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Meet Your Trainer
Karly Hertel, VSA-CDT, Cert. SAPT

Karly Hertel
VSA-CDT, Cert. SAPT
Karly Hertel is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, graduate of the Victoria Stillwell Academy, and a Certified Separation Anxiety (SA) Pro Trainer, trained by renowned SA training expert Julie Naismith.
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Committed to providing the most humane and effective solutions to her clients’ dog training needs, Karly avidly pursues ongoing continuing education and professional development by watching seminars and webinars and keeping current on industry literature. Karly has taken The Karen Pryor Academy's Puppy Start Right for Instructors course and Dognostic's Walk this Way Leash Training course.
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Karly is a member of The Pet Professional Guild, the only membership organization for professionals who subscribe to the view that aversive methods should not be used - or even deemed necessary as part of a strategic training or behavior modification program.
When not helping clients to enjoy easier lives with their canine companions, Karly enjoys daily walks and adventures with her dogs, Milo, Archie, and Kona.
Memberships and Credentials





Training Methods

We want what’s best for your dog.
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We use scientifically proven, positive reinforcement, reward-based training methods. We believe that training should be fun, humane, and effective and are proud to never use fear, pain, or force.
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Our dogs are constantly learning, and it is our job as their guardians to set them up for success and help them understand what we want. We use food, toys, play and real-life rewards to help motivate your dog and get their willing cooperation. By using positive, science-backed training techniques, we build skills on both ends of the leash to promote a life-long, adventure-filled friendship between dogs and their humans. I am dedicated to helping you strengthen your relationship and improve your dog's behavior, ensuring a harmonious and fulfilling companionship.
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Scientific studies conclude that reward-based training is the best way to train dogs. When training or handling animals, the BC SPCA advocates the use of force-free, humane training techniques utilizing evidence-based learning theories which foster trust and build positive human-animal relationships.
Benefits of Reward-Based Training
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Effective and fun
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Increases communication between you and your dog
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Builds trust between you and your dog
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Considers the emotional state of the dog and the effect of emotions on behavior
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Can be successfully used to address behavior problems and to teach manners, tricks, agility, and more
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Philosophy
I believe in a positive reinforcement-based, whole dog approach to training.
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Rather than simply teaching dogs what we don't want them to do, good training should teach dogs what we do want them to do instead. My training methods utilize findings from behavioral science and learning theory about how best to motivate dogs during training. I also believe in trying to understand the dog’s perspective as much as possible. Practical, lasting behavior change doesn’t happen with a “quick fix” approach to training. It happens when we look at a dog’s life as a whole and strive to meet a dog’s needs for instinctual fulfillment, physical exercise, cognitive enrichment, and social fulfillment. My approach to training involves hard work, but it’s also fun, and you’ll get out of it what you put into it. It is my hope that you and your dog will emerge from this experience with a closer bond and an improved ability to understand each other, armed with a practical set of cues and skills that will make life easier for both of you.
