I also teach puppy socialization and early manners. My training is reward based. In 1984 Tammy started work as a kennel worker at the San Antonio Humane Society. She worked her way up to kennel manager. It was at the shelter that she learned about the plight of dogs in shelters. It was a hard lesson that she took to heart. Tammy was also a veterinary technician. She has worked in several vet hospi
tals thru the years; Ingram Park Animal Hospital in San Antonio, Lake Austin Blvd. Animal Hospital in Austin Texas. She assisted in surgery, performed skin scrapes, took temperatures and f***l samples. She was also a tech at Emancipet, a low cost spay/neuter hospital on wheels in Austin. “One of the most important jobs I have ever had.”
In 1999 Tammy worked as Shelter Manager at Central Texas SPCA in Leander Texas for two and a half years. In 1997 Tammy started a pet sitting service called “Woofgangs”. “I love pet sitting, however; it got so time consuming that I almost needed a pet sitter for my own dogs!”
After adopting a six week old Schnauzer mix puppy she named Simone, Tammy decided to take her to a puppy class. Simone was a handful as a puppy, nipping, biting, would not come when called. Not to mention at six weeks old she was not potty trained. After the class left something to be desired, Tammy decided to find a mentor and learn to become a trainer herself! After attending a conference put on by “The Association of Pet Dog Trainers” (APDT), in Lisle, Ill. she was determined to learn more about dogs and their behavior.
“My life became all things dog!” In between being a vet tech. and pet sitting, Tammy learned about training and behavior. After landing a position at Austin Humane Society as an assistant trainer; it was then that she decided that she had found her calling. “I saw people coming to classes with unruly dogs that the poor people had no idea how to handle. Once it was graduation time though, there was such a huge change in not only the dog’s behavior, but also in how their owners felt about them. I realized that training is the connection that both of them needed. Communication happened! For me, I realized that this just might be my chance to save some lives”. Tammy earned her CPDT (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) certification in November, 2004. She has trained at the Humane Society of Austin and Travis County for seven years. Teaching 2-3 classes a week. Tammy’s main focus in training is keeping dogs home. “I worked as Shelter Manager for two years at the Central Texas SPCA in Leander Texas, and got my start in shelter work at the Humane Society of Bexar County in San Antonio Texas. About 70% of the dogs that come to shelters are owner released. Meaning that, dogs are given up because they have behavior issues that are normal for dogs. If owners are educated about their dogs and why they do the things they do, many would stay in their homes. It is my main goal and desire for people and dogs to communicate better. Dogs can be one of the best parts of our lives”. Continuing Education Conferences and Seminars Attended:
• Training Behavior and Healthy Dog conference, Lisle, Ill. March 2000
• Completed five days at the Association of Professional Dog Trainers educational conference, in Portland, Oregon Sept. 2002
• Jean Donaldson’s two day educational workshop in Austin, Texas. Feb. 2005
• Patricia McConnell’s seminar “Both Ends of the Leash” and “The Management of Multiple Dog Households” seminar in Tucson, Arizona. Feb. 2006
• Training and Behavior conference with Sue Sternberg and Patricia McConnell PhD, Dallas Texas 2007
• Sue Sternberg’s “Train to Adopt” and “Training Wheels” seminar in Dallas, Texas. 2008
• Workshop/seminar with Sue Sternberg, Trish King, and Brenda Aloff, Dallas Texas 2009
• Continuing education conference with Roger Abrantes and Nicole Wilde, Dallas Texas 2010
• Canine Counseling in the Age of Whispering by Jean Donaldson, Houston Texas 2011
• Science based Dog Training with Feeling, Dr. Ian Dunbar, San Antonio Texas 2012
• Sirius Dog Training one day seminar, Dr. Ian Dunbar, San Antonio Texas 2013
• Working with Rescue and Shelter Dogs, S.A.N.E. Solutions Dog Training, Kathy Cascade, Austin Texas 2013
