MINI-BIO:

My interest in dogs is lifelong but about nine years ago a good friend and gifted trainer, Ron Aviles, asked if I'd like to swap some computer parts for some lessons with my two dogs. That was the best deal going since Minuit purchased Manhattan Island from the Algonquins for 24 bucks! It was a transforming experience that ultimately led to the process of learning how to train other people how to go about training their dogs.

Along the way I would try my hand at competition, a lot of fun but there was this nagging feeling that this was not a good use of my time. Having emerged from the ranks of the average dog owner I was (and am) empathetic to the problems that average pet owners are faced with. From a practical standpoint I knew that for every person who wanted to teach their dog to square dance, there were countless more struggling with more pedestrian issues like pulling the leash and jumping on strangers at the park. No one's going to send you a dry cleaning bill because your dog can't "do-si-do" but god help you if your pound puppy leaves paw-prints on someone's Calvin Klein's. So pet obedience it would be and has been for eight years, starting Great Dog! in 2003.

It's been great fun far more than it's been anything like work. Most rewarding has been the shelter experience. I once heard another trainer say "If you really want to sharpen your skills, work with some junk dog at your local shelter" I'd be hard pressed to recall another statement that was both remarkably insensitive and insightful at the same time. Being around as many dogs as I have been I can tell you the shelter is humbling, inspiring, sad, gratifying, and so many other things. If you want to bring a dog into your life I'd encourage you to stop by yours before you look anywhere else.

On a personal note, I am married to my wife of fourteen years Susan. We have one child, my son Keir who at four years old proclaimed "I have dog training skills daddy!" Chip off the old block that boy. We have three dogs; Big Lou, a sixteen year old Min Pin, Archie, a fourteen year old JRT and Miles, a two year old JRT we adopted from the Warwick Animal Shelter in April 2010 in the wake of the the flood that all but destroyed it.

I also have a Bachelor's degree in illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art.