I have had a deep passion for dogs my entire life. My childhood is filled with vivid and core memories of various family dogs in all shapes and sizes. However, what truly ignited my intense love for dogs was my fascinating discovery of the “bully breed” dogs. When I was around 8 years old, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet my aunt's dog, named Ike. He was a big, friendly white pit bull mix. I was absolutely captivated by him and his playful nature. My mother, on the other hand, wasn’t thrilled about the idea of her young son playing with a big “scary” pit bull. Back in the 90s, pit bull-type dogs had an even worse misrepresentation than they do now, often viewed with fear and misunderstanding by many. Fast forward a decade. As an 18-year-old, I made the decision to buy my first pit bull mix, whom I named Max. Max didn’t teach me a whole lot about dog training, as he was just one of those dogs blessed with amazing natural instincts and a strong desire to please. At that time, I had no idea how fortunate I truly was to have such an easy-going dog like Max. Encouraged by this experience, I began adding more dogs to the household. This journey eventually led me to my discovery of the XL American Bully breed. Since 2017, I have been actively raising and nurturing XL Bullies, further deepening my passion for these incredible dogs.

How does this relate to my training methods? Let me get straight to the point. Having a house full of dogs that weigh over 100 pounds each really forced me to significantly step up my training skills and abilities. Over the years, I developed a solid basic understanding of dog training, but I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to put those skills to the test with a wider and more diverse variety of dogs. This was particularly true for dogs that weren’t directly bonded to me and were instead carefully placed in my care. Then, quite unexpectedly, I lucked into what would become the opportunity of a lifetime: a job at a local board and train program. The experienced staff there took me under their wing and generously taught me so much about effective training strategies! They helped elevate my basic knowledge of training techniques to a level I didn’t even know I was truly capable of reaching. The board and train program presented me with a remarkable opportunity to train dogs of all different shapes and sizes. I worked with everything from tiny fluffy pups and playful, feisty Shiba Inus to gigantic Great Danes and just about everything else in between. Witnessing the amazing transformations these dogs would go through in a mere 3 to 5 weeks was nothing short of mind-blowing. I will never be able to express enough gratitude to the team for the invaluable skills they taught me. Working closely with these dogs truly opened my eyes to the profound power and importance of helping others and their dogs lead more fulfilling and harmonious lives together.

And that ultimately led me here! I decided to establish Reliable K9 Solutions to do exactly that! My mission is to help those around me build a deeper and more meaningful connection with their beloved dogs, better understand how to effectively communicate with them, and ultimately, to live more fulfilling and joyful lives together. You can count on us to provide your dog with a safe, comfortable, and compassionate training environment where they can learn and thrive.