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Dog Training/Expert Profile
Christine (Chris) Vassonei, APDT
Expertise
I have NO MEDICAL background. If your question pertains to a physical concern about your dog -- that is, you think your dog may be sick, whelping problems, trouble breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive urination, excessive drinking, heavy drooling, unexplained physical symptoms of ANY kind, etc -- YOU NEED TO GET OFF THE COMPUTER AND CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT WASTE TIME WAITING FOR AN EMAIL RESPONSE!!! Your dog could be having a medical crisis!
I answer questions pertaining to training of all kinds, behavior, grooming,etc. I am qualified to address questions regarding basic training issues; crate training, housebreaking, behavior management tools, basic obedience skills.
You may be interested in visiting:
http://bad-dog-good-dog.blogspot.com/
www.housecalls-dogtraining.com
Experience in the area
Have been a trainer for over 10 years, both in private in-home sessions and in classroom situations. Have participated in obedience with my golden, titling her with a Companion Dog title. Am currently serving as an "expert" in the Golden Retriever category.
Education/Credentials
On the job training for several years as instructor for Puppy and Behavior classes for the Humane Society of Missouri.
What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?
While I feel I have a good base of knowledge to draw upon, there is always something new to learn when you train dogs - no two dogs are alike, and each has his/her own personality.
Something controversial or provocative about this subject
There are still many trainers who use punitive training techniques; many people (and trainers) do not know the proper way to use a training (choke) collar and a pinch/prong collar.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response T = Timeliness P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| marann | 11/23/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thankyou so much you were so helpful ..... |
| debbie | 08/18/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Sarai | 07/28/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | excellent answer, will give it a try ..... |
| Erin | 06/25/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Great answer. Had personally dealt with what ..... |
| Maria | 06/17/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Your help and time was greatly appreciated ..... |
Recent Answers from Christine (Chris) Vassonei, APDT
2009-11-23 Training/Behaviour problems with my dog.:
Problem #1 A female not liking other females is not unusual. Not liking to be in big groups of dogs is not necessarily unusual either. Growling and/or attacking another dog who comes near her food/toys
2009-11-22 my dog grawls at the whole family please help us:
If he's 4 years old now, have you been tolerating this all that time, or is this a new development for the dog? My recommendation is to first have your vet give the dog a complete physical, including
2009-11-21 dog pulling always on leash:
I'm including some information on loose-leash walking. There is a product called the Easy Walk No Pull Harness that a lot of people have good success with. You can do a search on the Internet to find
2009-11-20 Crate training:
If what I’m understanding from the times you indicate, your dog is spending much more time IN his crate than OUT of it. A 10week old puppy will sleep a lot, the same as human babies, but as they get older
2009-11-19 Rescue Dog 5 yr Jack Russell Male:
My suggestion would be to treat Buddy as if he were a puppy and use basic housebreaking techniques. Even if a dog were housebroken in a prior home, going to a new home is an entirely different ballgame
Answers by Expert:
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