About Us

Most dog trainers I know became a trainer because of one dog. I started training my own dog when I was a senior in high school. Having grown up in the world of competitive dog obedience, competitive dog conformation, and horsemanship/equitation, I expected perfection. Unfortunately my dog had quite a few obstacles to overcome. Separation anxiety and generalized anxiety prevented Cowboy from being able to focus in busy environments or relaxing at home. We couldn't go on walks because he was afraid of cars. Cowboy would spin in circles at my side when we went to the vet. At home he would pace back and forth which made it difficult for me to relax. After enrolling in an obedience class, I was soon offered a position as an intern and my perspective of "how to train a dog" completely changed. I learned how to train a dog by building a relationship between dog and owner based on respect and understanding. I learned how to train a dog by reading dog behavior and understanding why they do what they do. I learned how to train a dog by presenting information to dogs so they could choose to listen and cooperate instead of being forced to perform. As I gained experience with other dogs I saw a great change in Cowboy's behavior and soon heard what a delight he was to be around from friends and family.

Sometimes there is more of a problem with the owner than the dog; I had my own problems contributing to miscommunication with Cowboy. Undoubtedly, it is necessary that knowledge is gained on both the human and animal side. God has blessed me with the ability to convey information to both human and canine in such a way that they can understand and their lives are improved. Golden Standard Canine Training is dedicated to my Golden Retriever Cowboy for all that he has taught me. Thank you Cowboy, I hope to provide people and dogs with the "Gold"en Standard of training you have given me.