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In this video, Max demonstrates the OUT command. OUT means disengage so when you give your dog the OUT command, your dog should drop whatever is in his mouth. If he's eating, he should stop eating. If he's holding a toy, like a tug toy, he should drop the toy. This command is not only impressive to watch, but it's practical too.

Visit the Videos page to see more Max videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out the FAQs below and if you'd like to discuss training for your dog, feel free to contact me.

What is your approach to dog training?

I am a balanced dog trainer which means my approach to behavior modification includes reward based techniques and humane, aversive consequences to let the dog know that their decisions and behaviors will lead directly to pleasant or unpleasant results. I specialize in canine communication, and obedience and tricks training.

At the end of each training session, I give my clients homework which includes practicing what we covered in the lesson and video recording your progress. Upon review of your videos, I will provide you with feedback so you can make adjustments and improvements accordingly.

To stay or not to stay?

Not.... because there is no stay!

Modern dog trainers have eliminated the STAY command. And I gotta say, removing STAY from your command list greatly increases the effectiveness of your communication with your dog.

How does it work? You teach your dog the concept of sustainability. This means, instead of teaching your dog to stay, you teach him that every command is sustainable and is to be followed until the next command. Can you do this without using the word "stay"? Absolutely! Here's how I recently explained it to a prior-service client. I asked, "When you were in basic training and you were called to attention, how long did you stay in that position? How did you know it was okay to move?" He said, "I knew it was okay to move when I was given another command." I replied, "Exactly. That's sustainability!"

A soldier learns to hold a command because he reads it in a book or is told by his Drill Instructor. It's different with dogs because not only can they not read, but they don't understand English (so it doesn't matter what words you use). However, teaching this concept to a dog is easier than you might think! All you have to do is release him before he breaks the command. It's that simple. When you consistently release your dog from a command before he breaks the command, he will learn to wait to be released from the command.

In the video below, you can see sustainability in action. Be advised, I am not teaching Max to wait for the release in this video. He already knows it. I made this video so you can see how much more powerful and versatile the release command is compared to the STAY command.

GOOD + FREE - STAY = DURATION

Who is your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who not only wants to see their dog's behavior change, but they want to be the primary facilitator of the change. If you're looking for a place where you can just drop off your dog and pick him up in two weeks (and he's all better), I might not be the right trainer for you.

I enjoy working with people who want to learn about dog training methods such as luring, shaping, targeting, and capturing... and who want to understand how and when to use them.

Be advised, I am highly selective when it comes to choosing dog training clients. Likewise, you should be very selective in choosing a trainer. You'll interview me... I'll interview you... we'll have a great conversation! And by the end of it, we'll decide if we're a good fit for each other.

Feel free to submit the Contact Us form to get started.

Do you make house-calls?

While I prefer in-home sessions, all house calls have been temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. Training is conducted via web conferencing. But don't worry, I've been training dog owners online for years.

Do you offer public classes?

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, I have no plan to offer public classes.

Do you address serious behavior problems?

That depends... How do you define a serious behavior problem?

Some dog owners consider jumping on people to be a serious behavior problem. Generally speaking, I don't agree. Jumping on people is certainly an undesirable behavior, but that doesn't make it a behavior problem; nor is it a lack of obedience problem. It’s a training problem - and yes, I can help.

In most cases, the following undesirable behaviors can be resolved with proper training.

Jumping
Pulling on the leash
Not coming when called
Ankle biting
Accidents in the house
Chewing non-toy items

So what serious behavior problems do I not address? Aggression toward people and animals. For help with these and other serious behavior problems, you should consult with your vet and a trained K9 Behaviorist.

How do you support your clients?

As a professional trainer, I am no stranger to online learning systems. I take full advantage of the internet to provide you with lesson plans, training videos, step-by-step directions, chat, video conferencing, feedback, and more!

What kind of treats do you use for training?

The answer to this question is not one size fits all. The food reward can be as unique as the dog. Most dogs are food motivated, but there are exceptions. Some dogs are more interested in toys than food. Assuming the dog is food motivated, chicken and hotdogs tend to go over well. Whatever you choose, make sure the reward is small, soft, and does not create crumbs when your dog is eating it.

With Max, I got lucky. After feeding him store bought treats for a few months, I discovered he will work for regular dog food. That's when I decided to overlap his meals with training. For a treat, I'll add a little chicken or hotdogs. He rarely eats from a bowl though. In fact, he ate all of his meals directly from my hand until he was 2 years old. When I needed to add prescription canned food to his diet, I taught him to eat from a tablespoon because his food was now sticky and yucky to touch.

In Liberty's videos, the reward is her regular dog food as well, and the occasional high value chicken or hotdogs.

The key is to pay attention to your dog and he will tell you what he values.

Will you train my dog?

In the past, under the right circumstances, I have agreed to work directly with a client's dog. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, I am not visiting dogs or taking dogs into my home. Besides, my preference is to train you and have you train your dog. I want to help you understand how dogs process information so you are empowered to modify your dog's behavior with or without me. If I can help you do that, you will then be in a position to teach your dog anything. And that's my goal!

How long will it take to train my dog?

That's up to you...

Do you already have a good relationship with your dog?
Can you spend 5-10 minutes a day, two or three times a day to train your dog?
Can you be consistent in-between training sessions and not unravel your work?
Will your dog have one primary trainer in your home?
Are you willing to learn and apply best practices to your dog's training?
Are you willing to submit weekly videos of your progress to K9 Connector for feedback?
Is everyone in your home committed to your dog's success?

If you answered yes to all of the above and you do your homework, you and your dog will learn TONS and you will see great results in our 6-week program.

How do we get started?

I'm glad to see you made it this far in the FAQs!

If you think you'd like to get started, the next step is to check out our 'How It Works' page. Click the button below to learn more.

How It Works

Who is K9 Connector?

Frequently Asked Questions