Gen1 K9

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Gen1 K9 Training dogs and educating humans in Island, Skagit, and King counties.

10/21/2026

Good girls go to the pumpkin patch and slay their pictures. 🎃📸✨

But the real slay? Being able to enjoy public spaces without feeling the need to micromanage everyone and everything around you. Which gives the owners the ability to enjoy outings with Kriketz. 👏🏼

Kriketz and I have spent the last 3 weeks building confidence, developing neutrality, and teaching her how to navigate the world without feeling responsible for controlling it. Both inside and outside of the home.

Because confidence isn’t just about looking good for the camera. It’s about being able to exist in the world, trust your training, your owner, and just BE. 🧡

THAT is the kind of progress worth celebrating. 🎃🐾

10/15/2026

Our DoggyDeck™ has officially arrived!! 🎉🐾 And let me tell you, it was worth the wait! 🤩

We’re also super excited to share that we are officially Doggy Deck ambassadors! 🌊🐶
We can’t wait to take our pups along on more paddleboarding adventures with us!

If you’ve been wanting to bring your dogs along for your own paddleboarding adventures, I’ve got you covered! 🙌 Use my special discount code to save on your own Doggy Deck. You can find the code in my bio! 💙

Here’s to more adventures, more memories, and happy pups on the water! 🐾

10/08/2026

Here’s a fun progression video of Kriketz and the dreaded vacuum 🤣

10/08/2026

Why do we teach the “place” command? And why will it specifically benefit Kriketz?

“Place” isn’t just another command to add to your dog’s list of cool tricks. It’s actually one of our favorite things to teach because of how incredibly versatile it is in real life.

🟢Need to weigh your dog at the vet? Place.

🟢Doorbells or knocking have your dog running around like Chicken Little yelling, “THE SKY IS FALLING!”? Place.

🟢Guests can’t make it through the front door without getting Rocky Balboa’d in the face by an overly excited dog? Place.

🟢Having people over for dinner and your dog needs to learn that not every person in the house is their responsibility to manage? Place.

The goal of “place” isn’t simply to make your dog sit on a bed. It teaches them that they have a designated space where they can settle, disengage from distractions, and let their humans handle the situation.

And this is especially important for Kriketz.
Kriketz is HIGHLY reactive to people coming into her home. And I mean “HEAR ME ROAR!” reactive. 😂

🔴Delivery driver? She has something to say.

🔴Neighbor dropping off a pie? WELCOME TO THE THUNDERDOME.

🔴Friends coming over for a BBQ? She would like to personally announce their arrival to the entire neighborhood.

And while she may believe she is simply doing her job, this level of arousal can make it difficult for her to think clearly and make appropriate choices.
That’s where “place” comes in.
Instead of rehearsing the behavior of charging the door, barking, pacing, or fixating on every person who enters, we’re teaching Kriketz a clear alternative behavior.
You don’t need to handle this person or situation.

That’s the beauty of place work. We aren’t just teaching a command, we’re teaching a skill for navigating real life.

10/05/2026

Teach your child how to interact appropriately with animals. Teach them that a dog is a living creature, not a toy. And teach them that loving an animal also means respecting its boundaries.

Because responsible dog ownership isn’t just about training the dog.

It’s about managing the humans, too. 🤬

10/02/2026

🚨 PSA: Your dog does NOT need to defeat the vacuum. 😂

Kriketz has decided that the vacuum, mop, broom… basically ANYTHING that moves is a personal threat that must be stopped.

But why do dogs do this?
Moving objects can trigger a dog’s prey/chase drive, excitement, frustration, or even anxiety. And every time they lunge, chase, bark, or bite at the object, they’re practicing that behavior, AND getting better at it.

So instead of just avoiding the behavior, we practice a different response.

In this video, I’m teaching Kriketz that she can SEE the vacuum moving without immediately launching an attack. 😂

The key is CONSISTENCY. You can’t practice this once and expect the behavior to magically disappear. Short, structured sessions repeated regularly help your dog learn that the vacuum moving does NOT automatically mean “GO GET IT!” Lucky for you (I hope lol) cleaning is a daily task that leads to a training opportunity.

The goal is that your dog will learn how to make a different choice whether on leash or not. 🐾

Progress, not perfection. Always

Finally got a good picture of Miss Kriketz! Lol So let’s officially welcome her to the Gen1 K9 pack! Kriketz is joining ...
09/30/2026

Finally got a good picture of Miss Kriketz! Lol
So let’s officially welcome her to the Gen1 K9 pack!

Kriketz is joining us for our 3 weeks Board & Train program where we will be helping build up her confidence.
Kriketz will also be learning all about being polite to guests and not micromanaging them lol.

I’m so excited to share her journey with all of you!

Seven years ago, I found what I believe I was always meant to do.At first, I naively thought I was so blessed to be lear...
09/19/2026

Seven years ago, I found what I believe I was always meant to do.

At first, I naively thought I was so blessed to be learning from “the best dog trainer.” 😂 Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for my eyes to be opened, and I began to realize that the person I was learning from was teaching me just as much about who I didn’t want to be as a trainer as she was about dog training.
And honestly? I’m grateful for that.
Not because I give that person credit for the trainer I am today. I DON’T! Not even a little bit!

But I am grateful for the season because it opened a door. And once that door opened, I walked through it and I chose to throw out everything I learned about dog training from her and to relearn everything! I chose to question things, actually…question EVERYTHING! Regardless of losing people! I chose to grow. I chose to build my own philosophy, my own business, and my own relationship with the dogs and people I work with.

I did however learn a very important lesson from this evil b!+€h, and it had very little to do with dog training.
She taught me how important it is to be honest. To be transparent. To take responsibility. To treat people with respect. To treat dogs with compassion. And above all, to just be a good person and not a total peace of s**t.

So no, I don’t give her credit for the trainer I became, but I’m grateful for the season.
Because sometimes God will use a s**tty person and a situation you never would have chosen, to lead you exactly where you were meant to be.

Seven years later, I’m still here. Still learning. Still growing. Still training dogs and educating humans.
And I genuinely love what I do. ❤️🐾

To all of our Gen1 K9 clients, especially Denise’s clients:With Denise’s permission and on her behalf, it breaks my hear...
09/16/2026

To all of our Gen1 K9 clients, especially Denise’s clients:

With Denise’s permission and on her behalf, it breaks my heart to share that she will be unavailable for an undetermined amount of time as she and her husband, Matt, navigate through an extremely difficult time.

This weekend, Meeko was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and has been sent home on comfort care. We are devastated for them and are giving them the time and space they need to focus on Meeko and their family during this incredibly difficult time.

For any necessary communication regarding training or scheduling, please direct those messages to me and I will do my best to help.

Additionally, we know everyone will want to reach out because you care about Denise and like so many of us, also love Meeko, but we kindly ask that everyone respect Denise and Matt’s privacy and allow them the space they need right now. Please keep them, and especially Meeko, in your thoughts and prayers. ❤️

08/31/2026

🔥 NEW SERIES: UNPOPULAR OPINIONS OF A DOG TRAINER 🔥

You know those dog training opinions that make people go…

👀 “Ohhh… I don’t know about that.”

Yeah. We’re talking about those. 😂

I’m kicking off this series with one I hear ALL. THE. TIME:

“But they listen perfectly at home!”

Spoiler alert: that doesn’t count.

If your dog is an absolute obedience superstar in your living room but suddenly develops selective hearing the second you step outside… we have some work to do.

Because knowing a behavior in one environment ≠ knowing it everywhere.

So buckle up. I’ve got opinions.
Some might make you laugh.
Some might make you rethink how you train.
And a few might p**s you off. 😂

Episode 1 is up. Let’s hear yours 👇

Address

Anacortes, WA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13606720917

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