Hackles & Hide K9 Academy

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Hackles & Hide K9 Academy

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Transforming reactive, aggressive, anxious, and everyday dogs into calmer, happier companions through one-on-one positive training.

11/05/2026

We're asking for prayers, good energy, positive thoughts, whatever you've got to send our Big Tobii's way today 🙏🏽

Our little boy is going in for surgery to have a mass removed from his leg. We're praying for good news and that it's not cancer.

If you've followed our page for awhile, you know Tobii. He's helped us work with countless dogs over the years and is about as neutral as they come.

Mike had noticed Tobii seemed a little off lately, and last week he unexpectedly growled at both a dog and a person who were simply passing by. Very unusual for Tobii! During one of our team meetings, Ashley noticed a lump on his leg and after feeling it, became concerned. Thankfully, our vet was able to get him in right away, and within two days he was examined and scheduled for surgery.

I also wanted to share this as a reminder to PLEASE pay attention when your dog suddenly starts behaving differently, especially when it comes to growling or reactivity!!

Dogs experiencing pain or discomfort can become more guarded, less tolerant and react to things that normally wouldn't bother them. Even dogs who have never had an issue with people or other animals.

Sometimes we get so focused on addressing the behavior that we forget to ask WHY it's happening. Sudden changes in behavior should always be a reason to check in with your vet.

For now, we're just praying for good news and hoping our big boy is going to be okay.

He's spent so much of his life helping other dogs, and today he could really use some love sent his way.. please and thank you 🫶🏼

11/04/2026

What looks like a fight isn't always a fight! ☝🏻

Dogs have their own ways of communicating, and sometimes those conversations don't exactly look friendly!

In this video, the darker dog is VERY interested in the white dog. The white dog, however, doesn't seem to share that enthusiasm and is giving him signals that he'd like some space.

He's pretty much telling him to take a hike! 👀

Growling, showing teeth, and even snapping are all ways dogs may communicate with each other. While these behaviors can look pretty intimidating, they don't always mean a dog is looking for a fight. Sometimes they're trying to avoid one!

This is an example of ritualized aggression. Dogs can use threatening displays to communicate their discomfort or ask for space without necessarily causing physical harm.

The problem comes when those warnings aren't being respected. If the other dog continues pushing, things can escalate!

We understand interactions like this can be uncomfortable to watch, especially when they look or sound like a fight. If you're uncomfortable, there's nothing wrong with safely interrupting and giving the dogs some space. Dogs don't always have to work things out themselves!

If you need help understanding your dog, please reach out!

Text: 563-219-7792

Email: [email protected]

Www.hacklesandhidek9.com

10/29/2026

Bruce would like to remind everyone that Halloween isn't always as fun for our dogs as it is for us! 🧹🧙‍♀️.

Dogs don't understand what Halloween is or why it's happening. We can't expect them to understand everything about our world.

BUT, the reality is, they do live in our world, and it's up to us to help them navigate it.

🎃 Those giant inflatables, moving decorations, and creepy noises can be pretty intimidating for some dogs. If yours seems nervous, give them some distance. There's no need to make them approach something they're uncomfortable with. Please DO NOT force them past it!

👻 If your dog goes nuts every time the doorbell rings, imagine how stressful Halloween could be. Consider leaving candy outside or putting up a sign asking people not to ring the bell.

🎃 Give your dog somewhere quiet to hang out if they need a break. A separate room, some background noise, and a stuffed Kong or favorite chew can help. Just make sure it's somewhere they're already comfortable!!

🧙‍♀️ Planning on handing out candy??? Even dogs who love people can get overwhelmed by all the excitement. Watch their body language, and I repeat, DO NOT force any greetings!!!

👻Costumes can be super confusing! Masks, unusual outfits, and excited kids may make some dogs uncomfortable, even if they're normally social.

Super Snouts Chill + Out calming chews may also be helpful for some dogs. They're available at Menards, and you can check them out here. Just talk with your vet before trying them!

https://supersnouts.com/products/chill-out-calming-hemp-chews

And one last thing! If you're taking your dog trick or treating and they seem even a little uncomfortable, take them home! Seriously, it's completely fine! They don't have to be included in everything we do!!!

Happy Halloween from Bruce 🎃

10/20/2026

When frustration hits, this boy takes it out on the leash. 🤨

Sometimes leash grabbing has nothing to do with playing!

When a dog's arousal spikes, especially when they see something they want to get to but can't, frustration can build pretty quickly. Sometimes that frustration gets redirected onto something else..like the leash 👀

This can be a form of redirected behavior!!

That doesn't mean every dog that grabs their leash is doing it out of frustration. That's why it's so important to pay attention to what's happening before the behavior starts.

When we first started working on his reactivity, his leash grabbing was FAR more intense than what you're seeing here. But of course, why would I have a video of that? 😏

As he has made progress with his reactivity, he's gotten better at handling situations that used to send his arousal through the roof. And with that, the leash grabbing has become much less frequent and far less intense!!

🙌🏼

If you need help understanding your dog, please reach out!

Text: 563-219-7792

Email: [email protected]

10/15/2026

Educating our brains to understand theirs! 🧠

We will be attending the Clinical Animal Behavior Conference in Chicago until Sunday!

You are still welcome to reach out; emails and texts are preferred! It may take a little longer to respond, but we will!

10/13/2026

✨️Happy Birthday, Mike!! 42 years young!✨️

We're so proud of everything you've built and the difference you continue to make in the lives of animals. From the countless hours you dedicate to helping others, to all the work you do behind the scenes just because you care.

So much of what you do goes unseen, but we see you, and we appreciate you!

Happy Birthday!! 🎂

10/10/2026

This is what 112 pounds of professionalism looks like. 😏

10/06/2026

I’m sorry, Red. We tried.

We advocated for you. We showed up for you. We worked with you and watched you make progress. We tried to find resources and options for you when you needed them. Dog Star and Uptown Paws stepped up to make sure you were cared for, your nails were trimmed, you had baths and your day to day needs were met.

There have been concerns throughout Red’s case that we have tried to address privately. We have advocated for additional veterinary and behavioral support, asked difficult questions and continued showing up because at the end of the day, our concern has always been Red.

Unfortunately, we have reached a point where the decisions being made and the way this situation has been handled no longer align with our professional or ethical values.

We need to be very clear about something: we did not give up on Red.

If Red were remaining in boarding, we would continue showing up for her and working with her.
We know Red is a serious behavior case. We have never minimized her history or the risks that come with it. Advocating for Red has never meant pretending those risks don’t exist. We can believe in the progress she has made while also being honest about what she is capable of. Both things can be true.

We know that progress is real because we have physically been there and watched it happen.
We have now also learned that Red will be moved into a home with multiple dogs and young children. That is a decision we cannot professionally support. Regardless of how experienced or dog savvy someone may be, management is not foolproof. With Red’s behavioral history, the consequences of management failing could be devastating for Red, another animal or a person.

Our decision to step away was not because Red was “too much,” and it was not because we stopped caring. The placement is one more decision in a situation where we have repeatedly voiced concerns because we believe Red deserves people willing to look honestly at the entire picture.

We aren’t going to publicly share private conversations or turn this into a back-and-forth between organizations. But we also won’t allow our decision to step away to be portrayed as Hackles & Hide simply giving up on Red.

We didn’t.

Sometimes advocating for an animal means continuing to show up and do the work. Sometimes it means speaking up when you believe something isn’t right. And sometimes you reach a point where the decisions are no longer yours to make and continuing to attach your name to them would mean compromising your own values.

We stand up for the animal. That’s what we do.
I genuinely hope Red thrives in her new home. I hope everyone involved stays safe, and I hope every concern we have turns out to be wrong.
But our part in Red’s story has come to an end.

I’m sorry, Red.

We tried.

️EDIT: We do want to clarify that we were not trying to imply the rescue had accused us of giving up on Red. They have not. We simply wanted to explain our decision to step away. We still stand by our concerns and genuinely wish nothing but the best for Red moving forward.

10/03/2026

One of the hardest parts of behavior work is that it doesn’t always feel like you’re making progress, even when you are.

The first videos are Lincoln working with Tobii at Noelridge. It took quite a few sessions to get to this point, but he was finally able to have Tobii close by without completely losing it and we were seeing a lot more disengagement from him.

Then we brought that work back into Lincoln’s own neighborhood and got a VERY different picture. 😳
He was scanning, pulling, watching everything around him and eventually lunged.

But that didn't mean everything we had worked on at Noelridge was gone. It also didn't mean training wasn't working.

His neighborhood was just harder.
Dogs don't automatically take something they're learning in one place and know how to do it everywhere else. Sometimes you have to back things up again when you change the environment.

So that's what we did!! We kept working at distances Lincoln could handle, gave him opportunities to notice things and disengage, and slowly worked our way forward.

And he has made HUGE in his neighborhood since this video.🥰

I think this is the part of training people don't always get to see. There are sessions where you think, “Holy crap, look how far he’s come!” and then there are sessions where you wonder if you made any progress at all.

That doesn't mean you're back at square one.
Training doesn't always look like progress while you're in it!!

If you need help understanding your dog, please reach out to us! We are always happy to help ✌🏼

563-219-7792

[email protected]

09/30/2026

Putting that busy brain of Red's to work! 🧠

Mental enrichment matters just as much as physical exercise. Giving dogs opportunities to learn, engage and use their brains is an important part of their overall well being.

Look at this little smarty pants! 🙌🏼

Address

6270 Partners Avenue Suite #311
Marion, IA
52302

Telephone

+13199301499

Website

http://hacklesandhidek9.com/

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