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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-human 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!

10/29/2026

Breed education

How do people decide what breed they want and how do they know that they want it?

It is not uncommon to see owner-bashing posts on social media in response to people struggling with their chosen breed. They all boil down to one claim: “they should have done their research.”

But what if they believe they did and that this “research” is either not that easily accessible or the credibility of those sources that are available is very questionable?

I have been mulling over that problem for a while. 90% of the people who come to us for training either got a dog that it is too much for them to handle, or they rescued a dog that turned out to be different from what the rescue had promised.

The biggest problem, as I see it, is that the honest, credible, unbiased information is just not “out there” and that the people rely on impulse rather than knowledge when getting a dog.

If a person tries to do their research, they will encounter more lies than can be ever named. From published sources, like a book about “100 dog breeds,” which gives a bogus overview of breed traits, to YouTube videos “So you think you want an Australian Shepherd,” which purposefully mislead people by presenting real problems as something that is funny, to online sources that call mutts “Designer breeds,” to rescues that tell soapy stories and make people believe that a shivering shadow of a dog will become a loyal protector with the right owner, to money-hungry breeders who will sell two littermates at a price of one just to make some money.

Lies, lies, and lies that are all made up to perpetuate false information and make people want to buy an animal they are not prepared to own.

On the other hand, impulsive desire to get a dog, and get it “right now” can overpower all logic and good advice. “I looked at him and knew he was mine,” “That breed is so beautiful I had to have one,” or even “The breeder kept the puppies in terrible conditions so I could not just leave her there.”

Sounds familiar?

Impulse and good research cannot exist in the same realm of understanding the world. Moreover, impulse will cancel out any rational thinking, and then you end up with a gamble of a dog.

Where to find reliable sources?

You have to spend time reading the bad ones first, critically thinking and assessing them. This random YouTube content creator with a million of subscribers that jokes about Dobermans - does he know what he is talking about or are you just contributing to his income by watching a video? A Google search that responds to your request about listing top three hypoallergenic breeds - where does it take the information from and does it tell you that no dog is hypoallergenic? The rescue that tries to “sell” a poorly behaved dog under a disguise of systematic abuse - does it want to get rid of a dog that was sitting there too long? That online “match a breed” test you took that told you that the perfect dog for you would be a Labrador - what is the sample size of the breeds it considers?

Once you second-guessed some of your most accessible sources, start digging deeper and ask yourself an honest question: why do I need a dog and what am I going to do with it? Then search for this dog’s breed club and read everything they have on the breed.

Then think about the purpose of this breed. Is it a hunting breed? Then be prepared to deal with nervousness, high prey drive, and recall troubles. Is this a herding breed? Then you will deal with a stalker who won’t leave you alone ever. Guarding breed? Then don’t complain about stubbornness, independence, and aggression. Terrier? God bless your heart. Mixed breed? Then be prepared to deal with the combination of anything and adjust your expectations accordingly.

A good, mentally stable dog that fits your lifestyle can shift your whole world. A nervy, anxious, fearful dog can, too. Which shift is it going to be? Your choice.

10/20/2026

I don’t know if you people are ready for the Halloween walk, but Orca is 😁😈

See you at Gibbons park on October 30th, at 6PM.

Don’t forget your costumes!

10/05/2026

*Upcoming Group Obedience class!*
Spots left: 8

When: Oct 26-Nov 23 (six weeks), 6-7pm
Where: Ilderton
Cost: $250

Appropriate for:
- Dogs and fully vaccinated puppies
- Anxious and fearful dogs
- Reactive dogs
- Dogs with selective hearing
We teach YOU how to train your dog. Skills covered:
- Recall
- Heeling
- Positions and stays
- Play

To register: PM, email at [email protected], or follow the website link (in the comments)

09/29/2026

Bitework progression, Step 4.

Once the dog barks and bites confidently, we push just a little bit further and demand that the biting only happens in response to a) raised stick (threat); b) a runaway attempt; c) an attack attempt.

This amazing young shepherd is still learning all the nuances, but he is doing pretty damn good 💪😏

09/25/2026

Bitework progression, Step 3!

Once the barking is more confident and the desire to bite the toy is strong, we put more spatial pressure and let the dog chase the bite as a reward.

In this video, you can see that I first tease and challenge this very talented dog, who nicely holds his ground and demonstrates some powerful barking.

As a reward, he gets to chase me, fight me, and win the toy 😎

09/23/2026

Bitework progression!

Step 2: once the dog shows interest in chasing and holding a toy, start adding more pressure and “wear” this toy AND get the dog to bark.

In this video, you can see that I am still doing a lot of teasing that this Bernese Mountain Dog interprets as both play and as a minor threat - which is why I am getting this nice low-range bark.

Stay tuned for the next progression steps tomorrow :)

09/22/2026

The coolest part about a bitework class?
You get to see how different drives present themselves in different dogs.

Regardless of what the dog is showing, the first step is to make them interested to chase and bite the toy.

The poodle in this video is working on precisely that: Stage 1, get the dog interested 😃

I will post other stages in the next following days.

09/18/2026

What do you do when food does not work?

I often see clients coming to me and saying that they have tried everything and nothing works.

By "everything" they usually mean: rewarding with food for good things; ignoring the bad things; crossing fingers and hoping the bad things will go away because the first two steps are being taken.

One problem is that bad things do not tend to go away unless you tend to these bad things accordingly.
Another problem is that some dogs tend to get into a headspace where they do not care anymore about your food, your toys, or your affection. What do you do then?

It is heavily ingrained in dog owners' heads that a dog has to be "positively reinforced" for doing what was asked of it. But what happens when the value of doing something you do not want your dog to do overpowers any reward you can provide?

I will tell you what happens: people tend to get lost because they believe they do not have leverage to motivate the dog.

A very simple and blunt reality is that you do not need to have "positive reinforcement" leverage to stop the behaviour. You just need to make the rehearsal of this behaviour impossible, unpleasant, and unrewarding. You need to have "negative" leverage.

Think about this: as a member of society, you have learned that yelling at people is not acceptable. Have you been encouraged for NOT yelling at people? Probably not.
You have either been lectured about why this is bad (and you stopped to make the lectures end) or you have been taught by some negative event that yelling does not result in anything good.
In other words, you have been either negatively reinforced to not yell or you have been punished for yelling. Of course, it is also possible that you never had a tendency to yell in the first place or that there was no lecturing but a simple explanation, but please entertain the idea.

Even though dogs are not humans, this specific learning mechanism works all the same, with the exception that, instead of reasoning with a dog like you would with a human, you would use your tools (your leash, your collar) to demonstrate to your dog that a behaviour is unacceptable and not to be repeated.

In this scenario, when your sole focus is on figuring out how to deliver this message of undesirability to your dog in the most efficient way, any thoughts about the rewards are on the back burner. It does not matter, in the context of this behaviour, whether you can reward your dog or not. Your goal is to stop the behaviour.

Once you realize that, it all becomes clear. You stop depending on treats and hoping that your dog will choose them over something in its environment. You stop pretending that you are progressing while you have been at it for thirty-eight months ("he is doing so much better, but there is still work to do"), because your delusion and your pretending do not serve either your dog or yourself.
Remove the crutch of having to reward for everything, because not every dog has enough food drive or toy drive to appreciate that reward. Every dog, however, understands the power of negative consequences, and absolutely every single dog, once presented with these consequences, will think twice next time.

09/15/2026

Mark your calendars! HALLOWEEN Group Walk hosted by AK9 and Confident K9Z will happen on October 30th.

The rules are as usual: no dog-to-dog interactions, good control of your dog and ability to intervene and stop any reactivity. Must be an adult or accompanied by an adult, and must have a dog on a properly fitted collar.

Bonus: we will have prizes for best costumes 😁

Bring yourself, your dog, and the most positive attitude, because we will have Halloween FUN!

09/11/2026

Do you know what is wrong with the construct "My dog won't let me touch its feet (or tail, or face)"?

Everything is wrong, on three different levels.

1. Foundation: your relationship with the dog is not built on trust

The first thing I do with every dog I get is brush it. It does not matter whether it is short-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired. What matters is that the dog immediately starts learning that this is routine and normal, and, ultimately, that it can trust me to do it.

I then move the dog's lips and check its mouth and teeth. I lift its feet and touch its tail. I do this gently, and I praise the puppy or dog for being patient and compliant. Afterward, we have a lively play session.

It is as simple as that. No bribing, no distracting - just building the bond and making sure the dog understands that these procedures are an inseparable part of our life together.

If you only handle this kind of interaction when it becomes necessary, you will see resistance. That resistance leads to your dog setting boundaries, and to you backing off, because no one wants to get bitten.

2. Structure: you believe the dog gets an opinion on what you touch and what you do not touch.

As much as you want to believe that dogs deserve freedom of choice, there are limits to this freedom, and those limits are essential to a functioning life together.

A dog can choose whether it prefers a ball or a stick. It does not get to choose whether grooming or medication routines happen, because having this type of agency implies that an individual who exercises their power of choice understands the repercussions of their decisions.

Dogs do not understand the repercussions of not taking medications on time or of not adhering to grooming routines. Therefore, they do not get to exercise agency or have an opinion on these matters. Any attempt by the dog to express such an opinion - through avoidance, snapping, growling, or biting - should be discouraged and corrected, and the routine has to continue as planned.

3. Surface: you cannot administer medication, cut nails, brush your dog, or do any necessary handling, and it will get worse the longer your dog is allowed to impose restrictions on you.

If your dog decides you should not touch its feet, and you accept that, you are in for a lot more trouble. Left unaddressed, this expands. A dog that believes it controls these interactions may decide it can only be pet when it wants, and only for as long as it wants.

This can look like a dog coming over for a belly scratch, tolerating fourteen seconds of it, and then snapping at you for being too slow, scratching too long, or leaning in too close. The same restriction spreads to the face, the tail - wherever the dog decides to draw the next line.

If you recognized your dog in any of this, stop and look at the bigger picture.

Do not back away because your dog does not like you touching its feet (or face, or tail). Let the dog know that not wanting it is not an option, and go back to doing what you were doing. Moreover, start doing it several times a day, until the resistance completely stops.

I always urge dog owners to keep things simple. Teaching a dog to accept manipulations with its body parts is, similarly, super simple. That is, neither of you gets to back off: you - from dealing with an opinionated dog fairly and appropriately, and a dog - from accepting what has to be done.

Address

London, ON

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+12262355789

Website

https://ak9canada.com/, https://ak9canada.com/blog/

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