Dogs are amazing!
You might want a well-mannered companion, or perhaps your goal is a Service dog or to handle a Search and Rescue K9 hero. Whatever you envision with your dog, it always starts with training and love. (Dogs are easy to love. Owners can be hard to train.) Successful training happens when owners understand how dogs learn. (How to talk "dog".) Then, the dog learns to understand what his owner wants. When everyone speaks the same language, learning becomes fun... and faster and so much easier!
I'm a firm believer that dogs prefer rewards to punishment, so I don't use aversive training methods. My goal is to enhance and advance the bond people share with their dogs. I never want a dog to associate pain with learning, a trainer or his owner.
I love every stage of dog training, from socialization and puppy manners, to highly specialized working dogs. The moment a new dog first responds to a command is pure magic. We've just opened the door to communicating, understanding and learning together.
I believe the bond we'll have with our dog begins with training. It might be teaching house rules to your new puppy. Or perhaps it's a Service Dog for a child on the autism spectrum. Maybe you and
your dog want to be a K9 Search and Rescue (K9 SAR) team and find missing people. Dogs provide a world of opportunities and possibilities...
and most importantly...LOVE.
Working with scent detection dogs is my passion. I've trained and handled SAR Dogs since 2002. We rescue and recover missing people on land and underwater, saving lives or bringing closure in emergencies or disasters.
I've also taught dogs to alert on the scent of specific human cancers, detectable in urine samples, in several medical research studies. The dogs had astounding accuracy.
When you realize the impact your dog can have on lives, it's pretty awe-inspiring.
I've held the leash as my dog led me to missing children. I've watched as my dog searched a city demolished by a tornado, alerting when he detected the remains of a buried victim. I've been in a boat with my dog as he searched a river for a drowning victim, waiting for him to touch his nose to the water, indicating the search was over.
Everything starts with training! It opens the door to understanding your Incredible, Amazing DOG!!