In the 1990's Karen took her first dog to training and to her horror found compulsion training.  The dog was very intelligent and obedient and she didn’t see the need to punish it for making a mistake. She didn’t stay long. 

Five years later she got a pre-owned Rottweiler.  Knowing the breed needed to be trained; she gritted her teeth and enrolled him.  Happily, things had moved on in that period, and a combination of reward and compulsion was used.  The dog had a few behavioural issued and this was her introduction to canine behaviour.  There wasn’t much available in the public library, but what she found helped her to solve the dog’s problems.  When she got her next dog a long time after that, training had moved to positive methods only and someone had invented puppy school. 

Karen has completed the Canine Culture Behaviour Course as well as the basic and advanced canine behaviour courses at Ethology Academy. 

In the past she has volunteered at a pro-life shelter, taking puppies and some adult dogs to training to increase their chances of being adopted.  Shelter puppies are usually very well socialised, but she did find a Rottweiler x Chow that looked as if it might develop into a fear biter.  The first lesson with him, she did no work as he was too scared.  The lesson consisted mainly of doing body work and lying on the ground trying to entice him to play.  He made remarkable progress after that and turned into a wonderful, confident young man. 

Karen wishes all dog owners would realise the special relationship that can be built between a human and dog through training.