Dog Training in Las Vegas

This week the blog circle topic is dog training, I'm not a professional dog trainer, so I thought why not interview someone who is? I decided to interview Deborah Manheim CCUI, CSAT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, who is a professional dog trainer in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The initial plan was to also have a zoom video to go with the blog, but time got away from me.  Instead, it's all right here to read in question-and-answer format. Hope you find it useful.

Q. First, Deborah, what do all those initials stand for?

A. The initials are for the Independent Certifications for the courses I've completed in relation to dog training over the years. 

• 2000  CC-H SF Academy for Dog Trainers, Counseling Certificate with honors.
• 2001 CPDT-KA  Certified Professional Dog Trainer.  www.ccpdt.org
• 2005 CDBC  Certified Dog Behavior Consultant  www.iaabc.org
• 2015 CSAT  Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer  www.malenademartini.com
• 2020 CCUI  Certified Control Unleashed Instructor  www.controlunleashed.net

Q. What’s the name of your business and where can people find you? 

A. Happy Tails Family Dog Training, www.happytailsfamilydogtraining.com 

Q. Do you specialize in any specific area of dog training?

A. I specialize in helping dogs that have concerns about their environments.  Whether the dog startles and hides from sudden noises, movement, wind, barking dogs, or people. I use classical and operant counterconditioning to help them relax and become confident.  Desensitization is the “gold standard” procedure for those dogs that present with home-alone distress and the clinical diagnosis of separation anxiety. 

Q. Tell me about your pets.

A.  I now live with my sweetheart 9-year old Flat-Coated Retriever, Draper.  He is the most affectionate companion. Swimming and food are his loves. I recently lost the most extraordinary Airedale Terrier, the Wendy Darling. She was the closest thing to a best friend and our relationship will never be replicated.

Q. How did you get started?

A. I started out in 1997 as a Dog Walker/Pet Sitter (Happy Tails Pet Services) in NYC! Around this time I found and adopted a stray terrier and began to take him to a local training class. He was fearful of men and other dogs, but we bonded and were inseparable. I enjoyed the classes and the instructor introduced me to clicker training, Karen Pryor, Leslie Nelson, and the Bow Wow ladies Virginia Dare and Sherri Lippman. As my dog-walker arms strengthened, my back weakened; it was time to morph my business into teaching pet dogs how to walk politely on leash. That’s how it started.

There were very few opportunities for formal education when I started out so I sought out volunteer apprenticeships and worked 3 (apprenticeships) before I actually became a paid training instructor in 1999.   I worked with trainers that were riding the new waves of positive reinforcement training and was asked to write a clicker training curriculum for one of the big-box stores.  My “formal” education began when I learned about (in 2000) and attended the San Francisco Academy for Dog Trainers led by Jean Donaldson, and the Instructor and AdvancedTraining Courses led by Sue Sternberg, Pia Silvani, and Donna Duford.  In the meantime and with dozens of seminars, workshops, camps, and conferences under my belt, I became a full-time trainer and started Happy Tails Family Dog Training. I moved to Las Vegas in 2004 and have continued to educate myself and certify in different areas of canine behavior.

Q. What is the most common dog training issue you deal with or the most common question you get asked?  

A. The most common question I am asked is “How do I stop my dog from ________?”  It’s usually either puppy biting or fear-related aggression (teeth, growls, snaps, bites, etc.).

Q. What would you say to someone with that issue or question? 

A. I ask if they can describe what the pet is actually doing, in what circumstance, and where.  I ask if this happens all the time, and when doesn’t it happen.  I ask about what/who the behavior is directed towards and how long it has been going on.  I also ask what has been done to try and solve the problem, and has the vet been contacted in regards to the specific behaviors.  These questions usually give me a good idea of what I’m going to be working with.

Q. Is there one thing that you can recommend to puppy owners?

A. Teach them how to have fun, learn to understand basic canine body language, and how to really pay attention to the conversations you have with your puppy.

Q. What one thing you can recommend to dog owners who might be considering hiring a trainer? 

A. Ask the trainer these 2 questions:  What will you do if your dog “gets it right?”  “What will you do if your dog gets it wrong?”

Q. What 3 things can you recommend to any dog owner to do to avoid behavioral problems in the future?

A. Understand what your dog was bred to do and try to satisfy that dog’s functional needs. Enrich your dog’s life daily. Understand that training built on trust is not a luxury; it is necessary.

Q. What 3 things can you recommend to any dog owner to enrich the lives of their canine companion?  

A.

1. Get them out for safe, off-leash romps. The beach, the mountains, etc.

2. Give your dogs some agency, let them have some choices: Which toy? Which treat? Which way do you want to walk? 

3. Feed the most nutritious and delicious foods your budget will allow and use your imagination and lots of food-type puzzles to spark their seeking systems.

Q. Do you have any final words for pet owners?

A. Just to remember sharing life with a sentient being (human, canine, or otherwise) is the gift of love.

Thank you Deborah Manheim for taking the time to tell us about you and your business and to talk dogs.

If you have more dog training questions or if you're looking for a dog trainer in Las Vegas, stop by Deb's website.