I am certified with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). If some may have noticed, my name in my signature is often followed by CPDT-KA, which stands for Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed. So what is the significance of that? Earning my CPDT-KA means I have put in the hours, have taken an exam to prove that I understand the fundamentals of instructional skills, learning theory, ethology, equipment, animal husbandry, adhere to a code of ethics, as well as committing to continuing education.

Studies involved in dog training are ever-changing. Making sure that I am up to date on the latest scientific research on canine cognition is not only essential to continuing to grow as a trainer, but my certification holds me accountable for staying up to date. (Not that I need much incentive, since I enjoy learning more about canines.) I am also a Supporting Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), a Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), as well as an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and STAR Puppy Evaluator.

I am in agreeance with trainer Denise Fenzi when she says “train the dog in front of you”. We all have different motivators, so we can’t really expect that dogs are able to fit in a cookie-cut training curriculum. As many of my current and past clients can tell you, I firmly believe that “rewarding for good choices” can significantly decrease unwanted behaviors. Dogs do what works. In the end, I follow the LIMA model of training, which stands for Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive. This means that I approach training each dog as humanely as possible, keeping into account that each dog differs in what they find rewarding and what they find aversive. An extremely fearful dog could find verbal praise aversive if engagement with people is scary for them. A demanding dog can raised voices rewarding if they enjoy engagement.

Aside from learning to understand the dog’s personality, I understand that setting boundaries is key and boundaries include communicating not just what isn’t appropriate, but what is. If we want a behavior to stop, we have to be fair to communicate what behavior we’d prefer to see instead.

When it comes to dogs that face behavioral challenges, such as fear of walking around the city, I also work with what comes natural to them. Dogs have instinctual ways of working through pressuring situations. Oftentimes, in the face of stressors, they are so tapped into the fight-or-flight part of their brain that the thinking part stops working. I encourage them to practice innate behaviors that assist with self-soothing when they become distressed. The more we are able to bring their brain back to a state where they can use executive function, the farther we’ll go!

I find treats to be a great reinforcement when teaching new behaviors, working in challenging environments, or working to change emotional responses. Treats should never be a bribe. They are a reward.

The behavior or correct step towards a behavior is what earns the treat. Is that the only way to reward a dog? Absolutely not! What gets you up and going in the morning? Is it the paycheck you get from work? Is it the chance to socialize with your friends? Maybe it’s just looking forward to watching your favorite show. There are so many different options to reward a dog. Some dogs don’t care for treats at all. So what do we do? Well, we find out what else motivates them. Tyrael enjoys his treats, but he will do just about anything for a game of tug or a scratch on the head. He will even start helicoptering his tail if you so much as smile at him. These are all rewards for him!

We just need to know how we can incorporate what your dog finds desirable into what we’re asking of them.

I specialize in fearful and/or reactive dog cases, particularly dogs that have recently moved into the city and are having a hard time acclimating. I also am very experienced with puppy development, including dealing with difficult adolescent behaviors. Having a lot of experience in working with dogs acclimating to the city, I am able to help new puppy owners with guiding their puppies down the right path to becoming well-rounded city dogs.

With the pandemic, many dogs have found their ways into new homes. As we are finding our way back to a new sense of normalcy, dog owners are now facing new challenges that I have been helping many adjust to, whether that is separation anxiety or needing to improve social skills with other dogs or people.

Tyrael was trained as my service dog that I trained him myself. Though he is now retired, his previous job was to be a mobility and psychiatric service dog. Newt will be his hopeful successor and take over the tasks that Tyrael has been trained for. Training your own service dog is a lot of work. It also has a low percentage of success, since so many factors can deem a dog not suitable for service work. I am able to assist with teaching their foundation and can assess your dog for appropriateness for public access, but I am not as experienced in certain task training, such as diabetic or seizure alert or guide work. I am more than happy to help you find the right trainer to help with those skills. Just ask!

NOTE: As a person with physical and psychiatric disabilities, I absolutely will not assist in training the bare minimum in order for an owner to take advantage of privileges that are normal reserved for legitimate working dog teams. Public access for real service dogs has become more and more challenging as pets dogs are donned with vests and exhibit behavioral issues when out and about. Please do not be a part of the problem!

Currently, my only offered services are private in-person and virtual lessons. I may offer very limited board and trains in the future, but for now my main focus is being able to devote my time to clients seeking help one-on-one.

My service area is within an hour’s drive from zip code 46205. If you are unsure whether you fall within my normal service area, please reach out before purchasing a lesson package to verify. If you are out of my range, I am more than happy to help you find the right trainer in your area!

Working with a dog trainer is a lot like hiring a personal trainer to help you get in shape. Progress is reliant on commitment from both client and trainer. A personal trainer can show you what exercises work best for your goals, but if you aren’t able to follow through with the training plan and do not make any changes to your daily habits, reaching your fitness goals will not happen. I provide training notes and am available for guidance in between our sessions. The resources are there and I can guarantee that I will be there for you and your dog to the best of my abilities, but success in your training is not a one-way street. I will always be honest with you on what needs to happen in order to achieve the results you are looking for.

My refund policy, as stated in my terms, is as follows:

“Private training sessions are refundable up to 48 hours before the first scheduled appointment. Private training appointments and packages are not refundable, in whole or in part, after this 48 hour window has passed. For Alumni Monthly Check-in subscriptions, any unscheduled lessons will remain on the Client's account and can be used at a future date after they have cancelled their subscription, but are non-refundable.”

When purchasing a package, be aware that my schedule books up very quickly, which is why I tell all clients to schedule all of their sessions ahead of time to save their spots. We will work with any reschedules as best we can. My lesson days run from Sunday to Thursday, starting at 12PM and the last one starting at 6PM. If your schedule can be unpredictable, I recommend reaching out to discuss if these hours and availability work for you before committing to a package. If you are moving out of state, we can work with you on transferring your remaining lessons to someone else or switching in-person lessons to virtual and either refunding the difference or receiving an added 30 minutes of virtual training to your package.

If you feel you’re ready to take the next step towards learning to better understand your dog, click on the services tab to choose a package, fill out your information, and schedule your first session. If you don’t see a time that works with your schedule, don’t hesitate to reach out as I can add you to a wait list for the earliest opening that works for you. If you’re still on the fence with which package works best for you, reach out to discuss training goals and whether starting with a single session might be the best first step. I look forward to meeting you and your pup!