Hello!

 I own a dog walking and boarding business in San Francisco (LittleDogChateaux.com).  I absolutely love working with dogs and would like to learn how to use effective communication to train/teach/rehabilitate dogs with serious fear/anxiety/aggression issues.  Working as a commercial dog walker over the last 4 years has been an incredible, hands on opportunity to gain experience and knowledge about different breeds, seeing/understanding body signals, and discovering why basic obedience is crucial for each dog to master. Dogs without manners are not the best clients :( Exposure to a variety of behavioral issues and flawed temperaments prompted me to change my career path, from certified dog walker to certified dog trainer.  As a trainer,  I would be able to work with dogs one on one allowing me to focus and ideally make a noticeable improvement in the dogs behavior. I want to educate owners about the concept of leadership and how to maintain it after bringing their dog home.  This class seems like a great primer for developing a strong obedience foundation and expanding my training skillset. I am excited to learn and to interact with all of you :) 

Hey! I'm a dog walker too! I'm based in the Fairfield area, October 2018 will make 5 years for me. I'm hear to increase my understanding and skills in handling dogs and add training to my services. Also dog walking gets repetitive and mundane so I'm looking for a more stimulating options.

Julie

Awesome Julie! Do you have a website? 

Yes, but it's not active right now. I'm rebuilding it. Actually I'm sort of rebuilding my company. I threw it together 5 years ago. When I decided to make it all those five years ago it took maybe two months from the decision to open the business and to the day I opened! Now I"m going back, restructuring and setting it up with proper solid infrastructure(figuratively, I don't have a building) at the same time I'm learning training to add that to my services.

Good luck it sounds like you are headed in the right direction :) keep me updated when the website is finished.  Would like to check it out :)

Hi, I also wish you good luck. Although I find this course great I'd encourage you to take also one they offer about Relationship. I had one by Mark Keating "Relationship games", which the dogs (and I) loved so much. It really helps so much strenghtening the bond with you and would be of great value if the owners learned something like that too. It has first to be trained in a distraction poor region, preferably at home, if someone has a bit of space.

I know it doesn't sound much about walking, but realationship building is preliminary and should then be kept on for the rest of the dog's life. Once soemthing is engrained it can easily be combined with walks and is especially worthful  if we use such exercises to keep the dog's focus on us within distractions.

Also "Teaching Engagment Skills" by Forrest MIcke is a very recommendable course in this direction. He shows how to keep the dog's focus on walks and on spots with more distractions

With all this I of course don't mean at all you should leave walking for the moment, on the contrary. Walking is one of the most important and interesting things for them. Just meant as a very helpful complement and support.. 

Thanks for the recommendations-yes both are on my never ending to do list :) I am a dog trainer transitioning out of the walking/exercise aspect of my business.  I have employees who manage my weekly roster while I focus on training-currently prepping a GSD for the BH test, training my Shepherd mix puppy, and teaching pet dog clients (predominantly puppies & rescues) basic obedience.  I cant remember the last time I went out and did something unrelated to dogs! I keep learning yet also continue to discover how much I truly do not know about dogs, the way they learn, and the methods I must master to become a better trainer.  Keep in touch and feel free to send me more recommendations.  My next course will be the drive manipulation class with Tammy McLeod then I plan on taking a Heeling course with Denise Fenzi.  I may circle back and check out relationship/engagement games after I get more advanced obedience behavior changing down.  I have enough engagement with the dogs Im training to train successfully.  Im hitting a wall due to my own mistakes-body positioning, skipping steps unknowingly etc.  

Only, but extremely recommendation: Go on like this!