Heather Gruber-Banzhoff
Heather first came to Atta Pup in 2015 looking to change her career path. She has been involved with animals of all shapes and sizes for all her life and has a history working in the mental health field. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Equine Facilitated Therapeutics and Equestrian Studies and her master’s degree in psychology. She has worked with children on the autism spectrum and their families for nearly 10 years. This experience along with a passion to teach and guide empathically helps her in training many species and teaching their pet parents. She has been certified as a therapeutic riding instructor and has apprenticed with the acclaimed trainer Pat Miller.
Training Philosophy
Heather used to believe choke chains and “dominance”-based practices were acceptable, but since joining Atta Pup and continuing her education in animal behavior and training, she’s switched over to positive reinforcement training. She prefers this method of training because it gives her the chance to use her education and human behavior skills and creates a much happier training process.
Services
- Group classes
- Behavior consultations
- One-on-one coaching
- Private tutoring
- In-home lessons
- Intensive packages
- Semi-intensive package
- Beginner Dog Package
- Custom Package
- Day training
- Video chat training consults
- Subscription Services
- Breeder Services
- Pet care
Certifications
- CPDT-KA
- PMCT
- MS
- LBS
- AKC CGC Evaluator
- Atlas Assistance Dogs Team Facilitator
Specializations
- Puppy training
- Adult dog training
- Good manners training
- Loose leash walking
- Polite greetings
- Recall training
- Behavior modification (reactivity, aggression, fear, etc.)
- In-home issues (potty training, counter surfing, issue between dogs)
- Tricks training
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Prep
- SynchroPup
- Cardio Canine
- Nosey Dog Beta
Training Methods
- Positive reinforcement training
