about ank9
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it.
What we do
At Advanced Nature K9 I believe in being as soft as possible and as firm as necessary. as owners we spend an infinite amount of time thinking about what our dogs are thinking and feeling, humanizing them, without knowing a thing about actual dog behavior. I have found through experience with hundreds of dogs that the number one barrier between a trusting and harmonious relationship between dog and owner is lack of understanding and clear communication. My ultimate goal with every client and dog i work with is to find a training style that is appropriate for you and your dog to provide long term success and a more enjoyable life. Training dogs is the easy part, getting owners to understand the why and how of dog behavior, the consistency it requires to have a great relationship with your dog and what that means is the hard part. To ensure a healthy relationship between you and your pup, I focus on making sure every client is fully comprehending the why and how of the way I train and its relation to building bond and trust.
rehabilitating the trust your dog has in you and making sure the relationship between you two looks and feels how you imagined is the primary goal. A relationship born of confidence, boundaries, love, and leadership that lasts a lifetime.
what our methods are
simply put The training methods I use are whatever combination of styles works best for the client and dog in front of me. balanced training is humane and effective and gives me the ability to work with and rehabilitate dogs of all backgrounds and behavior. Because balanced training includes a wide variety of training techniques such aversive communication (meaning your dog will be told no), scientific methods, marker training and positive reinforcement, I’m able to assess which method or methods combined will make the most sense for you and your dog.
any and all combinations of which form of training i use are designed to be as effective AS THEY ARE safe and gentle on your dog. We use prong collars and E-collars only if THEY seem like the toolS that work well for you and your dog and only once it’s clear the relationship with you and your dog is strong as well as the dog comprehending exactly what you are asking of them.
USE OF TOOLS ARE TO help provide clear communication, manage boundaries, and bring your dog to a more confident and secure state of mind. I will work with you to find the best method for your dog as I believe that every dog is an individual with different needs and will tailor all dog’s training programs accordingly. I am always here to answer any questions or concerns clients may have!
MISSION
ANK9 is focused on changing the societal norm of dog ownership one dog and owner at a time. The current normal is getting a dog for cuddles and essentially a living breathing accessory to our home. Unfortunately, the current normal is also dogs suffering from general lack of fulfillment and purpose that leads to displaying extremely undesirable behaviors from zero structure or sense of security in themselves or in their owners. Dogs are so much more and are capable of so much more. Bridging the gap of relationship and understanding of dog behavior between owners and their pups is paramount.
Helping owners learn how to put their dogs needs first and give their dog the opportunity to have a big life IS what we’re all about! Consistently prioritizing your bond with your dog, your dog’s behavior, and their breed fulfillment will do just that and doesn’t have be a daunting task. No matter age, size, or breed, I’m here to tailor a program that works for you and help you learn more and reach both your potentials. Speaking from experience, I believe deeply that through great leadership every dog no matter their background or behavior, has the capabilities to be more do more and have a fulfilling enjoyable life. There is no deeper satisfaction than watching a person move past the threshold that was keeping them from really connecting with their dog and seeing the two strengthen their bond and have bigger lives.
CHANGING THE MEANING OF DOG OWNERSHIP ONE DOG AND OWNER AT A TIME
Meet the owner
My name is nattalia acosta, ORIGINALLY FROM rhode island, I MOVED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 7 YEARS AGO and I started Advanced Nature K9 because of my deep connection and love for dogs, as well as their often untapped potential. For the majority of my life I have been around dogs and always felt there was more going on behind their eyes than we thought. I remember one of my first confirmations of this theory about dogs being able to truly see who we are and what we’re about was at 9 years old. My aunts pit-bull Terrier, who everyone was relatively afraid of because of her unpredictability with jumping on people and intense high energy, had gotten out of the yard and into the neighborhood when my aunt wasn’t home. MY older cousins were too nervous to grab her or chase her because of her frantic behavior and little me, at 9 years old and barefoot, walked down the hill into the neighbors yard, stood firm and called her until she came close then grabbed her collar and walked a dog as big as i was, back up the hill and into the backyard. I wasn’t nervous, She didn’t snap, she didn’t protest and she didn’t hesitate to have me lead her back.
that experience of being able to handle a dog that everyone was afraid of wondering why she trusted me to lead her at such a young age never left me and sparked my interest into dogs and how they think. I worked in a few different industries into adulthood but always felt called back to dogs and helping people work with their dogs. close to 7 years ago I decided to really dive in and have been lucky enough to have friends, family, and eventually clients trust me to work with hundreds of dogs over the years. I share the story of my aunts dog because it’s clear she was just deeply misunderstood, unfulfilled, and waiting for someone she can trust to lead her. in the few years i’ve been professionally training, I have found that a few of the hardest concepts to teach clients with their dogs are confidence, clarity and leadership. With dogs, you say a lot by not saying anything at all. when you’re young you’re not as in your head about anything, the voice that comes later in adulthood that tells you to second guess yourself is almost nonexistent in adolesence. dogs are instinctual creatures and they know if you trust yourself or not, I want to help people trust themselves and feel secure so in turn they can put their dogs first and be the leader their dogs are desperately searching for.
Through my journey with my personal dogs, ara and kade, i feel uniquely positioned to relate to clients who also have dogs with deeply ingrained behavioral issues. I wasn’t either of my dogs first owner and i got both of them after they were already 1 - 1.5 years old. both coming with their own set of issues that needed to be managed and rehabilitated.
ara was a dog that was set to be euthanized because of A bite history and kade was a dog that was never properly socialized so had severe social anxiety which presented as reactivity and impulse control issues. in short one of my dogs was great inside but not great with dogs or being comfortable outside and one of my dogs was great outside but not great with people or comfortable inside. It took consistency and patience, and neither are perfect, but both are completely manageable, obedient, and have a great relationship with me. Rehabilitating their minds and trust in me has required me to practice what i preach daily. Show up better, be better, put their needs ahead of my wants and improve my skill as a handler every day. Everything I have my clients do, every method, EVERY TOOL, every practice, I have done AND have to continue doing with my own two dogs TO GIVE THEM GREAT LIVES! Enjoying your time, being proud of your skill and your relationship with your dogs is what it’s all about.
