Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Lloyd. They and their team shared their story with us below:
The story of American K9 Dynamics is one of perseverance, patriotism, family, God, and country. It all began in 2008 while stationed in the battle-stricken country of Afghanistan. Travis Lloyd worked as a government contractor in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Resolute Support where he assisted with numerous missions within a combat theater. While in this role, Travis was recognized with awards and promotions for his achievements. He was a go-getter and superstar in his own right. Over time and events in the war zone, the deployment began to take its toll. Realizing something was changing and no longer functioning at a level fit for duty, he reluctantly demobilized and left the battle behind…or so he thought. Travis was sent to Germany where he was met by his mother and two brothers; his older brother was in the U.S. Air Force; together, they escorted Travis back to the USA to receive medical care. Our business, American K9 Dynamics, was established to help Travis find a new purpose in life; and is based on his love of dogs and their service to him and others.
Travis deployed to Afghanistan as a government contractor in 2008 and stayed until 2016. As with many deployments to a war zone, most individuals return home with residual trauma. Travis was no different and came back with severe PTSD. Returning to America after 8 years enduring the stressors of Afghanistan, he was different than the young man who excitedly deployed to support the mission. He struggled with simple daily activities. He found it difficult to communicate with people, even friends and family. Our family rallied around him and helped him through nearly 2 years of medical appointments and recovery. He found comfort and emotional support with his dog,
After a couple years of being “lost” – he decided to attend an elite dog training school for several months.
As he was formulating the AK9D business, he drove to clients’ homes to train their dogs. He also used his mom’s empty, under-renovation home as his headquarters and training center! Eventually, he purchased 7 acres in the country. He used his savings to convert an old horse stable into a state-of-the-art training center with 10 indoor/outdoor kennels; American K9 Dynamics was officially established in 2021.
AK9D is a Veteran owned family business. Travis’s mother own and manages the business, bringing a professional acumen with her military background to this team of talented trainers. “I believed in my son and saw the potential for the business and the amazing work he was doing with dogs. Most importantly, working with dogs was helping him heal. Travis is a Certified Master Dog Trainer. Other family members include David Gumm, cousin, and professionally Certified Dog Trainer, and Michael Finney, uncle and dog trainer.
My name is Lorrie Lloyd; I am a veteran and a former soldier in the United States Army, and was married to a fellow soldier. After 8 years of active duty, I transitioned to the Civil Service as a federal employee for a combined 34 years of service to our great country. My three sons were born into military life and spent the majority of their formative years living abroad. I volunteered and served two tours, nearly 4 years, in Kabul with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2010, I was joined by all three of my sons in Afghanistan, Robert Lloyd (USAF), Travis Lloyd, and Justin Lloyd.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Change is difficult; however, nothing that’s great comes easy. It has been challenging…and rewarding. Travis receives ongoing therapy and continues to combat the daily effects of PTSD; every day gets better. As a close family, we try to be supportive and understanding as we continue to work through the challenges. Lorrie retired and moved from Wiesbaden, Germany to Ashtabula, Ohio. David offered to come from San Diego, CA, and Michael retired from the hotel industry in Las Vegas, NV to join the team. They specifically came to support Travis and our fledgling business.
AK9D is now established and growing. We have plans of expansion and adding more services, but still experience some growing pains, like all new businesses. We make improvements to the property and business as we can. We recently became members of our local Chamber of Commerce and are networking in the community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At American K9 Dynamics, it is our goal to make the world a better place for dogs by empowering their owners. Travis had an entrepreneurial spirit since he was a child, mowing lawns, cleaning and washing cars, summer hire positions in Germany as a young teen, working for the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv as a lifeguard, and later with the GSO logistics. As a young adult, he lived in Las Vegas and worked on the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge project over the Hoover Dam. He was recruited to work in Afghanistan – which brings us to this story.
Travis has extensive knowledge and is incredibly articulate when explaining dogs. He stresses that “every dog is unique and needs to be treated as such. You must be able to read the dog in front of you; the eyes, ears, tail, mouth, the way the dog breathes, the hair on its body all tell a story. Man and dog is a tale as old as time; dogs really do speak to us; we just have to listen with our hearts and our eyes. It’s a spiritual connection and a form of art to truly work with a dog. It is important to be a great dog trainer, but we must also teach people on how to communicate and cohabitate with their dogs in harmony. The most rewarding part of the work we do is when we see owners begin to understand and handle their dog fluidly. The lights come on!”
Training companion animals and educating dog owners is and always will be our primary focus at American K9 Dynamics.
Travis especially enjoys the Mondioring Protection Sport, competitive obedience, raising and training working dogs and working with Law Enforcement and Police K9.
We donate to and support several non-profit organizations to include Warrior Dog Foundation, Project K9 Hero, and K9 Heroes for Heroes, where Travis is the head trainer and Behavioral Consultant. K9 Heroes for Heroes supports military veterans and first responders with obtaining service dogs. These are excellent organizations which we proudly support and encourage others to do the same. We gladly offer a 10 percent discount to military, medical, and first responders.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
“I was in born in Yokosuka, Japan to military parents and raised mostly abroad on military bases in Japan, Germany, Israel, and England. I was an avid wrestler and competitive swimmer from elementary through high school. I also enjoyed hanging out with my two brothers skateboarding, and traveling. My brothers and I built forts, swam in our pond, fished, and played in the woods while living at Fort Jackson, SC. My involvement with sports, Boy Scouts, and Christian youth groups took me all over Europe. I was silly, funny, artistic, and liked rap and hip-hop music. I experienced my share of childhood mischief, but with a solid home life and Christian foundation, I survived – barely!!!
We had cats, guinea pigs, mice, rats, snakes, turtles, hedgehogs, ferrets, rabbits, lizards, gerbils, and birds. I was an animal lover since I was a child and was sensitive to animal needs; before I ever had a formal education, I was out adventuring and training my dog.”
Pricing:
- Our comprehensive pricing is below the national average.
- We have several package deals, from private lessons to board and train.
- Discounts for military, law enforcement, and first responders.
- We offer individualized training and pricing to fit specific needs of our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: ak9dogtraining.org
- Instagram: @ak9d_dogtraining
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/americank9dynamics/
