Kabler Training Transforms Rescued Dogo Argentino

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Alastair

Rescued Dogo Alistair successfully worked through intense dog aggression in Kabler training.

When I first met Alistair and the Guthrie’s they were struggling to contain a dog that was highly aggressive towards other dogs and cats. He was a rescue and suffered an abusive puppyhood. After our consultation I knew that I could help this incredible and handsome boy that was loved so much. Over the course of my on leash program I was able to successfully teach him and his guardians using the Kabler approach to training. The complete transformation in Alistair’s behavior was an amazing experience for me. I just love receiving referral letters like this. Happy training! – David

I cannot recommend David Kabler enough.

When we adopted our 5-year-old, male Dogo Argentino, Alistair, he could not be anywhere near other dogs. Any dog within 50 yards would send our otherwise sweet, 100 lb. boy into a lunging, snarling fit.

We did our best on our own for two or three months until he burst through our front door and attacked a dog walking with its owner 30 yards away.

Rescued Dogo

Practicing a sit request with Dogo Alistair during a private session.

When we called David he assured us that he had experience with large, powerful, hard-headed breeds, and that he was confident he could help us. The best part was that David set very realistic expectations and never promised us anything. In the end the results were far beyond anything we could have ever expected.

Over the course of roughly 10 sessions, spanning three to four months, the transformation in Alistair was incredible. David helped us build a strong foundation of obedience and boundaries while giving us the knowledge and skills we needed to continue Alistair’s training. Instead of every walk being a game of “dodge the dogs” for fear of a chaotic meltdown, Alistair can hang out at the Wedge and play with his many new dog friends.

Regardless of the issues any dog is having, I would confidently recommend and trust David to help anyone through it.

Sincerely,
J. Guthrie & Family

Kabler Training Makes Every Walk Stress Free

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Jack graduated through Kabler training with flying colors.

Jack graduated through Kabler training with flying colors.

Jack graduated through my on and off leash obedience courses with flying colors. When I first met him, this handsome dog was a high energy handful, jumping and lunging at will. By the end of his stay with me his transformation was complete. His jumping had been eliminated except when invited, his recall request was honed, his down stay was at a very high level even at restaurants and around tough distractions, and his house manners were impeccable. I enjoy training all dogs to such a high level of obedience. Teaching companion dogs to be happily trained is what I do best. If you are interested in enrolling in a Kabler School For Dogs program please say hi and we can talk about your four legged canine best friend. Looking forward to hearing from you!   – David

Dear David,

Thank you so much for the excellent work you did with my Pitbull mix, Jack. Although it has been many months since his Kabler Residency, his training is still making a big difference in our life together. When we are at the park or on the street, we practice the “down, stay” command and people stop to ask “how did you do that?”. I always give the same answer, “I didn’t do that, David Kabler did.”

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Jack and Daisy having a blast during his residency.

I am most grateful for the reliable “come” command you taught him. It makes every walk stress free to know without a doubt that no matter what situation comes along with another dog or other distraction, Jack will immediately change gears, run quickly and joyfully to me, and sit down.

We are so blessed to have a dog trainer of your level of expertise living in our town! I wish you every happiness and peace in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Denise and Jack

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2013: An Incredible Training Year

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Tundra

German Shepherd pup, Tundra, practicing his leash walking skills. Look at those ears!

2013 was an incredible year of training here at Kabler School For Dogs. At the end of a year, and the beginning of a new one, I always enjoy reflecting on all the fabulous dogs and guardians who have graduated through the Kabler training program. I had the distinct pleasure of working with such a wide variety of canine breeds and personalities and had some wonderful success stories with some difficult rescue cases. There is nothing I enjoy more than helping dogs and their guardians forge meaningful and dynamic relationships.

Weezie

Weezie practicing her training during a West Asheville private session.

My courses are designed to give you and your dog only the best one-on-one attention. The Kabler method is based on years of experience training hundreds of dogs. My approach is intuitive and designed to take all of my dogs and guardians on a successful training journey.

I had such an awesome year working with all my clients and their canine best friends. Working with dogs brings me immense satisfaction. It is always rewarding to watch the relationship between human guardian and canine grow while in Kabler training.

The most popular way to train at Kabler School For Dogs is through my private sessions. Private sessions are one hour in length and are run at public parks, in the clients home, and in urban settings. My programs can be purchased in blocks of sessions or you may qualify for one of my unique open ended guaranteed training courses. During your dogs training session you can expect to learn a variety of training requests and problem behavior solving techniques. I always wrap up my classes with written homework so my clients know exactly what to work on in-between our sessions together. Whether you are an experienced or a beginner canine guardian my courses will provide you with excellent information and my unique training perspective.

Bjorn & Hanne

Quite the pair. Bjorn and Hanne practice a perfect down and stay request while looking handsome and gorgeous.

At Kabler School For Dogs I offer one of the best residency training programs in the business. During your dogs residency they live in my home with me and are spared the harsh reality of a kennel environment. Each of my residency house guests are trained, walked, and played with daily. My beautiful fenced in yard provides a safe outdoor exercise area. Excursions to the park and downtown West Asheville provide new distractions, socialization, and training experiences.

Ruby practicing holding her down stay request while a strange dog approaches and says hello during a private session at the park.

I am so excited from such an excellent year of training and am looking forward to all the new dogs and guardians that I will have the privilege of training in 2014. If you are looking for an exceptional training experience for you and your canine best friend please say hi. I absolutely cannot wait to find out about your dog. Happy training and happy New Year!

– David

CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION (828) 337-5792

Bindi

Cattle Dog Bindi looking alert while waiting for a reward.

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Nobility, Companionship, and Love– Training from the Heart

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Kabler Crest

The new Kabler School For Dogs crest.

The new Kabler School For Dogs crest exemplifies the Kabler philosophy of teaching and training canines. The imagery within the design communicates the ideals that have always been at the foundation of the Kabler canine training method. The crest radiates a sense of nobility, respect for our dogs, companionship, listening to the heart, obeying the intuitive side of our nature, the attainment of lofty training goals, and the love that each canine companion gives freely to us every day.

Maggie

German Shepherd Maggie Kabler retrieving car keys as apart of her Assistance Dog training– Officially the best baby sitter in the world.

When I look at this crest, I am reminded of all the challenges that I have overcome to learn this knowledge and wisdom of training dogs. I am thankful for all of my teachers and their different styles– ultimately training is a tradition passed from one trainer to another. I remember all the hard work, the hundreds of dogs that have taught me so much over the years, and the dedication that it took to find success. In my minds eye I can see the beautiful inner spark of each individual canine that I have trained. I am thankful for all the Guardians I have taught whose families will be forever enhanced by sharing their lives with a well trained dog.

I believe the connection that we share with our dogs is a link with our collective human past. By feeding and nourishing the canine/human relationship we are rewarded with a strong sense of healing love as well as a direct connection to the natural world. It is my goal to foster these gifts by teaching all my clients, human and canine alike, with  a patient and intuitive training approach. In sharing the Kabler training method with my clients I strive to create positive alignments and meaningful relationships between canines and their Guardians. – David

Barry

Belgian Malinois Barry Kabler, PH1,CGC clears a 5 foot fence. A well trained canine companion add so much to our experience.

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Channeling and Harnessing Your Dog’s Natural Drive

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Lobo expressing his natural drive during a motivational recall request.

Natural Drive is your dogs inclination to exhibit inherent canine behaviors– which we can harness in training. Some of these behaviors include eating food, chasing their Guardian, pulling (sleds, carts, bicycles, etc.), retrieving, and tugging. Natural Drive in canine companion dogs is present in all puppies, in varying amounts, and is either enhanced or diminished by environmental factors during maturation. Puppies who are raised to exhibit some of these natural behaviors into adulthood are happier and have better relationships with their human Guardians.

Gypsy

Gypsy retrieving her tennis ball for a job well done.

Many dogs have their Natural Drives diminished at an early stage in their life. Their Guardians reduce their dogs ability to play by mistakenly punishing their canine for exhibiting these natural behaviors. It is much healthier for the young dogs mind if we successfully harness this Natural Drive by channelling the energy into enjoyable games that we can play with our best friends.

Dogs that have very strong Natural Drives are able to resist efforts by their Guardians to reduce what humans often perceive as nuisance behaviors. In many cases, these dogs are left anxious and conflicted as they have no acceptable outlet for their Natural Drives. Often, these highly driven canines who lack direction and leadership will begin to demonstrate problem behaviors like lunging, constantly pulling on their lead, jumping, and possible aggression.

When building a relationship with high drive dogs it is helpful to reward the dog by engaging their Natural Drive instincts. This can be accomplished by using treats, tugs, and ball rewards in training. Channeling and harnessing your dogs Natural Drive is an important aspect of training canines and will help deepen the relationship you have with your four legged companion.

Merlin Tug

Merlin being rewarded for a successful Stay with an ultra fun game of tug.

While training dogs who have had their Natural Drive inhibited it is important to provide ample opportunities for these dogs to reconnect with their instinctive drives. Almost all dogs can be persuaded to accept treats in training and increase their ability to work for food. Sometimes it is also possible to reignite the inhibited canines natural instincts to retrieve and tug. In both cases it is imperative to remain patient and give the inhibited dog plenty of time to begin to accept treats and play as rewards during training sessions.

Keeping your dogs drive and natural spark alive and engaged is the job of every responsible canine Guardian. Strong instinctive pullers can be taught to ride a bicycle using a Springer device with a pulling harness. Dogs with natural retrieve and tug drive can be rewarded for successful obedience requests with play. All dogs benefit from using treats to enhance their instinctual food drive. Teach your best friend to follow you as you move and perform requests like Sit, Down and Stay for treat rewards. Keep all these training sessions short and fun and over time you will see your dogs abilities improve and your relationship grow.

If you have any questions about your dogs Natural Drive or the Kabler School For Dogs training program please call me at (828) 337-5792. I would enjoy saying hi and hearing more about your best friend. Happy training!

-David

CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION (828) 337-5792

Frank

Frank’s Guardian engages him with an action packed game of tug– working with your dogs Natural Drive deepens the canine/human bond.

2012… What a Fabulous Year of Training

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Daisy having fun on this years trip to Hatteras Island.

Daisy having fun on this years trip to Hatteras Island.

As 2012 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on all the wonderful clients that my apprentice Kim and I have had the opportunity to work with this past year. It has truly been four fabulous seasons of training canine best friends and their human Guardians. There is nothing we like to do more than to facilitate creating better canine/human relationships.

Mountain Feist, Squash, at 8 weeks.

Adorable Mountain Feist, Squash, at 8 weeks.

This past year started off on a great note with a new puppy, as I assisted in raising and training Squash, a gorgeous Mountain Feist. I absolutely adore Terriers, their incredible energy, and strength of will. I was fascinated as we played tug with this intelligent little guy and thought about my own childhood Terrier, McDuff. It has been so fun watching Squash grow over the past year.

Eli, relaxing during our training session.

Eli, relaxing during our training session.

Over the Summer, I met Eli, an incredible German Shepherd Dog who was suffering from fearful territorial aggression. He was under socialized as a puppy and, at a year and a half, was showing aggression towards anyone not in his immediate family. He spent our entire consultation lunging, snarling, growling and barking at me. I immediately recommended a de-conditioning program to help alleviate the cause of the aggressive behavior and also started his foundational obedience. We were able to successfully rehabilitate this handsome boy, changing his behavior, eliminating his aggressive responses, and complete his Tethered and Untethered obedience training.

Chippie Lee and Barley learning obedience and overcoming sibling aggression together.

Chippie Lee and Barley learning obedience and overcoming sibling aggression together.

Also over the Summer, I enjoyed working with Barley and Chippie Lee, two siblings who were suffering from intense aggressive sibling rivalry. They erupted into a very tenacious fight during our first training session and it was obvious that Barley was over reacting in a big way to any perceived transgression on the part of Chippie Lee. I taught them and their Guardian proper obedience– effectively setting up their Guardian as a strong leader. Today these two are happily living together with no more sibling aggression.

Jack absolutely thrived during his stay at the Kabler house.

Jack absolutely thrived during his stay at the Kabler house.

In the Fall I trained Jack in my Residency Training Course. My Residency dogs are guests in my home where I can really focus on teaching house manners. Each guest goes for walks and is trained daily. I really enjoy taking Residency Guests on field trips. Sunny Point Cafe, Hickory Nut Gap Farms, French Broad River Park, and downtown Asheville have all been destinations. Asheville has a new and amazingly effective training option. This program offers incredible results and is so fun for your dog!

Bernese Mountain Dog Ellie learned so much during her Kabler Residency Training.

Bernese Mountain Dog Ellie learned so much during her Kabler Residency Training.

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Kabler apprentice taking time for snuggles after obedience practice.

In 2012 Kabler apprentice Kim Turley has also been progressing in her training knowledge and ability. I have been so excited to see Kim’s confidence grow as she becomes a skilled trainer and instructor. Watching her learn to train has brought back many memories of my own experiences as a young trainer and my desire to discover the best techniques and methods for teaching canines. I am so proud of Kim and am looking forward to seeing my apprentices continued progression in 2013.

In the Fall, I worked closely with Jenna Yarosh at Patton Avenue Pet Company to establish our unique Puppy Preschool Class. Few things compare with the excitement of raising a puppy and this class is designed to assist new Guardians. I love raising pups and in this class Kim and I teach optimum ways to socialize, house train, obedience train, and play train with your new family addition.

Things I have learned this year training best friends– or what the the dogs have taught me:

1.) There is no rush. While working with German Shepherd Dog Eli’s Untethered training I learned a valuable lesson about moving too fast and the importance of progressing slowly. As we were transitioning him from Tethered to Untethered obedience it became evident that he needed more time and lots of more play added into his training. This is one reason why in 2012 I have extended Kabler’s training guarantee to include lifetime follow up lessons– what I enjoy most is learning what the dogs have to teach me and I can only learn these lessons by taking a dog from start to finish and standing by their side for the long haul.

Bogie playing a vigorous game of tug during his training.

Pitbull Bogie playing a vigorous game of tug during his training.

2.) Always remember to take time for play and praise. I love training dogs so much and sometimes get incredibly focused on teaching and then one of my dogs will look up at me and make a playful gesture and successfully instigate my playful side and remind me how important play is to both humans and dogs. I am reminded of my clients, a Golden Retriever named Obi and a Pitbull named Bogie, whose Guardians are learning to use play as a reward. Play and praise are often overlooked as motivational tools and it is incredibly important to use both of these whenever possible in addition to treats as positive rewards.

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Daisy having fun on this years trip to Hatteras Island.

3.) Continue to work on becoming as good at reading human Guardians as I am at reading the dogs. I am incredibly focused on my dogs during training, so much so, that sometimes I need to remind myself that the human Guardian is just as important to the training process as the dog. It is important to remember that the dog and Guardian are a team. I constantly strive to train my clients holistically from this dual canine/human perspective.

These are just a few of my training cases that I have handled over the past year. All of my clients and their dogs are so important to us here at Kabler School For Dogs. It has truly been an awesome year working with so many dogs. I hope that you will get in touch and discuss you and your best friends training goals for the new year– we are so excited about all the possibilities coming in 2013.  – David

CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION (828) 337-5792

New Dog Training Column in Critter Magazine!

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David is excited to be writing a new monthly column featuring his unique dog training perspectives for Critter Magazine. Published monthly for over 15 years, Critter Magazine is an animal adoption publication that is available for free in Asheville, NC.

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Look for David’s article in the March issue of Critter.

Critter believes in approaching animal welfare by promoting adoption, awareness and education about issues. Find out more information at http://www.crittermagazine.com.

David’s first article will be about separation anxiety in dogs and how a good training program can alleviate their stress and symptoms caused by being separated from their human pack. Look for it in the March issue of Critter.

Upcoming articles will be about training techniques for puppies and adult dogs. The articles will give unique insights into canine behavior. David is anticipating sharing his extensive canine training knowledge and experience with Critter readers all over Western North Carolina.

Contact David now to schedule your dog’s FREE training and behavioral consultation. (828) 337-5792.

Canine Wrangling for New Feature Film ‘Wanderlost’.

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David’s Belgian Malinois, Barry, on the set of Wanderlost.

Wanderlost is a new award winning dark fantasy feature film that stars Belgian Malinois Barry Kabler. “Training Barry for this role was so much fun as well as challenging. Ultimately Barry did an awesome job of acting on the set and I really had a blast working with my best friend on this incredible project. Training a dog for a film role is always challenging and it is important to make the experience fun for the canine actor.”, says Master Dog Trainer David Kabler. Wanderlost is currently screening at film festivals and is a finalist in the Famous Monsters Of Filmland film festival. You can check out the films trailer at wanderlostfilm youtube.

David working with Barry at Blue Ridge Motion Pictures on the set of the feature film Wanderlost.