General Info:
For the Love of Dogs believes all dogs deserve the chance to be part of a loving family. Two very important aspects for a dog to be a well mannered family member are having a confident leader and being taught basic training commands. Most dogs look to their human for leadership. If the human does not provide that leadership, the dog will reluctantly take over, thus creating a "problem." Being your dog's leader is very simple. By asking for a simple behavior, such as "sit" before your dog receives his meals, petting, playtime, or going out for a walk, your dog will understand you are the leader and you decide when he receives the things he needs and desires. By using positive motivation, your dog will learn to obey with willingness and enjoyment instead of obeying out of fear. It is our mission to help you make your dog the loving family member he deserves to be and you want him to be.
Patty studied with the Animal Behavior College to become a certified dog trainer. She is currently working towards additional certification through the Certification Counsel of Pet Dog Trainers. Patty is also an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen and Star Puppy certified instructor. In 2002, she began fostering homeless dogs and training them for their new homes. It is then she realized far too many dogs are in shelters for trainable "behavior problems." She decided to study more about dog behavior so she could help people train their dogs to become loving family members.
She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and ascribes to their philosophy that dog-friendly training is the precursor for life-long companionship in a relationship based on trust and respect. In addition to training dogs, Patty works at the Animal Refuge League as an animal care technician and heads their dog fostering program.
She continues to update her skills and learn new training methods by attending seminars and workshops conducted by certified trainers, animal behaviorists, and veterinarians. Most recently, she had the pleasure of attending a seminar conducted by Drs. Ian Dunbar and Nicholas Dodman.
Did you know the majority of puppies don't live long enough to see their second birthday? Unfortunately, most new puppy owners are unaware of the time and effort it takes to raise a well behaved, well socialized puppy. When you bring your puppy home, training needs to begin right away. The average puppy will learn more between the ages of 3 to 16 weeks, than she will in her entire lifetime. That means you need to work extra hard to give her what she may have missed out on before you adopted her.