“You know that you have found the right trainer not when they tell you what you everything you want to hear, but when they tell you the truth“.
Why K9 Kaliber?
K9 Kaliber was founded with a goal: to give pet owners the skills, tools, and training to have a lifelong partnership with their dog.
It sounds simple, but a lifelong partnership is more than just a well-trained dog; it is a deep, unbreakable bond between a dog and their human; it is built on trust, communication, training, socialization, safety, knowledge, and responsible ownership. I reject outdated ideologies that say that every dog learns the same way or should be handled the same way; indeed, the beauty of a dog lies in their individuality, their spirit and personality, their ability to observe and learn and interact with the world around them. I believe in respecting dogs as dogs, not trying to make them “people in fur coats”. To ignore a dog’s spirit is to disrespect the very thing that makes a dog truly our best friend.
With those principles in mind, I have always been dedicated to ensuring that every dog is trained in a way that works best for them and their family, with their breed, history, age, experience level, environment, lifestyle, and many more factors involved in the creation of a completely unique training program. I care for you and your dog as a team, and will not just stick you with outdated, cookie cutter dog training techniques.
Quinlan, “Quinn”
I began dog training at a very early age; my family owned a kennel, and when I got my first dog at age four, it was with the expectation that he was to be my responsibility completely, from feeding to grooming to training. Casey, a beautiful Irish Setter, was my first dog, my first teacher, and my first best friend. Everyone who has known me in the years since has told me that training was where I belonged all along, and they were right!
Since then, I have branched out into advanced obedience, helping pet owners achieve a higher level of communication and trust, as well as behavior modification for dogs who are experiencing reactivity or fearfulness. I have successfully assisted hundreds of pet owners in retraining and properly managing dogs with unwanted, dangerous behaviors, including dog reactivity, extreme leash pulling, territorial behaviors, resource guarding, and more. I’ve had the joy of rehabilitating dogs who were semi-feral, as well as worked with dogs with neurological disorders to become more adapted and comfortable in their homes; most importantly, I’ve given their owners new skills and tools to manage their dog safely and effectively.
In 2013, I was recommended a service dog, and began searching for a fellow trainer who would help me achieve my goals. I could not find one who was qualified and wasn’t prohibitively expensive… But I did find tons of people who were in the same position I was. Since then, I have trained service dogs in medical alert, medical response, mobility assistance, psychiatric response, hearing alert, and guide work. I have also trained therapy dogs for hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, and assisted owners of emotional support animals in preparing their pal for travel and obedience for a stress-free life for their owner. I know on a very personal level how vitally important these working dogs are, and put great care and dedication into every service dog I work with.
Prior to training full time, I worked in the pet food industry and the grooming industry, where I gained a wealth of knowledge on nutrition, training tools, canine biology, and more, and had the opportunity to meet many of the big names in pet care to learn from them, as well.
When it comes to dog training, it’s my passion, it’s my life and my reason for being. I can’t wait to meet you and your dog, and I look forward to being your trainer.
Tucker
K9K’s “Tucker” CGCA. A Chihuahua/Terrier mix born 07/08/09, Tucker was “paw-picked” by Shilah, my Poodle, and joined the pack in March of 2010. He worked as a “demo dog”, helping demonstrate how commands are supposed to be taught and used, and was vital during the years when I worked with reactive shelter dogs in helping learn to become a calm, trustworthy family member. With a solid, stable temperament, great working drive, and an unending want to be involved in everything his pack was up to, Tucker excelled at his job.
In the Autumn of 2013, I was recommended a service dog by my doctor. With Tucker’s already known sound temperament, ability to stay calm in stressful situations, and high level of trainability, he began learning his new role quickly and loved every moment of his new job. Since then, he has learned increasingly more challenging ways that he can be of help, and has become an ambassador for small breed service dogs and invisible illness wherever we go. It’s thanks to his love of learning that I have been successful in assisting other handlers with their service dogs. Tucker retired from the public spotlight in August 2017, but continues to work at home.
Misneach, “Mishi”
K9K’s “Misneach” (MISH-nock), or just Mishi for short, filled in Tucker’s boots after his retirement. The Little Labrador began her training at a year old, in August of 2017, as Tucker was moving into retirement. Mishi has since trained in medical response and mobility assistance, and has proven herself a very worthy successor to her “brother”. Mishi is a return to my start, when I worked in my family’s kennel, raising and training gun dogs for hunting. While neither Mishi or I hunt, her drive and energetic personality remind me of my early days, first learning how to handle a dog in the field.
When she’s not working, Mishi loves a good game of fetch (as Retrievers generally do), play-dates with her friends, or lazing in the sunshine while I’m gardening. We often do trick training for fun, new things to do together, to help keep our communication, trust, and bond strong. She’s a big fan of camping, hiking, and the great outdoors.
Rivet
Rivet joined the family in Spring 2023, the newest member of the pack! A one year old combo of Malinois, Husky, and Corgi, she’s a high drive, high energy girl with a winning smile and ears that can probably hear colors.
She came to us because of her struggles with territorial behavior and very high herding drive; while common for the breeds that made her, she was not the right fit for her first family, but she was the perfect fit for ours! Since coming to live with us, she’s made so many friends, and has learned that playing with other dogs is way more fun than trying to eat them. She loves a good cuddle, fetch, going for a jog with me or my partner, and even helps with yard work; while I’m gardening, she likes to roam the perimeter nibbling on the tall grass I haven’t gotten to yet. Pretty cool, right? We’re thankful every day that she ended up in our lives, and we send regular updates to her first family, who are still very much in contact and love her immensely.
Never Forgotten: Shilah
Shilah was my first dog as an adult. A very sweet, very sassy Toy Poodle, I bought Shilah when she was six, and she became my “heart dog” in no time. She was a once in a lifetime friend, and I miss her very dearly every day.