Professional Dog Training
My
Story
Get to Know your trainer!
My name is Katie Zerick, owner of KZK9 Training, I am a Professional Dog Trainer based in the Lake Mary Heathrow area. I have had a passion for animals my whole life. My grandfather was an Army K9 trainer in South Korea so my dad always had multiple dogs in our house from a young age. I got into training from getting a working line german shepherd that was non-people friendly & reactive & fully training him myself, focusing on off leash training & public access. I was offered a job working for a big dog trainer in the Orlando area where I gained a lot more experience & have now ventured off to running my own dog training business. I think it’s very important to meet dogs needs physically & mentally & share the beauty of being able to take your dog with you anywhere through advanced obedience training & understanding canine behavior. Trained dogs have more freedom!
FAQ
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What is public access training?Public access is my favorite type of training, this comes last after we train everything in the house and outside. Public access means having a well behaved dog in public, no barking, whining, or lunging. Holding down stays with other people and dogs around, walking in a tight heel & neutrality. Teaching a dog to relax in busy environments like restaurants, coffee shops, & bars is a really valuable skill to teach a dog so you never have to leave your pet at home.
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Do you only do obedience training?Obedience is the foundation of all training & builds an incredible mutually respected relationship between owner & dog. I help with relationship building through play & boundaries, & off leash training. A lot of dogs who suffer from behavioral problems stem from lack of structure & lack of mental enrichment. I help owners mentally & physically fulfill their dogs with scent training games, confidence building, enrichment, & proper diets.
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What tools do you use?The tools I use are all depending on the dog I'm working with, every dog is different & will respond to tools differently. I use slip leashes, prongs, pinch collars, gentle leaders, & E-collars! E-Collar has become my favorite & most popular tool to train with.
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How often are lessons?2 week package includes 10 lessons, so 5 lessons a week Mon-Fri for about an hour to an hour and a half a day! The 4 week package is 20 lessons, 5 lessons a week! Training this way helps owners and dogs see results much faster! Consistency is key.
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Do I need to be present at every lesson if I'm busy with work or kids?No! We understand people have very busy schedules & not everyone is able to devote a lot of time to training, Its really only important you can put 10 minutes aside at the end of each lesson so we can show you what we worked on & how to properly communicate with you dog & practice leash handling!
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How much do you charge for training?My prices vary on packages and all depend on your goals with your dog and where they're at after a free evaluation, feel free to give us a call, text, or email to set up a free consult!
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What methods do you practice?I am a Positive reinforcement based Balanced trainer! Everything I teach is with positive reinforcement & I use tools, & negative reinforcement to hold the dog accountable to what they already know! Balanced training mimics how dogs learn in the real world.
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What comes included with your packages?2 week & 4 week packages include a free leash & slip or prong if needed, a Mini Educator Ecollar (4+ week only), Place cot, treat pouches, lifetime support & daily planning so you know what to do with your dog through the day.
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Do I need to be a training client to book you for sitting?Yes, Currently sitting is only available to our past clients as we uphold the structure that we teach in our programs.
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What services do you offer?We offer Board & Train Programs, Daily training, Boarding for our graduated clients & virtual lessons, Head over to our Programs tab at the top to learn more or feel free to give us a call with any questions!