Tom
I was selected as a Police K9 Handler in 2008. Over eight years I worked with two K9 partners and completed over 750 combined hours of readiness training to ensure a strong bond before we could patrol as a team. While serving the citizens of Wilmington, I utilized my K9 partners to detect illegal substances, locate evidence, track and apprehend dangerous criminals. All of these tasks would not be possible without a strong understanding of animal behavior and how they learn through classical and operant conditioning. By applying these learning methods a strong foundation in obedience can be achieved. Through the United States Police Canine Association, a handler and dog team are evaluated twice annually in which I have continually certified two Police dogs. Through this national association I have completed a variety of seminars including complex scenarios, marker training, electronic stimulation, and problem solving. Annually I would exceed over 250 hours of training and 100 deployment hours per year, maintaining a tight bond with my canine partner.
In 2013 K9 Drake sustained a spinal injury apprehending an armed criminal but was able to continue working until 2016 until his injury wouldn’t allow him to work any longer. This is when I knew I wanted to continue working with animals but to now focus on helping pet owners achieve a well mannered canine. Once I began my focus on training pet owners, I was selected as an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Instructor and Evaluator in 2017.
- 250 hours K9 readiness course- September 2008
- 40 hours course on Problem Solving, Street Scenarios - January 2009.Dr. Hilliardwith USPCA
- 8 hours K9 First Aid - Fall 2010 Brunswick County
- 40 hours Electronic Collar, Problem Solving - Winter 2011, Police Service Dogs,Laz Cabrera
- 500 hours K9 readiness-July 2012
- Fall 2009 USPCA Patrol Dog 2 - Goldsboro, NC
- Spring 2010 USPCA Patrol Dog 1 - Savannah, GA
- Spring 2011 USPCA Patrol Dog 1 - New Hanover County
- Spring 2012 USPCA Patrol Dog 2 - Rocky Mount, NC
- Fall 2012 USPCA Patrol Dog 1 - Wilson, NC
- Spring 2013 USPCA Patrol Dog 2 - Wilson, NC
- Fall 2013 USPCA Patrol Dog 1 - Wilson, NC
- 8 hours Deployment Tactics-Spring 2014. Dr. Ferland with USPCA
- Summer 2014 USPCA Patrol Dog 1 - Wilmington, NC
- Fall 2014 USPCA Patrol Dog 2 - Waynesville, NC
- Summer 2015 USPCA Patrol Dog 2 - Waynesville, NC
- Summer 2015 USPCA Patrol Dog 1 - Wilmington, NC
Brendan
I have always had a love for dogs but as a young child I never had the opportunity to have one of my own. Upon purchasing my own home and having the space I got my very first dog named Maple, a sweet chocolate Labrador. I had been around many dogs and interacted with many breeds but wanted to ensure I trained my girl well. Doing research for trainers I located People Training for Dogs in Valley Cottage NY. Maple and I completed both basic and advanced obedience. From there Maple and I continued to train on our own. Maple was super sweet and when I had children she was their protector and playmate. A Cockapoo named Pepper was added to our family and became fast friends with Maple. Pepper was trained at home using all the tools and techniques we acquired from previous experience training Maple.
Working with the police department I often worked with the K-9 unit on tracks and assisted on training days. I was able to work with both of Tom’s K9 partners through their careers. My love of dogs has continued to grow as I was able to be around many different dogs and help others with training.
Recently we added a new puppy to the family and got a German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) named Lincoln from Veach Kennels in Ellerbe, NC. With my past obedience training experience, we worked with Lincoln at home to ensure that he had the basic skill set that all puppies should have at a young age. Additionally, we have worked on training him to be a well-trained family pet and hunting companion. Not having trained hunting dogs before, I researched many different facilities in NC and narrowed my search down to a great trainer at Anderson Creek Hunting Preserve. Owner and operator Ken Adams and I worked together on several occasions to show me the tools I needed to help get Lincoln up to speed on all aspects of proper bird hunting. Challenging Lincoln’s strong sense of smell through AKC scent work and structured obedience keeps his mind busy when we aren't bird hunting. This makes raising a young GSP a little more manageable.
Helping people with dogs and improving the way all dogs interact with each other is the goal behind our training here at Well Mannered Canine.