Canine Connection LLC is managed by a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. With a master’s degree in adult education and a background in healthcare as a registered nurse, she brings over 30 years of experience to the table.
She is also a Karen Pryor Academy graduate and Certified Training Partner, having contributed to APDT Chronicle of the Dog and authored the 2010 book, ‘Top Tips From Top Trainers.’ She has reviewed the 2014 book, ‘Getting to Know Dogs’ in Australia.
Offering a wide range of services including pet and service dog training, therapy dog evaluation, American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) testing, behavior evaluation and modification, bite prevention presentations, and workshops on clicker training, she is well-versed in animal handling for photo shoots and advertisements.
Her training philosophy eschews the use of force, pain, or intimidation. She tailors her methods to the needs of individual dogs and their owners, employing evidence-based best practices. Her training equipment includes clickers and head halters, but she avoids choke chain collars, prong/pinch collars, and shock (‘e’) collars, preferring harnesses over neck collars.
Her expertise extends beyond standard training methods. She is a graduate and Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP) of the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior and has attended the Purdue University Principles and Techniques of Behavior Modification course. She continuously updates her knowledge by attending seminars and workshops offered by top professionals, and has completed post-grad coursework in dog and wolf behavior, as well as pet nutrition.
With a background that includes working as a field representative/service dog instructor with Paws with a Cause in Michigan for 3 years, as well as studying graduate level wolf ethology, she brings a wealth of experience to the field. She has also founded the first Dog Scout troop in Iowa.
Her professional teaching career spanning 50 years, a master’s degree in higher & adult education, a bachelor’s degree in natural science, and 45 years of experience as a licensed registered nurse uniquely qualify her to perform professional assessments using the medical model, as well as applied behavior analysis.
Her tools and techniques are compliant with the Joint Practice Standards of the APDT, IAABC, CCPDT, and KPA, and are in agreement with the recommendations of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. She works collaboratively with general practice veterinarians as well as board-cert
