John Imler • Top Dog Training Kentucky

09/05/2026

I absolutely want to steal Matilda and take her home with me… she’s so fun! 😂

08/31/2026

I caught part of a play session between my dogs that was probably not going to go well… so I communicated they can do anything else but that. It’s not necessarily “training dogs” but more “living with them” which is what we are doing 99% of the time when things happen. I explain it more here.

08/30/2026

Behind the scenes at home on a random weekend in our house… (this was last year)
Planet was a service dog in training that my daughter was helping train. Planet had just been spayed and needed some extra TLC so they came here for a visit.
So at our house you may see service dogs in training, client dogs learning how to be adventure partners or just great family dogs, dogs that have been rescued from horrible situations and need a behavioral reset as well as my little pack of monsters… Margot, Scout and Stella!

08/29/2026

Only one opening left in 2026 for a Residency or DayCamp Program! Check out the website and reach out if you are interested.

08/29/2026

Well done!
Anyone locally needing help, I could probably help if you needed it in a shorter timeline.
He did a great job though!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DH8JhmHtE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/28/2026

Sprucing up the entrance with some greenery (I couldn’t get rid of the words of wisdom from Buck Brannaman).

Too bad I can never remember to take pictures of the dogs when we are working 😂😂

08/20/2026

Of course it was a lab 😂

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GjqMh7jmK/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/16/2026

These are the yearly updates I love getting. Aggression inside the home can be a complicated and difficult thing to address. It can also work out beautifully like it did here.

08/16/2026

“Everything was gone but my dog.”

That line stuck with me…

After rolling his UTV in the Utah mountains and suffering some really serious injuries, Jake Schmidt crawled for 11 hours back to his truck. His dog, Buddy, stayed with him… nudging him when he passed out, supporting him like a mobility assist dog when he crossed creeks and giving him a light to follow through in the dark.

Obviously I talk a lot about training dogs, the role of obedience or skills, behavior and getting them to fit more easily into our lives.

But THIS is what living with dogs means to me.

It’s building a relationship with a capable animal who shares your life… not just a pet who lives in your house.

Most of us will never need our dog to lead us out of the mountains. But we should still give them the opportunity to become confident, capable and connected enough to face life alongside us.

That kind of relationship doesn’t come from keeping a dog sheltered from challenges. It’s built through shared experiences, trust and learning how to move through difficult things together… as a team.

After rolling his UTV in the mountains, Jake Schmitt dragged his broken body to safety with his dog's help.