About Your Trainer
My name is Shelley and I am the owner of Doggie Do's and Don'ts. I am an experienced animal professional and I am passionate about dog training. My animal career began in 1995 and I have worked as a veterinary technician, dog groomers assistant, pet sitter, studio animal trainer, elephant trainer, assistance dog trainer, and obedience dog trainer.
I graduated from The University of Central Florida in 2005 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. After graduation at UCF, I attended the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program (EATM) at Moorpark College. In 2008, I graduated the EATM program with an Associates in Science degree in exotic animal training, behavioral management, and wildlife education. To further advance my knowledge in behavior modification and operant conditioning, I am currently pursuing a masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis.
After graduation, I trained dogs for movies and television in the Los Angeles area. Missing family and friends led me back home to Orlando Florida. I trained the elephants at Disney's Animal Kingdom for a few years before realizing how much I missed working with dogs! So, I once again made the move to Santa Rosa California to learn how to train assistance dogs for Canine Companions for Independence. After spending a year and a half in northern California, I was promoted as an apprentice instructor for Canine Companions here in our Southeast Region campus.
In addition to training the assistance dogs, I enjoy teaching obedience and canine good citizen classes to pet owners, like you! There is so much satisfaction and reward in educating dog owners about the way their dog communicates with them. I thoroughly enjoy strengthening the human/animal bond by sharing my knowledge of canine behavior with dog owners. This in return, provides you with a well behaved member of the family!
I am available to teach in home obedience classes and group obedience classes. Once your dog is behaving well and obeying you, we can also teach some fun tricks! I have trained dogs for movies and assistance dogs, so the sky is the limit on what I can teach your dog!! In addition to obedience and tricks, I am a certified Canine Good Citizen instructor through the AKC. Contact me for more information on the classes I provide!