Bob Burkhead

Owner/Head Trainer

Dog trainers can come from many different backgrounds but we all have the same goal, to help people understand and bond with their dogs.

My training experience actually started in 2014 when Kato, the Doberman in the picture came into our lives. I started with basic obedience, house manners and of course potty training. I had spent a lot of hours training Kato on my own and going to several group classes in the meantime, from basic to intermediate all the way through advanced. Kato had earned his CGC and CGCA certificates.

Over the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to meet and work with other, more experienced trainers. It wasn’t until early in 2016 that a trainer named Valerie, had told me that I had a natural way of training dogs and that I should put my skills to work for other owners who are in need of help. That is when my passion for training started to grow. With the support from my wife LaRae, family, and friends, I started Precision K9 Training. The knowledge and advice that I had received from the trainers, especially Valerie, has been invaluable to me in running my own business.

I have had several jobs through the years but none have been more rewarding than training dogs and owners on how to communicate with each other and watch their bond grow stronger and stronger.

It is a great feeling when you have a client who goes from being frustrated with and even angry at their dog to beaming proudly as they show off all the new skills you helped them teach their canine buddy. Sometimes all it takes is helping to teach their dog to offer an automatic sit to greet people so that he/she doesn’t jump on visitors. Sometimes it is more challenging, such as helping someone teach their dog to be able to rest calmly and quietly when they have guests over, or helping someone to better manage a dog with aggression issues. But, in every case the goal is the same; helping people help their dogs to live a better quality of life filled with much happiness.

Amanda Speaks
Certified Dog Trainer
I’ve read many books and blogs and watched all kinds of famous dog trainers on tv, but nothing is better than hands-on work with dogs and their owners. When training dogs, it is always important to figure out what works and what doesn’t. This means having a different approach depending on the dog and sometimes coming up with new strategies. I know many of you need someone who can think outside the box, and like me, need hands-on training. That is why I joined Bob’s team at Precision K9 Training; to help you, and do what I love.

Now I would love to take you back to my childhood years and tell you all about my experiences, such as: walking the dogs in my neighborhood for free, the many strays me and my twin took home and kept in our garage, or the story about what is was like bringing a Pitbull home at the age of 9, but I might as well save that for a book. To keep it simple, dogs have always been a part of my life. From raising them, showing them in 4h, volunteer work at shelters, working at vet clinics, even fostering dogs, or dog sitting. It is through all that, that I learned how going to school, and having a certification has nothing to do with being successful in this line of work. You have to know that it takes, dedication, proper communication skills, consistency, confidence, etc. which we are all capable of learning.

To sum things up, my journey with you and your beloved pets has certainly shown me that I have a purpose, a God given gift, and I am so excited to spend many more years training dogs and their human companions.

Ashley Lynch
I’ve always had a passion for dogs since a very young age. It wasn’t until my husband Jovan and I brought home our first German Shepherd puppy, Ava in 2016 that I realized how much I truly enjoyed dog training. From training her to stay in her own yard to off leash training in our local park.

We didn’t meet Bob & LaRae (Precision K9 Training) until Ava was 3 years old. We actually started with their free weekly pack walks where we worked on proper leash walking skills. That was the one thing we had struggled with in the past. I practiced those new skills with Ava, and then I started walking other dogs on my own, and soon after Precision K9 asked me to join their team, to walk dogs for them.

In 2019 Precision K9 was working with a German Shepherd from our local shelter in order to get him adopted, and give him a better chance at life. He was already a couple of years old and very nervous of humans. He was going to need an experienced and dedicated family specifically with another canine companion as he was more confident when around other canines. I will never forget the day I arrived to walk dogs and there he was, he looked so much like Ava. I didn’t think twice about adopting Apollo, I knew we could train him to be the very best dog he could be. We knew it would be much different than training a 9-week old puppy, but we were so excited for the challenge, we were excited to learn more, every dog is truly unique. We took a few training classes at Precision K9, some more than once. We started agility training, not to compete, but to build confidence, and build a great relationship between us.

In our free time these days you can find us hiking off leash, enjoying local dog friendly restaurants, agility, and dock diving. “A trained dog is always in training”. Ava has received her Star Puppy, Advanced Canine Good Citizen, and Expert Trick Dog title. Apollo has received his Advanced Canine Good Citizen, and Advance Trick Dog Title.

I am excited to strengthen my skills through Precision K9 Training. I want to be able to help others bond, and communicate with their dogs. Dog training can be very rewarding, I can’t wait to get to know you and your dog(s).

Pam Booras
I am very excited to be teaching Therapy Dog Prep classes with Precision K9 Training!

I have been training for years in all capacities but currently am focusing on the therapy dog aspect of dog training due to this simple fact, this type of training and team work has always been near and dear to my heart.

My beginning in TD work began in 1995. Since then, I have had 6 different therapy dogs, and certified for 3 different organizations that were nationally recognized. I currently certify through Alliance of Therapy Dogs. This organization asks a little more of its potential teams. It is a 3 tier process of testing that is evaluated during 3 different meetings and at 2 different venues.

I currently live with my TD Vera, a 4 year old German Shepherd, Theo, a 19 month old German Shepherd, hopefully a TD someday, the matriarch of the family retired TD Tillie, approximately 13 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and my husband, of course!

If you are interested in doing Therapy Dog work, consider taking the class!

For more information check out ATD website at therapydogs.com