About Me.
Hello! My name is Zoe'.
My first dog was a Golden Retriever named Indie. He and I spent all our time training, playing, and hanging out together. Indie was easy to train, and we had very few behavioral issues.
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Later in my life, I received a yellow lab named Silas. I quickly realized I would need further education and training to live with Silas, he was challenging in every way. He attended a board and train program, and we were taught basic obedience commands and off-leash recall. When we went home, we had great success with obedience commands at home (with minimal distraction), but we still struggled with leash-reactivity, over-stimulation, and other bad behaviors in the house. At the time, we were also going through a few significant life changes and couldn’t travel to the trainer for assistance. I was determined to work through these issues together though, and began researching dog behavior and methods of training. We practiced every chance we had, training in a nearby field and walking the neighborhood multiple times a day.
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Initially, we could not even go fully around the block without having aggressive reactions toward other dogs (in yards, houses, other dogs, and people who were out walking). As we studied and practiced, our walks were improving, and we were not having as many behavioral issues at home.
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Going through this made me realize how necessary it was to have not only obedience training, but also for owners to have a thorough understanding of dog behavior and skills in communicating with their dog. It is my goal to provide a place of learning and education for both owners and dogs so that they are both able to live a healthy and fulfilling life together.
Education
Fall 2021
Midwest Dog Center "Train the Trainer" Program
A three-month-long intensive, hands-on training certification program. This program taught the foundations of dog behavior, dog learning, handling, and how to successfully teach both dogs and humans. Following this program, I stayed with the company and facilitated the "Board and Train" program for 2+ years. This gave experience with over 800 dogs and their families.
Spring 2023
Pat Nolan Puppy Training Seminar
This was a 3-day-intensive seminar in which all who attended learned the basics of puppy behavior and learning--specifically applied to hunting-training--but very applicable to all puppy-upbringing.
Summer 2023
AKC Evaluator Certification
AKC Evaluators are certified to test any dog for S.T.A.R. Puppy, CGC, Community Canine, and Urban CGC. This program is designed as part of the "Family Dog Program", a program created to form and strengthen the bond between families and their dog.
Mission
We give dog owners in the Wichita, Kansas area a high-level training experience which allows owners to understand and communicate with their dog.
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Vision
The primary focus of this company will be holistic family education and training. All services will be carefully thought out and formed in support of this goal, including continuous training and follow-up lessons after initial training. Each client/ potential client will first have a consultation with the trainer, then the trainer will create a training plan that fits within their criteria.
CKK9
Who are we?
I believe in training the dog (and human) in front of me.
Every dog and owner are different which means that training methods will vary a lot. One thing I do really encourage for any dog is communication— if we can develop a clear system of communication between you and your dog that will make your lives together much better! Dogs also thrive with consistency and leadership— we focus a lot on creating routine, clear boundaries, and structure. This can be done with a variety of methods (treats, praise, affection, leash pressure/ direction, and even a low stimulation from an e-collar) but the method will depend completely upon what your dog needs and what you are comfortable with. It would not be wise for me to be set on one training method because every dog and owner are different. I will be 100% honest with what I think will benefit you & your dog the most and will be there to help you through every step.
