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Carol Byrnes, CPDT-KA

David Adams

July 10, 2024

Dog Trainers

Carol Byrnes, CPDT-KA

Dog trainer in

https://www.diamondsintheruff.com

Service areas:

Spokane, Spokane County, Spokane Valley, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, Latah Creek, Mead, Airway Heights, Cheney, Emerson-Garfield, Corbin, Garland

Carol attended her first dog training class in 1974 and started teaching as a volunteer at a local club in 1978, where Carol began her instructing career and over many years served as an officer, board member, and assistant director of training. She helped develop their first Puppy Preschool curriculum. Carol has been involved with training and showing dogs in both conformation and obedience since 1974. During the 80's they were founding members of the Inland Empire Doberman Pinscher Club and Doberman Rescue. While following every show circuit competing in AKC conformation and obedience and hanging ribbons on the wall was once a focus, Carol & Dana started traveling great distances to spend weekends at behavior seminars instead of show rings. They discovered clicker training. Captivated by the study of canine behavior, they found their calling: teaching families to better understand their pets. They abandoned their choke chains and military style "forward & halt" training in favor of motivational no-force methods that focused on building great relationships between families and their pets and haven't looked back. Carol & husband Dana instructed for The Family Dog from 1992-96 and opened Diamonds in the Ruff in 1996 with the goal of providing positive, dog and people friendly training for Spokane's pet owners. Their goal is to not just teach the mechanics of training, but provide instruction that helps their students develop an understanding of how dogs learn and view the world.In the community:In 1991, Carol began work with Spokane area hospitals to research and draft protocols for the first pet-assisted therapy programs which continue to this day. Carol's whippet Rio was the first dog to set paw in a Spokane hospital in 1992. They were well-known by staff and patients at Deaconess, Sacred Heart, St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute, Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children and Sunshine Gardens elderly care center, where Carol & Dana provided pet-assisted therapy visits with their whippets Rio, Spinner, & Eddie for many years. Carol served as a certified Pet Partners evaluator for the Delta Society in Renton to provide Pet Partners¬Æ aptitude and temperament screening for potential pet-assisted therapy animals until 2001.On ScreenIn January of 2007, Carol's Beagle/Rat Terrier mix Stanley was chosen by North by Northwest productions to play the role of "Buster" in a Lifetime movie channel production "The Family Holiday" which was released Nov 6, 2007. He was later cast as "unconscious dog in an elevator" along with several other Diamonds in the Ruff instructors' and students' dogs in the movie "Falling Up" released in 2008.What is My Dog Saying?Carol released a CD of her canine communication Power Point presentation "What is My Dog Saying?" in 2008, selling hundreds of copies all over the world in a matter of months. It is part of the curriculum of the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy and available for purchase through director Rise Van Fleet's online store. In 2009 Karen Pryor contacted Carol to sell her CDs through Sunshine Books on Karen's online store at www.clickertraining.com. It is also available through Dogwise.com. Carol has presented her workshop on reading body language and understanding canine communication for the Washington Animal Care & Control Association in Oct 2007 and for the Intermountain Search Dogs annual Washington Dog Meet in Sept 2008.In 2011, Carol started work on "What is My Dog Saying - at the Dog Park?" which was released in the fall of 2011. In January of 2012 she began work on "What is My Cat Saying?" in collaboration with cat behavior specialist, Jacqueline Munera of Positive Cattitudes which was released in the fall of 2013.Carol's current passion is leading the training team at the Airway Heights Corrections Center's Pawsitive Dog Prison Training Program where offenders attend weekly training and behavior lessons and train shelter dogs to help them become more adoptable. Not only are the dogs learning to be better companions, but they are teachers, too, teaching these men lessons of kindness, empathy and patience. Of all the training assignments she has ever had in her training career, Carol says this program is the most rewarding project she has ever done.

Certifications:

Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed / APDT Professional member / Associate Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants / Member of the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals / Charter member of the Association of Force-Free Pet Professionals Guild

Dog training services include

Deaf dog training
Reactive dog training
Agility training
In home training
Off leash training
Puppy training

More info about Carol Byrnes, CPDT-KA's dog training:

We offer group training classes, specializing in early puppy education, confidence building, and getting newly adopted dogs off to a great start. Basic skills including come when called, hand signals and verbal cues, sit-down-stay, loose leash walking and attention around distractions. Enrichment activities and behavior problem prevention and solutions. Building great relationships by helping the whole family better understand their dogs and their dogs better understand them. Giving you the tools you need to build a satisfying relationship built on mutual respect and trust through kind and gentle training. Our school also provides a wide variety of advanced classes, including Canine Good Citizen, Freestyle, Pet-Assisted Therapy, Agility, Hiking, Tricks, Parkour and more.

Behavioral issue focus:

Excitability, impulse control, calmness and attention around distractions; object and counter thieving, teaching a willing exchange, resource guarding; boredom and destructive behavior; door-dashing & reliable come when called; barking; fear & reactivity, confidence building, trust issues.

Dog training methods:

Diamonds in the Ruff is a reward-based, force-free training school. Helping our dogs understand what we want and building strong, reliable behaviors using scince-based R+ techniques that do not rely on harsh corrections to get there. Positive doesn't mean permissive. There will be rules and boundaries. Rather than focusing on stamping out bad habits by correcting and punishing, we will focus on shaping strong and reliable cues to counter unwanted behavior and build good habits that will replace unwanted behavior. Dogs are not "bad" - they just have a few natural canine behaviors that don't fit well in our human lifestyles. We will find jobs and enriching outlets for those behaviors so they are no longer problems for the dog's humans. We teach our clients to use clear and effective communication and reliable behavior based on a history of generous rewards - food, toys, games, praise and activities. We offer group classes as well as private behavior consultations and private lessons.

Why I became a dog trainer:

I was crazy about dogs at very early age but really caught the bug when I attended my first training class with our family's blue heeler when I was a Senior in High School. Holly was reactive toward dogs and people and had problems with resource guarding as well as chasing anything with wheels, including the lawn mower and the vacuum cleaner. After my success with Holly, I took every dog I've owned since to every class that was offered and started competing in dog shows. I was invited to join the dog training club in 1977 where I started helping pet owners better understand their dogs and found my calling. 49 years later, teaching dogs & their people is still my life's work.

My favorite part of being a dog trainer:

Seeing a dog's face light up and their people appreciate the wonderful dog at the end of their leash.

My #1 dog training tip:

No matter what the training challenge, try to see the situation through the dog's eyes before you make a training plan.

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David Adams

July 10, 2024

Dog Trainers

David Adams

About the author

David Adams is a man of many passions, but his love for dogs stands above all. He is not only a dog lover, but also the founder of an innovative platform called Sniffspot. This unique platform connects dog owners with private property owners who are willing to rent out their space for off-leash playtime. While the idea of Sniffspot was initially conceived by his wife, Rebecca, David has been the driving force behind its remarkable success, tirelessly overseeing its growth and development. David's dedication to providing safe and enjoyable spaces for dogs to play, explore, and socialize is evident in his unwavering commitment to Sniffspot. He strongly believes that dogs need ample space and opportunities to stretch their legs and have fun. As a result, he has worked tirelessly to build a network of private property owners across the country who share his vision and are willing to offer their space for the benefit of dogs and their owners. Despite his busy schedule, David always finds time to indulge in his passion for the great outdoors. He loves nothing more than exploring new hiking trails and embarking on thrilling outdoor adventures. Whenever he is not working on Sniffspot, he can often be found hiking or visiting multi-acre fenced sniffspots with his two beloved dogs, Soba and Toshii. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the fresh air, breathtaking scenery, and the sense of freedom that comes with being in nature. David is based in Salem, MA.

About Sniffspot

Sniffspot is a community marketplace that enables anyone to rent land by-the-hour as a safe and private dog park.

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Sniffspot provides the best experiences and fun for you and your dog. Our dog parks are designed for the ultimate dog exercise. Our private spaces help you minimize distractions or triggers and maximize time with your dog. We provide off leash enrichment - exploration and activities you can't get anywhere else; wear your dog out for days. We make it easy to have playdates. Socialize your pup in a controlled, private spot - it's great exercise and it's fun for you and your dog.

Carol Byrnes, CPDT-KA

Certifications:

Dog training services include

More info about Carol Byrnes, CPDT-KA's dog training:

Behavioral issue focus:

Dog training methods:

Why I became a dog trainer:

My favorite part of being a dog trainer:

My #1 dog training tip:

See The Best Dog Trainers In Washington

See The Best Dog Trainers In Other Cities Near Washington

David Adams

About Sniffspot

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