Romero K9 Academy

06/10/2026

THE CRATE TRAINING!!!! Wanna know more? Ask away!!!

06/06/2026

One last chance!!!

06/06/2026

This is a really interesting one…

Owner: Don’t you think he is too old to learn recall? Is it even worth it at this point?

We are about to go to the beach house and he always escapes for a while before coming back to us.

RKA: If this was his last summer, your last memories with him, your last chance to say his name and looking at him coming to you with a sense of excitement.

Wouldn’t you want to give it your best try?

The rest is history…

Welcome beautiful and gentle Mickey to the

06/05/2026

Why so expensive? 🤔

06/05/2026

Every dog that comes through our program is a dog that we get attached to, the accelerated bonding, sharing 24/7 time together, seeing them struggle behaviorally and then seeing them flourish into what they meant to be.

There’s also the other side…

This side for many years somehow wasn’t too heavy on my mind.

But lately, there has been something changing my every perspective about the whole BOARDING TRAINING PROCESS.

This is what we know best as…

The Going Home Day Phenomenon.

Imagine being so blessed to be able to witness the pet parent and pup looking at each other again. Knowing that today is the day. Seeing the pet parent soul unfold in front of that pup that with a simple glance says:

“Hey Mom/ Dad,

Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for loving me even at my worse. I am so ready to enjoy the best now.

I hope you are too.

Love you

Your Best Friend”.

This is certainly one of the best feelings in the world.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SERVE YOU.

THE ROMERO K9 ACADEMY

06/02/2026

Seeing as we’ve had quite the discourse going in regards to e-collars and recall training, here’s my stance.

In 18 years, and several thousand dogs trained, I’ve never sent a client dog home without clear instruction that for any off-leash work besides the house or fenced yard… all dogs wear an e-collar. Period.

Is it because the dogs aren’t trained to recall without one? Nope. Will the dogs almost certainly still recall without it, regardless of circumstances? Yep.

Then why the rigid reliance on e-collars for all my clients when they take their dogs anywhere off-leash?

Because dogs are dogs, and reality is unpredictable and unforgiving.

Because even the most highly trained dogs:
-Get distracted
-Get spooked
-Get overwhelmed by a prey opportunity
-Get overwhelmed by a play opportunity

And when reality shows up, and it will show up, I will not allow my clients and their dogs to be at the mercy of hope.

Hoping that you can get your dog back, because you’ve “Done serious training and proofing” with food, toys, and affection… is not only foolish, it’s wildly irresponsible.

It’s placing your dog’s life in the hands of hope. And I want nothing to do with hope. I want my clients to have every possible advantage they can have. When that heart-stopping moment inevitably occurs, and the s**t hits the fan, and the immaculately trained dog is for some reason momentarily absent… I want my clients to be able to remind their dog that recall is not optional, and it will happen right now.

Because, as many who’ve been through this horrible moment without an e-collar will tell you, you often don’t get a second chance. You only need your dog to make one mistake out of a thousand perfect recalls to have it be life altering or life ending.

Can I train a dog to recall extremely well without an e-collar? Of course. It’s not rocket science. Will I ever suggest my clients risk their dog’s lives by being off-leash without one?

Never.

Because ego, ignorance, or blind adherence to delusional orthodoxy will get your dog killed.

The Good Dog Way
Gig Harbor, WA
Phoenix, AZ

06/01/2026

Boom!

Some people are holding onto their dogs by a thread.
And we're arguing about blueberries.

Now isn't the time to shame people for feeding their dog the only way they financially can.

If some rice needs to be added to bulk a meal out because there simply isn't enough food, then that's where some people are right now.

A perfect raw diet served in a beautiful bowl with blackberries, green-lipped mussels and salmon oil might look great on social media.

But for some people, it feels like a slap in the face, over and over again.

They don't know you're already skipping meals yourself.

They’ve no idea you're juggling rent, power, groceries, fuel and a dozen other bills while trying to keep your dog fed too.

Being told "if you cared, you'd find a way" is SO easy when you're not the one standing in the supermarket trying to figure out how on earth you can get the whole family fed for the week when your bank app says seventeen dollars.

Let's be real.

People are surrendering their dogs because they can no longer afford to keep them.

Others are doing everything they can not to.

They're behind on the mortgage.
Behind on the rent.
Putting off things they really need.
Living in cold houses because the power bill has become yet another thing to worry about.
Answering the phone?
Well, you don’t really do that anymore because you know it’s someone wanting money that you just don't have.

And through all of this.
Day in and day out.
People are trying to keep their dog.

Because their dog is family.

Their dog that sleeps on their bed, snuggles and snores.
Their dog that got them through the divorce.
Their dog that sat beside them when life just fell apart.

Their dog was there in those moments when nobody else was.

People are clawing and scraping to hold onto that relationship.

And while they're doing everything they can to keep their dog in their home, they're being told they aren't good enough because they just can't afford someone else's version of the perfect diet.

Perspective matters.
Of course nutrition matters.
And yup, we should feed the best diet we reasonably can.

But right now.
In these economic times.
A dog eating a less-than-perfect diet in a loving home is often in a far, far better position than a dog that loses that home altogether.

And for many families, that's not a hypothetical.
That's the very decision they're trying desperately not to make.