8 minute read
GOOD DOGS: Building a training reputation
by Meghan Corbett
Dogs are incredible. They snuggle in our laps, work alongside law enforcement, run long distances while we exercise, protect us when we are scared, and always seem to know just what we need right when we need it. While the possibilities for the fourlegged best friends are endless, proper training is crucial to making sure the relationship is positive and beneficial for all involved to make sure a forever home is indeed forever. Meet some of the area women specializing in the dog training field.
From left: AvidDog trainer Anjhel Zertuche, trainer Katelyn Freund, owner and founder Jenny Klamm, and trainer Angelica Villuendas
photos by Madeline gray
JENNY KLAMM opened AvidDog after finding a need for a dog trainer in her own family. “Close to seven years ago, I adopted a dog from a rescue down in San Antonio, Texas,” Klamm says. “Unfortunately, the dog I adopted ended up having pretty severe human reactivity and aggression. He lunged, snapped, and snarled at every person who got within 30 feet of him. At that time, I was that helpless owner that felt like I had no option and that my dog was a lost cause. But by hiring a dog trainer myself when I was at my wit’s end, I learned that he wasn’t a lost cause and that I was failing to communicate with him and listen to him in a way he needed.”
Those lessons in learning how to communicate more effectively with her own dog led Klamm to want to help other owners achieve that same relationship with their dogs. The company that trained Klamm’s dog hired her as an intern, and she officially became a trainer.
“After a few years, I decided to branch out and open my own business,” she says. “I learned what to do and not to do as both a business owner and a dog trainer, and I inevitably created a company that emphasizes integrity and honesty, plus implements the most realistic, proven, and digestible training methods.”
AvidDog focuses on a “reward the good, correct the bad” approach. “I find my methods to be most effective because it’s simplified, and owners understand it,” Klamm says. “The catch is owners are taught many different approaches to rewarding or correcting their dog. So, they have options, which they like. Sticking to one tool or one method a lot of the time sets owners up to fail because realistically, owners won’t be walking around holding an e-collar remote or wearing a treat pouch all day, every day like we hope they will. If the dog only learned to comply in one way, the one time that one way isn’t viable, the dog fails, and the owner is disgruntled. A balanced approach provides the owner options and also gives the dog clarity.”
photos by allison JoyCe
BETH SHEPHERD owns Salty Dogs Obedience Training. She has been professionally training for almost twenty-five years and believes positive reinforcement is the way to go. “I trained with a local behaviorist for several years as well as a service dog organization working alongside many fabulous trainers,” Shepherd says. “From there, I helped write a few training manuals and started Salty Dogs.”
Shepherd says that she believes all methods have their place, but positive reinforcement is her first go-to.
“I feel pups need to understand what we are asking, and we need to make sure we reinforce what behavior we want before we correct them for an incorrect guess,” she says. “Positive reinforcement gives me the opportunity to be able to reinforce those behaviors I want to see more of and evaluate what is really going on. If we reward a behavior that we like, we are more likely to see it occur again!”
Shepherd trains each dog personally – no team of trainers.
“Being a woman and mom has helped me connect with my clients and understand where they are with trying to balance training a pup while getting their kiddos to all the places they need to be,” Shepherd says. “Finding time for this can be trying, and because I live it every day, I get it! The kiddo-dog relationship can be trying at times, and we have lived through every stage personally, so there are things that I would have recommended before kids that I wouldn’t recommend now.” The ability to learn and adapt to changing needs is a necessary trait to have as a trainer. “We are a family friendly training center and love working with families to help their pup become the family member they are looking for,” Shepherd says. “I love the opportunity to go into someone’s house or meet them out and about and to be able to really dig into the problem and watch the light go on as it clicks with both the owner and the dog.”
photos by daria aMato
DIANE GALLAGHER owns Dogtrain, a business that has been around for thirty years and was started by BARBARA EAGLES.
Gallagher began the process of buying the company in 1996. “I have been around dogs my entire life; my parents raised poodles,” she says. “One of my money-making ventures as a kid involved learning how to groom dogs, and I continued to do this for a good portion of my life. I started training dogs as a ten-year-old at the local kennel club where I grew up and started showing dogs a few years later.”
Gallagher worked with several professional dog show handlers for a number of years before starting out on her own in the late 1970s. She started publicly teaching obedience classes in the early 1980s. After moving to Wilmington in 1991, Gallagher worked at Topsail Animal Hospital.
Soon after, Gallagher began working at Dogtrain.
“I am now seeing clients with their children who came to me initially as children with their parents,” she says. “Makes me feel somewhat old but also speaks to the efficacy of our training program. We made a foray into ‘all positive’ training in the middle of the 1990s but discovered it did not provide the efficacy people needed to help them. It was also very difficult for most clients to stick to and see results. I find a balanced approach works much better – 80% positive input, 20% wrong, try again sometimes with consequences.
“We use food rewards; we use corrections. I teach people to use the least amount of pressure necessary, but they need to follow through on reasonable requests. If the dog doesn’t know what you want it to do, you cannot punish for your failure to communicate. You cannot get through raising a young thing without using the word ‘no,’ and it is much the same with dogs.”
Dogtrain also trains working retrievers and competes at hunt test trials.
One of the greatest features of Dogtrain is its longevity and family atmosphere, Gallagher says.
“My associate, Lauren Daniel, who came to me as an eightyear-old with her parents and a Boston Terrier,” Gallagher says, “is now my right hand as office manager and associate instructor.” W
Dr. Kamran is a pioneer in the scarless treatment of vein disease, best known for 5-star patient satisfaction ratings and outstanding patient outcomes. He was the FIRST physician in Wilmington to perform laser ablation of the veins and his practice was the FIRST in North Carolina to receive accreditation by the IAC, a nationally recognized accrediting organization dedicated to ensuring quality patient care. Dr. Kamran’s patent-pending technique and device are designed to provide the best patient experience, with no scarring or downtime. These factors mamake Dr. Kamran a highly sought-after specialist for those seeking relief from symptoms of vein disease or those in need of previous vein treatment revisions.
Call (910) 726-3737 today for a* FREE Vein Health Screening*
Symptoms of Vein Disease
• Tired / Restless legs • Painful Varicose/Spider Veins • Night Cramps (Legs) • Aching Pain/Heaviness • Discoloration of the Skin • Swelling of the Legs, Ankles & Feet • Rash or Itchiness (Legs) • Ulcers, Clotting or Bleeding
Scarless Vein Care by Dr. Kamran
Kamran Goudarzi, MD, FACS, FICS, DABVLM Now Seeing Patients in 2 Convenient Locations! Leland: 509 Olde Waterford Way #103 Wilmington: 710 Military Cutoff Rd. #130 34 WILMA JULY 2022 *Some *Some restr schedule a ictions consu a lt pply. Call in Wilmi (910) ngton 726-3737 or Lelan to d..
