Dog Trainers in Cedar Rapids, IA

Tom Rose http://www.tomrose.com/ Michael Ellis's http://michaelellisschool.com/ Bridget Carlsen http://www.bridgetcarlsen.com/ Karen Pryor Academy https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/ Jean Donaldson http://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/ Dognostics http://www.dognosticselearning.com/

I started a post on this on another group I'm on. Here's an interesting response: Bethany Watkins Stay away from Donaldson. You'll learn more about how to be a closed minded zealot than how to actually train. Stay away from the PPG. The good positive trainers aren't going to be listed there or having anything to do with them. Pryor is good for learning the mechanics of shaping, etc. But it's pricy. Look online at Shirley Chong & Sue Aislby's website. Good, common sense info on positive training there that's free and comes from rational sources. For a school I think Michael Ellis is the best. But that's pricy too. You want to learn? Basically you just work hard and title your own dogs. Simple as that. You'll make mistakes and do things wrong, but each dog you'll learn with. For learning theory read the book 'Excelerated Learning.' Volunteer at shelters. Beg/pay/ask to clean kennels of good professional trainers in exchange for some learning opportunities. Be humble. Keep your mind open. Take seminars from people like Tyler Muto & Chad Mackin who work with behavior problems, can read dogs like wizards and are focused on relationship building training. Susan Garett has good agility courses if you want to spend that much $$ on them. Some Fenzi courses are good, others not so informative. If you want to take an obedience course from them only take it from Fenzi because she has the experiences and titles to back up her methodology. Lori Drouin, Janice Gunn & Adele Yunk do a great job of breaking obedience down in a way that's easy to understand. For conformation find a breeder of the breed you like and ask to do kennel grunt work in exchange for lessons on grooming and handling.

Brenda Aloff apparently is starting an online course that will have more of the learning skills in them.http://brendaaloff.com/virtual-academy