The Thinking K9, LLC

The Thinking K9 offers mandatory foundation classes for all new clients: Elite Puppy (2-5 months), Puppy University (5-9 months), and Core Manners (9+ months). These programs are designed with cutting-edge behavioral science to build clarity, resilience, and control. Each foundation class includes a mandatory orientation (no dogs) followed by weekly sessions with dogs.

Beyond foundation, advanced obedience classes include Rally Courses, Canine Good Citizen, WildCard, and Advanced Obedience, with prerequisites like Core Manners. Dog sports classes offered are Trick Dog, Ninja Doggo, K9 Detection, and Rally FrEe. Private training is available but restricted to current class participants. All classes feature small sizes (4-8 dogs), weekly newsletters, free full-length books, class photo albums, practice guides, certificates, and ribbons.

Pricing Summary

Core Manners class tuition is $349. Elite Puppy and Puppy University classes are $319 each. Participants in Elite Puppy receive a discount on Puppy University, and Puppy University participants receive a discount on Core Manners.

Policies

A maximum of two handlers per dog are allowed in the facility. The main handler must be 18+, the dog’s owner, attend orientation and week 2, and remain the same throughout the course. Secondary handlers must be household members, can change, and can handle a dog in class with the main handler (minimum age 6 for puppy classes, 16 for Core Manners).

Due to current caseload, the business is not accepting cases involving aggression, serious reactivity, or serious separation anxiety at this time. Email responses may take a minimum of one week, and phone calls are not currently accepted. Training-specific questions require a consultation for accurate assessment.

The Thinking K9, LLC is a dog training business founded by Barbara, who made dog training her career in 2014 after a lifelong passion for dogs, sparked by her family’s Doberman saving her life as an infant. The business aims to give back to animals by helping humans understand and communicate with their dogs.

The training philosophy goes beyond traditional “obedience” to “Behavior Modification,” using techniques rooted in psychology, neurobiology, ethology, and applied behavior analysis. Barbara’s methods are strongly founded in reward-based training and canine motivation, believing that positive methods foster a dog’s true desire to learn. While primarily positive, she adapts techniques on a case-by-case basis to best suit the individual dog and owner.

The Thinking K9 promotes responsible dog ownership and actively contributes to the community through educational presentations, instructing classes, and supporting animal shelters and K9 units. The facility is described as state-of-the-art with abundant equipment, offering non-intimidating and motivational classes in small sizes for individualized attention. They specialize in helping dogs overcome crippling fear and anxiety, aiming to prevent dogs from ending up in shelters and supporting those who have endured trauma.

Accomplishments

Barbara, the owner and head trainer, has been training dogs since the 1980s and made it her career in 2014. She began showing dogs in obedience at age 9, earning a championship with her Sheltie. She has since titled dogs in Obedience, Rally Obedience, Barn Hunt, and Trick Dog.

Barbara attended the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers in Santa Rosa, California, for four years, earning numerous certificates in areas from Obedience to Police K9 Training. She has also studied directly under notable figures in the field, including Dr. Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell PH.D, and Dave Kroyer. The Thinking K9 has been voted Rock County’s #1 Dog Trainer and is veterinarian recommended. Barbara’s service dog, Batman, achieved First Place in a 5k race and earned numerous perfect scores in trials, with 70% being first-place wins.

How to Get Started!

New clients must begin with a foundation class based on their dog’s age: Elite Puppy (2-5 months), Puppy University (5-8 months), or Core Manners (over 9 months). These classes are mandatory regardless of prior training. If a dog may not fit a class setting, or if clients are unsure where to start, scheduling a consultation is recommended as the quickest way to get help. Consultations include a facility tour, dog assessment, program outline, immediate training techniques, a long-term training plan, and answers to inquiries.