About Best Buddies Dog Training

What they do

Best Buddies Dog Training splits its classes by life stage, with a puppy and small-dog track and an adolescent and older-dog track, plus a Best Manners course and pet therapy training for owners who want to certify a therapy dog. The business states it was opened in 2015.

Method

The owner-trainer, Christy Morrison, sets out three things clients can expect: positive reinforcement ("I believe in using ONLY positive, low-stress techniques that reward desired behaviors and build trust between you and your dog"), understanding the dog by reading canine body language, and customized classes designed around client needs. Her page argues explicitly against prong, choke and shock collars on the grounds that they can make a dog fearful or aggressive, and answers the obvious objection directly: positive does not mean permissive, because the dog is taught to make the right decision and rewarded for it.

Beyond training

She describes herself as a pet therapy advocate, a member of the Happy Tails Pet Therapy organization since 2009, and a volunteer providing training support to local rescues and foster families.