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Purpose of Training

The purpose of training a dog isn't so that the dog can do tricks.  The real reason to train a dog is to open up the lines of communication between you and your dog.  When you understand how a dog learns, you can better understand how they fit into your home as a member of the family.

4 Paws Training is in-home private training in and around Sheboygan, WI.  This service gives me the opportunity to work in the dog’s own environment.  Creating a balanced pack in your house is very important.  The people who live in the house need to work together to create the right energy in training.  I not only teach you to train your dog, but I also teach you how dogs learn.  Essentially teaching you to speak to your dog.

I work with all types of dogs.  All breeds and all ages, as well as all different temperaments from submissive to aggressive.  Working with dogs that have been adopted to introduce them to their “forever” home is something that I view to be very important.  Many dog owners don’t understand how important it is to create a bond with the “pack.”  When dealing with your dog, you need to understand that they are not people.  They are dogs and they view things and learn very differently than we do. 

Many people have referred to me as Sheboygan's "Dog Whisperer". While this is an obvious reference to Cesar Millan, the popular star of the National Geographic Channel's show of the same name, I am not Cesar. I do advocate and use many of the techniques he employs, however I do not utilize all of them. What works for him does not necessarily mean that it is right for everyone. He has received much praise for his achievements as well as criticism for some of the methods he employs, most of the latter by so called "degreed professionals",  Some of it is motivated by jealousy, some of it is by those who state that you must be degreed or certified in the field to be credible. There are people who do have a natural gift when it comes to working with behavioral issues in dogs. This is something that can never be taught in a class. Cesar has that gift. A number of people think that I do as well.

I have gone through the certification process, as well as a number of years working with dogs. I am currently working on my certification as an Animal Behaviorist. That's a multi-year process, where I hope to use that training to better understand the characteristics of many different breeds to serve my clients better.