Dixon dog trainer pairs pups with veterans, first responders battling depression

DIXON – A Sauk Valley man is volunteering his time to help veterans and first responders who are battling depression.

Dylan Blackburn of Dixon owns DK9services, a company specializing in obedience training and behavior modification for dogs. For the past several years, he has volunteered his expertise to the Pups for Veterans program – an initiative pairing rescue dogs with veterans and first responders for free. The program is run by 22Mohawks, a nonprofit organization based in Sharon, Massachusetts, dedicated to preventing suicide among veterans and first responders.

22Mohawks CEO Stacey Ann said that Pups for Veterans has paired 179 companion dogs with veterans and first responders nationwide since its inception in September 2021.

“Our whole thing is suicide prevention,” Ann said. “Dogs have been proven to help with suicidal ideation and suicide prevention.”

Each dog placed through the program receives training up to the Canine Good Citizen level, a nationally recognized program through the American Kennel Club.

CGC training focuses on 10 skills and behaviors promoting good pet ownership and dog behavior using everyday scenarios, such as walking through a crowd and interacting with other dogs. The training ensures that the dogs are well behaved and capable of adapting to the daily lives of their new owners.

Ann said Blackburn’s training expertise has been a big help to the program.

“Although Dylan is not a veteran or a first responder, he’s a true example of being a part of a mission and giving back,” Ann said. “Dylan’s given us a lot of his time volunteering to help set up dog pairings. He’s trained numerous dogs in Illinois for us, and he’s driven to other states to get dogs for us. He’s a great piece of our program.”

Blackburn found that he had a natural talent for working with dogs at an early age. He started studying different dog obedience training techniques and attending workshops and seminars before working with other people’s dogs. After a while, people suggested that he make it a career, leading to the creation of DK9services in 2023.

“Although I work with everything from pet dogs to therapy and service dogs, I specialize in aggressive dogs,” Blackburn said. “I work with a lot of dogs that other trainers won’t, teaching them basic and advanced obedience techniques, reactivity training, leash training and more.”

Blackburn works with all dog breeds as early as 6 weeks old and said it is never too late to correct a behavior. Although he does some group training, he specializes in private, in-home training, where he tailors each session to the owner’s concerns and the dog’s unique needs.

“I’m a valence trainer,” Blackburn said. “I use anything from slip leads to a clicker. I use a lot of reward- and food-based training. I like the dog to figure out that your good behavior gets you paid, but your bad behavior gets you a gentle correction. You need to treat the dog like you’re a teammate and not a dictator.”

For more information on Blackburn’s services, visit dk9services.com or call 815-677-7494.

Veterans or first responders interested in being paired with a dog can visit 22mohawks.com, fill out an application and schedule a Zoom meeting with the group’s team. They also can call Ann at 774-273-3296.