Kahuna’s K9s’ Core Values
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Deliver service we would want to receive.
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Be kind to animals. Be kind to people.
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Be zealous, dynamic and spunky.
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Never stop learning. Never stop growing.
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Build relationships with the community, for the community.
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Create an atmosphere in which dogs and people want to learn.
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Be silly. Be different. Be ourselves.
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Be committed and determined.
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Strengthen the relationship between dog and owner.
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Be honest.
Eryka Kahunanui is a USAF veteran with over ten years of dog training experience.
She is a graduate of the prestigious Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior, a Karen Pyor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), and an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer. (ABCDT) and has most recently become an Operation Socialization Certified Trainer (OSCT).
Eryka is a certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator for the American Kennel Club (Evaluator #63029) and a certified presenter/instructor for Dog Gone Safe, teaching bite prevention to children.
Memberships:
Association for Pet Dog Trainers (APDT Member #75695)
Truly Dog Friendly
No Shock Collar Coalition
Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional, Positive Pet Trainers (MAAPPPT)
All are aimed at educating dog owners about more effective and humane means of training their four-legged friends!
Eryka, as you would expect from a trainer, loves her some dogs! What she loves more than dogs is teaching people how to teach their dogs! It’s her exciting and fun way of teaching that sets her apart from other trainers.
“My favorite part of the job is seeing a person and their dog begin to understand each other. Dogs don’t stop listening to us because they’re stubborn or stupid. They stop listening because we don’t make sense. Once we start ‘making sense’ to them, they become locked on and in tune with us. When someone realizes they have a means to clearly communicate with their dog, I see their confidence shoot through the roof. It’s a wonderful feeling being that connected with your dog.”
In her spare time, Eryka is training her own two dogs featured throughout the site. Sarah Bean is a 10 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix and Bizzle Fo’ Shizzle is a 6 year old Pug/Beagle mix. Bizzle is a dog reactive dog, which requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It was Eryka’s search for a smarter way to train Bizzle that set her on the path to becoming a dog trainer. Read more about Eryka and her dogs in her blog.
