Erica Clemente, ABCDT, has been an animal lover her entire life. Erica has always been one to rescue wild animals and to date she has rescued many baby birds, squirrels, and rabbits as well as domestic animals. As a child she remembers being fascinated by animal encyclopedias which eventually evolved into her studying cat and dog anatomy in hopes of becoming a veterinarian someday.
She competed and won competitions in 4H for equestrian care and she was the go to person people used to watch their dogs while on vacation. During high school her family steered her away from animal careers in the mistaken belief she would be hard pressed to find viable work within the world of animal jobs. She went into the field of special education. She spent years volunteering and was awarded for her service to the special needs community.
While she enjoyed her work in that field, her heart was just not in it. She began working as an unofficial vet tech. Erica worked in all aspects of that position including assisting in surgery. Erica was young, inexperienced and the vet she worked with was a bit indifferent. However Erica still desperately desired to work with animals. She left veterinary science and entered grooming.
Erica worked in grooming for many years while pursuing a career in mental health and medical assisting. She remained somewhere in the careers related to medical and mental health while raising her 2 oldest children. She had the opportunity during those years to work at a summer camp with large animals, including horses, ponies, calves, goats, and sheep, as well as many small animals, while providing education to campers and staff.
As Erica’s life continued to change, she went through a divorce, remarried and had a 3rd child. Personal issues removed Erica’s husband from their lives as she struggled with caring for a sick mother, a new baby, and a teen going through her own difficulties. This led Erica to part time work at a department store just to pay the bills, still allowing her the flexibility she needed to care for her family. Erica’s mother passed on, her daughter grew up and at the end of all of this she was once again a single parent trying to figure out what path to take in life. During this time in her life Erica had decided that what she did to put food on her table did not need to bring her growth as a human being and she could derive satisfaction from other areas of her life. She spent 3 years at her current job trying to decide what she would be “when she grew up”. She wanted to finally have a career that provided her with a sense of doing something worthwhile and meaningful.
Erica’s aunt sent her the website link for Animal Behavior College and asked her if she thought this was a good direction to head in. Erica did all the research and soul searching she could do and knew this was the right thing for her family and herself. Erica states, “I am so grateful to ABC for the tools it has given me, as I began my business near the end of my training as the owner of Grey Hawk Dog Training LLC. The more dogs I have the joy to work with either in my business (or in my continued volunteering at the shelter I did my externship at) the more I know I am doing what I was born to do. The clients thus far are very happy as we train their dogs using methodology that they feel good about and are successful at. The dogs are amazing and responsive. I finally feel complete in my life, both personally and professionally.“
I’m one of those “crazy dog people”, I have loved dogs my entire life. When I was 12 years old I volunteered at the S.P.C.A on Vancouver Island walking dogs with my mom and a friend. Some days when we went back the same dogs weren’t there, something that saddened me greatly. I constantly complained to my parents about wanting to take the dogs home with me, and of course being responsible parents, they weren’t going to allow me to have 5 or more dogs when we already had one to take care of.
Once I got to the age where I was about to graduate from high school, I worked in restaurants, spa’s, as a dog walker and as a self representing artist all while still training dogs on the side. When I was 24 years old I had just brought home my new Border Collie puppy when I got news that I had just been laid off my full time job, surprisingly I was happy (I hated my job) and I decided at that moment that I was sick of doing a job that I don’t enjoy. To figure out what would be the best course of action to take, I started jotting down things that I wanted out of a job; helping, flexibility of my own hours, etc. My friend who is a Behavior Interventionist told me about Animal Behavior College. She had been looking to incorporate dogs into her therapy with children for some time and this school allowed the flexibility to go at your own pace. I was so excited that I jumped on the internet right away and looked up their website. I loved the fact that I knew people that had taken their dog training course and that it was affordable! The outlined curriculum was everything I was looking for, it provided a new insight on training techniques that I thought I knew about and how to solve behavior problems that I never heard of.
I finished the course within 8 months, and I currently own my own business “Modern Canine Training” in Surrey/Langley B.C. teaching group workshops, private obedience programs and behavioral therapy. This has become my full time job and is going strong with the help of the curriculum’s business portion. I volunteer with Langley Animal Protection Society (who I did my shelter portion with) where I train obedience to their stray/surrendered dogs so that their chance of being adopted is greater. I love what I do down to my soul. And my Border Collie Luna does too!
My business name is Modern Canine Training and my website is www.ModernCanineTraining.com
I grew up in a wealthy suburb of Boston, the fifth of six kids. My father is a doctor and my mom a nurse. While growing up, I always wanted a dog but my mother did not want us to have one as she was too busy bringing us up while my father worked long hours and said we did not have time for a dog. So we had a lot of cats, rabbits, and turtles.
My grandmother had a cocker spaniel named Taffy when I was a young child and then when Taffy passed away she got Bo, another cocker spaniel. Whenever I was at my grandmothers house, I loved playing with the dogs and taking them for walks. I begged my mom for a dog but it was always the same answer, "When you grow up, you can have as many dogs as you want."
When I was a teenager, my brother brought home a beagle, german shepherd mix home that he had found abandoned on the streets of Boston. We only had Charlie for a week because he unfortunately was hit by a schoolbus but having a dog around made my mother realize that a dog was a great companion so we got a beagle/lab mix and named her Nikki. We all loved Nikki and she became a much loved and well respected member of our family.
When I moved out and got my own apartment, I was not allowed dogs so I did not get my own dog until I had been married for 20 years and had a very disabled child. One of James' disabilities is epilepsy and I looked into getting a dog that could help alert me when James had seizures and one I could train to be a wheelchair and balance dog. I found out that because James had multiple disabilities including blindness that the local service dog organization NEADS could not assist me in getting a multiple trained dog and if I got service dogs from NEADS, I would need to get several dogs to assist with James' needs.
I instead elected to get a chocolate lab as a puppy and train him to be my sons dog. Little did I know the work it took to train a multi-tasking service dog. We named our dog Clifford and on his own at 8 weeks old started alerting me of James' pending seizures. Then as Clifford got older, he would hold James up as he started to try to walk off his bed. It was about that time that I met a multi disabled man and his multi talented service dog Toby. Toby was a guide, balance, alert, memory loss, and search and rescue dog all in one. It was when I met this man and his dog Toby that my life changed and my desire to train service dogs became a reality.
This man was a client of the state of Massachusetts brain injury program and he needed help in his day to day activities as well with the care and maintenance of his service dog. I began to work for the state and for this man and began to work with Toby. When Toby's arthritis started wreaking havoc, my client decided that he could be my son's dog and he would get another dog to train. It was at that point, I began to train Zody, a border collie/German shepherd and Toby became my son's dog working along with Clifford.
For three years, we diligently trained Zody who not only can do the tasks that Toby did but also can take the requested amount of money from my clients wallet, help my client get dressed, bring his laundry to the washing machine and take the laundry from the dryer. It was while working with Zody that I decided I wanted to train service dogs for people like my client and my son who need a specialized dog for many specialized tasks.
I began looking into dog training schools and chose ABC because of the extensive curriculum as well as the hands on learning externship (which I loved because it was so satisfying helping people train their dogs and even more gratifying working at the shelters and realizing that I had a hand in training shelter dogs and helping them become more adoptable). The program was extremely beneficial and educational for me and once I graduated, I was put on the states list for dog trainers in case someone needs a service dog like Toby or Zody. I want to continue to train service dogs who can do multiple tasks so disabled people don't need to get more than one dog to assist them with tasks they cannot do.
Also in my work with my client and the service dogs I have been training, I fostered a blind dog and actually trained him to do guide dog work because he was part hound and he was able to guide and find people, places and things with his nose. Mr. Bump is now working as a certified therapy dog visiting people in nursing homes. I learned that if you trust and respect a dog and give it a job to do, it will love and respect you back by doing amazing things. Ever seen a blind dog rock climb and retrieve a lost backpack? Well Mr. Bump did!
I have now opened High's dog training for people with pets, dogs with disabilities and people with disabilities who need a service dog to perform one or many tasks. I am looking forward to incorporating what I learned at ABC along with my experience with my client and other trainers to have a successful business with happy and successful dog. I learned that a dog is more than a pet but a valued member of society.
As a child, there were always pets in the house. Yes, I was one of those kids that talked mom into getting me a puppy with promises of “I’ll feed her and walk her, Mom, I promise!” Admittedly, I didn’t always keep my word, but I knew that the bonds I had with my cats and dogs were unlike any with my ‘human’ friends and family. Years would pass and I would be well into my career as a Director of Marketing before a Golden Retriever named Lucy would come into my life and I would decide that this passion for pets should be channeled into something that would give me the opportunity to positively impact dogs and their relationships with their people. A quick bit a research and it was clear that the Animal Behavior College would offer me a solid, great education to get me off of the right foot!
Through the ABC curriculum, work I do as a Behavior and Obedience volunteer at an SPCA near my home in Bucks County, PA, and working with the certified trainers at my vet’s office and a local doggie daycare/training facility, I have obtained priceless knowledge about working with dogs and puppies and the many intricacies of their relationships with their people. As an ABC Certified Dog Trainer, I am excited and passionate about helping owners develop their dogs into happy, well-balanced members of their family and continuing my work with local rescues to rehome shelter dogs.
Through my business, The Proper Pup, you can find information about individual training programs for you and your puppy or dog. You can find more information about me at my website (www.theproperpup.com) or on The Proper Pup Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Wrightstown-PA/The-Proper-Pup/185322334600). For information about group classes, please visit The Pet Campus (www.thepetcampus.com) where I work with additional certified trainers in group environments.
My name is Ashley Simon and I am now an ABC Certified Dog Trainer. After years of not knowing what to do with my dreams of working with animals, I finally found ABC. I originally wanted to become a veterinarian, then a vet tech. Once I realized that I wanted to help animals outside of the veterinary field, I decided to try training. Training helps dogs by keeping them in their “forever homes” or helping them find their “forever homes”. I, like many others, have had the unpleasant experience of having to surrender two of my dogs because I no longer knew how to help them. It was and still is a very hard decision to have to make.
Now that I have completed the ABC training and I have acquired an enormous amount of knowledge about dogs and the way they behave, I know that I will never face this hardship ever again. Through my training, I realized that many of the problems I was having with my dogs were the direct result of my reactions to their “normal dog behaviors”. The book knowledge I acquired was tremendous, however, that coupled with my internship just sealed my destiny. I’ve known since a very young age that I wanted to help animals and ABC has finally helped me to realize those dreams! I cannot express enough, my satisfaction with the training I received and how incredibly comfortable I feel doing this on my own. I knew the moment I walked into the home of my first client that this was my destiny.
My plans for the immediate future are to continue training privately in the homes of my clients. I’m in the process of creating a company name and I hope to eventually set-up my own training facility. My ultimate dream is to provide a rescue for the thousand of animals, especially pit bulls, that come into the shelter in Baltimore, where I volunteer and love every minute of it. I was terrified to enter this shelter for fear of what I might have to see every day. My fears were totally unfounded and I am so proud to have the opportunity of helping out at this shelter.
I grew up with animals and loved every minute of it. I was constantly self educating about them and was always interested in learning more. I have always been inspired by the way they have this forgiving and never ending love that they have to share.
I chose Animal Behavior College due to its positive atmosphere and helpful learning environment. I like that they give you a certificate after graduation as well as a card to show your achievements with ABC.
I recently moved to Kansas from Illinois and I am looking to help out people in the area with dog training. It is a huge task to take on all of Kansas cities dogs and owners, but I am in this for the dogs and I have no greater joy than to see an owner and a dog create a loving relationship. I love working with animals and I plan to continue doing so for the rest of my life. I would like to help animals and owners better understand each other by sharing my knowledge.
I plan to continue educating myself through other learning programs,in addition to using ABC as a foundation for understanding dogs and working with them. I have grown up with dogs, and I am never done learning about them. My goal is to help dogs and humans communicate with one another for better dog and human relationships.
I am currently working as a dog trainer for my own business called For The Dogs Training, LLC
as well as making dog collars for www.ForTheDogsDesign.com
I plan to continue working with dogs for the rest of my life through rescue, training, rehabilitation, and volunteering.
As most people believe, the endeavors pursued in life are influenced from experiences of youth. Having pets as you grow is probably the strongest influence related to the attachment people have to animals. Even though I never owned a pet prior to my adult life, I had a very strong emotional attachment to a collie named “Queenie” that belonged to my aunt and uncle. From the time I was a toddler until my father moved to Ohio when I was 13 years old, I spent my summers with my Aunt Ann, Uncle Tom and Queenie. These were the happiest times in my young life. My strongest memory is lying under Aunt Ann’s dining room table with my head snuggled against or on top of Queenie and taking a much needed afternoon nap.
I don’t remember seeing other pets or dogs in the neighborhood either at home in Pittsburgh or in Washington. Perhaps, as noted in the ABC curriculum, companion pets were not popular during the 1940s; therefore, until the 50s, most of the canine pets were working dogs. However, Queenie was definitely a family pet. Queenie died at the age of 13 years. I was also 13 years old when my family made the move to Ohio.
I was married at the age of 20 and my husband and I decided we would have pets in our home as well as children. During our marriage of 50 years we had four children, 5 cats, and 7 dogs. Although attachment and love may be easily developed through nurturing, it can only be enhanced with learning. There was such a strong desire to connect with canines on their level.
Finally, after many, many years of raising children, being employed at various jobs, including assisting my husband with his company, and partial retirement, I knew I had my chance to become well versed in canine training. I researched the training schools and chose ABC. ABC appeared to offer the most versatile curriculum with the capability of home study. Learning has enhanced my desire to help dogs.
My neighbor has invited us to use her facility, The Paw Patch Wellness Center, as a training facility for my training business which my husband and I have named PuppyLuv. The Paw Patch is located in Chagrin Falls and is very close to home. I also hope to provide in home training. Although I intend to get into training privately, I will continue to help at the county shelter with the hope that more dogs are adopted into homes with a loving family.
Hello, I’m Debbie and these are my two dogs Chief and Dolly. I enrolled in ABC because I wanted to learn more training methods to help build my relationship with my own dogs and to help my clients do the same with their dogs. What I didn’t realize is how much more they had to offer me with their program. The old saying that you can not teach an old dog new tricks doesn’t apply here. The ABC program helped me in many ways. I learned to work with different people, and was able to experience working with a variety of different dogs and problem solving situations. It opened doors before I even finished the program. I’ve been able to help my clients better in building their relationships with their own dogs. Some of them are ready to become therapy dogs, they just need to be tested. I started the program in June of 2009 and finished in November of 2009. I just wanted to keep on moving forward to see what was next.
I have always had dogs in my life. Between my husband and I we have five wonderful English Springer Spaniels that we compete with in Field Events. I started training fourteen years ago in obedience with two of my Springers and each of them received two titles in obedience. Then I moved out into the fields with the dogs. My husband and I train and compete in AKC Field Trials with our Springers. We have titled many dogs in this sport. In 2006 I was awarded the High Point Female Amateur Handler in the U.S. for the English Springer Spaniel Field Trials. This was done with the help of my boy Chief. He received 13 points in one year of competing.
I enjoy working with dogs and people to reach their goals to have a well mannered dog or to compete with them. I’m going to continue building my business by working with group and individual lessons. I will continue to work towards my future and current goals.
My name is Hope I live and work in Brooklyn, NY.
Growing up we had several pets, cats, dogs, rabbits,
hamsters and ducks. Animals have been an integral part of my life; as a kid I recall mostly German Sheppard’s or other large mixed breeds it was a multiple dog house hold. I can recall wanting to be a veterinarian as a child and into my teens, finding kittens or some stray animal to nurse back to health, it was a magical feeling and it still is to this day.
I currently have 4 new dogs Majestic, Catalina,Joaquin and Giovanni, two miniature pinchers and two Chihuahua’s who keep me extremely busy. Joaquin is a very fearful dog it took me a week to get him from my front door to the elevator some 15 feet and now he walks beautifully to the elevator and out of the building and down the block. With training and patience I believe any obstacle can be overcome by providing a dog with a good quality of life. After the loss of my beloved schipperkes in the last two years, which I had three of I felt I still had a lot to offer. I have been training dogs all my life, my dogs, families and friend’s dogs so I decided to venture out and offer my services professionally. It is a joyous feeling when you do what you love and what you feel in your heart comes naturally to you.
After some extensive research I found Animal Behavior College. The Dog Obedience Instructor program was affordable and online, this enabled me to study while I worked full time. The best part of the course was the externship where I did shelter work at Sean Casey’s Rescue and training with my Mentor Trainer Dawn Prentiss of Semper Fido, she is excellent at what she does and a wonderful mentor.
After graduating ABC I have been working with
Dawn as an assistant trainer and starting in January will be holding group classes as the head trainer
with Semper Fido, it is just so rewarding to help not only the dogs but the owner to better communicate
with their furry children. I also do private trainings under my company name Little Paws of Hope and
have several clients, one who was very reactive and territorial of his environment and other dogs
outside his house. He now walks calmly and is enjoying life with his dedicated owners. Living and working with dogs of all natures is an extraordinary feeling, one that never tires. Often I have said “I have yet to get in my lifetime from a human what I get from dogs” although my partner comes very close. They are wonderful beings and we are blessed to have them in our lives.
I am a volunteer adoption counselor at a local humane society. After seeing so many dogs in the shelter and reading the surrender forms from owners, I knew I had to do something to help dogs and their owners stay together. People think that dogs come already housebroken and know they aren't supposed to jump, dig, bite, etc. Dogs are like children who require lots of time, energy, work, and responsibility, so they can grow into well behaved human beings. Dog owners will get out of their dogs exactly what they put into the dogs as far as time and work. If owners don't take the time to change the dog's behavior, the dog will do what works for him.
Dogs and cats have always been in my life from childhood to the present. I was able to teach dogs basic cues and tricks simply from reading about dog obedience and the importance of being patient, consistent, and calm. People say I have a unique connection with dogs because they respond so well to my cues.
After retiring from a Human Resources career in a Rochester, NY corporation, I decided to pursue my dream and passion: working with animals, especially helping to keep people and their dogs living happily ever after together.
After researching several dog training schools, I decided ABC had exactly what I was looking for to reach my goal as a certified dog trainer: online program, challenging curriculum, and hands-on training with a mentor and working in a local animal shelter.
I started the ABC program in February 2009 and graduated in October 12, 2009 with Honors." It was a challenging course and while I worked very hard, I enjoyed every minute of it. My mentor, Jen Carra, was and still is a great resource for me. Jen gave me tips and alternative techniques to try while encouraging and praising me throughout the externship.
My program manager Azure Long and my externship coordinator, Debbie Burrow were very supportive and always answered my questions and concerns promptly.
I started my shelter externship in another local animal shelter on August 1, and to date five hard-to-place dogs that I worked with have been adopted. These dogs were starved, never had been on a leash, jumped, and didn't know basic cues such as sit, down, stay. After working with these dogs for several weeks each, they were adopted knowing basic cues, not jumping, and doing loose leash walking. I offered the new owners one free private lesson demonstrating what cues to use and how to use head collars and walking harnesses. It has been rewarding for me to see these wonderful dogs finally find loving, caring families.
I have started a dog obedience business called Paws-i-tive Behavior offering group classes and in-home private lessons. I would also like to work as an IC at Petco or another dog training academy to broaden my training ability in agility, fly ball, tricks, etc.
STATE
LICENSURE and APPROVAL Animal Behavior College is a private vocational school approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education under the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 and Title 5. California Code of Regulations Division 7.5. Private Postsecondary Education. The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education approval means that this institution and its operation comply with the standards established under the law for occupational instruction by private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional approval is subject to continual review and the institution must reapply for approval every three years.
