Meet the team!
Kirby, CCDT
We are SO glad you're here! I'm Kirby, head trainer, & owner coach! I'm the lady boss who you will be working with, and the three by my side are Lady, River, and Dixie, some of the pups that made me who I am today! I have been working with dogs my entire life, but officially started helping owners and their dogs since May of 2019 as a balanced trainer, business owner, and certified dog trainer. What sets me apart from others, is that I also graduated from Vet tech school in 2016 and worked in an animal hospital from 2016-2023 gaining a lot of medical knowledge with canines, which can help tremendously with training dogs and knowing behavior! Can you tell dogs, and helping their owners is my passion!? It has been since I was a little girl, and my strong dedication has motivated me to turn it into a full time career. All because I want to help coach owners to be the best they can be! I strive to help struggling owners live a stress free life with their dogs. Because, YOU DESERVE IT AND SO DO THEY!
Evan
This is my super supportive, dog loving husband, Evan! He is the man behind the scenes that helps with videos, professional photos, handy man things, and so much more! Evan helps tremendously with feedings, potty times, play time, walks, etc! You can trust that when your pet stays with us, he will love and care for your dog just as much as I do!
What is a Balanced trainer?
Not many people have ever heard of "balanced training", but almost everyone has heard of "purely positive training", but to us, it doesn’t actually exist nor is it effective in the real world. Some methods are harsh, take too long, and can even cause side effects. Balanced training offers flexibility and diversity, and this is what we love about it because just like people, no two dogs are the same! These methods use food, praise, and helpful tools. Your dog will feel understood and relaxed if you use the correct approach. A well-balanced dog is confident and guided by us to make good choices. In balanced dog training, we let your dog think about his or her decisions without correcting it constantly. This is not to say that the trainer is the boss; this is not "alpha" training or a dominating type of approach. It is super simple, because to us, there is so much power in a “yes, that's what I wanted from you”, and “nope, let's try this instead.” So, with that said here at Country K-Nine, our goal is to tailor our training to you and your individual dog’s needs because none are the same!