Run Free K9

10/15/2026

🎃🐾 Is Your Dog Ready for Halloween? 🐾👻

Halloween can be a LOT for our dogs. Doorbells ringing, strangers coming to the house, kids screaming and running around, costumes, decorations, and constant activity can turn an ordinary evening into sensory overload.

The good news? You don’t have to wait until Halloween night to find out how your dog will handle it!

Start preparing NOW. 🧡

🔔 Practice doorbell knocks
Have a friend knock or ring the bell while you practice calm behavior. Work on sits, place, and staying settled while someone enters the home.

👻 Build costume confidence
Costumes, masks, hats, and capes can make familiar people look completely different. Introduce costumes gradually, let your dog investigate, and create positive associations. Never force them to interact.

📺 Practice Halloween sounds
Pull up videos of trick-or-treaters, kids yelling, doorbells, knocking, and Halloween sounds. Start at a LOW volume while rewarding calm behavior, then gradually increase as your dog becomes comfortable.

Did you know you can practice working around spooky Halloween decor at Lowes?

🐕 Practice PLACE work
If you expect trick-or-treaters or guests, a strong place command can be incredibly helpful. Practice while friends knock, enter, talk, and move around the house so your dog learns that excitement doesn’t mean they have to participate in everything.

And on Halloween night:

🐾 Exercise your dog BEFORE the trick-or-treat rush
🐾 Have chews, lick mats, puzzles, or enrichment ready
🐾 Keep collars and ID tags on and doors secured
🐾 Keep candy—especially chocolate and anything containing xylitol—out of reach
🐾 Don’t force greetings with costumes or excited children
🐾 Give nervous or overwhelmed dogs a quiet, secure space away from the action
🐾 Advocate for your dog!

Your dog does NOT need to greet every trick-or-treater or participate in every Halloween activity to have a successful night.

Preparation builds confidence, and sometimes the best choice is simply giving your dog a safe place to relax while the spooky chaos happens outside. 🎃

A prepared dog is a more confident dog—and a happier dog! 💙💚🧡

Run Free K9
📞 804-401-5610

10/13/2026

🐾 OCTOBER 13TH is PET OBESITY AWARNESS DAY 🐾

One of the most important things we can do for our dogs’ long-term health is also one of the simplest: keep them at a healthy weight.

And that starts with understanding how much we’re actually feeding.

Start with CALORIES, not cups!

Two different foods can have drastically different calories per cup, which means “2 cups a day” tells us very little without knowing the food’s calorie content. Your dog’s needs also change depending on their weight, age, activity level, body condition, and lifestyle.

And don’t forget about all the extras!

🦴 Training treats
🦴 Bully sticks & chews
🦴 Dental treats
🥜 Peanut butter
🧀 Cheese
🍗 Table scraps
💊 Food used to give medications
🥣 Meal toppers
💚 Calorie-containing supplements

It ALL counts toward your dog’s daily intake.

A good general goal is for at least 90% of your dog’s calories to come from a complete and balanced diet, leaving around 10% for treats and extras.

For example, if your dog needs approximately 800 calories per day, that doesn’t mean 800 calories of kibble PLUS treats. If you use around 80 calories for treats, you’d feed approximately 720 calories from their regular food.

One of my favorite tricks for dogs who train frequently? Use part of their daily food for training! Your dog doesn’t know whether that kibble came from a bowl or your hand—but those calories still count either way. 🐶

A few simple habits can make a BIG difference:

🐾 Weigh your dog regularly and watch the trend
🐾 Measure every meal instead of eyeballing it
🐾 Know how many calories are in your dog’s food
🐾 Create a daily treat allowance
🐾 Keep your dog moving
🐾 Pay attention to body condition, not just the number on the scale

You should generally be able to easily feel your dog’s ribs without a thick layer of fat covering them and see a defined waist when looking from above.

The calorie numbers in this graphic are starting estimates—not a one-size-fits-all feeding prescription. Individual dogs can need more or less, so adjust based on body condition and work with your veterinarian when appropriate.

Food is love... but so is portion control. 💙💚🧡

A healthy weight today can help support a longer, healthier, more active life tomorrow. 🐕‍🦺

Run Free K9: Enhancing K9 Health and Happiness Through Fun and Effective Training
📞 804-401-5610

10/12/2026

🐾 October is Animal Safety & Protection Month! 🐾

Keeping our dogs safe isn’t just about fences, leashes, and locked doors. TRAINING is one of the most important safety tools we can give them.

Think about the commands you use every day. Some of them could quite literally save your dog’s life in the right situation.

🐕 COME — A reliable recall can stop your dog from running toward traffic, wildlife, or another dangerous situation.

✋ STAY — Being able to stop your dog and have them remain where they are can prevent them from following you into an unsafe area.

🚫 LEAVE IT — Dropped medication, toxic food, wildlife, trash, or something dangerous on the ground—a strong leave it can be invaluable.

⬇️ DOWN — A reliable down gives you another way to immediately stop movement and regain control.

📍 PLACE — Place work helps create boundaries and keeps dogs safely out of the way when doors are open, guests arrive, food is being prepared, or there’s chaos in the home.

But training is only ONE piece of the safety puzzle!

🏡 Secure your home, yard, gates, and fencing.
🌡️ Pay attention to heat, cold, storms, and changing weather.
🚗 Restrain dogs appropriately while traveling.
🩹 Keep a pet first-aid kit and emergency information accessible.
🏷️ Keep a secure collar and updated ID tag on your dog.
📱 Make sure microchip information stays CURRENT.
📍 Consider a GPS tracker for dogs who are flight risks or adventure frequently.

And remember: don’t wait until an emergency to find out whether your dog REALLY knows a command.

Practice recalls around distractions. Practice stays with distance. Practice leave-it with increasingly tempting items. Practice place while doors open and people come and go.

Safety skills need to work in real life—not just in the living room when everything is quiet.

Safety is love. 💙💚🧡

A little preparation and training today could prevent a tragedy tomorrow.

10/10/2026

🎃🐾 RUN FREE K9 HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST! 🐾👻

It’s spooky season, and we want to see your pup’s best Halloween look! Whether they’re spooky, silly, adorable, heroic, or completely ridiculous, it’s time to show off those costumes! 😂🧡

And one lucky pup is going to WIN BIG!

🏆 GRAND PRIZE: $100 OFF ANY TRAINING PACKAGE!

HOW TO ENTER:

📸 1. Snap a photo of your dog in their Halloween costume.

📩 2. Send your photo to Run Free K9 via DM or email.

🐾 3. Make sure you’re following .

📣 4. SHARE this post and encourage your friends and family to join the fun!

🎃 IMPORTANT DATES:

Photos accepted: October 1–25
Voting: October 26–November 1
Winner announced: November 2

Once submissions close, it’s time to VOTE! So make sure you tell your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors—and maybe even your dog’s favorite mailman—to come support your pup. 😂

All breeds, sizes, and costumes are welcome! One entry per dog, and your dog should be the star of the photo.

Most importantly, keep it FUN and SAFE. If your dog isn’t comfortable wearing a costume, don’t force it. A cute bandana, festive collar, or simple Halloween setup can be just as adorable. 🧡

👻 Tricks, treats & training... now THAT’S a pawsome combination!

We can’t wait to see your costume crew! Drop a 🎃 in the comments if your pup is entering!

📞 804-401-5610

10/09/2026

🍂🐾 Fall is here, and there’s SO much more you can do with your dog than another walk around the neighborhood!

Visit a pumpkin patch. 🎃
Hit a new hiking trail. 🥾
Grab lunch at a dog-friendly restaurant. 🍽️
Take a slow sniff walk. 🍁
Dress up for Halloween. 👻
Turn a new place into a training adventure. 🐕‍🦺

New smells, new places, and new experiences aren’t just fun—they’re opportunities to build confidence, practice skills, provide mental enrichment, and strengthen your bond.

But what if you WANT to do these things with your dog... and right now, you can’t?

Maybe your dog pulls you everywhere. Maybe they bark or lunge at other dogs. Maybe they jump on strangers, can’t settle at a restaurant, become overwhelmed in new places, or completely forget you exist the second you leave the house.

You don’t have to settle for leaving your dog home every time you want to go somewhere.

That’s exactly what training is for. 💙

At Run Free K9, one of my biggest goals is helping you build the skills you need to actually LIVE with your dog—not just have a dog who can sit in the living room when there are no distractions.

We can work on leash manners, engagement, reactivity, confidence, public manners, settling around distractions, recalls, neutrality, and all the skills that help make adventures together possible.

🍁 So here’s your fall challenge: Pick ONE thing from this bucket list that you wish you could confidently do with your dog.

If their behavior is what’s holding you back, reach out to me. Let’s make that goal part of your training plan so you can stop watching other people adventure with their dogs and start creating those memories with yours. 🐾

📞 804-401-5610

Enhancing K9 health & happiness through fun & effective training.

10/08/2026

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month! 🐾💙

Rescuing a dog really is like opening a box of chocolates… you never quite know what you’re going to get! Maybe they’re sweet and shy, energetic and wild, stubborn but adorable, a total lovebug, or a little broken but incredibly brave. No matter their story, every rescue deserves the chance to become someone’s perfect match. 🧡

At Run Free K9, we know bringing home a rescue can come with an adjustment period, new challenges, and plenty of learning for both ends of the leash. The right training, structure, patience, and support can help your new best friend truly thrive.

To celebrate Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we’re offering 10% OFF all training packages for rescue dogs throughout October! 🐶

Whether your new family member needs help with basic manners, confidence building, leash skills, reactivity, settling into the home, or behavior modification, we’re here to help.

Thank you for choosing rescue and giving a deserving dog the opportunity to write a better story. 💙🐾

Rescue. Love. Transform.
Give us a call to sign up today!
804.401.5610

10/08/2026

Tricks, Treats & Training: Is Your Dog Ready for Halloween? 🐶🎃

Halloween can be fun for everyone — including your pup — when you prepare ahead. Our latest blog covers how to keep your dog safe, calm, and well-behaved amid costumes, doorbells, and trick-or-treaters. Read tips on desensitization, costume safety, managing visitors, and treats that are pet-safe.

Read the full guide: https://wix.to/OmGT25o

How to keep your dog safe, comfortable, and well-behaved during the spookiest night of the year!Halloween is a night filled with excitement, costumes, candy, and plenty of visitors knocking on your door. But while we humans may love the spooky festivities, our four-legged companions might have a ver...

10/07/2026

Ms Sandy and Gabby. Gabby (hound mix) was just rescued and is terrified of life! Going through heartworm treatment is a tough one for a young pup on limited activity restrictions so this girl needs to focus on her zen! So excited to get started on her calmness and confidence building.

10/07/2026

🐾 WALK YOUR DOG WEEK — DAY 7! 🐾
Consistency is KEY!

We’ve spent the last 7 days talking about better leash manners, but none of those skills will stick without clear, consistent expectations.

One of the biggest things I teach my clients is to make a VERY clear difference between a **Close Walk** and a **Freedom Walk.**

🐕 CLOSE WALK = STRUCTURE
Your dog stays beside you, keeps a shorter loose leash, stays engaged, and isn't stopping to sniff or pulling toward whatever catches their attention.

🌊 FREEDOM WALK = EXPLORE!
Release your dog with “BREAK!” and give them the full length of the leash. Let them sniff, explore, decompress, and enjoy being a dog!

Freedom doesn't mean pulling, though. A loose leash is still the rule.

🚨 **THE #1 RULE: NEVER GO WHERE A TIGHT LEASH IS TAKING YOU.**

Think about it from your dog's perspective:

They pull toward a tree → you follow → they get to sniff the tree.

They pull toward another dog → you keep walking → they get closer to the dog.

They pull toward an exciting smell → you follow → they reach the smell.

What did they just learn?

👉 PULLING WORKS.

Instead, when you feel that leash tighten:

👀 Get engagement—say their name and encourage them to check back in.
🛑 Stop and wait for the leash to loosen.
↩️ Turn and change direction.
🐾 Reset them into position and try again.

If those redirections aren't getting through, mild, appropriate leash pressure can be used as communication to reinforce the boundary. The goal isn't to drag or constantly pull on your dog; it's to help them understand where the boundary of the leash is and how to turn that pressure off by returning to a loose leash.

Then the SECOND you get that loose leash… Forward movement continues!

That means the environment itself becomes the reward.

Want to sniff that bush? Absolutely! **Loose leash gets you there.**

Want your full leash to explore the beach? Absolutely! **Wait for “BREAK,” then go enjoy yourself.**

Your dog doesn't need to spend their entire walk glued to your leg. Structure and freedom can exist on the same walk—we just need to clearly communicate which one we're asking for.

💙 **Be clear. Be fair. Be consistent.**

If pulling gets your dog where they want to go, pulling will continue to work.

If a loose leash gets them where they want to go, *that's* the behavior they'll learn to repeat. 🐕❤️

7 DAYS. 7 TIPS. BETTER WALKS. 🐾

💙 Run Free K9
📞 804-401-5610

10/06/2026

🐾 Walk Your Dog Week — Day 6: Choosing the Right Leash Tool! 🐾

There is no single leash tool that is perfect for every dog. The right choice depends on the dog in front of you—their size, strength, pulling habits, training level, health, and how much communication they need from the leash.

I like to think of leash tools with a ladder approach: start with the lightest tool that gives you safe, effective communication and adjust when needed.

🟢 Light puller — A harness may be plenty, especially for smaller dogs, dogs with breathing or medical concerns, or dogs that rarely pull.

🟢 Moderate puller — A slip collar or martingale can provide clearer leash feedback and help establish boundaries.

🟢 Strong puller — A tool like the Heather’s Heroes Sidekick 2-in-1 can offer additional control through a slip/nose-piece setup.

🟢 Massive or persistent puller — A properly fitted prong collar can provide clearer communication and greater control when used correctly and paired with training.

But here’s the MOST important part:

The tool doesn’t train the dog—you do.

Simply changing equipment won’t magically create a loose-leash walker. Your timing, consistency, engagement, movement, rewards, boundaries, and practice are what actually teach the behavior.

Whatever tool you choose, proper fit and technique matter. If you aren’t sure how to safely fit or use a training tool, get help from someone experienced before using it.

The goal isn’t to use the strongest tool possible. It’s to use the appropriate tool for the individual dog while continuing to build the skills that create better walks. 🐕‍🦺💙

Better walks. Stronger bond. Happier dog.

📞 804-401-5610