Paws Plaza hosts dogTEC for Professional Development Seminar

December 9, 2009 (Santa Fe, NM) – Clever Canines LLC dba PAWS PLAZA will host Gina Phairas, Coach and Instructor with dogTEC, a canine industry consulting company, for a business development seminar December 12-14 in Santa Fe. The staff trainings will focus on efficiency in conducting classes in dog-dog aggression and puppy training and socialization.

dogTEC is a full-service consultancy that helps dog professionals set up, operate, and prosper in their chosen field, be that dog training, dog walking, pet sitting, dog day care, or dog boarding. They offer tools and services tailored to dog pros, workshops, dog walking certification, and more. Gina Phairas, BSc Comms, CTC, is a former San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers instructor and trainer with extensive experience in the dog service industry. She previously ran a successful dog training business of her own and consults for shelters and rescue groups across the country. 

PAWS PLAZA is a full service dog training, retail and dog day care business in Santa Fe. Owners Robin Morehouse and Pam Castor are graduates of the prestigious San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, and in 2005 were the first Academy graduates to bring to the Santa Fe community the school’s science-based, dog-friendly and non-violent training methods. PAWS PLAZA will begin offering classes in early 2010 on dog-dog aggression and puppy training and ongoingly on other topics much needed in the community. In support of dog rescue and shelter work in the community, PAWS PLAZA will offer scholarships to rescue workers for their first class offerings. The skills to deal with the emotional state of dogs and knowing how to properly socialize dogs are very important for people who foster rescue dogs. Many rescue dogs have much difficulty finding homes because of fearful and aggressive behaviors. Rescue volunteers and foster parents are strongly encouraged to apply for scholarships in upcoming classes. The scholarships represent a $200 value per participant and are offered to those actively doing hands-on canine rescue work who will benefit from learning -- and then applying to their work -- a skill set to change the emotional state of fearful, aggressive dogs and to adequately socialize young canines. (Application and enrollment process will be required.)

Robin Morehouse shares her view of the importance of such classes for Santa Fe: 
“EVERY TOWN needs a growly dog class, where we help dogs with behaviors that include growling, barking and/or lunging at other dogs while on a leash. Many dogs have this issue but often owners are ashamed when their dogs are this way in public so the dogs don’t get walked. ‘Leash reactivity’ as we call it is very common but there are dog-friendly, humane solutions that are fun and easy to learn by dog owners.” … “Our puppy classes will cover critical skills—including obedience but going beyond just that--so that puppies will be socialized to be comfortable in being handled by strangers such as veterinarians and groomers and to appropriately and safely play with other canines. For a pup to have these skills is ultimately life saving, as an undersocialized dog can develop severe behavioral issues such as fear biting.”

She explains why dogTec and Ms. Phairas were selected for the in-house staff training this weekend:
“Gina is part of the new movement in real-life, science-based dog training that focuses on how animals learn and teaches owners the most effect methods to achieve the best results for behavior changes. I’ve observed Gina’s style of teaching dogs and their people.  She is top notch in our industry.”

Visit www.clevercaninecoaching.com, www.paws-plaza.com, and www.dogtec.org for more information. To enroll for upcoming classes call PAWS PLAZA at 505.820.PLAY (7529).

Homework CD Now Available From dogTEC’s Suite Of Dog Trainer Products

A CD of 45+ professionally written handouts and homework sheets for Dog Trainers is now available from business consultancy dogTEC.
 
Sixes, OR (PRWEB) September 15, 2009 — dogTEC has added The dogPRO Homework CD, a collection of more than 45 fully editable positive reinforcement handouts and homework sheets, to its suite of business tools for dog trainers. “Every trainer needs homework sheets for private training clients and for dog training classes,” says Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed., CTC, business consultant and dogTEC’s founder. “Some trainers are terrific communicators and simply don’t have time to write such handouts themselves. Others plain hate to write. Either way, trainers usually end up making do with an assorted collection of documents from past classes, shelters, and the Internet.”
 
With this latest product from dogTEC, however, trainers can look wholly professional and still save themselves over 90 hours of work. The 45-55 topics covered on The dogPRO Homework CD include all the most common obedience behaviors, R+ training concepts, clicker training, behavior modification foundation learning (such as how dogs learn), and a number of prevention topics like house-training, puppy socialization, and anti-jump. The handouts have been laid out by a designer, can be customized with the dog trainer’s own logo, and are fully editable.
 
Gina Phairas, BSc Comms, CTC, a dogTEC business consultant and the chief architect of the Homework CD content, says, “We have gone out of our way to make these handouts easy to understand and follow for dog owners—the language is straightforward, the tone is friendly and light. For trainers, this means less time spent explaining without having to compromise on the scientific and technical soundness of the material.”
 
The CD is available at an introductory price of $250 until September 30, and at the standard price of $300 afterward (ships October 16).
 
For more information about The dogPRO Homework CD, visit http://www.dogtec.org/dogcd-homework.php
 
dogTEC is a full-service business and marketing consultancy. The company helps dog professionals set up, operate, and prosper in their chosen field, be that dog training, dog walking, pet sitting, dog day care, or dog boarding. They offer one-on-one business and marketing consulting, business tools and services tailored to dog pros, workshops, dog walking certification, and more.

Puppy Curriculum Now Available From dogTEC's Suite Of Dog Trainer Products

A professionally designed and very different curriculum package for Puppy Training Classes is now available from business consultancy dogTEC.

Sixes, OR (PRWEB) June 28, 2009 — dogTEC has added The dogPRO Puppy Curriculum, a fully scripted positive reinforcement curriculum package, to its suite of business tools for dog trainers. "Dog trainers often struggle to keep clients engaged throughout the full course of a class," says Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed., CTC, business consultant and dogTEC's founder, who also teaches curriculum design and classroom management to dog trainers. "Terrific professionals who get rave reviews may still lose clients along the way. Or they see less repeat business than they rightfully should."

The problem, according to Boutelle, is the design of traditional dog training classes in which dog owners learn a number of isolated behaviors or commands in the classroom that rarely transfer successfully to the distracting environment of the outside world. Plus, traditional classes don't support the teaching of students, human and canine, who are at different skill levels.

The dogPRO Puppy Curriculum addresses these and other common problems. An Open Enrollment option means clients with new puppies can start anytime instead of missing out on important puppy socialization time or having to choose a different training class. The self-contained course design allows trainers to teach clients and dogs at varying skill levels and with different learning styles in the same class. And contextual learning through real or simulated situations like visits to the vet or dog park teaches clients real-life application rather than isolated commands, setting them up for success outside the classroom.

The package covers all the basic puppy training behaviors, a variety of training concepts, as well as prevention topics like house training, socialization, handling, and bite inhibition. It is available at an introductory price of $550 until July 15, and at the standard price of $600 afterward (ships July 31).

For more information about The dogPRO Curriculum, visit http://www.dogtec.org/puppy-curriculum.html

dogTEC is a full-service business and marketing consultancy. The company helps dog professionals set up, operate, and prosper in their chosen field, be that dog training, dog walking, pet sitting, dog day care, or dog boarding. They offer one-on-one business and marketing consulting, business tools and services tailored to dog pros, workshops, dog walking certification, and more.

Career Changers Flock To Recession-Defying Dog-Related Services Industry

With demand for dog-related services growing despite the tough economy, business consultancy dogTEC has added a Career Changer section to its website for the large number of people interested in a career as a dog trainer, dog walker, pet sitter, dog daycare or boarding kennel operator.

Sixes, OR (PRWEB) May 18, 2009 — dogTEC has added a Career Changer section to its newly revamped website with information for anyone considering a career as a dog trainer, dog walker, pet sitter, dog daycare or dog boarding kennel operator.

As the American Pet Products Association annual figures confirmed in February, the pet-related services market continues to grow—even amid a recession. The sector’s robustness attracts many job searchers and entrepreneurs, sparking a greater need for professional advice about educational options, start-up resources, legal requirements, market research, and so on.

“We get asked for advice about career changing every day,” says dogTEC’s founder, business consultant Veronica Boutelle. “Some people are unemployed, others have taken buyouts, but many are still in well-paid jobs when they approach us with questions. They want to know how to make a living as a dog trainer or walker, or they have an idea for a new type of pet-related service, but don’t know where to begin to turn the idea into reality.”

One such career changer is Cathy Chen-Rennie, who left a lucrative position with Google to open The Rex Center, a Canine Aquatic Fitness & Dog Training facility in Pacifica, CA. “I had long harbored a dream about running an aquatic center with services for senior, overweight, and injured dogs,” says Chen-Rennie. “But I’d never owned a business and didn’t know the dog service industry. dogTEC helped me flesh out the idea, crunch the numbers, find the right property, market the facility once we opened—just everything. I thought, ‘If I do this, I should do it right.’”

dogTEC’s new Career Changer section is aimed at people with dog- or pet-related business dreams. It contains information about positive reinforcement dog training schools, dog walking certification, daycare and kennel-related conferences, and a wealth of resources for further exploration. An article archive offers advice on for example ‘Making A Living As A Dog Walker,’ and ‘Going Pro,’ about the business side of being a dog trainer. Visit at http://www.dogtec.org/cc_dogcareer.html

dogTEC is a full-service business and marketing consultancy. The company helps dog professionals set up, operate, and prosper in their chosen field, be that dog training, dog walking, pet sitting, dog day care, or dog boarding. They offer one-on-one business and marketing consulting, business tools and services tailored to dog pros, workshops, dog walking certification, and more.