Kabler Trainer Bennett & Lucy Run in the Ulti-Mutt 5K Race!

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Lucy’s favorite part of the race were the water crossings!

We are so proud of our trainer Bennett Chess and his English Setter Lucy! Following is his account of preparing for and running in the 2026 Ulti-Mutt 5K race in Tryon.

Canicross is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the world. The objective of the sport is for your dog to pull you while running while navigating a long course. My English Setter Lucy loves to run, so we started training for Canicross together! My goal was to compete in the Ulti-Mutt 5K race and represent Kabler School For Dogs. The course has lots of terrain and obstacles that dogs normally don’t get to see, truly putting their training and confidence to the test. I thought racing would be an incredible opportunity to experience how Lucy truly thrives when she gets to simply run!

To prepare for the race I started running with Lucy. I’ve been teaching Lucy NOT to pull since I first got her so she was a little hesitant to pull the first time we put on the harness. To solve this, I used what Lucy loves more than anything else; Toys! Each day I put Lucy in her harness and played fetch with her, letting her pull me to the ball while I ran behind her. This gave her the basic understanding that when she is in her harness, she is allowed to pull. Once she understood, we started running! We first ran a short trail. It took her a minute to realize she was allowed to pull, but once she did we were GOING! I could see her body language fully engage as she realized she could just Go Go Go, and it was an incredible feeling of freedom for both of us.

The obstacles were a challenging part of the race!

After weeks of training it was finally Ulti-Mutt Race Day! We decided to do the “Fun Run” non-competitive division since this was our first ever race. We had a bit of time to look around the Noble Dog Fest that was happening at the same time. There were tons of vendors selling gear, toys, training classes and some really cool activities for dogs. While waiting for the race to start Lucy and I tried out the Swift Paws Lure Course. She got to chase a little flag around a huge area. A great outlet for her strong prey drive!

Then it was time to run. Unable to contain my excitement, I headed over to the starting line as soon as I could. The runners were sent off in groups of 3 at a time. As Lucy saw each group in front of us send off I could see her get more and more excited. Once we were at the starting line, her tail was flinging around and her eyes were straight ahead. She was ready to book-it! She jumped into the air before starting off! We shot ahead of the other dogs as she pulled me to the first obstacle. I was confident she would be fine but felt she may be a bit curious. Of course she decided to stop and sniff the obstacle, but a little encouragement from me and we were back to running! We hit the trail and she was passing dog after dog, I could not believe she seemed to have zero interest in saying hello. She was singularly focused on the task at hand, and she was having the time of her life. At the second obstacle she was flawless, she looked like a dog that had run this race 100 times. The teeter totter was one that we hadn’t done much before, but it was big enough that we could both step on, which greatly helped her know that it was safe. I slowly shifted my weight so it would fall gently and she stayed with me, looking right at me, fully trusting I would keep her safe. We leapt off together and continued down the trail. There were plenty of water break spots throughout the race and at each one she would get her few sips then look right back down the trail. She just wanted to run!

Lucy fully engaged!

My favorite part of the race was the creek crossing, and I think it was Lucy’s favorite as well. Being a big dock diver and loving any water she can swim in, she saw that creek, and jumped right in! Given there were probably 5 or 6 dogs standing at the edge of the water, hesitant to go in, it made me feel proud! I did make sure not to run through the creek, I’d rather not bust my head on a rock, and Lucy saw that I wasn’t running and controlled her speed accordingly! It reminded me we are a team unit. One thing I have learned is when I give Lucy what she needs, she will do what I need in return.

The rest of the race was just as incredible. Toward the end there were a few more water obstacles, and we were VERY grateful for that on this sunny, 70 degree day. She was happy as can be throughout the entire race. By the time we reached the finish line she seemed almost disappointed it was over! We took lots of pictures of her in the medal she won! We were satisfied with a perfect day. And we can’t wait to do it again next year!

The Kabler team is proud of Lucy and Bennett’s racing success!

Schedule Your Free Evaluation at our Training Campus!

Train Now For a Well Behaved Dog by Spring!

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A Kabler School For Dogs training course is an investment that pays rewards every day!

Winter is the perfect time to begin training! By starting your training journey now your dog will be well behaved and off leash trained by Spring! Set you and your dog up for an amazing Spring of exciting outings! Our courses are fun for both you and your dog and provide pro level results. Whether you have difficult problem behaviors that disrupt your daily life or just want a high level of obedience training we will help you achieve your training goals. After all, we have been helping dogs and their owners for over 30 years!

Imagine your dog walking on a loose leash, passing other dogs and distractions with ease! Walking your dog will feel joyful and you will experience a oneness with your dog that transcends words. Outings to breweries and cafes will be joyful with your well mannered dog laying at your side. The feeling inside knowing that your dog will always return to you when called is hard to describe. It is a sense of confidence in your connection with your dog.

At Kabler School For Dogs our training staff is thoughtful, caring, and highly skilled at instructing both you and your dog in achieving fantastic results. We make sure that your dog is seeing tangible progress each day. Training is an investment that lasts a lifetime. You will be thrilled as your friends and family notice the giant difference training the Kabler way will make! Envision your dogs behavioral issues resolved, being able to walk politely past other dogs, going to breweries, and giving your dog safe off leash freedom on hikes. These are the dreams that our team makes possible every day.

We offer a free evaluation at our training campuses located in Asheville and Columbia. Schedule yours today so we can meet you and your dog. There is no obligation to enroll, so you have everything to gain by coming in for a visit. We can’t wait to meet you and your best friend!

Join our dog community! We are here to train and help! Call (828) 337-5793 or click to Schedule Your Free Evaluation at our Training Campus!

Advanced off leash practice with Leo, Lilly, and Summer.

Family Dogs Trained the Kabler Way Since 1995!

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A day in the life at Kabler!

Dog training tradition is what Asheville and Columbia families consider Kabler School For Dogs. Dog owners rely and trust the Kabler School to provide top level instruction and training for all breeds! We truly care about each dog enrolled in our school and love watching training success happen every day.

The Kabler training method has been honed for 30 years. At our school learning is fun and challenging at the same time! We give clear homework instructions that our students practice at home between training days at school. You and your dog will thrive with excellent training and motivated instruction.

At Kabler School For Dogs we raise puppies the right way and believe early exposure and puppy based training go a long way to raising the perfect adult dog. We have helped raise thousands of puppies through our Puppy Preschool course. Our puppy classes include confidence building, puppy obedience, house training and more!

One of the things we pride ourselves on is our ability to help owners solve challenging behavioral problems. Our courses will guide owners and their dogs from troubled waters to safe harbor. Owners are thrilled with the tangible progress and results we achieve!

Our team invites you to come and see us for a free evaluation and campus visit! Come and see what 30 years of training dogs looks like.

You are not alone! Join our dog training family. Call (828) 337-5793 today for more info or click here to schedule your dogs FREE evaluation!

 

Storm Kabler Wins Gold at Competition!

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David & Storm have been having an amazing year of competition!

2025 has been a year of successful trialing at club and National events. Storm took 7th at Nationals and multiple podium finishes. The team wrapped up an amazing year at Fire Pines Ringsports Mondioring comepetition in October. David and Storm entered into the Mondio Ring 1 level for 2 days of trialing and the field was creatively dressed in a ‘board game’ theme. The team had been practicing diligently and, as luck would have it, had a strong showing with 2 first place wins! David has been training Storm since a puppy to compete in the sport of Mondio and this past year has been amazing for demonstrating Storms skills on the field in front of the judges watchful and critical eyes. To find out more about Mondio visit: The United States Mondio Ring Association Website.

Storm jumping the hurdle under his David’s watchful eye.

Mondioring, or World Ring, is an international sport that includes high level obedience, obstacles and jumps, and police K9 exercises that are designed to challenge the dog and handler under a variety of distractions and circumstances. Established in the late 1980s, it combines elements from different European dog sports to create a single sport. Each Mondio trial has a theme with scenarios and distractions on the field to ensure that trials provide a unique experience. 
Core components and elements of Mondio include:
  • Obedience: Challenging exercises like heeling, positions, and retrieving while under pressure and with distractions, such as food scattered on the ground.
  • Jumps: This includes jumps over obstacles like a hurdle, a palisade wall jump, and a long jump.
  • Protection: The dog demonstrates its ability to protect the handler through exercises such as a face attack, a flee attack, area search, and guarding an object.
  • International competition: It was designed to allow competitors from different national dog sports to compete against each other on a level playing field.
  • Unpredictable scenarios: Each trial has a unique theme and the setup is created by the judge, meaning the order of exercises and the specific distractions will change every time.
  • High difficulty: The sport is known for its complexity, requiring a strong, stable, and highly trained dog with excellent mental stability and impulse control.
  • Levels: Mondioring has three levels, with a progression of increasing difficulty in the number and complexity of the exercises.
  • No tools: Dogs compete without any training tools, not even a flat collar, emphasizing the foundation of trust and clarity built between the handler and dog.

We are excited about what 2026 will bring David and Storm and the entire Kabler School For Dogs training family! If you are interested in David’s unique approach to training please schedule a free consultation so we can meet you and your dog!

We are here to train and help! Come see what makes us different! Call (828) 337-5793 today or click here to schedule your dogs FREE evaluation!

Storm guarding the decoy at Fire Pines Ringsport competition.

Do’s & Dont’s of Early Puppy Exposure

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Early Exposure to people, places, and things is on our checklist at Kabler’s Puppy Preschool!

Raising a puppy is a commitment. New owners are always excited about providing an amazing home for their new best friends. Getting on a schedule, house training and early obedience are on most new owners checklists. One thing I have noticed is that early environmental exposure is missing from owners puppy checklists. Especially since Covid, many new dog owners are taking an overly cautious approach to puppy raising and isolating their pups until after full vaccination. 16 weeks is the age when a puppies critical socialization is wrapping up. And unfortunately, the fast lane to raising a fearful and anxious dog is to avoid early exposure to the world. Giving your new puppy safe experiences, at these early very important developmental stages, allows your pup to grow with mental confidence.

I have always recommended new pups meet 100 new people by the time they are 16 weeks old. This includes delivery people, friends, family, and… strangers. I like to sit somewhere in public like a coffee shop patio and allow folks who would like to say hi to my pup to meet them and deliver a steady stream of treats. I encourage them to touch my pups ears, paws, tail, and tummy.

I also believe puppies need early environmental exposure to buisy streets, slick floors like in a gymnasium, loud trucks, elevators, stairs; basically anything they will see in their lifetime. I will attempt to expose them to people, places, and things between 8 to 16 weeks of age. I will continue this socialization in earnest until 6 months of age.

Do begin socialization early. Although we enroll pups up to 6 months in Puppy Preschool the optimal age to join class is 10 weeks of age.

Do take your puppy to friends and family homes for visits. Allow your puppy to explore their home and meet new people. Show them their back yard and allow them to meet their dogs and see cats with a steady stream of treat rewards.

Do take your puppy to public places where not a lot of other dogs go to meet people and see the world. I like dog friendly coffee shops, outdoor shopping malls, hardware stores, and downtown areas.

Do skip breakfast on days when you have socialization plans with your pup that day. Feed them their meal while exposing them to the world. Providing this feeding while seeing things for the first time ensures very positive experiences in my young pups mind.

Do keep these early exposure experiences to no more than 20-30 minutes at first.

Do attend our Puppy Preschool starting at 10 weeks. We will teach you how to provide early exposure to environments in a safe and easy way. Our Puppy Preschool runs at 45 to 60 minutes and provides a structured and safe early exposure environment.

Don’t take your pup to pet stores, dog parks, or anywhere where lots of dogs frequent. Do not allow your puppy to sniff grass areas outside of a veterinary clinic.

Don’t overload your puppy with extreme environments like outdoor concerts, ball games, and very crowded areas. Start in small doses at first and slowly build your pups confidence to handle m,ore and more. Sure signs of an overwhelmed pup are not taking treats and falling asleep in a loud or stimulating environment.

Don’t allow your puppy to become frightened by loud noises or thunder storms. Provide a safe place during storms and fireworks with a tv playing or sound machine. I will bring my puppy out for treats so they can hear fireworks in the distance while they are preoccupied with the treats and then put them back in the safe room. Think short 5-10 minute intervals.

Don’t forget your pups well stocked treat pouch, a must have for all puppy outings. Stock it with kibble and high value rewards like beef liver too!

By following these Do’s & Dont’s you will raise a very confident puppy. Remember start slow with short 10 minute early exposure outings. Let us know if we at Kabler School For Dogs can help! I have helped raise thousands of pups over the past 30 years and my trainers are here to teach you and your pup optimal ways of learning and growing with your new best friend.   – David

Join our puppy community! We are here to train and help! Call (828) 337-5793 today or click here to schedule your dogs FREE evaluation!

11 week old Belgian Malinois Fury accepting treats while experiencing early exposure with an excited group of children.

Visit the Kabler School Campus With Your Dog!

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Happiness is a Kabler trained dog!

The Kabler School For Dogs team is here to help raise your new pup and  accomplish your dogs professional training.

In today’s world, choosing a trainer is like choosing a school for your child. You would want to visit first before choosing to enroll your child as a student there. Our Free Evaluation gives you the opportunity to do just that! Come check out our training campus, K9 Pro-Shop, and meet our trainers. We look forward to meeting you and your dog in person!

Sign up today for a Free Training Evaluation at either our Columbia, SC or our Asheville, NC training campuses!

Our school was founded in 1995 and we have trained thousands of four footed best friends over the years. We can help you with your dog! We have a unique approach that is fun for both dog and human. We provide tangible training results that will stun your family and friends!

Kabler School For Dogs welcomes you to our world of training!

Our Free Evaluation gives us a chance to evaluate your dogs temperament and training needs. Our trainers will work with your dog and give you training advice and tips. We will also recommend a course of training and will provide you with all the information you need, all with no obligation to enroll. We listen to your questions and provide you with valuable insights. We want it to feel right and be good fit for both you and your dog!

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR DOGS FREE EVALUATION!

Training the Unique Canine Personality

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Lovingly teaching your dog is what we do best at Kabler!

Raising a spirited dog with maximum personality and high level obedience is possible through the Kabler School For Dogs training courses. We believe in age appropriate training that increases in reliability and performance as your dog grows older. Kabler Puppy Preschool and Dog Training Courses introduce concepts and skills when your dog is mentally ready. Our age based courses allow us to train alongside your dogs natural drives, inclinations, and developmental stages creating optimal results!

Play is an important part of each dogs training day at Kabler!

Our Puppy Preschool will help you raise your pup from 10 weeks to 5 months of age. This course covers puppy obedience skills, developmental training exercises, socialization (to environment, people, and other dogs), how to steer your pup away from problem behaviors, puppy tricks and games like retrieve and tug. Puppy confidence building is very important to develop and we will show you how! Our Puppy Preschool includes both private and group classes.

At 6 months and older we begin our Primary Obedience and Advanced Primary Obedience Courses. Our goal is to solidify all the puppy training skills that we’ve been practicing. We work up to proper heeling and loose leash heeling around tough distractions, a 1 hour down and stay, off leash recalls from distraction, a 2 hour go place command, and lots more! By waiting to do this adult level training until 6-8 months we allow the pups developing brain to catch up with their growing body!

All of our courses are a hybrid between private lesson training and group class work. We use optimal and age appropriate training techniques that allow your dog to have fun and that actually enhance your dogs ability to express their natural personality and unique character! We work on all the skills like off leash recall, heeling, down stay at a distance, go place at a distance and more! You and your best friend will conquer all manner of distractions and environments achieving an ultra high level of reliability and performance!

Sign up today for a Free Training Consultation at either our Columbia, SC or our Asheville, NC training campuses!

Our school was founded in 1995 and we have trained thousands of canine best friends over the years. We can help you with your dog! We have a unique approach that is fun for both dog and human. We provide tangible training results that will stun your family and friends!

Storm Kabler Wins 1st Place at Mondio K9 Competition!

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Storm jumping the Mondio 1 hurdle at the Fire Pines Club trial.

The sport of Mondio Ring is widely regarded as one of the most challenging tests for any trainer and their dog. Mondio is a worldwide sport for trainers and their dogs. The sport includes high level obedience, scent work, jumps, and protection. David has been training Storm for Mondio since he was a puppy and was excited to compete. The Mondio Ring website states:

“The obedience in Mondioring is based on functionality with the emphasis being on control in spite of distraction. The jumps in Mondioring test the structure and willingness of the dog. The protection phase of the competition requires that the dog demonstrate tremendous control.

A Mondioring dog competes at each level without collar or leash throughout the trial, thus testing the control of the animal from the very beginning. The complexity of the trial field, combined with the demands of extreme control combine to require that the dog be clear-headed with excellent character.

Storm competed his way to the top with a high score of 195!

Each trial competition is based in a theme – much like a theater set up on a field. Props, scenarios, distractions are placed at strategic points on the trial field. While the exercises remain the same from trial to trial, the order and the setup will change with each judge’s own creativity. No two trials are ever alike, thus preventing the possibility of preparing the dog ‘by rote.’”

After years of practice, many challenging setbacks, David and Storm finally trialed at the Fire Pines Mondio Ring Club. This trials theme was ‘OSHA Violations’ and the field was full of hard hats, caution tape, and emergencies. Storms performance was spectacular and earned a score of 195 on day 1 and 184 on day 3 earning 1st and 2nd place respectively! Storm also earned his coveted MR1 title!

Now this dynamic duo will be competing at the USMRA National competition in Jefferson, OH May 16th-18th! We are revved up that Kabler School For Dogs is excelling in Club and National Competitions!

David Kabler and his best friend Storm celebrate their win!

Our Puppy Preschool Starts Your Pup Out Right

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Not only is Puppy Preschool fun but it prevents problems before they become bad habits!

Raising a puppy right is where it all begins. Our trainers are fond of saying that new puppy owners have one chance to do it right. Properly structuring the first 4 months with your new puppy is critical to forming the puppies mental state and social skills. The time will fly by so every day counts!

House training, obedience, and socialization are super important from 8-16 weeks. Critical socialization wraps up around 4 months of age so don’t let your pup miss out on this very important developmental stage. The Kabler School for Dogs training campus in Asheville and Columbias in home training service provides a safe environment to focus on your new pups socialization skills!

At Kabler School For Dogs we offer an excellent Puppy Preschool Course that is designed to assist you in puppy obedience, socialization, tricks, games, house training, and more! We will focus on puppy manners and address any behavioral problems that may arise. You will learn how to properly handle your new pup and practice obedience routines that are fun and create excellent communication.

Call us today or click here to sign up for a free consultation and evaluation!

(828) 337-5792