Community K9

Community K9 Building safe, happy, and healthy human-dog relationships.

05/23/2026

One of the biggest issues with modern dog ownership is that we expect too much from our dogs and not enough from ourselves.

Be the human your dog needs and your dog will become the companion you have always wanted.

During this time of year I usually give all of my clients a brief lecture about keeping their dogs safe as the weather g...
05/18/2026

During this time of year I usually give all of my clients a brief lecture about keeping their dogs safe as the weather gets warmer. I see a lot of dogs getting CCL injuries, having exercise intolerance, and general irritability in the heat this time of year. The transition to warmer weather can be tough on them and if we don’t prepare them well they can end up injured, not having a good time, or getting heat stroke.

Swipe for some info on how to keep your dog comfortable and healthy as the weather warms up➡️

July/August group class schedule is here! The spring classes have been a blast so far. I have really enjoyed challenging...
05/07/2026

July/August group class schedule is here! The spring classes have been a blast so far. I have really enjoyed challenging you guys with harder exercises and seeing how the dogs have handled a variety of real world distractions.

If you want early access to the group class scheduling please reach out to get added to the email list!
6/7 at 12pm
Castle Island, 2010 William J Day Blvd
(one spot left)

6/20 at 11am
Pope John Paul Park - Hallet Street Entrance
(three spots left)

6/27 at 11am
Arnold Arboretum - Mendum/Fairview Street Gate
(full)

7/11 at 10am
Pope John Paul Park - Hallet Street Entrance
(two spots left)

7/19 at 11am
Castle Island, 2010 William J Day Blvd
(two spots left)

7/25 at 11am
Arnold Arboretum - Mendum/Fairview Street Gate
(two spots left)

These classes are only available for those who have done one on one classes with us. You can sign up via Pet Pocketbook or email us at [email protected] to reserve your spot. $40 per dog.

The following are some of the topics we will be covering in Group Class. Feel free to request additional topics or exercises.

*Emotional regulation skills around distractions.
*Loose leash walking around distractions.
*Recall around distractions.
*Stay around distractions.
*Advocating for your dog in a public setting.
*Exercises for building strength and endurance.
*Hiking//off leash etiquette around distractions and safety around water.
*Facilitating healthy social behavior with other dogs.
*Polite greetings with humans.
*Canine Good Citizen prep.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. Looking forward to seeing you at Group Class!

The last thing that any dog owner wants to think about is what happens when their dog gets old. Facing the changes that ...
04/17/2026

The last thing that any dog owner wants to think about is what happens when their dog gets old. Facing the changes that come with old age head on is daunting and overwhelming. But facing them head on gives your dog more time, more freedom, and more comfort as they age.

Watching Cersei, my Boston Terrier, change during her senior years has been immensely sad, but I have taken this opportunity to learn how to best support her. And now I can pass that information off to you.

Swipe for 6 things to do to support your dog during their golden years ➡️


We ♥️ all of our muzzled pack hikers! They wear muzzles for different reasons and have all gone through extensive traini...
04/09/2026

We ♥️ all of our muzzled pack hikers!

They wear muzzles for different reasons and have all gone through extensive training to be able to comfortably wear a muzzle. Each one has a muzzle that is specifically fit to their face with padding that prevents any rubs or irritations. The muzzles allow them to have a level of freedom on hikes that would not be possible without the muzzle.

A muzzle is not necessary for every dog and the dogs who require it are not “bad” nor is there anything “wrong” with them.

There was a time, not so long ago, that some of the traits that motivate us to now muzzle our dogs were strongly desired and selectively bred for. Some of our muzzled friends are weary of strangers, like to herd fast moving items, or don’t disengage from conflict well. Things our ancestors desired in the dogs that worked and lived with them.

Just a few generations later, those genetic predispositions are still strong in some dogs even though they don’t serve a purpose in our modern world. Regardless, those dogs deserve to live a full life and experience the freedom of being in nature with their friends. That’s where the muzzle plays a crucial role in keeping everyone safe and allowing those dogs to live their best lives.

We try to make our pack hikes as inclusive as possible. This means dogs go through extensive training beforehand, we use safety tools like muzzles, remote collars, long lines, etc. and our packs are curated with our dogs temperament and preferences in mind.

We will have a few spots open in Southie for our pack hike program this summer (current clients please stop moving!!) You can submit a contact form on our website (link in bio) to sign up or for more info.

Teddy is typically super overstimulated when his humans pick him up from daycare. He’s crazy in the lobby, won’t stay st...
03/19/2026

Teddy is typically super overstimulated when his humans pick him up from daycare. He’s crazy in the lobby, won’t stay still around the car, and it’s a battle to get him in the car.

So this week as part of his Homeschool program with us I picked him up from daycare. He was calm, patient, and popped right up into my car.

I took a bunch of videos of what I did so his humans can see the difference in my body language, leash handling, and verbal communication. Then in the future we will work on this together in person.

Teddy previously spent months doing a training program with a different company where his humans were barely involved and he only did training in a facility. His behavior never improved with his humans. The program he is doing with us now is focused on his parents becoming proficient in the training skills and tackling real world situations.

Teddy is a great example of a dog who is going to be a reflection of the person handling him. He couldn’t make any progress with his humans before because they didn’t have the education to properly handle him in the situations he needed support the most.

We might be a dog training company, but truly the most progress is made from teaching the humans.

Big thank you to his daycare for allowing me to come train Teddy during his stay and taking such good care of him!

Group class is back!! We only have a few spots left. If you want to get early access to scheduling for summer and fall y...
03/14/2026

Group class is back!! We only have a few spots left. If you want to get early access to scheduling for summer and fall you can request to get on our email list for group class. Feel free to reach out if you want to be on the waitlist for the full classes in case someone cancels.

4/11 at 10am
Arnold Arboretum - Mendum/Fairview Street Entrance
(full)

4/18 at 11am
Pope John Paul Park - Hallet Street Entrance
(full)

4/26 at 12pm
Castle Island, 2010 William J Day Blvd
(two spots left)

5/2 at 11am
Pope John Paul Park - Hallet Street Entrance
(two spots left)

5/9 at 10am
Arnold Arboretum - Mendum/Fairview Street Gate
(two spots left)

5/31 at 12pm
Castle Island, 2010 William J Day Blvd
(one spot left)

These classes are only available for those who have done one on one classes with us. You can sign up via Pet Pocketbook or email us at [email protected] to reserve your spot. $40 per dog.

The following are some of the topics we will be covering in Group Class. Feel free to request additional topics or exercises.

*Emotional regulation skills around distractions.
*Loose leash walking around distractions.
*Recall around distractions.
*Stay around distractions.
*Advocating for your dog in a public setting.
*Exercises for building strength and endurance.
*Hiking//off leash etiquette around distractions and safety around water.
*Facilitating healthy social behavior with other dogs.
*Polite greetings with humans.
*Canine Good Citizen prep.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. Looking forward to seeing you at Group Class!

We had a lot of fun in the snow this winter, but we are ready for spring!
03/09/2026

We had a lot of fun in the snow this winter, but we are ready for spring!

02/09/2026

In the first video the brown dog is correcting the white dog and trying to run away from her. Every chance she gets she retreats under me (I am moving away just to show her behavior better.) Her body is very stiff, at times a low tail and she is just snapping at the white dog’s face. She is not mirroring the other dog or doing any play behaviors. This is not consensual play, the white dog is trying to play and the brown dog is asking her to stop.

In the second video the brown dog is choosing to stay with the white dog. She is not just snapping at the white dog’s face, but instead mirroring her body language. The sequence starts with them both slapping the ground with their front feet, a play cue. Towards the end of the clip the brown dog gets more and more uncomfortable, eventually coming back to me so I end the game to help support her.

There is a lot of nuance, things are happening fast, and the dogs need to have excellent obedience to end the game when things start getting uncomfortable. I find situations like this are often poorly understood and poorly managed in dog backs and doggy daycares. This results in bad social skills, reactivity, aggression, and fear. Which all could be avoided with an educated human and well trained dogs!

A majority of the dogs we train have some kind of leash reactivity. They will bark, lunge, growl, or fixate on specific ...
01/31/2026

A majority of the dogs we train have some kind of leash reactivity. They will bark, lunge, growl, or fixate on specific triggers while on leash. Typically the trigger is another dog, but it can be anything. There is A LOT of misinformation out there about leash reactivity. Swipe to bust some common myths about leash reactivity. ➡️

Leash reactivity is a very nuanced behavioral issue. These myths focused on the most common kind: dog-to-dog reactivity. But there are many other kinds of reactivity and reasons why it can develop. The reason for the reactivity and that dog’s specific genetics/needs matter when creating a functional training plan. Be wary of any trainer who tries to claim otherwise.

And remember that it is very easy to stop reactivity in a single moment to get a good video to post on social media. But to get a long term shift in this sort of behavior can take time, consistency, and a training program that meets your specific dog’s needs.

Do you have any questions about leash reactivity that you want us to answer? Leave them in the comments below.


We hope everyone stays safe during the storm. We can’t wait to play in the snow next week!!
01/25/2026

We hope everyone stays safe during the storm. We can’t wait to play in the snow next week!!

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