There's Always Something

As we go through life, there’s always something; struggles, oops, surprises. Sometimes they are good surprises and sometimes they are not. My Mother always said, “there are always ups and downs in life,” meaning, deal with it and it will get better.

Recently we received a 1 Star rating from a person that has never used our services.

It read, “Old school methods and punishment training. There are more humane and scientific methods that have been proven to be more effective than the training that they do at this facility.”

I did not recognize the name of the person who left us the critique and checked with my team to see if I may have been mistaken. If he was a customer, we would address his concerns and make right.

However, this reviewer had never been to our training facility and I have never met the man. One of my trainers did some digging and apparently, his partner is a local dog trainer in the area. Correct me if I am wrong, but this seems to be a bit immature.

I am a competitive person and my goal is to kick everyone’s ass when it comes to my businesses. However, I would never go on social media or do a fake review of a business I didn’t like. There are businesses (big nationally recognized businesses) that I have chosen not to do business with because of decisions they have made with their marketing, or how they treat the military and first responders.

But, I never wrote a negative thing about these businesses. I just don’t give them my money. 

I did some digging and it is practically impossible to get a fraudulent Google review removed.

If you are reading this and have trained with us but have not given us a google review we would love to hear from you. Please click the link below and leave us an honest review of our services and staff.

Google Review Link

There are many dog trainers in the area, and of course, some better than others. Some get great results and some do not. Several of our fur parents have requested our services when other trainers failed. They failed at getting the positive, reliable results they were hoping for.

There are trainers that spew that they are science-based, which is code for All Positive. I have nothing against All Positive training; if it works for you, great! I think many people are familiar with the science of learning, which has to do with 4 quadrants.

Those are to remove something to decrease behavior, add something to decrease behavior, remove something to increase behavior and add something to increase behavior. BF Skinner may ring a bell for those of you that have taken a psychology class.

If you think ringing the bell was a Freudian slip, it was not because that would have been Pavlov you are thinking of.

We use all four quadrants when training dogs. We are known as balanced dog trainers. I can walk my dog with no leash and she ignores distractions. I have always been the quiet one and spoke with my actions. Check your ego at the door and show me. The loudest ones in the room are always the most insecure.

There is a dog trainer in the area that advocates, “never say no to your dog”. How many parents out there raise their children that way? I find it laughable. My kids hear Dad say “no” because they do not have the maturity to make good decisions at times.

If they do their homework and have good manners, then they get to go to Rebounderz and play with their electronics. One of my sons would play with electronics 24/7 but I know that is not healthy for him so I tell him “no, go play outdoors.”

When tell my dog “no,” I want him to put the brakes on and stop what he’s doing. I teach my dog “no” because she doesn’t comprehend the dangers of getting hit by a car.

When hiring a professional dog trainer, my advice is to find someone that has more than 4 years’ experience and is a good fit for you and your dog. Adams K-9 isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Find a trainer that you like and that can get the results you are looking for.

At Adams K-9, we have a saying that sums up our training goals. “Love your dog. Love your dog’s behavior.”

If you would also like to work toward that goal in 2020, please contact the team at Adams K-9 Dog Training and Kennel or come visit for one of our free demonstrations and see if we’re a good fit for you and your fur baby.