Dogs/Expert Profile

Expertise

Indicate in your question that you have read my bio completely by putting at the beginning: "I have read your bio. I agree to read and rate your response fairly within three days." Unless you agree to this Virtual Contract, your question will be rejected as I'll know you didn't take time to read my bio. Keep questions limited to one or two areas of concern. Prioritize. I can't answer myriad questions which would amount to weeks of training in real life. Questions re: canine behavior AS IT RELATES TO TRAINING, tricks, & everyday interactions which are NOT related to medical conditions ARE WELCOME. I AUTO REJECT questions of a medical nature which don't relate to training or behavior modification. I WON'T ANSWER questions about itching, sores, pregnancies, etc. My answers reflect research, extensive experience, & formal, ongoing, self-motivated education in the areas of animal science, hehavioral biology, & behavioral psychology. If you dislike my answer because I've been honest, don't blithely rate me 'down' or say I was impolite when I wasn't. When I respond to your question, you can expect an honest answer although it may suggest you have work to do. Such aren't reasons to take shots at me in ratings. I'm always polite. Your question must make sense, be well structured grammatically & not require that I "decode" misspellings or grammar. If you would like to retain my services in the NYC, NJ, or Palm Beach Co., FL areas, please contact me for training. If I answer within the time frame provided by AllExperts, don't unfairly comment that I didn't answer your question quickly enough. If you have an emergency & feel your dog is behaving in a way which may compromise anyone's well being, call a vet immediately. If your dog dies or is euthanized after I respond to your question, don't lash out blaming me for your dog's death. If your dog seems ill get your dog to a vet ASAP. Don't depend on experts here to save an animals's life.

Experience in the area

Professional dog trainer and behavior consultant since 2002; professional dog portrait artist and professional painter for over 18 years. Professional State Certified Educator since 1992. Owner and operator of Innovative Reality Dog Training since 2002.

Organizations

Was Animal Science Major, Rutgers University; Permanently Certified NJ State Educator Since 1992; AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator; multi-species experience with horses, swine, agamids, with primary focus on domestic dog. Please keep questions related to dogs only in this forum.

Publications

Chronicle of the Dog, Yankee Dog, local news writings, "Popular Dog" Series magazine - Housetraining issue, quoted in Tonawanda (NY) News, July 2007

Education/Credentials

Master's Degree, plus additional undergrad college credits in psychology, and accredited college study in Animal Science.

Awards and Honors

Published author on dog training and dog behaviour, and business aspects of dog training. F.I.T. "Commitment to Illustration and Excellence as an Illustrator" award. Second place internationally in Society of Illustrators international art competition. Jellybean Photographics Award (for illustration).

Past/Present Clients

Over 2,000 satisfied clients since 2002.

What do you like about this subject?

Dogs are not only my profession, they're my passion. I have loved everything about dogs since before I could walk! I get that from my Mom who was thrilled to obtain her first dog right after The Great Depression in 1937.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I seek to educate people in order that they treat their animals humanely, and help folks learn to work with their dogs in a manner that suits their dog best and is most gentle; and to share my multi-species knowledge to benefit all those that utilize my services. I hope others benefit from what it is I seek to share.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Dogs learn based on operant and classical conditoning, not "whispering" or "dominance," or "secret" methods. Dogs don't think and act with quite the same complexity as humans. With dogs, it's best to be in the 'here and now' and Keep It Simple. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Healthy dogs can learn at any age - continued learning may extend a dog's life!

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Most folks don't know nearly enough about genetics, health, health certifications, and important developmental periods of dogs to be breeding. Breeding should be done by experienced, knowledgeable breeders only and not be casually done by an inexperienced person for any reasons. I will NOT answer questions about breeding dogs or about pregnancies or whelping for these reasons.