Meet George
Edge K9’s Owner / Trainer
About George Cumberledge
George was born and raised in Loudoun County where he still resides, raises his family with his wife Erin, and operates Edge K9 Services. George recognized his passion for teaching and serving others in his teens when he started coaching youth soccer while in high school. This led him to pursue and receive national level coaching licenses while successfully coaching at the club, high school, and semi-pro levels. After high school George continued coaching while attending college and working full-time. While pursuing a career in teaching George found his calling in law enforcement.
During his career George continued his pursuit as a coach, teacher, and servant. He became a certified law enforcement instructor through Virginia, going on to teach various topics within law enforcement and partnering with colleagues to develop a highly successful programs which better prepared officers for their every day challenges on the job. George is approaching two decades in law enforcement during which he
has had the privilege of serving in various capacities within law enforcement including corrections, patrol, community policing, tactical operations, recruiting, and supervision. George has been a supervisor in various aspects of the field and currently serves as a command staff member of his community’s police department.
While George has been a lifelong educator, he also remains a lifelong student. He regularly pursues training opportunities to improve his abilities as a public servant and leader. In 2013 George went back to school while while working full time and coaching his kids, to finish his bachelor’s degree, graduating Suma Cum Laude in 2016. His pursuit of continuous education carries over to his passion as a dog trainer. George continues to learn, study, and apply methods to improve his craft as a dog trainer with the intention of providing the Edge K9 pack the best possible results. He believes all of his experiences and beliefs are what make Edge K9 a different experience for people and dogs.
“We build confident dogs and train owners through clear communication.”
Our Philosophy.
Edge K9 believes the most important aspect of dog training is the relationship between the person and the dog. Our pursuit of improving relationships through a balance of exercise, training, and affection sets us apart. Our system is a blended cross of multiple methods, developed through years of studying dogs and studying the successful systems of the best in the industry. Our balanced training system provides you and your dog the best opportunity for the relationship and life you desire.
Our Methodology.
Our balanced training system combines operant and classical conditioning with marker training (clicker). Although any “marker” could work, we believe in the use of clickers due to their precision and distinctness. Edge K9 believes the clear communication of a clicker paired with proper use of positive and negative reinforcement creates an environment where a dog learns to control their environment, while guided by their owner.
As training progresses we increase duration, distraction, and distance to insure the dog truly understands what is asked of them and they can control their impulses. This creates a dog who is ready to face the world, have a relationship with you the owner, and be a part of everyday life. This is important to Edge K9 because we believe people get dogs to enjoy life with them, not just say they own a dog.