Coulee K9 Services

06/06/2025

I know, I know — I always forget to get videos. But not this time! 😎

Here’s Kate and Koda putting in the work on their loose leash walking. Just a couple days ago, Koda was doing her best freight train impression — pulling like crazy, choking herself, and still charging forward like it was a race to the moon. 🚀

Now? She’s checking in with Mom, walking closer, and showing way more self-control. Is it perfect yet? Nope. But it’s progress — and that’s what we’re here for. Every step is one step closer to stress-free walks, easier outings, and being able to do cool stuff like hitting up Petco without looking like a circus act.

Shout-out to Kate for sticking with it and showing up for her dog. This stuff isn’t always pretty, but it is worth it. 💪🐾

05/27/2025

Coulee K9 just got a little more official.

The vehicle lettering is on, which means if you see a car that says Coulee K9 Services… yes, that’s me. And yes, I’m probably going to or from a training session covered in fur, treats in every pocket, and at least one crinkly water bottle rattling around somewhere.

It feels awesome to see the business name out in the world—literally rolling around town now.

Also: small downside of mobile advertising—guess I can't roll into the gas station looking like I just crawled out of a blanket fort anymore. The car says “professional,” so I guess I gotta try to look like one now.

One more important thing: we’ve also added a sticker to the rear window that says “Working K9 – Stay Back, Do Not Tailgate.” This isn’t just for show—it’s for the safety of our demo dog, Ranger, who often rides along on the way to training sessions. Please give us space on the road. We’d all really appreciate it.

Thanks for supporting this wild, muddy, fulfilling ride.

05/05/2025

Proud sister moment!
My sister just launched her new company, Greystone Market, and her first product is already amazing — a small-batch, all-natural sugar scrub with no preservatives or weird ingredients. It smells incredible, feels luxurious, and is made with so much care you can tell it's handcrafted.
If you're into clean skincare or just love supporting small businesses, check her out!

Meet Our Sweet Orange Sugar Scrub

🍊🌿

Crafted by hand in small batches, this all-natural sugar scrub is made with pure ingredients and no preservatives—just the good stuff your skin will love.

The Sweet Orange scent is bright, refreshing, and rooted in nature—just like everything we create at Greystone Market.

This little jar of goodness gently exfoliates, nourishes, and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. We’re so proud of this launch and can’t wait for you to try it.

04/23/2025

Today’s training was a family affair.

Willow brought the whole crew — mom AND grandma!
Grandma got hands-on and learned how to use Willow’s training tools, which is HUGE. It’s one thing to train your dog... it’s another when everyone your dog hangs out with is on board too. That’s where the real magic happens.

Meanwhile, Willow and her mom put in the reps working on her focus around other dogs (spoiler alert: she did awesome), and Ranger stepped in as my trusty demo dog. He takes his job very seriously — and by seriously, I mean he loves the attention and thinks he’s the main character.

This kind of work isn’t about “perfect” obedience — it’s about building understanding, trust, and making sure the dog-human team is solid no matter who’s holding the leash.

04/14/2025

Don't want to leave your dogs home alone, but don't know what to do with them? Well, I've got the answer for you! Raise the Woof! Best daycare and boarding around. I take my dogs there and recommend them to all my clients. Check them out for yourself Raise the Woof Pet Resort

04/06/2025

I'm sure you've all seen the big news I've dropped recently about switching from positive reinforcement to balanced training, but some of you might not fully understand what the differences are and why I made this choice. So, I put together a blog to explain it all and break down how balanced training works to help your dog succeed. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Balanced training. Tools. Corrections. Slip Leads. E-collars. Prong collars. Even just saying those words makes some people squirm. But they shouldn’t. Not when they’re being used the right way. Not when they can be the thing that saves a dog from being rehomed, surrendered, or worse—put down....

04/05/2025

Pack, we have a call for kindness.

One of my former students, Fergus the pug and his devoted human Jesse, could really use our help right now. Fergus’s dad is facing a rough road ahead—after already being out of work since December due to shoulder surgery, Jesse is now preparing for emergency cervical spinal surgery that will fuse 4 vertebrae. With long-term disability denied and at least 4 more months of recovery ahead, they’re organizing a benefit fundraiser with a dinner and silent auction to help stay afloat.

When you're part of our pack, you're a member forever—and we step up when one of our own needs us.
I’ll be donating a few training sessions and a goodie bag to the auction, and I’ll share more details once the date for the banquet is set.

If you or a business you know would like to donate items, services, or funds, please reach out. Every little bit helps.

They’ve also set up a GoFundMe for those who want to offer direct support:
https://gofund.me/52f4f3a3

Let’s rally together for Jesse and Fergus and show them what community means.

04/05/2025

Let’s clear the air on how training is going to look moving forward!

In the past, I talked about eventually getting a facility and offering group classes. While I still plan on getting a facility someday (a big ol’ dog gym with alllll the things), I’ve made a pretty big decision — I will no longer offer group classes, now or ever.

Why?

Because every dog is an individual. And trying to teach a group of dogs with different needs, different energy levels, different goals — it just doesn’t work the way I want it to. I can’t give everyone the attention they deserve, and my ADHD brain can’t split my focus that many ways and still do right by you and your dog.

So from here on out, it’s one-on-one only.

That doesn’t mean your dog won’t get to work around others, though. If your goals include building confidence or focus around distractions, I’ve got you covered. I’ve got a whole roster of awesome past students I can call in for practice sessions in a controlled environment, and we’ll also get out in public when it makes sense. Socialization is NOT about play or greetings — it’s about calmly existing around the world, and that’s what we’ll practice.

As for how sessions will go: there’s no cookie-cutter plan here. No "Week 1 we do this, Week 2 we do that." At your free consultation or first session, we’ll sit down and map out your dog’s goals. Not a preset class plan. We’ll build out a custom path for you, and we’ll adjust as we go. Some dogs pick things up lightning fast. Others need more time. That’s the beauty of doing this one-on-one — we meet your dog where they’re at, and we move at their pace.

No fluff. No wasted time. No dog left behind.

If you’ve got questions about this shift or want to chat about whether this kind of training is right for your dog, shoot me a message. I’m always happy to talk things through.

— Coulee K9 Services
All Breeds. All Needs.

04/05/2025

Big Update from Me and Coulee K9 Services

For those of you who know me, you know I’m constantly trying to grow—not just as a trainer, but as a human being. Stagnation has never been my style, and if something isn’t working, I’ll dig in, do the research, and make the changes needed to do better—for myself and for the dogs I work with.

Over the last year, I’ve learned a lot. About dogs, about behavior, and about the limitations of certain training methods. Because of that growth, I’ve officially separated from PetSmart. I’m grateful for the experience—it gave me my start—but I’ve outgrown what I can do there. My mission and goals have expanded, and I want to help more than what their structure allowed.

You may have noticed a shift in my approach recently, especially with dogs like Willow. I’ve moved from being strictly positive reinforcement to using balanced training. That means I still use and love positive reinforcement—but I also believe that for many dogs with behavioral issues or reactivity, structure, boundaries, and accountability are equally important. Balanced training allows for both compassion and clarity. It gives me a wider toolbox to actually help the dogs that need more than just cookies and praise.

Positive-only methods can be great—especially for basic obedience or puppies just learning the world. But when it comes to reactivity, aggression, anxiety, or deeply ingrained habits, those methods often fall short. And I refuse to stand still when I know there’s a more effective way to help dogs live better, more stable lives.

This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay. I know some people may not agree with this shift. But I’m not here to win everyone over—I’m here to help dogs and their humans find real results and lasting peace.

If you’re still with me, thank you. If this direction speaks to you—especially if you’ve got a dog who needs more structure, more guidance, and more clarity—I’m here for you.

Let’s keep growing.

– Nicole Bulman

04/05/2025

I know I haven’t done the best job sharing the process—not just the graduation photos and wins at the end. Truth is, when I’m working with my students, I’m fully focused on them: how the dog’s responding, how the humans are practicing, what needs tweaking. Stopping to document it all just isn’t my first thought in the moment.

But on our last outing with Willow, I actually remembered to grab a quick video of her walking in a heel in a public space. And since social media often only shows the polished end result, I reached out to her mom and asked if she had a video from before we started working together—to really show you how far she’s come.

Because this? This is what real progress looks like.

This is Willow. When we first started, walks were chaotic—pulling, leash biting, reactivity… it was a lot. Her owners were doing what they could, walking her in quieter areas just to avoid the stress, and honestly, that was the right move at the time. She wasn’t ready for the world yet.

But we’ve been working—on engagement, on structure, on handling those tough moments without losing our cool. And her owners have put in the work. Like, really committed to the process.

So when I said, ‘I think she’s ready to start practicing in public places,’ they were understandably hesitant. They remembered how it used to be. But look at them now—walking through town with confidence, a beautiful heel, no drama, and a dog that’s clearly ready for it.

This is what happens when you stick with it. It’s not overnight. It’s not always pretty. But it is worth it.

02/22/2025

02/10/2025

🎉🐾 Congratulations to Franklin! 🐾🎉

This adorable Rottweiler puppy has officially graduated from our puppy class, and we couldn't be prouder! 🎓 Franklin has worked hard on his basic obedience skills and learned the ropes of proper socialization. We can’t wait to see him continue growing into an awesome companion for his family! 💪🐕

Keep up the great work, Franklin! 🌟 We know there are so many more exciting milestones ahead for you! 🙌