Dog owners of perspective have come to want the type of obedience upon which a blind person might stake his life, and the emotional stability that is vital to dogs in the presence of small, unpredictable children.
Koehler, 1962
At AMPSK9, we believe that Obedience is the most important aspect of training that ensures success and harmony for dogs in their useful relationship with humans. Each of our courses is designed to guide a dog toward greater levels of reliability and stability by the program’s end.
Why Obedience?
“Obedience,” from the Latin ob+audire: (obey, be subject, serve; pay attention to, give ear,1) can be defined simply as “listening, paying attention.” How many more fun and exciting things could you do with your dog if only he listened to you? Which behavior issues could be solved if your dog simply understood when you told him “do this” or “don’t do that?”
In obedience training, we teach a unique language that allows for communication across both ends of the leash. We find that, for the majority of behavior problems, simple obedience training suffices to clear the issue up, and for those “tough” problems that remain, obedience training makes resolving the problem much easier.
How do you train?
Our practices are based on time-honored, published techniques that use natural body-language and simple training principles to invoke a calm, attentive, thoughtful state of mind, encouraging the dog to make appropriate decisions around temptations, distractions, and emergencies in-relation to you, his competent master.
Each of our courses uses a step-by-step, classical method developed over decades of refinement with thousands of dogs to teach, train, and proof the team without over-pressuring or leaving knowledge gaps. Our progressive training model provides for a lifetime of mental and emotional development for maximum satisfaction of both the owner and the dog.
Music to your Dog’s Ears
Reliability off lead should always be the most significant criterion when evaluating and comparing training methods.
Koehler 1990
Far too often, discussion about dog-training styles and techniques tends to revolve around equipment choice, behaviorist psychology, pack-hierarchy, or any number of other vague and questionable treatments of the central fact of training: that sometimes, there are things the dog must do, whether he wants to or not.
Here at AMPSK9, we eschew any and all “theories” of dog-training which are not based on proof that they produce repeatable, reliable, and objectively measurable results, both in the ring and on the street. This is why we require objective readiness tests at each level of training with hard Pass/Fail distinctions to ensure the team is ready to move forward. This is also why we train to nationally recognized standards, guaranteeing that your training experience is based on the most solid foundation possible
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the torrent of contradictory and unintuitive “tips, tricks, and hacks” espoused by “dog training influencers” on TikTok and YouTube? Perhaps you’re tired of hearing, “Maybe try this,” or, “Hopefully he’ll do that,” and feeling like you’re wasting your valuable time and hard-earned dollars on training that crumbles under pressure? At AMPSK9, you can rest-assured that your qualified Dog Obedience Instructor will explain precisely what he’s doing, why he’s doing it, when you can expect results, and how much it will cost you.
Starting Off Right
All of our courses follow a progressive structure with clear weekly objectives. Each session begins with readiness testing to confirm that prior work has been completed and that the team is prepared to move forward. New material is then introduced, demonstrated, and practiced under guidance.
At the end of each session, you’ll receive a summary of the new material and clear instructions for practice between lessons. This ensures consistency, accountability, and steady progression from week to week.
Progress in training is not assumed—it is verified. If the work has been put in, it will show in the team’s performance. If it hasn’t, problems will be identified and addressed so they can correct course.
Next Steps
If you’re ready to begin training, the first step is a consultation so we can evaluate your dog and determine the appropriate starting point.