I believe dog training should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved and am committed to the ongoing pursuit of education in practical dog-friendly methods reflecting a “first do no harm” philosophy, utilizing legitimate science.
The training “bug” bit me during my efforts to turn an abandoned, rambunctious 3mo. old Labrador mix named Cotton into a well-behaved companion. Cotton is now a registered therapy dog with Therapy Dog International and finishing her 3rd year of listening to children read to her at a local elementary school, visiting residents at an assisted living facility and other volunteer activities. She became my inspiration, and I trained two more dogs to therapy dog level.
My training and instructing experience was facilitated through the Winston-Salem Dog Training Club working with over 250 clients and their dogs as principal instructor, and has been further supplemented through my membership with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), to include training at their national conferences with both internationally and nationally renowned trainers. I am an American Kennel Club certified Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluator, a volunteer member of Therapy Dog International, and am eligible to sit for the Certified Professional Dog Trainer exam in September. Application is pending approval for APDT Canine Life and Social Skills evaluator and Therapy Dog International evaluator, so I can offer a wide variety of training and certification testing opportunities.
My household includes myself, my husband of 26 years and 8 dogs: a Cairn terrier, a standard “Scruffy”, Labrador Retriever, Lab mix, Saluki mix, Redbone Coonhound mix, Anatolian Shepherd mix and a Golden Pyrenees. I have been a registered nurse since 1984, and have found that many of the same guiding principals carry over into dog training: patience, compassion, innovation, etc. Teaching others to train their dogs is much easier because of this experience in working with people for so long.
