How to find a dog trainer

I have been working with dogs since I was 12 years old so it has always been my passion. As a child, I mentored under some of the foremost dog behavior experts in the country, and now count among my friends many famous trainers and celebrities with whom I have worked.

Currently, I am President of the International Association of Canine Professionals. IACP is the trade group for dog trainers with over 1,400 members. You can find professional dog people all over the world by going to the IACP web site at www.dogpro.org.

I mention all this because selecting a dog trainer for your pets can be a daunting task. Due diligence in this industry is not always easy because there are many conflicting approaches. Too many dog trainers are harsh which is not only unnecessary, but immoral. Many other trainers are not necessarily harsh, but are ineffective which means you may not always get what you pay for.

Our system of training takes advantage of all the dogs' natural instincts to collaborate and to thrive on cooperating with their owner. Dogs who are selectively obedient or stubborn usually become softer, gentler and far happier.

Timid dogs come out of their shell and gain confidence and balance. We use a variety of tools, which we select in discussion with the owners, but the system of gentle, fair but effective training is always our hallmark regardless of the training tool. This is why we guarantee our training for the lifetime of the dog. We don't often have to re-train, but on the rare occasion when we do, we're happy to assist the family to capitalize on an excellent and loving relationship with their pets.

We live here on our small dog farm with a very select few dogs at a time so everyone has a great deal of personal attention, supervised play groups, along with a profound and happy learning experience.