ABOUT ME

I have been training professionally in Los Angeles for nearly eight years. In addition to private training, I have worked with local rescues and shelters to provide training services to rescued animals in order to increase their chances for successful adoption and reintegration into a loving home environment.

My approach is simple: Each dog and owner is unique, and most importantly, each relationship between dog and owner is unique. My training method is to develop techniques that the owner can use to form the best possible relationship with their dog. Owning a dog should be enjoyable. I like to think of training as teaching dog and owner to speak the same language.

I grew up in Carmel, New York, about an hour or so north of New York City. When I was seventeen, my Dad brought home a Cock-a-poo we named Claude. A little teddy bear of a puppy, I taught him to sit, lay down and roll over. He taught me patience and that I really loved training dogs.

In 1992, I moved to Florida and rescued my first shelter dog, Aida. She was a little mixed breed, about 7 months old. It was a no-kill shelter so she’d been returned three times before I adopted her. She was shy, scared of men, not housebroken, and would roll over in submission every time I went to pet her. She was quite a challenge. It was a year before I could touch her head without her running to a corner. It was slow going, but with patience and training, we worked it out. She turned out to be the greatest dog, happy and friendly, and a joy to all who met her.

In 1995, I moved to Los Angeles, looking for a change of scenery. I worked in the corporate world for a few years, but I got burned out and was looking for a new career. My boyfriend suggested that I become a professional dog trainer. My friends and co-workers were always coming to me for dog advice so it made a lot of sense. I started with a course I found on the internet run by a well-known trainer I had seen on TV. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I found the techniques just weren’t my style. I didn’t like the choke chains, and the “corrections” that went along with them. It was a very harsh program, and I was very uncomfortable with it. I decided that I would have to find my own way.

I started educating myself on canine behavior. I bought every book I could find, and also I looked at my own dogs and thought about how I had helped them to become happy and well-adjusted. I found training was in the every day living. Consistency is key. Routines and practice are crucial. No leash corrections, no pushing around and absolutely no pain. I realized that training behaviors didn’t have to be done at the same time every day. Learning comes easier and faster if you practice training intermittently and in many different situations.

In 2001, I took my little Pit Bull, Clara, to Cinimon Clark’s DWI (Dogs with Issues) class. She is a Pit Bull specialist and I received a lot of insight into the breed. After graduation, I started working with Cinimon, helping with classes and going with her on in-home appointments. I became really interested in managing aggression and it’s causes, not just in pit bulls but in all breeds. I learned that treating aggression begins with the every day life of the “aggressive” dog. Fear is the bottom line and aggression begets aggression. Teaching your dog to trust your judgment before his own is number one in creating a safe environment for your dog, everywhere you and he may go.

Dog training isn’t as hard as it seems. My feeling is that if we want our dogs to respect us, we need to use respect in training them. Most problems with dogs arise because they are trying to tell us something: I’m scared, I’m bored, I’m frustrated, I’m hurting. Dogs, by nature, want our attention. Simply put, as long as you are acknowledging their behavior, good or bad, they will continue that behavior. If we give them the guidance and direction to do what’s acceptable to us, then everyone will be much happier in the end.

Now I think that I have the greatest job in the world. I get to dress in play clothes and spend my time helping dogs and their families. Training can be fun, for you and your dog. And with just a little bit of work, you can end up with a great friend who is happy to do things for you, just because you ask. I can help you achieve the relationship that both you and your dog can enjoy, every day.