My name is Jill Tonkin and I am a Certified Dog Obedience Instructor and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).  I provide dog training services and canine education throughout Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties in Oregon. I obtained my education and certification from the internationally recognized Animal Behavior College. My Dog Obedience Instructor program provided me with a formal education in the science of canine learning and canine behavior, in addition to on-the-job training in canine obedience. I offer group classes at Clackamas County Dog Services to include: Puppy Kindergarten, Basic and Intermediate Obedience, and Preparation for Canine Good Citizen. Additionally, I train Staff and Volunteers in all the ways to best help the resident shelter dogs get adopted and find their forever homes. “In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog," author unknown. My education, experience, and training philosophy provide me with the skills necessary to help you positively and effectively train your dog to be on his or her "Best Behavior"!

I believe part of my job as a dog trainer is to educate owners about all dog matters including behavior, positive training methods, basic health, safety and nutrition, dog training products and interactive toys to prevent boredom and behavioral problems. I pride myself by continuously advancing my education in the canine behavior and dog training fields. This is why I regularly attend all manner of dog training seminars, conferences and workshops. Recently such training and behavior topics have included: Dog-Dog Reactivity, Behavioral Adjustment Training, Fearful and Reactive Dogs, and the Association of Pet Dog Trainer’s 2011 Conference on Impulse Control. I evaluate and then incorporate only the best new methods into my training protocols. Additionally, I absorb knowledge and training techniques from my growing personal collection of books and videos on canine topics written by such dog experts as Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Sue Sternberg, Jean Donaldson, Nicole Wilde, and Stanley Coren. I have been fortunate enough to attend fantastic training classes by five of these amazing dog experts! Most recently, I have strived to learn as much as I can on such subjects as: dog reactivity, fearful dogs, puppy socialization and wolf-dogs. I am fully committed to expanding my education in canine training and behavior as it is vitally important to the well-being of every dog!

Personally, I think dogs are amazing creatures! They have the ability to melt your heart with just one look. I chose my Siberian Husky, a rescue, after just one look into her deep maple syrup-filled brown eyes. But I’ve fallen for complete stranger dogs who’ve also given me “the look”! Inside these eyes there seems to lay the promises of unconditional love and unfailing loyalty. Dogs are true companions and truly the best of friends. On a bad day, they can at the very least make you smile, "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face", wrote Ben Williams. On a great day, they amaze and inspire. I want to help enrich the lives of all dogs and their owners with humane education and positive reinforcement training. My training goals are wholly centered on this desire. Let’s work together to develop the dog you’ve always wanted and the dog he, (or she), was meant to be!  

This quote says it best:            

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” Roger Caras.

 


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