Fresh Coast K9, LLC

Happy National Police K9 day!! Cheers to all the pups out there doing the good work. Proud to have been there and grateful to be still helping them today in a different way.

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Full Send Friday...

Couple day trains, couple private sessions, police dogs and then business admin stuffs this week. But we're not complaning! 🥵

Saw some nice progress with some different dogs in different ways. Its cool to see the lightbulbs come on for the dog and for owners to see whats possible from their animal. Its never going to be picture perfect. Dogs are, at their core, in it for themselves! If they can cheat the system they will do it to gain their advantage. While humankind managed to domesticate them, they still have a generic core to get the upper hand...even if it just means an extra treat or of your hand these days 😉

Enjoy the long weekend. Back on the leash next week!

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What a great week of training, friends, colleagues, familiar places and most importantly, dogs!! We talked about life, business, training, ideas, trends, dogs and general BS.

Its relationships and experiences like this that make dog training what it should be. People coming together and working to make the best of the dogs in front of them. Its not always pretty like social media might show to you. 30sec clips are flashy, cool and a part of things now. But the real work is dirty, hands-on training and real life fact. Your dog won't get better without that effort.

Whether its a pet dog or a working dog, time and energy is the true catalyst to get your dog better. Thank you to for having us down, for the work and sticking Brad in a dumpster, for the laughs, discussions and messy long line coil 😝 and for the hospitality. Until we meet again!!

I.

ps: we put one of your things thru some paces too on some future prospects...

The irony...

This week we are training and learning, back where this dog came from about 13 months ago. 11 months ago from when his K9 career really began. 9 months from when we went to the "Fun house" in Ohio to work on more skills. 8 months from when this dog started working with his handler. And all the other hours/days/weeks and months of training in-between. Today that dog "without a doubt saved lives" (direct quote) of both the officers and/or the subject themselves. He did his job.

Fresh Coast K9 is extremely grateful to the entire "team" of entities that shaped this dog's life thus far so that a handler could go home at the end of their shift. The breeder in some far off land. The import vendor who got him here and began his foundations. The decoys, trainers and helpers who helped us prepare him for work. While he's "ours", it was for certain a team effort along the way. Years and decades in the making really, before this dog was even born. Without question all of these factors, experience and little pieces leading up to today shaped the outcome.

It's always nice to hear that one of "your" teams did good work out there. But this is different. Nobody prepares you for this kind of information. To hear that the dog performed in a way that prevented a fatal tragedy (for all involved) is such a powerful and overwhelming feeling. It's these types events however, that keep Fresh Coast K9 going stronger and pushing us for more knowledge and training. To get better always and learn as much as we can so we can continue to help make our K9 teams better. And in turn, safer.

Maybe one day more information can be presented. To really express the chaos and danger that occurred in such an unpredictable and rapid pace and the reason why this living tool is so important.

Thank you to all those who helped play a part to get this dog team (and the others) home safe today. This post would look much different if this wonderful animal wasn't there to make a difference. To be that force multiplier. To bring the event to a close. Rest up (dog). Heal up (handler). And we will see you at training again soon!
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FCK9 will be offline for a few days while we go see some peeps who know a thing or two about dogs. We may not answer the phone right away, but we will respond back when we can.

The one thing about dog training is the true and passionate people involved. It is important to us that we stay open to learning, as it only helps the dogs in the long term and helps us to grow as people and trainers. It's also important to share ideas and collaborate because you can't know everything ever in dogs. Some know a lot, some know a little. But anyone who tells you they've seen or know it all hasn't trained enough dogs...

BRB soon!

One of our teams out there crushin' it under the northern lights!! Awesome pic K9 Omar!!

We officially have a space! Today we got the keys to the new official home of Fresh Coast K9 in Traverse City! We will be working hard for the next few days to get it ready for you and your pups! Contact us now to get on our schedule!

National "MUTT" Day!!

Post a picture of your mixers and join our small guy Fergus!

Fergus is a King Charles-Pomsky mutt. Horrible year long puppy stage. Great adult dog. Looks great with a Mr. T haircut too . One of the best we've ever owned however.❤️🐶

Have a mutt that needs some help? We have solutions! www.freshcoastk9.com

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So close, yet so far...and rainy...

The boy enjoys being outdoors, so much so he "begged" to go out, in spite of the rain. So he's working his own place work and the rain is his own reprimand for breaking. Self discovering how to stay dry and in comfort.

If the dog thinks it was their own behavior that got them "corrected" that is some of the most powerful learning. But, you can set them up in certain ways to "help" the self discovering... such as placing the place cot in the first portion of the deck 😝

Navigating this is a very mild form of stress for him. But, exposing dogs to stressors is important business. Not only new ones, but old ones and environmental stressors too. Stress "innoculation" for dogs can come in many forms and styles and we do have to be responsible in the way we go about it.

Many behavioral problems stem from a dog not knowing how to cope or navigate stress. While some behavioral issues are owner embarassing, obnoxious or annoying, you will do more harm than good if you don't face it head on. The behaviors will never get "better" and will likely get worse the more the dog is isolated from stress. Granted, you may not know how to work through this process..and thats OK!

But don't do your dog a disservice by sheltering them from stress. Building stress resilliance builds confidence in your dog, no matter how small. That will add up over time, practice and patience. Lowering the threshold to stress will get them into the proper state of mind and from there the real work can begin.

So, get out there and show your dog how to navigate life properly! If you need help, reach out!!

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Full Sending Friday with a Snickers-doodle...
🐕+🐩=🐶

He full of life and puppy shenanigans, but very moldable. Just...puppy thru and thru!

Enjoy the weekend. Get out and do something with your dog!

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'

More "nothing"...

Every little bit of calm helps to level out the arousal. While Arek isn't the most full drive dog we've ever owned, he's still a puppy. Filled with various levels of hyper.

The deck is a great spot for some self-discovery "place". The gate to the stairs can be closed, only allowing him to explore a limited area that has little to offer and is mostly uninteresting. Ergo, you might as well navigate and find the comfy spot of a cot!

While he is familiar with a place command, it is by no means perfected (far from it actually). By limiting his environment strategically like this, we can help him make a decision to find the sweet spot of place. This will come into play later on down the line. Its a small deposit into the piggybank and familiarity that comes with placing.

If you can get the dog think it was their idea, it holds much more weight with them.

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Again, sometimes doing nothing is the best training...right "babydawg"?!

Often, we place too much emphasis on "fullfillment" of drives or play or the like. While these things are important, there MUST be a balance. If all you work on is fullfillment activities, you can actually create an adrenaline ju**ie. A dog who is always chasing the high.

Dog training is a balancing act of behaviors. Work on one thing, another something slides. The art of "doing nothing" is relatively simple, yet often overlooked. Whether you use an obedience place command, or just self discover a calm sense of space, it teaches the dog to turn things off. Use space and distance to external stimuli to your advantage and for the level your dog is at. Over time and consistency of behavior, then you can move closer to stuff.

Like the British 🇬🇧🐕 once said, "keep calm and carry on"...doing nothing.

If you need a Saturday activity tomorrow, head over to Manistee and support K9 Faro!!

K9 Faro and his handler are a great team and, like many small K9 units, rely on outside support!

Get a GSD we shed. It'll be fun again, we shed...🤦‍♂️

This has been an almost daily occurrence for the last few weeks. It goes way beyond grabbing a clump of satisfying buttfuzzes. While he gets a little frisky, Arek seems to enjoy a good brushing. Whatever the previous people or the breeder did to make him enjoy it, we thank them.

Gooming a dog is important for a plethora of reasons. But desensitizing the process or the tools used is maybe even more important to make the process easier. Make it a positive experience so that they can, at minimum, tolerate the noise, touch and sensations that come with it. A groomer will thank you.

You can do many simple grooming and or animal husbandry things at home, certainly. But, good professional groomers are in high demand so get booked in early before you run into difficulties!

Happy Birthday America! 🎉🇺🇸🐕🫡🇺🇸

There have been plenty of posts this week regarding fireworks, pet safety etc., so we won't regurgitate the same. What we will say is this...

If the fireworks go off and you tell the dog "it's ok, its ok fluffy" (insert baby-talk voice) when she barks etc., you are reinforcing Fluffy's emotional outburst!! You are communicating and validating the response to stimuli. Ergo, it's also likely to be repeated...and repeated...and repeated...

So when she is barking and carrying on, don't tell Fluffy it's "OK" this firework season, because that is not the behavior you want. Instead, engage Fluffy in a behavior you DO want and mark and reward that...rinse and repeat...a lot...then a lot more...then a lot more after that!

Then who knows, by next year she may be more adaptable when the rockets red glare and bombs' bursting in the air! 🧨🚀💥🇺🇸🎉

Now stop reading this, your steaks are burning up!

Not every story has a happy ending...

We work with some dogs that others won't even give the time of day to. With that, comes the harsh reality that the end result sometimes doesn't matter. Dogs with a bite history have very few options in todays world. Whether its laws, policies, rules etc, if your dog puts teeth on skin there can be dire consequences for them, despite any remedial help.

For a number of reasons, we did not post about Zeus much at all, but you may recall he was a big, black and white Great Dane. He was rehomed with our client, who brought him to Fresh Coast for some last chance help. Zeus made incredible strides in the last 6 months, with our guidance and TONS of work from his owner. In the end, beuracracy and liability won over Zeus. All we can hope is that we gave Zeus the best we could and prolonged his last few months more than he would have otherwise gotten.

Rest easy big guy. 🐕💔🌈

Another day off from dogs, to support another dog program!

Did you know? Many K9 programs nationwide are supported through fundraisers and non-profit type groups. From the dogs themselves, to equipment, cars, training, vet bills etc, so many K9 programs would not be around if not for fundraisers and donations from within their communities.

Fresh Coast K9 is proud to be another sponsor for one of our adjoining county Sheriff's Offices. This golf outing has been going on for many years to support the Benzie County K9 program. Keep up the good work K9 Omar!!

National "Take your dog to work day"!

Hmmm🤔, wonder which way the wind is blowin'?!

A dog's nose is something incredible. Even if you don't have a "work" dog, you've seen their nose find that lone piece of popcorn under the couch from like 8 weeks ago. We also know a Beagle who can sniff out the leftover street-meat from 4 blocks away too! 🤦‍♂️🤢

For many dogs, the nose can be a gateway to their mental stimulation. You can also tap into their nose power to tip the scales in your favor when it comes to reactivity. Many dogs will work for food and if you get creative with how they have to find it, you can shape their responses to a lot of things. They can't help but use their nose...its nature.

Want to learn more about detection or scentwork? Fresh Coast K9 Owner Ian has a decade worth of operational detection and training experience searching for things that most people on the planet stay away from. Whether its a working dog question or troubleshooting issue, or you are considering the nosework sports, Fresh Coast K9 can provide a variety of custom detection related services and training programs. Contact [email protected] to learn more!

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Sometimes doing "nothing" is the best training you need!

We've not posted on "Ahren" yet, for no reason other than we didn't get to it really. Did some owner 1on1 work a few months back and now he's in with some Day Training! (ok, ok, we have a type!🐕 😁)

At 13mos old, one can imagine the choas he might unleash. He came in knowing some good obedience already, but lacks impulse control and is vocally reactive out in public. Today we worked on just "being" in various places, along with exposure to triggers from a distance to desensitize the world a bit.

The work for reactive dogs is three basic parts in our mind:
-solidify obedience in a low stimulation environment
-desensitize or recondition triggers that cause the dog to go berserk, absent of obedience requests
-slowly merge the two together and begin increasing distraction and closer thresholds.

If you have a dog thats losing it's mind, through emotional outbursts, you are highly unlikely to be able to get them to do obedience (unless the OB is so foundationally solid its robotic). So while you're yelling "sit", the dog probably can't even hear you because of auditory exclusuion etc. You have to address both aspects of training and get the dog in a good state of mind first, before you can see the effects and implement stronger obedience.

This is assuming you've addressed the other reactivity components too, like: health, nutrition, breed fullfillment, exercise etc 😉

We've said it before... it's a marathon, not a sprint!

Thanks for hosting us today! Great feedback on things and a beautiful urgent care pet facility!!

Pet mishaps often happen at the most inconvenient of times! Having a trusted place to go in short order can be crucial before small issues turn into big ones. Vet offices all over are crazy busy and there is a lack of urgent care choices. Having available in the Grand Traverse area will help get your pet on the road to recovery sooner.

If was great to see some familiar faces and vendors like and !! Also met some new folks with Aggies Treats https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556796597116&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Supporting the good guys today...

Come say hi and check out the new vet office in town!

We can’t wait for you to meet Ian, owner of Fresh Coast K9, LLC, at our “Pup Cups & Cappuccinos” open house this Saturday, June 8th from 10am-12pm. Ian provides elite training for both pets and working dogs. He works hard to tailor training to your pet’s individual needs and is a wealth of knowledge! Come stop by his vendor booth on Saturday and say hi!

Welcome back Ms. Summer!!! Summer had a great time at her winter home and got some great training there as well! Now she's back and we're out and about picking up where she left off at the end of last year's FCK9 program. For anyone keeping track or remembering, she's in year 2 of training. Year 2!! Training is a long-term investment folks! Don't treat your dog training like a quick hit of crypto currency!!🤣

Also... woke up to hear more great news from one of the Fresh Coast K9 Teams out there crushing it! Another (big) load of bad stuff is off the streets thanks to hard work by the crew! Great job K9 "O".

FCK9 is always on the lookout for different training styles and techniques, along with working, "dog?!", prospects...😝🐊🐬🤷‍♂️

Spent some time recently in a sunny and hot place and got to have some awesome adventures! Speaking with the dolphin trainer was fun. They really put a true effort in with these amazing animals. It was interesting comparing dog training to dolphins too. So many similarities, yet vastly different outlooks and challenges in comparison. Let's be honest, one doesn't exactly get a leash on a 300lb water mammal now do they. So the trainers have to work with limited operant quadrants and lots of motivation (and reward history!!!). But the results of their hard work and conditioning are outstanding.

One thing a trainer said stuck out..."it's always the animals choice to participate". The sheer size alone, whether its circus bears, dolphins, etc, are not like dogs. You aren't going to "leash-handle" them like you might a dog (though we'd love to see people try!🤣). If the animal ain't having it one day, they are not going to be able to get anywhere. Keep that in perspective with dogs.

Sometimes we as humans ask for things at the wrong time, under the wrong circunstance, or ask too much at once of a dog. If the dog isn't prepared for it properly, then yes, you're likely to see a lack of participation in some form or fashion. But we as humans have a thirst for the "now" and have been conditioned to instant gratification. When that doesn't occur, conflict can enter the training.

Too much conflict and the dog (or human) shuts down or goes down another path. We must do a better job of recognizing when this is occuring. Then take a step back to analyze the who, what, where, when, why and how in our training process.

To quote another...."ya gotta make it FUN!😤"...🤣

As far as gators go, I'm sure there's a decoy or two out there who have considered it...🤣🦵🐊😬

'decoy

Been busy around the FCK9 lately, but that's no excuse! Hit up working dog wednesday this last week, got Mr. A starting to integrate with others round here and set sail with the boat elf back to workin' the high seas. Mixed in a few new puppies (not pictured) along the way and starting them off with basics.

We apologize for any inconvenient scheduling that may arise with our clients in the next few weeks. More items need to be addressed first before we can have a better routine in the schedule. We ask for your patience and know that we are always here to answer questions or concerns, even if its not in person. 🫶



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It's National Police Week! 🖤💙🖤

Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those still protecting and keeping our communities and country safe at home. Policing is not perfect, but without law and order society crumbles into choas.

Please take a moment to reflect on their sacrificies and thank those still in uniform. The long shifts away from home. Seeing things one only sees in nightmares or movies. Eating with a steering wheel as a table because there's no time for anything else. The middle of the night callouts. The situations some make it through when others don't.

So if you see someone in uniform this week, give them an Thank you! It will mean more than you might realize...

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Very excited for the article written on Fresh Coast K9, LLC ! 👏
It coincides with the 1yr anniversary nicely! Looking forward to being able to help and train all the dogs we can and keep moving in the forward direction with year #2!

Thanks Manistee News Advocate!