The Dog Trainers Connectio‪n‬ Dog Trainers Connection

Dog trainer Dennis Fehling, CPDT-KA, CBATI, of Friends for Life Dog Training in Redmond, Oregon, is passionate about giving back and helping veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  He and his wife Pam Bigoni worked with a program called “Battle Buddies” in Oregon, training veterans and their service dogs.
Dennis invited two veterans whom he worked with in the program, Tom Imholt and Dax McMillan, as well as retired Navy Seal John Surmont, to talk about the effects the dogs had on their lives. Dennis also discusses what kind of training he did with the veterans and their service dogs.
As Dennis points out, “we need to have more programs like this one because the dogs actually change people’s lives as they connect vets with a non-judgmental being to help with their new “mission.””

Steve Diller has been training dogs for over 40 years and was instrumental in helping to start Dog Trainers Connection. Besides being passionate about the dog training profession and the need for trainers to talk with each other and learn from each other, no matter what methods they use, Steve is a wonderful story teller. In the interview he shares what happened when positive reinforcement training evolved among the classical compulsion trainers – why he embraced it – and the reactions he got from both sides of the table. He also shares what he does with clients that has helped him have a successful career for over 40 years.

Mike D’Abruzzo of K9-1 Specialized Dog Training LLC in Peekskill, New York, has been specializing in aggression cases and formal protection training since 1998. He told me that most of the personal protection training he does is an outlet for otherwise aggression cases that need a job to do and “a place for owners to control the aggression even more so than to use it.” He has an impressive background of training dogs for the military, private security dogs, and he was a trainer and handler for narcotic and explosive detection dogs for FEMA in the aftermath of 9-11. I really enjoyed hearing about Mike’s work with aggression and the stories of how he’s helped owners with “problem” dogs overcome the obstacles of living with them.

How to Observe the “Structure” of a Dog

Brian Corrigan, Chiropractor

Trainers need to learn how to observe a dog fully. While we mainly focus on training and behavior, it’s very important for us to look at the overall dog we’re working with and observe any possible physical issues that may be going on.
In my interview with Chiropractor Brian Corrigan of Jersey City, NJ who has been seeing people and their dogs for 20 years, he told me “It doesn’t work out if the person isn’t relaxed – I need to treat the person then their dog.” And isn’t that the same with dog training? Brian talks about how to observe a dog’s physical structure and what specific things to look for that may be signaling that the dog is in pain. And he shares other insightful tips that will be helpful to anyone working with dogs.
You’ll hear some of his success stories too. There are no machines in Brian’s practice - only his healing hands for people and their dogs!
Take a listen to my interview with Chiropractor Brian Corrigan of Jersey City, NJ

Living with multiple dogs is something that dog trainer Dennis Fehling, CPDT-KA, CBATI of Friends for Life Dog Training in Central, Oregon and his wife Pam have had a lot of experience with - he presently has 7 adopted dogs!
Dennis shares great information on how to make multiple-dog households run smoothly, what to do to keep all the dogs relaxed, peaceful and satisfied, as well as considerations that trainers should be aware of before adding dogs to their already existing dog families.

Michael Shikashio, CDBC and Board President of IAABC, discusses the makeup of a good aggression trainer, how to deal with fear that may sometimes come up when working with an aggressive dog, and his personal path to becoming a specialist in dog aggression cases!