Over 16 Years of Veterinary Experience
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My Girls, 2018
About Me & the business
Valerie Balwanz
CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, PMCT
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Valerie is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers as both a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC) and a certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). She also holds a certification from the Peaceable Paws Academy (PMCT). She is a member of the Pet Professionals Guild, an organization of force-free training professionals. Valerie is a certified CGC tester for the AKC. Her training services have received the Charlottesville Family Favorite Award and the Daily Progress Reader's Choice Award several years in a row. Many of the area's veterinarians recommend her services. She has been training dogs since 2009.
The business has two parts: preventing and fixing behavior problems. All group classes aim to teach you and your dog skills that will help prevent behavior problems from occuring. Private Behavior Consults aim to modify existing problems, or address developing problems early. Private Consults are done during daytime hours and Group Classes are held in the evenings.
Both Group Classes and Behavior Consults use only force-free training methods. Through training, you are being taught how to teach your dog and how to make use of everyday moments so that they can be learning opportunities for your dog.
Many of the group classes focus on the early socialization and training of puppies. Pups can come to class before their vaccinations are complete, in fact it is necessary so that we catch them during the critical period for socialization. For the safety of these young pups, cleaning is taken Very Seriously. Roughly 3 hours a day are spent cleaning and sanitizing the facility to ensure it is puppy-ready. Bleach is used because bleach kills parvo. Additionally, a sanitary indoor potty area is provided for puppies who are not yet using public grass.
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