Front Range K9 Academy

10/12/2026

Demo dog, Baja & I just returned from an AWESOME roadtrip across the country.

56.5 hours of driving (3,798 miles) to the east coast & back!

Our goal was the 2026 WRA & NOTRA Nationals in Bridgewater, NJ. So, once we got to New Jersey, we spent two days doing straight racing & oval track racing. There were over 100 whippets competing!

Baja LOVES all things chasing & racing, so even though she was not the fastest whippet, she still had a BLAST!

For WRA (straight racing) on Saturday, Baja was 5th from the bottom & 10th place DII! [DII is a category for non-race bred Whippets. To be considered eligible for DII, there can be no more than 3 race champions in a three generation pedigree. Baja has no race champions in her pedigree]

For NOTRA (oval track racing), Baja was the Turtle (last place), but 4th place DII!

Overall, she earned the ‘Most Appreciated High Score Combined’ Award & got loads of swag! She won the same award at last year’s Nationals. The Eastern Whippet Association did an amazing job celebrating all the turtles this weekend!

What my turtle lacks in speed, she makes up for with HEART! She could care less about placements, ribbons & prizes. Every single race, she pulled me to the boxes, screaming her head off about that bunny! And she came off the field each time happy, sound & wanting to go again - isn’t that what matters?!

Then, we visited with family & took our time heading back West. We climbed the sand dunes at the Indiana Dune State Park, found the beach, ate Wawa pretzels and stopped at lots of rest stops & local parks along the way. It was a fantastic trip with the best co-pilot I could ask for.

10/03/2026

🐾🎊🎉Front Range K9 NOCO GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT!🎉🎊🐾

Giant congratulations go out to "ANDIE" (5 yr old Border Collie mix) and her family on their graduation from our Core Obedience program - Rocking their test with a B+ (85%) score.

Andie came in with some BIG feelings about other dogs - and had been practicing her barking, lunging, and coo-coo reactivity about other dogs for a long time.

With a new little human brother on the way for her, Andie's folks knew they needed to get her under control.

With her natural Border Collie smarts, she figured out the training easily - with a few bumps along the way to account for her independent nature. Her family put the work in from session to session, and it showed last night at her test.

We're so proud of Andie and her family. Can't wait to see them in groups.

Need a little help with your puppy or dog? Give us a shout!

Loveland: https://www.frontrangek9noco.com
Denver: https://www.k9counselor.com

09/23/2026

🐾🎊🎉Graduation Alert!🎉🎊🐾

Another Graduaition Announcement for Front Range K9 NOCO!

Congratulations to "Okra" (3 yr old Bernedoodle) and "Olive" (15 month old Bernedoodle) and their mom on their graduation from our Core Obedience program with flying colors.

Okra came in with a solid 88% (B+++) score; and not to be outdone by her older brother, Olive one-upped him with a 91% (A)!

Next up for these two is working in groups - can't wait to see how they do!

Need a little help with your puppy or dog? Give us a shout!

Loveland dog training: https://www.frontrangek9noco.com
Denver dog training: https://www.k9counselor.com

09/21/2026

🐾🎊🎉Woot! Woot! ANOTHER Front Range K9 NOCO graduation announcement!🎉🎊🐾

Big congratulations go out to SHIGARAKI (11 month old Belgian Mal) and his family on their near-perfect test score (98% A+++) and graduation from our Core Obedience Program.

This family has really put in the work, and it shows!

Next up for Shigaraki is snake avoidance training, and group classes!

Need a little help with your puppy or dog? Contact us today.

Northern CO: https://www.frontrangek9noco.com
Denver: https://www.k9counselor.com

09/09/2026

I'm excited to be joining a webinar hosted by the CVMA (California Veterinary Medical Assoc.) on updated veterinary treatment protocols on snake envenomations tonight!

While our role as trainers is to help owners and dogs learn to avoid snakes as much as possible, bites can still happen - so having the most up-to-date information on treatment is also a big part of what we need to know so we can share!

09/09/2026

🐾🎊🎉Woot! Woot! New Graduation Announcement for Front Range K9 NOCO!🎉🎊🐾

Huge congratulations go out to MURRAY (8 month old English Lab) and his mom on their graduation from Core Obedience at Front Range K9 NOCO.

When we first met Murray, he was a sassy (lots of demand barking), unruly truffle hunter (always picking thing up - sometimes dangerous objects) that had already been through some puppy training, but his mom needed more help.

Murray and his mom blazed through our Core Obedience in record time and passed their test with a score of 89% (B+++)! We couldn't be prouder of these two - Lori did her homework without fail, always showed up with great questions and enthusiasm for the next lesson, and Murray couldn't help but follow her lead.

Next up - group classes and working with new dogs and people! We know they're up to the challenge.

Need a little help with your puppy or dog? Give us a shout!

Northern CO: https://www.frontrangek9noco.com
Denver: https://www.k9counselor.com

09/09/2026

Baja turns FOUR today! Happy, happy birthday! 🎉

BIF Horsetooth Crotalus Enyo FCh STAR WPA RATI RE BCAT FDCh-G CD OTR TF-III

09/02/2026

🐾🎊🎉Congratulations are in Order!🎉🎊🐾

A big shout out to BAILEY (Aussie x Pyrenees) and her mom on passing their AKC Canine Good Citizen Test & earning Bailey's CGC title!

Did you know?

The AKC CGC (American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen) title is a certification program that recognizes dogs with excellent manners and obedient behavior both at home and in the community.

To earn the title, dogs must pass a 10-step test demonstrating core socialization and basic obedience skills, such as:

🐾Walking politely on a leash
🐾Sitting and staying on command
🐾Coming when called
🐾Behaving calmly around strange people and other dogs
🐾Handling brief separation from their owner

It is open to all breeds and mixed breeds, serving as both a badge of responsible dog ownership and a foundational stepping stone for more advanced training like therapy work or dog sports.

Interested in earning a CGC title for your pup or dog? We offer CGC training and testing at both of our Colorado Dog Training Locations!

Denver: https://www.k9counselor.com
Northern CO: https://www.frontrangek9noco.com

Discover top-notch dog training services at Front Range K9 Academy. Book a free evaluation and help your dog become its best self with our expert trainers in Colorado.

08/24/2026

🐾🐾Matter of Fact Monday: The Leash Isn’t Just for Walks!

A leash isn’t just there to keep your dog from running away.

Used correctly, it’s a *communication tool*.

A little bit of leash pressure can help your dog understand, “Nope. That’s not the direction we’re going.” And when the pressure goes away, your dog gets information too: “Yep. That was the right choice.”

And here’s another big fact:

A leash prevents your dog from practicing behaviors you don’t want.

Jumping on people.
Rushing the door.
Charging the window.
Ignoring you when something exciting happens.

We've talked about it before: Every time your dog gets to practice a behavior, they get better at it.

So sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is simply leash your dog during difficult situations while you teach the behavior you actually want.

That’s why I’m perfectly comfortable using a leash inside the house, during greetings, at the front door, while teaching Place, or anytime I need to help a dog make better choices.

The goal isn't to keep your dog dependent on the leash forever.

The goal is to use the leash to teach your dog how to make better decisions—until they can make those decisions without it.🐾🐾