Amelia Airedale came to me at six months old a total mess. She lived outside in a kennel with her parents her entire life. She never went inside the house. She never ventured outside the yard. She knew nothing. Not a doggone thing. Housetraining, leash walking, and basic requests (like sit, down, and stay) were all completely foreign to her.

The more I worked to solve Amelia’s problems so that she could function in the world, the more I learned about:

  • Dog behavior
  • Dog training
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Socialization
  • Learning theory
  • Behavior modification
  • Classical conditioning
  • Operant conditioning

I knew in my heart that I could never punish my dog into being good and looked for a better way. So, I harnessed the tools of positive reinforcement to change how Amelia understood her world and my expectations.

That was some 25 years ago. To make a long story short, I made a career of it.

Today, I love:

  • Helping dogs and their people learn to communicate and minimize frustration and “bad” behavior – on both ends of the leash.
  • Watching dogs improve their life skills and emotional well-being.
  • Seeing families uncover the dog they want, hidden inside the dog they have.

Dog Training & Continuing Education

Dog training is an ever-evolving field, with new discoveries and applications coming from around the globe. Staying on top of the best research and methods remains a cornerstone of my career.

My Continuing Education Includes:

  1. Being a longtime member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
  2. Attending the annual APDT conference, where I’ve learned from top professionals including:
    Jean Donaldson
    Patricia McConnell
    Ian Dunbar
    Turid Rugaas
    Pat Miller
    Karen Pryor 
  3. and others
  4. Staying current on the literature through books and magazines
  5. Taking additional seminars via DVD
  6. Training in agility with my dogs