This is Harley Boy.   You'll see a lot of pic's of Harley Boy as he is our own Black Labrador retriever and my training assistant.        Harley helps extensively w/ socialization training on other dog and people.   You might have even seen Harley around town.   He's the black dog in a white trailer being pulled by a white motorcycle you might have heard about.    Harley has become proficient in all three levels of obedience as well as having passed the obedience curriculum requirements of other trainers here in Central Missouri as well as trainers in the Kansas City, Missouri area.   He's earned his Canine Good Citizen award from the AKC and has an Indefinite Listing Privilege with the AKC and is our Doggie Cop so to speak for Puppy Night.   He helps to maintain order among the young dogs during play period.
Update:::   Harley Boy is the initial charter member of Pettis County K9 Academy Dog Club

Cletus is the newest addition to our family.    Cletus came to us from a former client that had to suspend Cletus's hearing alert training and re-home him.   In the time I had to work w/ Cletus, I came to realize that he had come from the same breeder and even the same mate pair as our Harley Boy making them brothers from different litters.     Knowing this and knowing what a wonderful dog he was, I couldn't bear loosing track of him. Although Cletus has now been through the training levels, he still has quite a bit to learn.    He and Harley make a great team and  if you keep your eye's open, you see us all running around town on the bike. 
Update:::   Cletus is the second charter member of Pettis County K9 Academy Dog Club

Lucy is  little "Schnoodle", a Schnauzer and Poodle mix that has the prestigious honor of being her owners first dog.      Lucy's "mom" was originally very uncomfortable around dogs, especially large dogs and Lucy as well as the training experience have changed all of that.     Lucy first came to us a bit confused and very timid and in many ways reflected her owners apprehensions of other dogs as well apprehensions she had of her own of other people.     Like many dogs, she was able to begin with during Puppy Class for socialization where she earned her Puppy Socialization Certificate and then went on to earn her AKC S.T.A.R. certificate.    Immediately after that, she began Basic Obedience where she graduated with flying colors and went on to earn her AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate.     The transformation in Lucy has been phenominal.    Lucy went from a scared, out of control pup to a happy, well balanced and well mannered little dog is just a few weeks time.    Her owners worked hard and kept the faith and have now become part of our Pettis County K9 Academy Dog Club.    I only wish you could have seen the beginning to better appreciate the result.      Keep up the great work guys.     We'll see you again soon.   

Blondie was brought to us for some behavorial issues that were beginning ot get out of hand.      Her obedience skills were were advanced well enough as her owners had put a great deal of effort into her training early on and as a result had developed some impressive command skills all on their own.       As the family grew though, the stresses of moving combined w/ less attention as often happens w/ a young growing family, Blondie began to act out.         Most dogs crave our attention so much that it is second only to food.    As is often the case, Blondie craved her owners attention so much that she was willing to accept bad attention so opposed to none at all.    Remember, bad attention is still attention.     This showed up in barking, tearing up home furnishings, and scariest of all, food guarding.      With some simple "re-focusing" exercises to get the owners back on track to reserving a bit of time for Blondie as well as some corrective exercises to "re-direct" Blondie and some of her bad habits and we were well on our way back to piece and happiness in the Blondie household.       Dogs need a purpose as well as rules.    Give them both mixed w/ a bit of our time and most are very happy.    Keep up the great work guys.     You need each other so show it to each other,,,,,,,,,daily.

Merc is a terrific young German Shepherd, handsome & happy w/ one of the sharpest, quickest learning dispositions I've ever seen.    He literally breezed through his basic training.    He was referred to us by  an area boarding facility who had a little trouble w/ his energetic outbursts and I'm hopeful that armed w/ some basic commands and a new outlook on how to channel Merc's energy as well as controlling some of his ill placed efforts at attention and exercise he'll be able to become a valuable member of the boarders at the facility where he likes to go.    Now that Merc's mom knows what to do, say and how to act and react, she can instruct the boarding staff as to how to keep a grip on Merc so that he doesn't get into trouble again.    This is a classic example of a behavioral issue that got a bit out of hand but rather than try to "break" the habit, we simply redirected it and reinforced a more positive way of letting Merc express himself.     You'll hear me say time and time again, there's no need to reinvent the wheel, just grease the noisy part a bit.    Naturally, that's an over simplification but the point is, most dogs do as dogs naturally do.   We look forward to seeing Merc join the dog club and become a more active canine around here as well as at home.      Keep up the good work guys. 

Maddie is amazing.......A mix with one of the most distinctive and beautiful brindle coats I've every seen.        She even has eyes that see you so brightly you can tell she dieing to tell  you the answer way before you even ask the question.            Maddie and her owners came to us looking for help and advice in Maddie's basic training & education.     Her owners had already worked very hard and had made some tremendous progress.         Enrolling her in our Basic Training program, we stepped back to basics and relearned the fundamentals and then went forward.          Maddies learning curve was overwhelming.        She absorbed everything we through at her.            We went so far as to push her right into Level 1 work just to keep her moving forward.              This is the result of an exceptionaly easy to motivate dog w/ exceptionaly willing owners who work persistantlky and yet patiently w/ Maddie.           Maddie earned her Basic Training certificate w/ flying colors in February, her Level 1 certificate in March and is looking forward to breezing right through her CGC in May.          Maddie still have some hyper activity issues to work on but I think a bit more maturity will take care of most of this.........because.........the best part of all is that Maddie is only about 10 months old..              Amazing isn't it?
Keep you eyes open because you bound to see more of Maddie...................
Keep up the great work guys.

Beau is a beautiful 8 month old Bernese Mountain Dog that was extremely untrusting of men and very timid and skittish when stressed.        Socializing him in some Puppy Class followed by Basic Obedience and set Beau on the path to overcoming his shyness and gave him and his owner a way to communicate successfully so that each one has a better idea of what is expected of them and each other.     I look for Beau to waltz right through our upcoming AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation, after which I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Beau.         Keep up the great work guys.      You both deserve the very best.

Gibson is a year old Weimer that came to see us as a shy, skittish, man wary ball of near uncontrollable energy.    Couple that w/ a very loving family in a constant struggle to balance, jobs, businesses, homes in different distant counties as well as one in construction and everything else that goes w/ normal everyday life as most of us know it.          LIke happens sometimes, Gibson kind of struggled through the first few sessions w/ slow but steady improvements.    Then, all of a sudden, its like a light bulb came on and Gibson did a 180 degree turnaround in a matter of two weeks.   Gibson went from struggling w/ commands and attention to mastering them, seemingly overnight.        When you take a dog that was terrified to leave its owners side one week and put him in a sit/stay and walk 30 feet away and the dog sits there and yawns.........you've done something.       As I've stated hundreds of time, we try to shape behaviors, mold manners, build confidence and strengthen structure all at the same time.     This is what leads to a successful and respectful team between dog and handler.         I expect to see Gibson back for more formal training when construction on the new home is complete and there's more time for handler and dog to share.    Keep up the great work you guys.     You should be proud of yourselves.    I am.

Shadow has become kind of  little sister to Harley & Cletus.   She first came into our lives back in the bitter cold, ice & snow of December, 2007 when she "followed" my daughter home one day as a tiny pup.    Unable to find anyone who would claim her, we took her in and cleaned her up and fed her what seemed like the first good meal she'd ever had, or at least in awhile.   Shortly thereafter, I convince our dog loving neighbors Melvin and Betty to make a home for Shadow at their house, which they did.     Shadow still spends a great deal of time at our place and seems as comfortable at one place as another.     Tragically though, shortly after being spayed, Shadow came down lame and upon further examination, she was diagnosed w/ severe hip dysplasia at only 6 months old.   She was already in so much pain that she needed help up and down the stairs.    With lots of love and care as well as some traditional and experimental "medicines", Shadow is now back up, running with the boys and chasing balls.    Shadow has earned her Puppy Socialization Certificate, the AKC Canine Good Citizen Award as well as her Basic Obedience Certificate and is now a member of the Pettis County K9 Academy Dog Club.     Just goes to show you that age or illness should never be used as an excuse to stop or eliminate training.    Naturally, some modification often have to be found but you must continue to do all you can for your pooch no matter what.    Keep them active and mentally alert greatly improves their quality of life.   Keep an eye out.    You'll see Shadow around and you too will be amazed at her recovery and accomplishments.       If you have an animal w/ ailing joints, ask for details.

Bogan is Kabu's little brother and the first of his family to complete Basic Obedience group class.    Bogan is not quite as big as Kabu yet but he's working on it and will be soon.       Like Kabu, Bogan has been apart of the Pettis County K9 Academy teachings since he was 8 weeks old and it maturing into one of the best behaved dogs around.     Bogan blowed through Puppy Socialization and the AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. ;program as well as earning his Bravery Certificate as though there was nothing to it.      Now he's waltzed through Basic Obedience in the same fashion is is about to Kabu has been coming to see us since he was just  a pup back in the winter and it just came to my attention that we'd never shown him off.       Since Kabu has been coming to see us, he's earned his Puppy Socialization Certificate, his Bravery Certificate for first time away from home, and his Basic Obedience Certificate after just a week camp over here at Pettis County K9 Academy.      Kabu has since earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen award as well and is member of the Pettis County K9 Academy Dog Club.      His human companiions take him all over town so keep an eye out for him.   He's easy to spot.    Nearing 100 lbs and not even a year old, he's  big boy.     Keep up the good work guys.    We'll see you next week.

Heidi is an adorable, petite German Shepard that responded wonderfully well to training once her human caregiver mastered consistency and persistence.      Being just a bit timid, Heidi needed a little help coming out of her shell, but once she did, she really blossomed.       I'm always proud and honored to work w/ a pet owner who is willing to and does put forth the time and energy to make a positive difference in their pet and the relationship they share w/ their pet.       This relationship really shows when we practice stays and recalls.     A dog must trust and respect you to succeed at these exercises.      Basic Obedience only expects stays and recalls on a 6' leash.    By the end of our sessions, Heidi was doing them both, off leash, at 30' to 40'.    I expect for Heidi and her owner to participate in the AKC Canine Good Citizen test in September and hope that as soon as time allows, they both join the Pettis County K9 Dog Club        Keep your eyes out for them.     Keep up the good work you two.         I'm proud of you both.

Cuddles is a very energetic, young mix breed that was really causing its owners alot of frustration.     When you combine a super high energy drive with a severe lack of self control, throw in a lack of understanding any commands and add owners that were trying their best but didn't understand what it took to communicate properly with their dog and you end up with an extreme challenge.     Cuddles was had become that challenge so, as soon as Cuddles completed Puppy Socialization and successfully completed her AKC S.T.A.R. evaluation we began her in Basic Obedience.       Cuddles still has some growing up to do as well the ever present need of daily practice on her commands but Cuddles has not only walked through Basic Obedience but also earned her AKC Canine Good Citizen award.      You can tell by her poise in her pictures that she's proud of herself and enjoys her ability to understand more of what we expect of her.       Keep an eye out for her, she's bound to be out and about showing off her new found skills.            Keep up the great work.

Buttercup is a Chihuahua mix that has been coming to visit w/ us for quite some time.     She has even earlier pass her AKC Canine Good Citizen evaulation without the benefit of our Basic Obedience course.    As a valued member of our "adult" staff during Puppy Night, her owners thought that a brush up in basic would do her good.          As predicted, the "brush up" was exactly what she needed.         Going through our Basic Obedience course helped her and her owners remember and remaster many things that had been forgotten or overlooked.         Still a part of our Puppy Night crew, she now had regained the attention and vocabulary that she needed to be a part of her own growing family.        Keep up the great work and we'll see you soon.