About The Animals House

The Animals House has been in Sterling since 2001 and runs the broadest published class schedule in this area. The site describes programs covering "Puppy socialization, dog daycare, overnight boarding, grooming, enrichment activities, obedience training, agility classes, dog bootcamp, mid-day dog walking, and a variety of specialized and diverse dog training courses."

The training ladder

Group obedience runs Puppy, Advanced Puppy, Novice and Canine Good Citizen, with specialty classes in "Dog Agility", "Tricks and Games", "Therapy Dog Prep", Rally Obedience and Scent Work, plus private lessons and a "Doggie Bootcamp". Start dates are published class by class, and the site is clear that some of them travel: "THE FOLLOWING CLASSES ARE HELD AT THE INDOOR HEELING HOUSE TRAINING CENTER IN LEESBURG" – therapy dog prep, both agility levels, scent work, jumps and weaves, and rally drop-in.

The method

Stated plainly: "We train by using operant conditioning, concentrating on positive reinforcement. We make it more rewarding for the dog to do the right thing than the wrong thing."

Who runs it

Kathy Benner is named as "the owner and founder of The Animals' House". The site says she has "a BS in Biology from California Polytechnic State University and a Certificate in Exotic Animal Training and Management from Moorpark College", "spent five years training marine mammals at Sea Life Park in Hawaii", started her first obedience company in 1996, and "is a registered AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator." Three staff trainers are also named with their own backgrounds, two of them certified through Animal Behavior College.

Around the training

Daycare, overnight boarding, grooming, mid-day walking and a "'The Backyard' Enrichment Center" run alongside, with online booking and long hours – "Monday – Friday 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM".