Life & Work with Flem Peacher

Today we’d like to introduce you to Flem Peacher.  

Hi Flem, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers
K-9 Safety Consultants was birthed through a tragic event involving my father and a dog who nearly mauled him to death. At the age of 13, my father was walking down the street, and a neighbor’s dog broke loose and attacked him. It left him almost dead. That incident traumatized my father so badly that he didn’t want to have anything to do with dogs again. It was my grandfather’s theory that if you wanted to overcome your fears, you had to face them head-on. As a result, my dog got a puppy and learned that not all dogs are the same. The rest is history, and hence you have K-9 Safety Consultants today. Being raised by parents whose occupation was professional dog training, our paths aligning with that was inevitable. My sister and I started at the early age of 4 and 5 years old. Most babies are handed a bottle; our parents handed us a leash. lol! Our father took out the time to develop us as master trainers through a series of challenging dogs with behavioral issues. By the time we were 11 and 12 years old, we were certified as expert dog trainers. Fast forward 25 years, and as my father’s health began to deteriorate, unfortunately, the reigns was turned over to my sister and me. I am the 2nd generation owner of K-9 Safety Consultants. There have been many challenges and many accomplishments along the road, but we stand tall an the legacy left behind. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
This road definitely has not been smooth. When my dad’s health declined, K-9 initially closed. It wasn’t the proper timing for me to take over the reigns. I had some maturing to do in order that I could successfully stand in place of my father. Once resurrected, I had the challenge of starting from the bottom. As my father did as his start, I also had to go door to door for clients. Although we are considered a household brand, the closure caused people who once knew about us to seek professional dog training elsewhere. While going door to door, I maintained full-time employment to provide for my family until I could financially get K-9 where it needed to be to support itself and my family. We went from the homes of clients to public parks, to renting out spaces in churches, to finally a place where we can call home. When have had our facility, no shared space for the past 2 years. We absolutely love this space, but we don’t regret any of our previous spots that led us to where we are today. 

Another struggle that I deal with to this day is the absence of both my mother and father. My father died in December 2018 during a very rough time in business because it was literally the same day our lease in a shared space ended, and we had absolutely nowhere to go. So, as we were dealing with the anxiety of having clients but nowhere to house them, we were grieving my father’s death. Dad was pleased to see my sister and I walking in his shoes, but unfortunately, he never made it to see K-9’s home. After my father passed, we had the great pleasure of continuing this walk alongside our mother. She played a very vital role in the company. She was able to impart wisdom on us for situations that my dad and her experienced previously. It was a joy to have her with us and every client loved and adored her. Her untimely death happened in December of 2021. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
K-9 Safety Consultants is a professional dog training school. We specialize in all phases of obedience training for all dogs. As long as your dog is healthy, we can train obedience train your dog. We are known for obedience training but also help transform the lives of handlers who have dogs with behavioral challenges. 

I am most proud of continuing the legacy my parents set before me. The Bible speaks of leaving your kids an inheritance. We do what we do not only to change the lives of dogs but also to leave an inheritance for our kids and their kids and their kids too. 

What sets us apart from others is our professionalism. We pride ourselves on creating a professional environment for the clients where we treat you with the upmost respect and like family. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The quality that I think is most important to our success is professionalism. We pride on ourselves in being professionals. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.k9safetytraining.com
• Instagram: K9safety_consultants
• Facebook: K-9 Safety Consultants

Image Credits
Micheal Hatton