Animal Behaviorist

Why It Works

“It is my experience that no two dogs are the same and no one tool or technique works for all dogs. Dogs, like people, have different temperaments and what works for one does not necessarily work for another. Therefore, I use different tools and techniques determined by what is effective for the individual dog. It has been my experience that group puppy classes oftentimes do more harm than good because the puppies are all so different and they, like people, mature at different rates. A confident puppy that possesses a willingness to please working with a human who has a good understanding of dog psychology may respond well in a group puppy class. However, a dominant, aggressive, or fearful puppy working with a human who does not have a good understanding of dog psychology will typically experience adverse effects from a group puppy class. Similarly, group dog training classes for mature dogs oftentimes fail for the same reasons. Dogs have different temperaments as do the humans that are working with them. Group classes do not work one-on-one to demonstrate how each individual human needs to work with their individual dog and, therefore, the training is often ineffective. A majority of my clients have sought out my services after the group puppy/dog classes have failed and even created additional behavioral problems. Other clients with mature dogs have sought out my services after other trainers (oftentimes multiple trainers) have failed. That is because the trainers don’t truly understand what dogs need or how to communicate with them. Dogs don’t have the mental capability to think the way we think but we (people) if they take the time, have the ability to understand a dog’s way of thinking. To be successful, we have to communicate on a dog’s level rather than expecting them to communicate on ours.”