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Christy with her mystery mix, Tawny. See Tawny's DNA test results!Christy has had dogs around since she was eight years old and has always been interested in teaching them how to be better canine citizens (when she was a teenager, she taught her 13-year-old Dachshund, Fritz, to speak, thereby dispelling the myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks).
For the past several years, Christy has been studying Jan Fennell's (The Dog Listener) methods. She has blended that method with parts of many other styles (everything from "The Dog Whisperer" (that's the ORIGINAL Dog Whisperer, Paul Owens) to "Dog Training for Dummies"), plus her own experience as a professional pet sitter, to form her own brand of teaching. Read some testimonials.
Christy has teamed up with experienced trainer/behaviorist Michelle Blount of PAWSitive Dog/Human Training to offer a full slate of obedience and training classes in various locations throughout Northeast Ohio in addition to her private lessons.
Check out the upcoming class schedule.
Christy is also a registered Canine Good Citizen (AKC CGC) Evaluator and works closely with the Delta Society to prepare dogs for therapy work in facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. In 2006, she started offering a ScholarsHIP to select dog owners who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a training class.
My single biggest influence has been a British trainer named Jan Fennell, who calls herself "The Dog Listener." Several years ago, Jan also was dissatisfied with the training methods of the day, and had had some failures in her own home that resulted in the destruction of one of her dogs.
Jan was transformed when she went to see a demonstration of a unique horse-training method developed by Monty Roberts, "The Man Who Listens to Horses." I have seen him demonstrate his techniques, and so I understand her reaction; for me, it was life-altering to see what he could do with a completely untrained horse, without ever laying a hand on it.
Jan took her amazement a step further. She asked, "Can I do that same thing with dogs?" Quite a wild notion -- dogs and horses are not exactly similar animals. But the seed of an idea grew, and over the next six years, she worked to create her own, unique communication method that uses the dog's own body language and natural instincts to let him know in no uncertain terms what we are asking of him.
Patricia McConnell: Common cause, common sense
Another great influence on me has been U.S. trainer Patricia McConnell. Her work with aggressive dogs is truly impressive, but for me it's her keen ability to read and react to dogs, and how she shares that information that really sets her apart. Her signature work, "The Other End of the Leash," should be required reading for any caring dog owner! Studying her work has allowed me to hit another gear in my training skills. I am truly inspired by her.
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