K9" Academy"

K9" Academy" Dog Training; Behaviourist Dog Hotel; Cat Hotel; Post-operative care; ; Animal Hydrotherapy;Rehab

Dog Training; K9 Boarding/Hotel; Animal Hydrotherapy; Cat Hotel; Post-operative care; Protection; Rehabilitation; Fitness; Fun

Welcome back Maverick. After all you have been through, its wonderful to see you doing so well.16 August 2025, Rosetta.T...
19/08/2025

Welcome back Maverick. After all you have been through, its wonderful to see you doing so well.
16 August 2025, Rosetta.
Tween

Rosetta - 16 August 2025Teen Manners
19/08/2025

Rosetta - 16 August 2025
Teen Manners

Saturday 16 August 2025Tween
19/08/2025

Saturday 16 August 2025
Tween

CGC class at Rosetta on the 16th August 2025.
19/08/2025

CGC class at Rosetta on the 16th August 2025.

Quite a challenge getting all the pups and their people to look at the camera!
19/08/2025

Quite a challenge getting all the pups and their people to look at the camera!

Puppy class at Rosetta.It was a busy but fun class with so many gorgeous pups.
19/08/2025

Puppy class at Rosetta.
It was a busy but fun class with so many gorgeous pups.

Charlie graduates from Tween!Congratulations Louise and Charlie.Charlie is a really cute little doggie, you can be proud...
19/08/2025

Charlie graduates from Tween!
Congratulations Louise and Charlie.
Charlie is a really cute little doggie, you can be proud of what he has achieved.

Oh yes this resonates with me.
18/08/2025

Oh yes this resonates with me.

13/08/2025

“Exposure Group Training” Why It Can Do More Harm Than Good
If you have a dog that barks, lunges, growls, or otherwise reacts to triggers (people, other dogs, bikes, etc.), it’s natural to want to “socialize them” or “get them used to it.”

Unfortunately, balance training or group exposure sessions (where reactive dogs are placed near multiple triggers with corrections for reacting) can actually make things worse for your dog.

Here’s why:
1. Stress Overload – When a reactive dog is surrounded by triggers, their stress level skyrockets. High stress shuts down learning and reinforces fear instead of reducing it.
2. Association Backfire – If a dog sees another dog and then gets a lead correction, shock, or other aversive, they may start associating other dogs with pain or discomfort. This can deepen reactivity.
3. “Shut Down” – Dogs that appear quiet after repeated corrections are often not “cured” — they’re suppressing their behavior out of fear. Inside, the emotions causing reactivity are still there (or worse).
4. Loss of Trust – Punishing a dog for expressing fear can make them less likely to trust you as their safe person, which is vital for progress.

But I get why it may seem appealling. Back in the 90s (30 years ago) before i had studied dog behaviour I watched Cesar Millan programmes and thought he was fantastic. He took reactive dogs back to his "pack" and abracadabra they were cured. He was amazing right?
Wrong 😢
What César Millan was doing, was flooding: exposing reactive dogs to overwhelming levels of their trigger (other dogs, strangers, skateboards, etc.) until they physically stopped reacting.

On the surface, it looks like a “cure” because the lunging and barking stop quickly. But internally, the dog was just shutting down (a stress response sometimes called learned helplessness) rather than actually feeling calm or safe. The root emotional state — fear, insecurity, over-arousal — remained untouched.

This kind of suppression can backfire later because:

The underlying anxiety hasn’t been resolved, just masked.

If the dog encounters a similar trigger in a less controlled setting, the suppressed reaction can resurface — sometimes even stronger.

It can increase the dog’s stress levels overall, leading to new problem behaviours elsewhere.

Its hard to believe that today in the year 2025 some trainers still use these out of date methods

Modern behaviourists and trainers using force-free, positive methods focus on counterconditioning and desensitization — changing the dog’s emotional response to triggers, not just their outward behaviour. That way, the “quiet” isn’t a shutdown; it’s genuine relaxation.

Building calm, positive associations at a pace your dog can handle.

One-on-one work before carefully staged neutral exposures.

Bottom line: If your dog is reactive, skip the “boot camp” group setups and focus on evidence-based, humane training that changes emotions — not just masks behavior.
Your dog’s progress depends on safety, trust, and the right pace. ❤️

13/08/2025

Science confirms what dog lovers have always felt. In a groundbreaking fMRI study led by Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns—reported in National Geographic and Nature Scientific Reports—researchers found that when dogs smell their owner, the caudate nucleus, the brain’s center for joy, reward, and affection, lights up far more than when smelling food or other dogs. This means your scent isn’t just familiar to them—it triggers a powerful emotional response, a biological signature of love and bonding. It’s neuroscience proving that to your dog, you’re not just a caretaker—you’re family.

12/08/2025

Awesome recalls from Saturdays class at Piggly wiggly.

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10 Overdale Road
Mpofana
3301

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+27713828772

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Our Story

At “K9” Academy we firmly believe that good, kind, loving training can transform your life with your dog. We believe that every dog deserves an education and that our dogs can and should be our best friends. We offer group classes, private lessons or at home lessons in everything from puppy school, to tracking, protection and agility. We also offer in-house boarding and training where your dog stays with our dogs in our home while we train them. We will help you to work through any current problems you are having with your special pet with gentle kind training methods and lots of love.

We also have a step down facility where we offer cage rest, hydro therapy and special care. The hospital kennels are attached to our home so your pet gets lots of attention and time with us to prevent them pining or moping while still ensuring that they are given the rest they require to fully recover. Have a look at our website www.trainingk9.co.za

Derek and Moira give every visitor, student or patient their personal individual attention.