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Dogs Living their Best Possible Lives
In our ongoing series of PPG member profiles, this month BARKS features Beth Napollitano of Courteous Canine, Inc. in Lutz, Florida
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BARKS contributor Beth Napollitano is a retired nurse who developed an interest in canine behavior when she attended agility classes with one of her dogs.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, how you first got into animal behavior and training and what you are doing now? A: I became interested in behavior when my first beagle was in agility classes at Courteous Canine in Lutz, Florida. [Former PPG steering committee member] Angelica Steinker was our instructor and she made learning about behavior so much fun, I became hooked. Currently I am teaching AKC Star puppy kindergarten, coming when called, Copy That!, and Basic Manners classes at Courteous Canine, Inc.
Q: Why did you become a trainer/pet care provider? A: I love learning about behavior. Dogs are so smart and interesting. I am also motivated by my desire to help my younger dog with her fear/anxiety issues.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your own pets. A: I have two beagles, a male who is 7½ years old and a female who is 5½ years old. I also have a 16yearold cat. My 5½yearold beagle has some fear/anxiety issues with novel stimuli. Fortunately, her issues are environmental and she is not reactive to other dogs or people.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job? A: Playing with the puppies! Watching the clients celebrate successful training. Sometimes just getting that sit is reason for the whole class to cheer.
Q: What do you consider to be your area of expertise? A: Puppy classes
Beth Napollitano with her dogs, Sadie (left) and Murphy
© Beth Napollitano
Q: Are you a crossover trainer or have you always been a force‐free trainer? A: I have always been a forcefree trainer.
Q: What drives you to be a force‐free professional and why is it impor‐tant to you? A: It is so much fun to train dogs when they are happy and motivated to work with their humans. There is nothing like the smile on a happy dog’s face! Just because animals are nonverbal does not mean they don’t experience pain and suffering and as their caretakers, it is our responsibility to ensure that they have the best lives possible.
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Q: What are some of your favorite positive reinforcement techniques for the most commonly encountered behavior issues? A: Helping clients see that they can turn a “No, don’t do that” behavior into a “Yes, do this instead” behavior. Changing that “no” into a “yes” helps clients have so much more fun and enjoyment with their puppies. I love to take the stress out of training for the clients by helping them to focus on the positive and just move at the puppy’s pace. Celebrating those small training steps helps everyone feel successful, both humans and puppies.
Q: What is the reward you get out of a day's training with people and their pets?: A: It is so rewarding to help people figure out how to solve puppy problems with positive, forcefree methods. Happy clients and happy puppies make my day! When everyone is smiling I feel like the class was a success.
Q: What is the funniest or craziest situation you have been in with a pet and their guardian? A: There have been so many funny situations. But my favorite training exercise is a handling exercise and I have all the clients dress up their puppies in crazy infant Tshirts and socks that I provide. The clients have so much fun. [Note: this is a training exercise specifically aimed at getting puppies used to handling and is conducted systematically under the supervision of a professional, forcefree trainer. Dressing dogs (or other pets) in costumes for Halloween etc. is not recommended as it can be stressful or even frightening for them – Ed.]
Q: What awards or competition placements have you and your pet(s) achieved using force‐free methods? A: I am fairly new to dog training and have only been teaching classes for four years. To date, I have never competed with my beagles.
Q: Who has most influenced your career and how? A: Angelica Steinker. She is so much fun on the agility field and her love of learning and training is contagious. She has been my mentor for the last four years. She has directed my studies and helped me with questions about clients’ dogs and puppies. My fearful beagle has a great quality of life thanks to her knowledge and willingness to help me understand how to be a supportive caregiver.
Q: What advice would you give to a new trainer starting out? A: Study forcefree and positive training methods only. Find a mentor who is educated in forcefree methods. Develop a love of learning and then just have fun. Always ask questions when you are unsure of how to train or deal with a specific behavior issue.
Q: How has PPG helped you to become a more complete trainer? A: There are so many informative webinars on offer and I just attended a scent work workshop. PPG is a forcefree organization that supports the forcefree trainer in every possible way. No force, no pain and no fear really is the better way to train. n
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