I will be taking a short maternity leave and then opening for new and continuing clients in late May or early June. Please check back in the meantime, as I hope to be getting new content up on the site more regularly during this break.

Regardless of the kind of training services or information you use, make sure your sources are educated professionals, and not your neighbor who is an “expert” due to the amount of dog training and reality TV shows they watch. Dog training and behavior modification should be based on rational, scientifically based, humane methods. The good news is that there are a lot of different methods you can use for any given behavior problem. But the bad news is that there are a lot of different methods you can use for any given behavior problem. Although some methods may seem obviously inhumane or a bad choice, it can be difficult to question that “collar correction” when someone with letters after their name exhorts you that it is the best way to teach your puppy to sit. And when your puppy does, indeed, sit, it seems less important that there are other (less stressful or more simple) ways that cue could have been taught. So do a little research beforehand on what methods fit best with you and your dog’s personality, and then take your time assessing and choosing a method, trainer, book or even TV show to take advice from.

At Side by Side Training, we believe that behavior modification methods should be humane, appropriate, based on scientific research of dog behavior (not wolf, coyote or chimpanzee behavior), and whenever possible, simple and FUN! That is why I have taken time and made a great effort to become educated in several different methodologies and glean the best from all of them. Positive, motivational methods work best in the vast majority of situations, and they form the base of our training protocols. I am an active member of several peer discussion groups and a professional member of the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers). Along with reading various training, behavior and ethology books, I regularly attend seminars taught by prominent trainers, veterinarians and professionals in the field. I am also proud of achieving my CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed) certification in the Fall of 2009. Along with a comprehensive written test, this certification ensures that a trainer has at least 300 hours of hands-on experience with dogs and training.

For more information about how to choose a dog trainer that best fits your needs, or to use a search engine to find a local trainer, check out the APDT’s website. I wish you all the best in finding a great match for you and your family!