What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Yes, I tend to do webinares through Pet Professional guild to get a hold of any new information about dog behavior
How did you get started doing this type of work?
I have always been around dogs my whole life. My father always had a lab or Golden for birding. Once we moved to NH we then started branching off of labs to different breeds such as herders and so on. It was thanks to him that I learned about the power of Positive Reinforcement
What types of customers have you worked with?
A lot of times people are looking for the whole package from learning the basics and touching up what their dogs already know. I also tend to open the eyes of owners' about how you should look at dogs and what needs to be done. I also know do pet sitting, where I stay at the owners' home 24/7 so pets do not have to be sent to stressful kennels.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
A ethical dog trainer will never ever use the words "guaranteed". You always have to remember that one your pet is a living thing not a machine, there are times that they may react and two it depends on the work you are willing to put into the training yourself. You want a dog trainer who is up to date with training, and willing to go the extra mile. Even after the classes have ended you want a dog trainer who is still willing to talk to you and answer questions.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
I am a very hard worker. On top of that I value my ethics, this being said I am not a balance trainer I do not jump to outdated training tools such as shock, choke, or prong collars. With what science has discovered for behavior training it shows that positive reinforcement has a greater impact and longer lasting results than using tools that have a greater fall out chance.
