Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant in Olathe, KS
ABOUT ME
DEB STONE
IAABC-ADT, AKC CGC EVALUATOR
BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I am a self proclaimed dog nerd, and have been obsessed with dog my entire life! I have loved learning about and spending time with dogs since my childhood. I would love to get books from the libray on dogs and dog training, and I was always the one to teach the family dogs tricks and do training with them. When I graduated highschool I got my first job working at a doggy daycare and boarding where I got hands on experience working witha wide range of dogs. I regularly did pet sitting for neighbors, friends and family and spent some time on Rover.com as a dog walker and pet sitter.
I went on to go to college at Kansas State universtity where I earned my Bachelors of Science in feed science and management (yes this is a real degree, I always get asked. You can view the program here --> https://www.grains.k-state.edu/academics/feed-pet-food-science/) with a minor in animal science focused on companion animal nutrition. After graduation I spent 8 years as a professional in the pet food manufacturing industry working in product development and innovation as a project manger. I worked at some companies you might recognize like Freshpet and BarkBox.
During that time I spent all my free time training with my own dog, Lupin to play in dog sports - but we ended up having to pivot and address some fairly challenging and severe reactivity and agression, which is ultimately what led me to my career as a professional dog trainer.
I started teaching part time while still working my full time jobs in 2021 when offered the oppotunity to teach classes
My unique background and professional experience has helped me become not only a dog expert but an effective coach to the humans who love them (and we know who really needs the training! ).
I have always had dogs in mylife and have been working in pet care for over 13 years and training professionally for 5 years.
I am an active member of the IAABC and have achieved their Accredited Dog Trainer certification. In addition to my IAABC accreditation I am also a Certified AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.
TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
I follow modern, ethical training practices that emphasize the use of positive reinforcement based training and follow FREE (Functional, Reinforcing, Enriching, Effective) principles as described by the IAABC. I consider myself a lifelong learner and continue to invest in my own education as a dog trainer, attending conferences, webinars, workshops and following the most up to date research in the area of dog behavior. I am focused on building good communication and understanding between dogs and humans so they can have an enjoyable relationship together!
MY DOG
LUPIN
I share my life with a reactive dog, Lupin the dalmatian you see with me in my pictures. He has taught me so much and is the reason I became a dog trainer. When Lupin began displaying reactivity and agression towards strange dogs and people I embarked on a mission to understand how to help him. In learning to undestand and help Lupin I learned much about dogs, behavior and training. You can thank him for all the kindness, compassion, and understanding he taught me when it comes to working with dogs, especially sensitive dogs.
Lupin is goofy boy and makes me laugh every day! We love to go on adventures exploring nature and spending time toghether on hikes. Lupin and I also love to play dog sports together! One of my favorite sports to play is rally obedience, an Lupin I have earned many titles in World Cynosport Rally League (WCRL) - RL1X, RL2X, ARCH, ARCHX, RL3, FL1, FL2. We have also played in tricks and earned AKC trick dog titles (TKN, TKI, TKA) and also have fun making up our own trick dog games at home. Lupin also loves to play AKC Fast Cat and has earned a few titles there as well - BCAT, DCAT. Currently we are enjoying the sport canine nosework which Lupin loves to play and we hope to get to competition soon. While we do not play competitively Lupin has also been trained in competition obedience and dabbled in agility.
I firmly believe dogs come into our lives to guide and teach us and I will always be grateful to all Lupin has taught me and all he will continue to teach me.
"Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen."
Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red
