About Over the Rainbow Dogs

Overview

Over the Rainbow Dogs is a Muncie, Indiana dog training business led by Deb Dolak, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). It is one of the more credentialed independent trainers in the Muncie area, combining one-on-one behavior work with a structured, themed ladder of group classes. Training is delivered at the Westview Woof Academy, housed at the Westview Animal Clinic in Muncie. The pairing of a professional credential with a real behavior-modification focus makes this a notable option for owners dealing with more than basic manners.

Training Approach

The headline differentiator is Deb Dolak's CPDT-KA certification — an independently assessed professional credential that requires documented hands-on training experience and a passing score on a standardized knowledge exam, and that must be maintained through continuing education. In a largely unregulated field where anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, a certification like CPDT-KA is one of the few objective signals a consumer can rely on. The site also notes affiliations tied to the Canine Good Citizen and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy programs and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).

Beyond the initial credential, the business emphasizes ongoing professional development: Dolak 'avidly pursues ongoing continuing education,' attending several seminars per year and keeping current on industry literature. That matters because best practices in behavior work evolve, and a trainer who keeps learning is more likely to use current, humane methods. While the site does not spell out a single named training method, the CPDT-KA and APDT associations place the practice within the modern, science-based, positive-reinforcement mainstream of professional dog training. (This context is drawn from what those credentialing bodies represent, and is not quoted as a specific claim on the site — the field left blank in this record reflects that the exact method is not stated.)

Programs & Services

Over the Rainbow Dogs runs both private and group offerings, which together cover a wide span of needs:

**Private training** targets specific behavior problems, explicitly including separation anxiety, resource guarding, fearfulness, reactive behaviors, house soiling, and general training needs. This behavior-modification focus is where the CPDT-KA credential matters most, since these are the cases where technique, timing, and a sound understanding of canine behavior make the biggest difference — and where poor methods can make problems worse. Owners of anxious, fearful, or reactive dogs are often turned away or poorly served by basic-obedience-only trainers, so a dedicated private track for these issues is a real differentiator.

**Group classes** follow a themed, age- and level-based progression:

– **Lollipup Kids** — for the youngest puppies (from 6 weeks), covering early socialization and foundations.

– **Munchkins** — for puppies roughly 5-12 months old.

– **Yellow Brick Road** — for dogs one year and older.

– **Emerald City 1 & 2** — Canine Good Citizen and Advanced Canine Good Citizen preparation.

This structure lets an owner start a young puppy and move step-by-step all the way up through CGC and advanced CGC in one place, with the option to drop into private sessions if a specific behavior issue comes up along the way. The clearly named, sequential ladder also makes it easy for an owner to know exactly where their dog fits.

Location & Setting

Classes and private work are based at the Westview Woof Academy, located within the Westview Animal Clinic in Muncie. Operating inside a veterinary clinic is a meaningful setting detail on two counts: it provides a controlled indoor training environment year-round, and the clinical association can be reassuring for owners of anxious or reactive dogs, as well as convenient for anyone coordinating training with veterinary care. It also signals professional standards around health and vaccination that a rented park space or store aisle cannot.

What Sets Them Apart

Over the Rainbow Dogs stands out on three counts. First, verifiable credentials: the CPDT-KA is a recognized, independently assessed professional certification, and the stated commitment to continuing education signals a trainer who actively stays current rather than resting on past experience. Second, genuine behavior-modification capability — separation anxiety, resource guarding, and reactivity are specialized problems that many basic-obedience trainers simply do not take on, and getting them wrong can be costly for both dog and owner. Third, a clear, well-organized class ladder from a six-week-old puppy through advanced CGC, giving owners a long-term development path with a single, consistent trainer.

As with the other trainers in this set, no prices, testimonials, or specific years-in-business are cited here because they are not evidenced on the site, and the exact training method is not named; owners should confirm current schedules, pricing, and approach directly. But on credentials and breadth of behavior work, this is among the strongest-documented trainers in the Muncie group, and a particularly sensible first call for anyone facing a real behavior challenge rather than just wanting basic obedience.