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Ridgeside K9 is a veteran-owned business. Our company brings realism to the pet dog training world that is unmatched in the industry. Prior to coming to Ridgeside K9 as a location owner or trainer, individuals must already be heavily established in the dog training world with hundreds of dogs under their belt. Ridgeside K9 employs numerous active and retired police K9 trainers and military veterans that now specialize in obedience and control on household pets. Ridgeside K9 believes there is no “one size fits all” approach to dog training. Each dog and owner are evaluated for issues and their personal goals. Every training package is customized to meet your goals and your dog’s training threshold. We use a mix of marker training, free shaping, and classical and operant conditioning to establish real-world, measurable, and reliable obedience and control. We always push for clarity of task and understanding, communication is the key to success. Showing both dog and owner a new way!
The mission statement of Ridgeside K9 is “providing veterans and prior LEO with employment and entrepreneur opportunities.” While Ridgeside K9 employs many disabled veterans, veterans, and prior police officers we also employ anyone who is an ally.
Aaron Taylor (owner of Ridgeside K9, LLC) served six years in the Marine Corps in both Infantry and Diplomatic Security. Aaron is rated as a 100% combat-disabled veteran, thus Ridgeside K9 is truly a disabled veteran-owned business. He transitioned from the Marine Corps directly into Law Enforcement in the Northern Virginia region where he served for 15 years with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Aaron started in patrol and quickly moved into specialty units with community policing, narcotics, full-time SWAT, Patrol K9, and SWAT K9. During his tenure in law enforcement, Aaron went back to school full-time at night and earned a bachelor’s degree in Security Studies and the Science of Policing from George Washington University.
In 2013, Aaron began converting his hobby and a lifelong passion for dog training into a small side business, all through word of mouth. He made it official and started Ridgeside K9 while still working as a patrol K9 on the midnight shift in 2016. Ridgeside K9 started as a small, family-based operation focusing on the rehabilitation of dogs with behavior problems. Ridgeside K9 literally started with one wire crate. From August 2016 to August 2018, Aaron continued working the midnight shift as a patrol K9 while running the business. In 2018, the business reached a tipping point and Aaron retired from the LCSO with a combined 21 years of service.
Have a vision. Keep it quiet. Plan. And then hit the gas... Keep the real ones close, grow your team, change some lives, call it a day, and roll on ...
Aaron Taylor
Ridgeside K9 LLC - Owner
Ridgeside K9 is now represented in 7 states with 12 locations and hundreds of combined employees. Ridgeside K9 grew expeditiously in the DC metro area during 2016 and 2017 due to word of mouth. Within 18 months, Ridgeside K9 grew to dog boarding, overnight board and training, dog sales, service dogs, protection dogs, private lessons, and coast-to-coast transports. Within two years Ridgeside K9 bypassed its 20-year goal of growth and revenue. All locations are owned by Military Veterans and Police K9 Handlers. As of 2022, five locations are owned by a 100% disabled veteran.
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