Blog

Ecollars have come a long way in 20 years. The first collars had 1 setting and was used to train for adverse reactions. Basically,  if you never wanted your dog to do that behavior again ( dig in yard example)  you would just blast the dog.With any advancement in technology,  ecollars have come along way. … Read more

Preparing Your Puppies Nail trimming involves a lot of paw handling so consistency is important.  From a young age playing with your puppies paws and toes will set up the fundamentals needed for easy maintenance as your pup grows up. Proper Clippers The key to well trimmed nails is proper equipment. Due to the curve … Read more

Hiking in the back country. Let me start by saying I love hiking with dogs; I pursue ways to allow my dogs to simply be dogs. There is no better joy then watching a dog go primordial and simply move through nature. Relaxing obedience and permitting the dog to be a dog, all while maintaining … Read more

House pets to working dogs – is there a difference? In breed, drive and function – yes. However; in behavior, issues and problems – not so much. When training dogs clarity of task is the most important aspect of all training. Whether the purpose is to find and apprehend a suspect or dive off an … Read more

As the owner of Ridgeside K9 I get asked every question in the book about our board and train programs. Here is a short list of some questions to ask a potential company or trainer. Up front, there are many dog training companies that do “board and train” training packages. Most do a great job … Read more

Just had one of those moments and thought I would share it. The morning routine; just finished running, cleaning and feeding the dogs in the kennel. Now its the morning coffee, emails, invoices and “follow-up” things before jumping into training for the rest of the day. I literally rinsed off my breakfast plate and turned … Read more

Just some venting about the relationship I have with this dog! I’m sharing this to remind everyone that EVERY dog has issues the handler deals with daily. No matter how good the dog looks, no matter the level of training etc. There is always baggage and issues that lurk in the shadows. Objects – they … Read more

Genetics – a word we all seem to throw around, however most use incorrectly. In the dog (K9) subculture the word “genetics” is often regurgitated to either support or discount behavior. But what does “genetics” even mean and is the word applied accurately when discussing behavior or drive? Genetics is a very complicated study of … Read more

Ethics – Entrepreneurship – Drive and Hustle, can these drives be taught? What does it take to be a full-time dog trainer and business owner? Humans, much like dogs either have high-drive traits or they don’t. My question is this, can ethics and motivation be imprinted? Much like the question, can leadership be taught? In … Read more