I’m a Certified Dog Trainer, both through ABC (Animal Behavior College), an online dog training academy and the CCPDT (Council for Certification of Professional Dog Trainers).
Through ABC, I was required to study and master 9 modules of learning related to dog training, from dog behavior (see Behavior Modification) to starting a dog training business. After each module, I was required to take a test to determine my aptitude for the material. After I finished the 9 modules, I had to volunteer a minimum of 10 hours at a local animal shelter (I ended up doing a lot more at KC Pet Project) and I had to complete an 18-week externship with a local, established dog trainer, which I did at The Dog’s Spot in North Kansas City, Missouri. Once all of that was completed, I had to take a final exam. I did so well on the exam that I not only received my certification but I graduated as an honor student.
Soon afterward, I started my dog training business, Pawsitively Polite Dog Obedience Training, LLC to fulfill my desire of providing private, in-home dog training to dog owners. I believe dogs learn best in their own familiar surroundings, which is why I come to your house to train your dog instead of you bringing it to a training facility. There’s nothing wrong with taking your dog to a training center, however, in order to learn new skills, dogs need to be able to focus and that’s harder for them to do in unfamiliar surroundings.
I then began working toward my CPDT-KA credential (Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed). This required that I pass a national, standardized exam, but before I could take the exam, I had to: 1) accumulate 300 contact hours training dogs, 2) record each hour onto a training log and submit the training log to CCPDT for approval, 3) acquire a letter of test readiness from an established dog trainer and submit it to CCPDT, then 4) I could sit for the exam. It’s a pass/fail exam and I received the news that I passed it in April of 2022.
I love training dogs! I’m also fascinated by dog behavior, which is why I’m working toward my certification as a CBCC-KA (Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed). I look forward to helping people whose dogs exhibit reactive or inappropriate behaviors, investigating the potential causes, and coming up with a plan that will eliminate or greatly reduce the incidence of the behaviors.