My passion is learning (and dogs of course). This may be a strange passion I suppose, but I love to constantly learn. Although sometimes I have to remind myself that there’s no way I will ever know everything. There are people out there that have been doing this for 20+ years who can always teach me something new. And on that same note, there are also trainers that have only been doing this for a few months that I have learned from! While I feel confident in my abilities, I know there’s always more to know that will help my clients and their dogs (as well as my own). Some trainers have only been taught one way to train a dog, which can really restrict a trainer’s ability to help a dog.

My husband, Steve, and I just attended Gary Wilkes’ seminar in Phoenix, Arizona. Gary has worked for the last 25 years as a behaviorist and trainer. It was great to learn from him directly and to talk with other trainers from across the United States and Canada, all uniting to learn from each other. Even though most of us in the group have thriving dog training businesses, we all love hearing what is working for another trainer. 

The world of dog training can be so frustrating and egotistical. One thing I will always remember from college is a statue that stood outside of the student union that said “Never stop learning, never stop learning, whether it be self-taught or school learning.” This has always stuck with me. There is no magic recipe that you can use to teach every dog. This knowledge comes from years of experience working hundreds or thousands of dogs.  The moment that you think there is a magic “pill” and that your way is the only way, you will have a very unhappy dog and possibly a dangerous situation.