About

Grumpy K9s is run by me, Peter Wohlstadter. I am a long-time animal lover, veteran, and new father. I grew up with Greater Swiss Mountain dogs, and these days have Australian Shepherds (plus a mutt my wife rescued). I named my company after my grandfather, who is affectionally called “Grumpy” by my siblings and me. He loves dogs more than anyone else and filled my childhood with silly stories of the hound companions he had had over the years.

Grumpy K9s’ Vision

We all love our dogs. But we are a different species from them, and sometimes, it takes a little bit of effort and education to be able to properly understand and work with them. Through my schooling in mammal training (which focused on dogs) plus additional training courses, I have learned about properly reading dog signs as well as how to best communicate back to them in all sorts of situations with various end goals. This knowledge and its application can help us not only get our dogs to come when needed, sit when we ask, etc. but also can help us get them to do some incredible things.

Most importantly, I believe in “Empathy over Ego” (I didn’t coin this phrase but have learned it from others in the field). To me, this means setting aside our own emotions and predetermined opinions and ideas in favor of focusing on what is best for our dogs. This was a key part of my journey in growing as a responsible dog parent and learning how to properly train them.

My Story

Present Day: I help my clients and their dogs through Grumpy K9s while competing with my dogs.
2026: We brought our fourth dog (third Aussie) home. June Carter Cash, or as we call her “June”.
2025: I started dog training school at the Academy of Pet Careers and competed Johnny Cash (my first dog) for the first time. I also became a father to a little boy!
2023: I completed my service and left Navy. I began working as a bartender in both restaurant and event settings. In these positions, I have heard a million stories and have strengthened my ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
2023: We got our third dog, a second Aussie. We named him Willie Nelson, and he goes by “Nelson”.
2022: I met my now-wife and her dog, a rescued mutt named Ruby; our first date was at a dog park bar called Bar K.
2020: At the age of 20, I got my first dog, an Australian Shepherd named Johnny Cash (we call him “Cash”).
2018: I graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis, Missouri and joined the Navy where I served as a Corpsman.

My Dogs’ Stories

Our Rescue

Ruby, our rescue, came to us in the beginning of 2022. She was sweet, though skittish of many things, especially of men. Over time she has healed, as she gained confidence and experienced new things with our support to fall back on (including continual positive interactions with me and other guys she has come to know and trust).

Our Aussies

Nelson (left), Cash (middle), and June (right) are our “hearty crew”. We have got them all from the wonderful Horn Herder Aussies farm, and Nelson and Cash are actually half-brothers! They all emulate the amazing traits of Aussies: they’re loyal, loving, and hardworking.

Horn Herder Aussies