family K9 Dog Training today and unleash the full potential of your beloved family member.
📞 Phone: (514) 990-5959 (K9K9)
Contact Page:Contact Family K9 via email. Emails are preferred as Nick is in training sessions all day and cannot get to the phone.
🌐 Website: www.familyk9.com
Welcome to a world where harmonious living with your canine companion is not just a goal but a reality! 🐾✨. See the results for yourself in the testimonials from past clients and the videos of Family K9 Dog Training dogs in action!
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Shelter told owner “Dog is Untrainable“ Family K9 Dog Training – Montreal dog trainer 
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Imagine sending your dog to a trainer and when you get your dog back, several things are wrong:
You notice immediately that your dog has scars on his neck.
Beyond that your dog is incapable of performing basic commands.
The trainer has the nerve to tell you “your dog is like a dumb blonde in high heels“. Of course this didn’t stop him from keeping the money.
This is exactly what happened to Ouspi’s owners after they sent him to a trainer for what they believed to be an obedience training program to help them live with their young, playful, dog and family, including three young children.
After this experience and by the time they got to me for a consultation they were not only doubtful about their dog and if he would be a good fit with their family, but also very sceptical of dog training, and dog trainers, since they had been burned before.
This video documents, not only Ouspi’s training journey, and the wonderful Dog that he is but also shows several important points about the transfer lesson with his owner Victor.
Dog training & distractions.Reliability is key.
Firstly, the dog has not seen his owner in three weeks. Ouspi does not know that his human will be there and I march him out, he believes it is just another day in our life together & present him to his owner and of course the dog gets emotionally charged up.
Then I tell Ouspi to go onto his place and remain there while I explain several important things to Victor.
I did this so that we would have a chance to chat but more importantly, I did this to demonstrate how controllable Ouspi is even in the presence of what is arguably one of the biggest distractions and emotional charges you can create for a dog in training.
As you can Ouspi did great.
No more pulling on leash
Ouspi used to pull on leash as many dogs do.
You can see in the video that Ouspi has a wonderful heel. He walks nicely on a loose leash, and is both attentive & cooperative.
I then teach Victor how to properly reinforce the heel command and Ouspi again works just as well for Victor as he did for me, his trainer.
We continued through our lesson going over other exercises and concepts, and then we get to the end of our lesson when they are about to go back home together and Victor presents me With a wildcard:
“My dog has never gotten in the vehicle by himself. I always have to lift him in“
“Do you think we can do something about this?”
I reply with“let’s see what’s going on” in order to determine what’s needed to fix it and voilà three minutes later, Ouspi is hopping in and out of the van for myself and then for his owner.
All said and done, pleasantries exchanged, chitchat had between us, and they drove off to go home and begin their new life together.
Ouspi is most definitely not a dumb dog. He’s a wonderful, vibrant, playful, kind, trainable dog who needed a fair chance with clear instruction. He’s actually an easy dog in many respects and was always fun to work with.
He shows not only some really nice obedience and focus but also a real love to work and interact with people which makes training easy if you are a skilled and enthusiastic dog trainer.
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.
It’s a sad reality that our dogs lives are short, and although we are aware of that from the onset, it still hits us like a speeding truck at the end.
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 under the Christmas tree or anything you could reach really
To come home and find you waiting by the door
Our dogs are gifts of pure emotion, of openness, vulnerability and a life lived in the present moment
And when they go they will take a piece of you with them
A piece that is uniquely connected to that special one
It’s silly really to be so attached to a drooling, mess making, time and energy consuming creature
But it’s what we do
And then hopefully
We get to do it all again
To share our heart and home and share our life with a different species we call family
It’s weird coming home without you at the front door
Bookends of time, markers of events in our lives, of years passed and changes we lived together.
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 you’re really seeing is how well the owners maintained the training.
Angel was back at the kennel for boarding while her family was away on vacation and while I was spending some time with her, I thought it would be fun to play around a little with her training and see how sharp she was.
Off leash obedience, focus and a huge willingness to work
I was expecting nothing less yet at the same time super pleased to see how they’ve preserved the work we’ve done together and how focused their dog is.
The whole experience from beginning to end was truly enriching, enlightening and always fun
Too often we let good deeds and good people get pushed aside in the swirl of the day-to-day activities of life. While understandable, we believe that a general lack of acknowledgement faintly supports the idea that positive interactions are no different than negative interactions.
With that in mind, we wanted to share our experiences working with Nick Zevgolis owner of FamilyK9.
As parents of a severely autistic boy, we wanted to ensure our dogs transition in the family unit, would be a happy, healthy and balanced experience that would not disrupt (only assist and support) the inherent delicate life dynamics of a household with a handicapped kid.
We enrolled in Nick’s private intensive In Home Obedience – On and Off Leash training course hoping he could teach us how to work with our dog as well as help guide and train our young Shiloh Shepherd named Angel for our complicated lifestyle.
From our very first training session, we’ve been amazed at how professional, knowledgeable, caring and discreet Nick has been with all of us. Throughout the training course, we’ve become quite fond of Nick as has Angel. He has treated us as something other than just a customer and he has given Angel a steady dose of love and effective training.
Nick has been honest, forthright, kind and professional with us, in every interaction we’ve had with him.
We would highly recommend Nick to anyone who is looking for a dog trainer; he is hands down one of the best out there!
In closing we would like express our gratitude to Nick and let him know that our support goes beyond kind words, the whole experience from beginning to end was truly enriching, enlightening and always fun.
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 their walks at times when there is less chance of activity outside. They learn to become very strategic and specially alert – trying to always be a step or two ahead of the dog to avoid problems and outbursts.
Reactive Dog Training
While training Passion Fruit (nicknamed Dan) I made sure to build his foundation training to the fullest. This was done so that when we started to add in his triggers he would have a wealth of experience and understanding to draw from.
As we began to work in more challenging situations – all that was required to bring him back into focus was a little reminder. You can see in the first video that he has an easy time working with me – remains focused and calm throughout our session. Even when I slip on the ice – he continues to walk right next to me without missing a beat.
Board & Train transfer lesson – teaching owners how to maintain a trained dog
IN the second video I am working with his owner Anne – for the first time. She hasn’t seen Fruit in three weeks.
I kept her update don his progress via email and now is time to teach Anne what she needs to know in order to capitalize on Fruit’s training.
Anne did a wonderful job in our lesson and I was really happy with just how enthusiastic she was about Fruit’s training.
From Passion Fruit's Owner
Having Nick train our dog has been life-changing – and I’m not saying that lightly. Our husky mix, Fruit, is an anxious, reactive dog. He would pull a lot when we were walking him- especially if he saw another dog or even just a person walking towards us. Nick not only did an amazing job training Fruit, he also helped me understand what I needed to do to help ease Fruit’s anxiety. I am more confident because I am in control. Fruit senses that and this allows him to relax. There is such a difference in his behaviour, that I have actually looked down a few times to make sure he was still there! Fruit’s attention is on me now, so he is less concerned with other dogs and people. The odd time he does start to react, I use the “leave it” command that Nick taught him and Fruit snaps back into place. Frankly, we are BOTH less anxious now on our walks! I highly recommend Family K9. If you’re on the fence about it, just do it. You won’t regret it.
Anne Franco
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Dog reactive Husky training – Family K9 Dog Training Montreal & Vaudreuil Dog Trainer
Reactive Malamute mix – Montreal and Vaudreuil Dog Trainer Family K9 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.
Family K9 Dog Training serving Montreal dog owners from all over the west island:
Lachine, Dorval, Pointe-Claire. Kirkland, Greenfield Park, Beaconsfield, Baie d’Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Pierrefonds, Roxboro, Sainte-Geneviève,Île-Bizard
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Training an English bulldog puppy – the Bacon Chronicles pt. 2
Montreal Puppy training (with distractions!)
Reactive Malamute mix – Montreal and Vaudreuil Dog Trainer Family K9 Dog Training
Montreal Dog Training – structure, play and clear communication in training
How to calm an anxious dog
Training a large powerful dog to not pull on leash
A Dogue and a dog
Training tiny dogs!
Montreal Dog Training Montreal West Island dog training, 3 very different dogs in training
Dog Training Ile Perrot, Qc – GoldenDoodle training
Rescue dog training – Montreal – Family K9.com
K9 Boot camp Montreal's west island – Family K9.com
Does your know left from right?
www.familyk9.com – Riley the Husky
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Family K9 Dog Training serving all of Montreal’s West Island including the following regions:
Lachine, Dorval, Pointe-Claire. Kirkland, Greenfield Park, Beaconsfield, Baie d’Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Pierrefonds, Roxboro, Sainte-Geneviève,Île-Bizard
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….
I remember the day this article came out and I had a stack of papers sitting on the front seat of my car.
They were great times, I had a bounce in my step and wanted to share with everyone what I knew as well as my passion for dogs and making the most out of our relationships together. 30 years later and that passion is still burning brightly in me.
What a time it was back then … No GPS or iPhones. No bluetooth in cars, not even a headset/earpiece.
Just a giant flip phone,an Agenda book containing 45/50 weekly appointments and everyone’s addresses, a paper map of Montreal and the surrounding areas. Seems like a million years ago and yesterday all at once.
A clipping from the Montreal Gazettewhen 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 CTV News with Brian Britt being a featured guest interview, CJADradio on the Tommy Schnurmacher show multiple times as well as countless .
In the modern age with the way people consume media online FamilyK9’s websiteas well as YouTubeFacebook & instagram are the defacto means of putting information and content out there.
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 to all we train our dogs to do. It is a cornerstone to having a dog who can function under stress/excitement, helps improve reliability around distractions and makes our training much more durable.
Working with Nick has truly been a life changing experience for us! Nick is professional, kind, and you can tell that he loves and values what he does. He’s been available for follow up questions and also is very quick to reply.
Tabasco spent 3 weeks with Nick and we were blown away by all of the progress he made! His leash manners are terrific, he is less anxious around people near our home, and we’ve seen improvement in all areas of concern. Would absolutely recommend Nick to all those looking for help and guidance concerning their pup, one of the best experiences we’ve had! 🙂
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 quite comprehend, how a dog named passion fruit called Dan?
Rescue dog mixed breed Fig Newton
Fig is a rescue dog who came for a consultation with his owners last year, and it was clear that he’s a very sweet and nervous dog who needed help to control his reactivity.
He’s got a very dedicated team and has done great in training. I can confidently say he’s the one and only Fig Newton that I’ve trained in my 30+ year career training, dogs.
Fig Newton and his Crew
French Bulldogs Banksy & Basquiat
Banksy and basquiat are two French bulldogs both named after artists.
Each of them are wonderful dogs with big personalities and I remember them as my French bulldog artistes!
Banksy and Cow doing place in tandem
Mochi Shiba Inu
I trained Mochi towards the end of 2022. Her owners contacted me due to her reactivity towards other dogs – which would result in her, turning and biting her owners out of sheer panic and frustration. She’s definitely a Shiba Inu, meaning a dog with very unique characteristics who doesn’t give her self away socially to just anybody and doesn’t work in obedience for free. Shiba’s are a very unique breed, and I enjoy training them very much because of their strong and unique personalities. This picture of her was taken on her first day in the kennel when she snuggled up on her bed and I wrapped her up in her blanket. Later that week, when I was shopping, I saw a box of Mochi and thought of that photo immediately.
Mochi’s first day in for training
Cow English Bulldog
What can I say about my cow?
I can’t take credit for the name. Her breeder named her and at first I thought it was a ridiculous. We had actually named her Clara after Clara Hughes the Canadian Olympian (speed skating/cycling). In time we started to grow fond of the name and alternate between calling her Cow or Clara and she’s happy to answer to both
Living with Cow was such a shift for me mentally after spending decades with working bred shepherds, all of whom carried a level of intensity most people will never experience.
Cow is a hang out on the couch, stay by your side/wake me up for dinner type dog. She is a silly, soft dog who just wants to be near you and be loved all the time.
I went from racing F1 cars to sitting in traffic on a bus dog temperament wise. She’s a sweetheart the sound of her snoring is oddly comforting to me and our family dotes on her.
Cow’s 1st Birthday
El Guapo Chihuahua
Loosely translated, it means the handsome one.
I trained Guapo from a little puppy and his owners went on to do obedience training, and we have since trained many dogs together.
Guapo without his booster seat in the bag.
Bugsy Jack Russel Terrier
Now we’re going back deep into the 90’s. Close to 30 years ago in fact. This little jack Russell ruled the roost in his home and like most Jack Russells had a giant personality. He was an awesome dog, big character, and you could train him sun up to sundow with the amount of energy and drive he had. I always assumed he was named after Bugsy Siegel the gangster.
Bugsy
Bones the Pitbull
Bones’ owner brought him to me at eight or nine years old for training and he’s nothing short of a total sweetheart. I love the name bones and the juxtaposition given his large muscular stature. I spent many a lunch/coffee break, hanging out with him in his kennel and we would just chill out together.He was one of the most easy-going, affectionate and chilled out dogs I have ever met.
Bones’ deep, soft eyes
Tuba Chocolate Labrador Retriever
Tuba the chocolate lab was a one of a kind! He would board with me regularly, and at the first meeting with his owners, they explain to me that he would not go out to relieve himself first thing in the morning, unless he first was given his breakfast.Of course, this peak my interest because I had not come across a dog like this before and I was curious to see if he would do the same thing with.So naturally, his first morning in residence at the kennel, I open his kennel door to let him out with the other dogs (who are all looking at me like “hurry up, Nick, I got to go to the bathroom”) And sure enough tuba backed up deeper into his kennel making it clear to me that he’s not ready to go out yet because breakfast has not been served.What a character! As soon as he inhaled his 2 cups of food, (took him all of five seconds, maybe) he walked out of his kennel, went outside and did what he had to do and went on with his morning.
Post breakfast outing for Tuba
Hypertension Dutch Shepherd
Hyper was my dog. He was my training partner, my buddy.We spent countless hours together both in and out of training and I miss him every day since he passed in 2014.Hyper was a Dutch shepherd and a working bread one I thoughtThere’s a special bond between a trainer and a dog, especially a working bread dog because once you ignite the working side of the dog bones, do you like nothing you can understand unless you’ve lived it.He would sit at the door when I went into the kennel or position, himself somewhere by a window, trying to get a vantage point of watching me train other dogs and shaking cry the whole time until he had a chance to be with dad.
Picking Hyper up @ the airport. March 3, 2001.Fetching an SUV tire!
These clips are quite old so the video quality is not great – but they are a testament to countless hours of work, bonding and the human K9 connection. And for those wondering – Hype got to eat the cheeseburgers once the clip was finished:-)
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www.familyk9.com - Nick Zevgolis & Hyper the Dutch Shepherd
www.familyk9.com - Hyper's defense
www.familyk9.com - Object guard
Family K9 Dog Training - Nick Zevgolis and Hyper @ work
Family K9 Dog Training
Hyper's Cheeseburger torture - familyk9.com
www.familyk9.com - more Hyper clips!
www.familyk9.com - Hyper plays basketball
Family K9 Dog Training - Nick and Hyper
Environmentally conscious dog and dog trainer
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Bacon – English Bulldog
I’ve got a hand it to bulldog owners. It seems like many of them come up with really unique important names.Bacon came in for training as a very young puppy, and he was relentless in his mouth penis.In fact, this was his families, biggest concern as they had young children and bacon would chew on them relentlessly.Understand that this was nothing more than just play for bacon and here are a couple of videos of bacon in training.The first one highlights his very first day, in fact even his first moments with me at the kennel and I’m trying to orient him towards playing with a toy.At one point you can see he removed my shoe.Talk about skill! I continue to redirect them towards a toy and overtime refine this so that he understood playing with his mouth was fine as long as it’s on a toy rather than our body parts or clothing.The second video shows him about a week later, working on some obedience skills that we were developing for a few days.Such a happy, silly and playful dog he was an absolute joy to train.
Young Bacon in training
Sherpa West Highland White Terrier
I trained with Michèle and Sherpa in the early 2000s. Sherpa was a very special and wonderful example of a west highland white terrier. We have since gone on to train Gaspard another great example of the breed.
