Close

Alan's K9 Academy

Read Our Blog

Our newest blog

The Importance of Breaks in Dog Training: Why Play Matters

When it comes to dog training, many pet parents focus solely on the discipline and obedience aspect, often overlooking the vital role of breaks and play in the process. While consistent training is essential for good behavior, integrating short breaks and play into the session can significantly improve your dog’s learning experience and overall progress.
Read Blog
Alan Carr
March 24, 2025
The Importance of Breaks in Dog Training: Why Play Matters
When it comes to dog training, many pet parents focus solely on the discipline and obedience aspect, often overlooking the vital role of breaks and play in the process. While consistent training is essential for good behavior, integrating short breaks and play into the session can significantly improve your dog’s learning experience and overall progress.
Read Blog
Dogs Are Better at Judging Character Than We Are 🐾
Dogs have an extraordinary ability to read human emotions and assess character—often more accurately than we can. This skill is rooted in their evolutionary development, heightened sensory perception, and deep connection to human behavior. 👀
Read Blog
Exercise Requirements for High-Drive Dogs: A Comprehensive Guide 🐾💪
High-drive dogs are known for their boundless energy, intelligence, and enthusiasm for work and play. Without proper exercise and mental stimulation, they can quickly develop behavioral issues. Understanding their exercise needs is crucial for any owner committed to providing a balanced and fulfilling life for their canine companion.
Read Blog
How to Estimate Your Dog’s Age
Trying to determine how old your new dog is? Without a known birthday, pinpointing an exact age is tough. However, you can make an educated guess by examining their teeth, coat, and overall health. No Guaranteed Way to Know for Sure. Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof method to determine a dog’s exact age unless you have some record of their birth. Julie Tasch, Dogtown team lead at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah, explains that while aging a dog precisely isn’t possible, there are certain signs that can help narrow it down. If you’ve adopted a rescue or found a stray, it’s worth investigating these clues so you can provide the right diet and care for their stage of life.
Read Blog
Are You Setting Your Puppy Up for Success?
Every time you take your puppy out for a stroll, you expose them to situations that could shape their behavior and demeanor—for better or worse.It only takes one bad experience—a sudden scare or an unfriendly encounter—to create lasting fear, reactivity, or unwanted habits. But these challenges can be avoided if you take the right steps from the start.
Read Blog
How an E-Collar Enhances Positive Reinforcement?
An e-collar is not meant to replace positive reinforcement—it is used as a gentle guide to improve communication and ensure reliability in training. Here’s how it benefits positive reinforcement training:
Read Blog
Why Not All Dogs Should Be Trained on an E-Collar
At Alan’s K9 Academy, we take a balanced and individualized approach to dog training. While e-collars can be an effective tool in certain cases, they are not necessary for every dog. In fact, relying solely on an e-collar for training can be a sign of a trainer’s lack of experience or understanding of more effective, positive reinforcement-based methods.
Read Blog
Debunking Leash Pulling Myths: What You Need to Know!
Leash pulling is a common problem that many dog owners face, but there are several misconceptions that can make it even more challenging to fix. Let’s clear up some of these myths and set the record straight!
Read Blog
Teaching Your Puppy the Basics: Setting the Foundation for Success!
Bringing a puppy into your home is one of the most exciting moments, but it's also the perfect time to start laying the foundation for their future behavior. Teaching your puppy the basics is essential to ensuring they grow into a well-mannered, well-behaved, and happy adult dog. The earlier you start, the better their habits will be as they grow!
Read Blog

shortcut your dog's training

Want a professional to train your dog?

Skip the learning curve & leverage our 20+ years of experience to handle your dog's training needs.
Simply click "TRAIN MY DOG" to get started.
TRAIN MY DOG

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth training someone to train your dog?

Absolutely! Investing in professional training for your furry friend is like giving them the gift of communication. It's not just about obedience; it's about building a deeper bond. Trained dogs are happier, more confident, and safer companions. Plus, it fosters mutual respect and understanding.

What Type Of Training Methods Do You Use?

We promote positive reinforcement training. We also use a variety of training methods and training aids to achieve the goals of our dog owners and their pets.‍

How Much Does Your Obedience Training Cost? 

Each of our dog training programs is custom-tailored to the specific situation. There are a number of factors that we evaluate prior to building a training package for you, such as your dog's age, temperament, previous training, as well as the desired goals of the dog's parents. Our programs vary in price depending on where your dog is currently, and how long we estimate it will take to reach your goals. The only way we can give an accurate quote is by evaluating your dog. Our signature 6-week program is $2,900, but not every single dog we meet is a great fit.

Where Do We Train?

Alan's K9 Academy offers personalized, in-home dog training, as well as training sessions at our 8 Acre facility in Cartersville. Our 8-acre facility location allows us to train dogs in real-world settings, such as parks, downtown area, pet friendly stores ensuring they learn to stay calm and well-behaved in various environments. Each dog enjoys multiple walks and daily field trips around the neighborhood, promoting socialization and building a calm, neutral demeanor. Our training approach emphasizes desensitization, social skills, and confidence-building for balanced, happy dogs. For our clients, we also provide exclusive boarding at our 8-acre training facility, where dogs can enjoy continued training, playtime, and exercise. Convenient pick-up and drop-off services are available to make the experience stress-free.

‍Do We Offer Payment Plans?

Yes, we offer financing through AFFFIRM, Klarna, or Lending USA options to our clients. Payment plans can vary as low as $120 a month for up to 3 years.

Do you take all dogs regardless of age, breed, or issues?

We take any breed and any age needing obedience training or behavioral issues. Our goal is to assist as many dogs and owners as possible. Aggression and behavioral issues would require a much longer and more intensive program. We are happy to work with any dog needing help with insecurity, anxiety, impulse control, hyperactivity, leash reactivity, dog reactivity, etc. We have decades of experience working with high-drive breeds.

Do you offer therapy or service dog training?

Yes! We also offer therapy dog training and service dog training, though we don't currently advertise them. If this is a need, please contact us with the form for more information. To answer this question, we will start by explaining what a service dog does and how a service dog is different from a therapy dog and an emotional support dog. A service dog, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is a dog individually trained to perform specific tasks and to work with people with disabilities. The work of a service dog must be directly related to the handler's disability. The ADA mandates that service dogs have full public access rights. Therapy dogs are trained to be comfortable in new environments and to interact with different people. They typically have certain personality traits, and they volunteer in clinical settings such as hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. Therapy dogs do not have the same legal right to access service dogs, and although a dog can be certified as a therapy dog through an organization, there are no uniform state or national rules that regulate the certification. Emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs under the ADA. They may be trained for a specific owner, but they are not trained for specific tasks or duties to aid a person with a disability. ESA owners have only limited legal rights, and those typically require a letter of diagnosis from a doctor or psychiatrist. They have certain access when it comes to housing but do not have unlimited access to public spaces.

Why should I work with you instead of a less expensive trainer?

Veterinarians wholeheartedly trust and endorse our exceptional dog training services. We have over 50 years of combined experience training dogs to obey. Alan, the owner, holds a master trainer certification. Most dog trainers and stores like Petco and PetSmart just don't have the same level of knowledge and expertise that we do. In fact, one of our clients was referred to us by PetSmart because they couldn't help them! When you work with a higher-quality trainer, you skip many of the struggles that come with hiring someone cheaper, including unintended and negative consequences for your dog's behavior! Our training method builds a rewarding relationship with you and your dog.