Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlee Trotter.
Creative Paws, Inc. was founded in 2001 by Ashlee Trotter, BS, CPDT-KA, and provides group classes and private lessons for dog obedience training and behavior problems.
Ashlee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Michigan State University.
Prior to pursuing her dog training interests, she honed her skills of positive reinforcement training while working with zoo animals at facilities in the Midwest. She has been recognized for several years as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator by the American Kennel Club, as well as a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers, an affiliate organization of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and the first organization to offer a national standard for trainer certification.
Creative Paws uses positive reinforcement training methods to improve the relationship between dog and handler by providing an effective means of communication and understanding as the foundation for learning. We believe that training your dog should be enjoyable for both you and your dog!
Ashlee’s last competition dog, Spirit, was the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) #1 ranked German Wirehaired Pointer (GWP) in agility for 2008-2012. He was the 1st male of his breed to earn two AKC Master Agility Championship titles, as well as the only GWP to reach the finals of an AKC National Agility event, a feat Ashlee handled him to accomplish twice; once at the AKC Agility Invitational and once at the AKC Agility National Championships. Finally, he was the highest point earning GWP of all time for AKC Agility at the time of his passing in 2014. Aside from agility he was titled in traditional obedience, rally obedience, tracking, hunting (birds), barn hunting (rats) and dock diving for a combined total of more than 30 titles across 7 sports.
Ashlee’s current competition dog is, Creek. He is Spirit’s nephew and is competing in agility and barn hunting. He’s earned 4 championships in barn hunting and 9 agility titles. He shows nice potential to follow in Spirit’s paw prints and to make some of his own as well, including:
• 2016 GWPCA #1 Excellent Agility Dog
• 2015 GWPCA #1 Open Agility Dog; #1 Open FAST Agility Dog;
#3 Excellent Agility Dog
• 2014 GWPCA #3 Open Agility Dog
• 2013 GWPCA #3 Novice Agility Dog; #6 Open Agility Dog
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Fairly smooth. Main struggle is running the business, while maintaining an unrelated corporate day job.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Creative Paws – what should we know?
Creative Paws is focused on making the relationship between dog and owner/family enjoyable for all involved. We train with positive reinforcement and don’t believe in a dog being obedient or under control because it is intimidated by force/pain or the threat of force/pain. Dogs are smart. If we show them a path that is both comfortable and profitable for them, it’s pretty easy to help them develop the habit of good behavior.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Patience. Patience. Patience. Dog’s do inherently what dogs do and often what is reasonable from the dog’s perspective is not reasonable from the human’s perspective.
So the owners/family of the dog need to be shown how to change the behavior to what they’d like it to be. And realize that it’s a learning process for both the humans and the dog that will take some time to be completed. Training also doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people – they need coaching and training as much as the dogs do for success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creativepaws.com
- Phone: 847-212-5067
- Email: training@creativepaws.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativePaws/
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