About Simpawtico Dog Training

Who they are

Simpawtico Dog Training LLC works from 62 Main St in Big Flats. Ian Stone is named on the site as

founder and principal trainer; Hannah and Helen are named as lead trainer and trainer. The business

also publishes a large free education library – articles, videos and downloadable guides – and runs

a weekly live question-and-answer session on Facebook.

Credentials

This is the best-documented set of credentials in the metro, and three of them are independently

verifiable. Ian M. Stone, Hannah Bridget Rumpf and Helen Elise Clancy each appear as CPDT

certificants at Big Flats in the CCPDT's own certified-trainer directory, and the business appears

in the APDT trainer directory for New York. The site additionally states that Ian holds a Certified

Dog Behavior Consultant designation and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate designation with the IAABC, a

Certified Family Dog Mediator designation, and that he is a certified pet CPR and first aid

instructor and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator; that Hannah is a Certified Family Dog Mediator

and an AKC-certified evaluator with a background as a licensed clinical social worker; and that

Helen holds a degree in Canine Training and Management from SUNY Cobleskill. Those further claims

are the business's own and are recorded as claims – IAABC, the Family Dog Mediation Education

Center and the AKC evaluator roster are not registries this directory checks.

How they train

The About page states that the organization adheres to LIMA – least intrusive, minimally aversive –

and the Humane Hierarchy, and that "training doesn't need to be painful or scary, even when we're

helping your dog with big behaviors." A rescue partner's testimonial published on the site

underlines the same point in plainer terms: no prong collars, no choke collars. An owner choosing

between the two Corning-area approaches has a genuinely clear choice here.

Classes

The class ladder is published with a flat $175 fee including sales tax at every level. Puppy Level 1

takes puppies from 10 to 18 weeks and covers socialization with people and other dogs, biting,

jumping, leash pulling and basic cues, with two rounds of DHLPP or DHPP required beforehand. Basic

Level takes dogs from 19 weeks up and is aimed at dogs with no prior training or newly adopted dogs,

with the note that reactive or disruptive dogs will need private training instead. Puppy Level 2

builds on Puppy 1 and includes the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate; Intermediate builds on Basic. A

one-day Pet CPR and First Aid course for humans is $150 including a handbook.

Beyond the classroom

The site also lists one-to-one training, behavioral consulting for more serious cases, a Canine

Good Citizen class, an emergency service, and several self-paced online courses including loose-

leash walking and a course for expectant mothers with dogs.