AK9

AK9 Ala and Bernie, Dog Trainers in London, Ontario Hi! My name is Ala, and I am a head instructor at AK9. So, let me start over. It all began with a dog.

I could begin this bio by saying something cheesy, such as “I have always loved dogs and wanted to work with them!” or “I have been training dogs since I was 16 years old.” I could – and technically it would all be truth. But these words do not even begin to depict the depth of the journey I have been taking, and, more importantly, they do not give enough credit to very specific human and non-huma

n individuals who have been there with me. A stubborn, independent, arrogant, but outrageously loyal chow-chow named Tushkan. For those who are familiar with the breed, no more words are needed. For those who are not, I will elaborate by saying that the likelihood of a chow-chow owner getting into dog sports and, consequently, professional dog training, is relatively low. The simple reason is that this is not a dog who wants to work for you. This is not a dog who makes your life easy by willingly performing anything you ask them to do unless they want it at this specific moment in time. This is a breed that is hard to motivate by regular dogs’ prized rewards, such as food and toys. In fact, a chow-chow will do everything to discourage you from ever attempting to make them work. But I was also stubborn and highly motivated to learn how to work with a dog like that. Perhaps, the fact that I was also an arrogant 16-year-old teenager played a part. Ultimately, I like to think that this was meant to happen. He was my first and only dog, and I had to make it work. I had three dog trainers reject enrolling me and my dog in their classes because of the breed. They claimed that a chow-chow should not be put into a group class situation. They are difficult to train, and they like to bite strangers. The depicted picture of a monster dog was not that encouraging either, but then I found a person who worked with police and army dogs, and somehow, they agreed to work with me. After six months of attending group classes, me and my dog received our first obedience title. And I got seriously hooked up by this whole dog training thing. The local club offered dog training courses, and I took it. This resulted in me receiving a certificate, but in all truthfulness, those certificates mean very little without practical knowledge. I mean, I could recite how different operants work and explain (theoretically) what reinforcements are and why they work or do not work, but, if put in a real-life situation where all those terms had to be applied, I would have felt extremely uncertain. Hence, I started interning for my instructor. I helped them with their large group classes; I oversaw attendance and financial details; I worked with equipment suppliers; I cleaned up dog p**p and picked up garbage after pet owners. Gradually, I was allowed to start working with actual dogs and actual people, and by the end of two years of my internship, I was able to start teaching my first group. This is where my chow-chow experience came in extremely handy: very few dogs could compete with this extreme lack of motivation combined with incredible stubbornness. Of course, there were other issues that I yet had to learn how to deal with, but the foundation for all of my knowledge was creativity; if you are creative, you can approach and successfully “conquer” many of the issues that dog owners have. At this point, I have been training dogs for over fifteen years. Yet, creativity is still my main motto. No two dogs are similar. Yes, there are methods and things that work for many dogs, but not for everyone. Yes, there are basic commands that I teach all of the dogs, and yes, all of them are capable to learn – and perform – them. However, the ways in which I approach my teaching always depend on specific dog and specific human. Even in a group class scenario. What does it mean for you if you choose to work with me? It means that I will happily discuss your particular situation and I will offer as many methods/tools/solutions as are possible and applicable. Some behavioural problems are extremely persistent and need a lot of patience, and some are not possible to completely “solve” at all. I have a lot of experience and practical knowledge, and there are very few breeds I did not work with. However, I am not a wizard and do not possess a magic wand. What I can promise, though, is that I will be honest about my assessment, as well as about describing the amount of work you might need to put towards your dog’s training success. I am also always going to be there for you, even beyond our training encounter, should you need any advice or guidance. If my philosophy resonates with you, reach out and inquire about my group or individual classes, as well as free assessments!

Do people actually understand and accept that dogs are predators?I often have to listen to dog owners feeling absolutely...
06/14/2026

Do people actually understand and accept that dogs are predators?

I often have to listen to dog owners feeling absolutely heartbroken because their dog killed another animal — a rabbit, a squirrel, a raccoon, a cat. Whatever it is, people feel almost offended by the idea that their sweet "furbaby" has this wilderness in them.

Do people forget who dogs actually are? Or do they think they can out-love the beast in canines?

Here's the thing: a dog preying on and killing a smaller animal is not a malfunction. It's not a moral failing. It's a manifestation of their nature.

Once you accept that, the path forward becomes clear. There are exactly two mechanisms that work here, and they work together.

First: the dog never gets the opportunity to complete the chase. Leash is your friend. If the chase never starts, it never gets satisfying, and the behaviour never gets reinforced.

Second: if the dog tries anyway — lunges, bolts, locks onto a target — there is a consequence. Clear, immediate punishment, and its is over the second the dog gives up. That's it.

That's the whole formula. No opportunity to practice the behaviour, and a real consequence if it happens regardless.

You cannot remove the predator from a dog. But you can keep it busy with things you've chosen.

Have them chase a flirt pole instead of your cat.
Have them "kill" a tug instead of a squirrel.
Have them run out the door on your cue — not theirs.
Have them run to you on command, every time.

Stop fighting the dogness or pretending it does not exist. Learn to work with it. Your life — and theirs — gets so much easier the moment you do.

06/13/2026

Isn’t this awesome? 🤩

In only five weeks, we progressed from scentpads to corners to article indication, and, finally, to a full track - and ALL the dogs did so with enthusiasm and confidence.

Tracking is something that any dog can do, regardless of its breed or size. The best part? It is SO rewarding to watch them harness their inherent superpower.

There are 2 spots left in our upcoming tracking class that begins on June 25th. Grab yours before it is gone!

The video star is Willow The Tracking Machine 💪

!!Tracking class announcement!!📅 June 25 – July 30 | Thursdays, 6–7pm📍 Near St. Peter's Seminary, London ON💰 $250🔗 Regis...
06/09/2026

!!Tracking class announcement!!

📅 June 25 – July 30 | Thursdays, 6–7pm
📍 Near St. Peter's Seminary, London ON
💰 $250
🔗 Registration link in the comments

Cool facts about tracking:
- Tracking is an activity that uses your dog's most powerful natural tool — their nose. It channels what already is there into a handy skill
- Tracking is amazing for anxious, reactive, or high-energy dogs: it is a slow, calming, and deeply satisfying work that builds confidence and demands focus.
- Tracking engages 1/3 of your dog's brain - a CPU dedicated to scent processing. This means, a tracking dog is a tired dog.
- In tracking, we only have one dog on a field at a time. No crowds, no chaos, no stress.
- There are no obedience prerequisites. Knowing "down" helps, but we can teach as we go.

06/09/2026

This is what a structured, dog-centered walk looks like.

You walk, you mind your own business, you don’t let your dog invade the space of other dogs, and you keep it under control - even when there are VERY strong distractions present (such as a barking dog in the third clip)

Thank you to everyone who showed up to our walk-and-train! Hope to see you again in July!

When did accountability become an equivalent of abuse?One concept I find myself explaining to almost every new client is...
06/05/2026

When did accountability become an equivalent of abuse?

One concept I find myself explaining to almost every new client is the concept of punishment — or simply telling the dog to knock it off.

Everyone understands the value of treats and affection. What most people don't see is how, in their attempts to avoid punishment at all costs, they start using food and affection to reinforce the very behaviour they are trying to stop.

A barking dog that lunges at another dog gets food shoved in its mouth to "distract" it. An anxious, shivering, yapping dog gets petted and spoken to in a reassuring voice to "calm it down." The intention is kind. The result is that the dog learns: this behaviour gets me food and affection. And it does it again.

When clients tell me they have tried everything, the list is almost always the same: distract with treats, ignore the bad behaviour, reward the good behaviour. These are all strategies for avoiding the problem. The simpler solution is to face it — let the dog know what is not acceptable, clearly and briefly, and then move on as if it never happened.

The reason most people can't bring themselves to do this is the fear that their dog will be traumatized and the relationship permanently damaged. This fear is actively promoted by purely positive training advocates, who invoke terms like "learned helplessness" and "trauma" and point to peer-reviewed research. That research exists — but it's worth knowing what it actually shows.

The psychologist Martin Seligman, who coined "learned helplessness," did conduct his original study using dogs and a shock collar. He shocked the dogs repeatedly with no way for them to escape or stop it — no matter what the dog did, the shock continued. Eventually the dogs gave up trying. That is what learned helplessness looks like: inescapable, uncontrollable pain with no connection to the dog's own behaviour. Most people would call that abuse. I would too.

Appropriate punishment is nothing like that. It is specific — addressing one behaviour, in the moment it happens. It is brief — lasting only as long as the unwanted behaviour continues. And then it is over. Life goes on. What remains is not helplessness but a boundary; a new, clear communication the dog actually understands.

Here is what it looks like in practice: a dog blows up at another dog, pulling and lunging. Instead of trying to cross the street or distract it with a treat, address the behaviour with the tools that you have. Say “no,” followed by a few short leash pops. Once the dog stops its aggressive display, ask it for something it knows well. Sit, down, recall. Reward this specific behaviour and move on. The reaction happens again – punish it again, but do not pretend it does not exist. With a few repetitions, the intensity of the behaviour will drop, and, if you follow through and always address this behaviour right away, it will cease to exist. The dog will recalibrate, and you will move on. There will be no trauma or damaged relationship, but there will be a clear rule to follow, which is: this behaviour is not acceptable, and it will be addressed every single time.

People who see this work are often surprised by how little it takes and how much easier everything becomes — simply because they stopped confusing punishment with cruelty.

What is actually unkind is allowing a dog to live in a state of constant over-arousal and anxiety, while its world quietly shrinks to only the routes and situations that feel safe enough to manage. Boundaries are not punishment in the harmful sense. They are how dogs — like people — learn to navigate the world with confidence.

06/05/2026

POV: trying to challenge your tracking dog

Me: you are a good tracking dog, huh? What if I put an article that is 1 inch long and quarter-inch wide and hide it in the grass? Can you find it then?

Orca: hold my beer.

(Zoom in to see the tiny article)

Next article target: nail head sticking out from the ground ✅

06/03/2026

Three weeks of tracking are in, and the dogs are really “getting” it!

Look at that beautiful intense, deep tracking 😊

The next tracking class starts June 25th - sign up on our website or reach out for details!

Reminder: a FREE structured group walk-and-train this Saturday!Details:When: June 6th, 10amWhere: Gibbons Park, London, ...
06/02/2026

Reminder: a FREE structured group walk-and-train this Saturday!

Details:
When: June 6th, 10am
Where: Gibbons Park, London, ON
Why: Because sleeping in on Saturdays is overrated 😆😜

We will cover some very cool obedience and socialization drills, and, most importantly, will have a great time!

Requirements for participation:
- A dog handler must be 16+ or accompanied by adult
- A handler must be able to control their dog on leash. “Control” means good timing with addressing anything that is unwanted and in rewarding anything that is good. Litmus test if unsure: if your dog starts barking at other dogs, you tell it to knock it off (with or without a correction), and the dog listens - then you are good. If still unsure, reach out.
- Helpful commands to have: sit, heel, recall, down. Lure or verbal is fine.
- One dog per handler
- Absolutely no on-leash greetings. Please do not feel bad about asking people to give you space if your dog needs it.
- A collar must be fitted properly so that the dog cannot slip.
- This is not the kind of walk where you can zoom out, let your dog do whatever, and look at your phone. This is the walk where you team up with your dog, and you learn something new about each other.
- To sign up, please reach out!

Looking forward to seeing many of you there! 💪

06/01/2026

In this tracking training session, we break down how to build cleaner 90° corners without forcing the turn.

Instead of turning sharply, we show how to shape the corner gradually over several steps so the dog can naturally follow the track.

We also discuss how consistent footstep food placement helps reinforce clarity during the approach to the corner.

Small adjustments in how you lay the track can make a big difference in how the dog reads it.

Follow AK9 Canada for more practical tracking and working dog training tips

If you really, really want to see some amazing training and would like to immerse yourself in a dog trial environment, y...
05/27/2026

If you really, really want to see some amazing training and would like to immerse yourself in a dog trial environment, you are invited to attend the GSSCC IGP Ontario Regional Championships.

When: Friday, May 29th and Saturday, May 30th (see attached schedule for more details)
Where: West Williams Community Centre (32217 Kerwood Rd, Parkhill)

In addition to the competition itself, the event is attended by many vendors selling all kinds of dog goods normally only available online. Oh, and the raffle prizes are amazing, too.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions and I hope to see you there!

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London, ON

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Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm

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