ABOUT ME AND MY PHILOSOPHY

Hi! Thanks for visiting my website. My name is Cathy Painter, and I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT), a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine—Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA), a Fear Free Certified Trainer and an Elite Fear Free Certified Technician. I am proud to have previously chaired the education committee for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.

I follow LIMA guidelines and the Humane Hierarchy. The main tools I use to achieve behavior change are good management followed by positive reinforcement. This means I will help you set your pet up for success and then I will reward the behaviors we want A LOT.

I strongly believe continuing education is the key to successful animal training and behavior modification.

I strongly believe pain and fear are unnecessary and detrimental to teaching animals.

I strongly believe the purposeful use of pain or fear by a dog trainer is abuse.

If your pet is fearful and you use "corrections" to change their behavior, you are setting the stage for failure. If your dog is fear aggressive and you use what he or she views as harsh methods to correct their behavior, you are creating a situation where a person may be hurt. Consider who suffers most when this happens.

Animals are usually willing to cooperate with our wishes if we communicate with them in a way they understand!

MY BACKGROUND

My career began in 1990 as a zookeeper at a little zoo in Indiana. In 1996, I completed my education at Purdue University and accepted a position as a veterinary technician at the Dallas Zoo. After a promotion to hospital manager in 2010, I immediately missed my direct interactions with animals. By 2015, I was ready to change course.

Becoming the director of The Training Studio in Carrollton, Texas where my focus was dogs showing fearful, reactive, and aggressive behaviors, was both demanding and fulfilling. Now, I am ready for a new challenge; starting my own business.

My goal is helping you and your pets—whether they have fur, hooves, scales or feathers—build a better relationship and achieve the results you want through positive reinforcement.