FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Association of Pet Dog Trainers (ADPT): Professional Member CPDT - KA
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
Like most good trainers, I was "called into this position." It was something that actively sought me out throughout my life! My first dog was a puppy mill pup - with the AKC certifications and I thought that made the store - warning signs glaring - okay to by him from. Poor pup was in need of rescuing, stuck in a little glass cubicle! However, you all know the saying about supply and demand... If we don't demand such pups and rather rescue or go through ethical breeders... (I will come back to this in a bit.) Then puppy mills won't exist! He was a joy to train. It never struck me how easily training came to me until about a year later, when I began searching for my first Service Dog candidate. As the primary organization ADI was not accepting people with PTSD at the time - This was about 12+ years ago, when I found out that my disorder qualified me for a Service Dog I was ecstatic... There just wasn't supply and demand of the type of Service Dog I needed. I teamed up with a pioneer of the times Dr. Joan Ensenyara, who was starting an organization for people to train their own dogs, as well as researching the long term efficacy of the SDs or Psychiatric Service Dogs, PSDs effects on people with Depression, PTSD, Anxiety, Autism, etc. This was research that simply wasn't being done at the time. Now I wasn't aware of my capabilities to train dogs at the time; I'd just had the one successful training story with my own personal dog. However as a child, from the age of 5-6 I began riding horses and trained horses at the young age of 12 yrs old! So when I finally got my first Service Dog candidate; I employed a trainer who lived down the street from me and was an APDT member as I am. However, back in the day the criteria for being an APDT member were much more stringent. There was no such thing as a "Full membership" - which basically anybody who trains regardless of Certification status can achieve as long as they train even part-time, now-days. In the old days it was Certified or not... I'm currently awaiting my results from the CCDPT... Council of Certification Dog Pet Trainers - It is a stringent test to weed out those who say they are dog trainers, but perhaps have limited knowledge. Not to say all trainers must be certified through this particular organization, but it does help to have some accompanying Certifications these days to weed out the trainers you might spot at say a PetSmart or Petco vs. a true professional. Especially when behavior cases are involved. So I had my first real lesson at age 18 yrs. The trainer explained after seeing me for a follow-up lesson, that it would be unethical for her to take my monies any more because I had more than enough tools to train basic obedience and I was working on her resource guarding of bones at the time... basically I was told there was no more to teach me, about dog training. Unfortunately, this candidate did not have the temperament for Service Dog work, being a Dalmatian! LOL - She was way to protective of me and territorial as Dals tend to be. So I re-homed her with the boyfriend who adopted her with me. It ended up becoming his Emotional Support Animal from day one... she had all the training... She even gave hugs on command! My second dog who was a Service Dog candidate or SDit - Service Dog in training was a Soft Coated Wheaton... this was previous to my Skiing accident. She fetched everything under the sun, and would have been perfect had I not broken my back and needed a larger dog. She to went on to be an ESA. Not long after the home transfer I received a call - "Did I know she could even play soccer?" I wasn't surprised giving how much I got that girl to love to retrieve. I made a final and third attempt at training a PSD for myself, before I knew I had genetically inherited my current syndrome. This time it was a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Blaze. Boy was this pup good. He was able to fly cross-country, and was everything I needed him to be, probably not to date... as my boy today is a Mobility/Alert dog. However, this boy had the public access and work or tasks down to be my Service Dog at the time. What I didn't know because I had called 15 references who all vouched for his breeder in South Dakota, was that he was from a backyard breeder. The results Blaze will be paying all his life for! - So this amazing candidate who even came to the Human-Companion Bond Conference with me in 2006 in Los Angeles, CA. Began exhibiting painful signs... upon further examination and 3 different skilled vets later, I learned he had developed boney spurs all along his back! No wonder my boy was in pain. I called Ridgeback Rescue here in MD, and would you believe it - they had heard of his breeder and knew she was a backyard breeder. A dog I paid thousands of dollars for because he was "Show Quality." Was all phooey - and apparently those 15 references had been paid off. Moral of the story, always check with your breed rescue if your bent on a purebred. They know all about what is going on - who's ethical and who's not. Even though I could read his parents confirmation titles and agility titles, and see some german lines mixed in this woman was able to fool me. Even worst was she advertised a new liter of pups, not the second after I received my pup via plane. They had the same father and were breed to the sister of my pup's mother, or dam. Those lines were too close! I knew the minute I saw her post them, but what could I do? She hadn't disclosed this info to me prior! These three dogs taught me something about myself however, as different as their breeds were I was able to train each of them for my task and they ended up helping a handful if not more of people in the process, which felt good! I loved training these dogs and felt called to training and behavioral modification as a higher purpose. I read and attended as many seminars as possible. It became my knew passion. (Anybody who talks training with me for a second can hear my voice quicken and quiver!) So after three washes for Service Work, I found a wonderful organization... my health was deteriorating and I just couldn't 1) weight to train another possible wash, 2) physically or emotionally handle it. Plus all the money that was going into candidates was adding up, I figured why not by one trained despite my training skills? After acquiring a Service Dog, I didn't realize and I don't think most ppl do how much post-training an owner like I had to continue and keep expanding my Service Dogs Skills. A few years later I was recruited by PetSmart to work as a trainer for them, yes that actually happens! I worked there about 2.5-3 yrs. until I was hit by an oncoming Ford F-150 while my husband and I were turning into our apartment complex, which resulted in much needed treatment. As well as me re-thinking my decisions as a trainer. Although I always stood out from other PetSmart trainers and was told several times to, "Dumb Down my curriculum." Since nobody ever needed to take more than my basic obedience class, and PetSmart wanted more enrollments in the intermediate level, however I refused to compromise my values as a trainer and found a way to work within the system. As I re-evaluated my life I saw a greater purpose, while my BA is in International Affairs, I obviously had innate talent training and doing behavior modification with dogs, as well as communicating with people. So I found a partner and we established Terrific Dogs LLC in March 2011. With my idea of offering a free in-home evaluation/consultation something no other trainer does, our opening was met with overwhelming success! I've up-to-date worked with every type of breed commonly owned in the USA, and even given online consults (including todays pool of designer breeds). People I've trained have always commented that there is a quality to my training unparalleled with
- What types of customers have you worked with?
Private Training Obedience Training Family Training - I am trained and equipped to handle family training sessions. Problem Behaviors - I am not only knowledgable/ and love working tough cases. - Problem Behaviors include: aggression, reactivity, anxiety, phobias, OCD/CCD...nuisance barking, pulling on leash, frustrated greeters, dogs that have been poorly socialized... CGC prep APDT' s Class Evaluator Therapy Dog Status Service Dogs Specialty cases I have 12+ years of training and Behavioral Modification experience.