My name is Rachel Brown and I am a companion dog trainer. Dogs have
always been my passion and working with them professionally has always
been a dream of mine. I started Good Dog! K9 Obedience to help fulfill this
dream. I am no "Miracle Worker", but with time and patience, I can help you
to understand your dog better and help to incorporate him into your home as
a valuable family member!
The following is a little about my life and how I got started in dog training.
I have been fortunate enough to live my life surrounded by animals. I grew up
with cats and dogs. My parents let my brother, sisters, and I drag all sorts of
creatures through the house over the years. Anything from turtles and lizards
to guinea pigs and hamsters.
I am now surrounded by the animals I love most, dogs and horses.
Dogs have always been a passion of mine. When I received what I consider
my first puppy (the first dog I have ever raised on my own) a few years ago,
my mom's comment to me was, "You need a dog like you need a hole in the
head."
This puppy was a Yellow Lab who I named Samwise Gamgee, my ever-faithful
and loyal friend. Sam emulated the breeds personality to the "T". He was
boisterous, playful, and full of puppy smiles (as well as puppy energy).
Sam spent the first several months of his puppy-hood being just that, a
puppy. While he acted the part, I did tons of research on training. I talked to
many professional trainers about techniques and training tools. I read book
after book on dog and puppy training. Meanwhile, Sam was gaining 10
pounds a month and becoming more of a handful by the minute.
Finally, by the time Sam was 5 months old, I felt confident enough to begin
Sam's training. With daily training, Sam knew sit-stay, down-stay, come, heel,
and walked nicely on a loose leash by the time he was 7 months old.
It was at that time that Sam became a certified Therapy Dog through Pets on
Wheels of Southern Maryland. His initial training led him down the path to
becoming a certified Assistance Dog. No longer in need of his assistance, I
have retrained him for Search and Rescue with Calvert K-9 Search Team. He
is certified through the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR)
at the Canine SARTECH II Area Search Dog (non-discriminating) level. I am
also the Deputy Commander of the Calvert K-9 Search Team and one of the
head trainers.
As Sam and the rest of the Good Dog! Gang continue to grow and mature so
do my skills in dog training. I am constantly educating myself in the newest
thoughts and ideas of dog training.
I have helped numerous friends, co-workers, and just people I have met in the
store turn their ill-mannered dogs into beloved family pets.
The TOOLS I use:
Every dog is different and therefore learns differently. I like to keep an open
mind about the variety of training tools and methods that exist today.
I like to combine both corrective training with positive reinforcement. In this
manner, I find that most dogs learn quickly and retain their knowledge longer.
I use a variety of tools such as a head halter (Halti or Gentle Leader),
pinch/prong collar, and electronic and citronella collars. The type of collar I
use depends on the dog and the type of training. When used properly, none
of these collars are dangerous to your dog. Proper instruction on the use of
these training tools is stressed in every lesson. This does not only include
the "how", but more importantly, the "why".
always been my passion and working with them professionally has always
been a dream of mine. I started Good Dog! K9 Obedience to help fulfill this
dream. I am no "Miracle Worker", but with time and patience, I can help you
to understand your dog better and help to incorporate him into your home as
a valuable family member!
The following is a little about my life and how I got started in dog training.
I have been fortunate enough to live my life surrounded by animals. I grew up
with cats and dogs. My parents let my brother, sisters, and I drag all sorts of
creatures through the house over the years. Anything from turtles and lizards
to guinea pigs and hamsters.
I am now surrounded by the animals I love most, dogs and horses.
Dogs have always been a passion of mine. When I received what I consider
my first puppy (the first dog I have ever raised on my own) a few years ago,
my mom's comment to me was, "You need a dog like you need a hole in the
head."
This puppy was a Yellow Lab who I named Samwise Gamgee, my ever-faithful
and loyal friend. Sam emulated the breeds personality to the "T". He was
boisterous, playful, and full of puppy smiles (as well as puppy energy).
Sam spent the first several months of his puppy-hood being just that, a
puppy. While he acted the part, I did tons of research on training. I talked to
many professional trainers about techniques and training tools. I read book
after book on dog and puppy training. Meanwhile, Sam was gaining 10
pounds a month and becoming more of a handful by the minute.
Finally, by the time Sam was 5 months old, I felt confident enough to begin
Sam's training. With daily training, Sam knew sit-stay, down-stay, come, heel,
and walked nicely on a loose leash by the time he was 7 months old.
It was at that time that Sam became a certified Therapy Dog through Pets on
Wheels of Southern Maryland. His initial training led him down the path to
becoming a certified Assistance Dog. No longer in need of his assistance, I
have retrained him for Search and Rescue with Calvert K-9 Search Team. He
is certified through the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR)
at the Canine SARTECH II Area Search Dog (non-discriminating) level. I am
also the Deputy Commander of the Calvert K-9 Search Team and one of the
head trainers.
As Sam and the rest of the Good Dog! Gang continue to grow and mature so
do my skills in dog training. I am constantly educating myself in the newest
thoughts and ideas of dog training.
I have helped numerous friends, co-workers, and just people I have met in the
store turn their ill-mannered dogs into beloved family pets.
The TOOLS I use:
Every dog is different and therefore learns differently. I like to keep an open
mind about the variety of training tools and methods that exist today.
I like to combine both corrective training with positive reinforcement. In this
manner, I find that most dogs learn quickly and retain their knowledge longer.
I use a variety of tools such as a head halter (Halti or Gentle Leader),
pinch/prong collar, and electronic and citronella collars. The type of collar I
use depends on the dog and the type of training. When used properly, none
of these collars are dangerous to your dog. Proper instruction on the use of
these training tools is stressed in every lesson. This does not only include
the "how", but more importantly, the "why".
| Learn more about different training tools: |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Who I am... |