Every month, we spotlight superstar client / dog teams in our KDP community. Here are the teams we celebrated in July:

Emily & Archie

It’s no secret we love Goldens at KeenDog. When asked what dog to get we always tell friends just get a Golden. We have had the privilege to have trained hundreds of Goldens over the years. We get to train a lot from the ground up in thanks to the excellent breeder relationships we have in the area, but another age we will tend to meet new Golden families is around the year mark. This age is a testy hormonal age, especially for males who have been reinforced since puppyhood that the whole world loves them, their genetic biting has gone to the extreme (redirecting on a leash or their handler) and they have learned how to push their larger weight around; Archie fit right into this second group.

Archie is sweet, strong, playful and came to us with a strong base. His owner Emily had already worked with 2 other trainers both virtually and in person in the DC area. Emily was very proactive in trying to get Archie off to a great start and was very committed to his training, but to no fault of her own both companies failed to help her through his extreme redirection when he got overly aroused. She muzzle conditioned him simply so she could walk him, as the majority of walks without a muzzle ended up with him redirecting on her arms and pretty badly.

Emily began with our online course and working with us virtually. With some life changes she made the choice to enroll him in our 3 week Keen Camp to get as much hands on work with us as possible.

A huge piece of the puzzle (and no surprise for most of our clients and followers to hear) was to provide an outlet for his genetic need to mouth/retrieve things through play. Both a cooperative game of fetch and a competitive game of tug. Providing an outlet where he could get his mouthiness out in a controlled manner, with rules and regulations went a long way in stopping his redirection on Emily and family members. Along with proper use of all 4 quadrants of Operant Conditioning. Archie and Emily were both a dream to work with - eager students to learn and put into practice everything we taught them.

Emily touches base every so often with a question or an update so that she can continue to keep him on track and we absolutely love it when she does. Her continued follow through has allowed Archie to reach his potential and live the KeenDog lifestyle. We are always grateful for the opportunity to work with out of state clients and love seeing the progress these dogs continue to make.

Beth & Hazel

Hazel is a one year old Golden Retriever. Last summer, her owner Beth signed her up for our Puppy Pre-K program and Keen Camp program. Puppies enrolled in our Puppy Pre-K program are proof that beginning to train right away and instilling management techniques will reap all the benefits in the long run.

Colby & Boba

Hounds are tough, but Harden’s are tougher!

Boba (Fett) is a 10 month old Black Bluetick Coonhound. Colby, Nicole and their daughter Marley live an active lifestyle. Since they frequently hit the road in their renovated van, they wanted the perfect travel companion for all their adventures. When not traveling, Boba’s family hosts workouts and personal training sessions, where they wanted Boba to be included but not a distraction.

After a few lessons with Lilly, Colby, was hooked on the KeenDog lifestyle and working with Boba! Colby, Marley and Boba frequently join in on team training with the trainers, to practice what they’ve learned in lessons around more distractions and in different environments.

But this is just the beginning for this team! Boba will be put to the test this month, as he will be joining his family on a road trip to Minnesota.

Ana & Percy

Percy is a Miniature American Shepherd from Southern Soul Aussies. His owner, Ana, wanted to set him up for success straight away from day one of owning him. Ana's brother and sister also both trained their dogs with KeenDog very recently so she has seen the benefits of training through them and their training journeys. She signed up for our Puppy Pre-K program and Bestie program right away once she knew she was getting a puppy months before she even had the puppy.

Our Puppy Pre-K program helps owners set up that foundation and management techniques as puppies that then carry over into adulthood. Ana is a teacher and Percy came to her in the middle of the school year so she wanted our help with those first few weeks of having a new puppy. She has been doing lessons with him ever since he finished Puppy Pre-K. She takes him everywhere with her and Percy is becoming a great patio dog. She also is in it to win it and is always asking questions and sending updates on how things are going.

Since she has been working with him since he was 8 weeks old and has been consistent, they have both been picking up on the training quickly and have become a great pair!

Ready to live the life of your dreams with your dog? Check out our Charlotte, NC dog training programs today!