Kelly Moren is the Owner and Trainer at Kelly’s Training and Doggie Daycare.

 

My philosophy, and that of experts in this area, is that dogs learn best when they are happy and relaxed.  I utilize gentle methods to keep the dogs receptive, and game-like techniques to keep training fun for both the humans and the dogs. It is our mission to educate dogs and their family in order to strengthen the bond and further enhance and enrich the relationship between all family members.

I’m an active member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), which is one of the largest organization of dog trainers and behaviorists in the country.  We share ideas annually at our national conference and electronically via discussion groups and forums.  In addition to my initial BA and MFA degrees, I have completed over 57 units of continuing education at the collegiate level focusing on animal training and pre-veterinary studies.  I also have spent several years volunteering with ASPCA shelters in their efforts to define standardized temperamant testing to enable more permanent success with placing shelter dogs in family homes.  All of my training and operational practices reflect what I have learned and continue to learn in all these areas.

Being a trainer at heart, I never planned to open a daycare/boarding facility, but I was consistently asked by my clients for suggestions on safe ways to socialize their dogs. I wanted to be able to give them an acceptable answer, but I realized after extensive research, that I could not. Unfortunately, I knew from past experience that our local dog parks were overwhelmed with inappropriate mismatched groupings of dogs along with doggie parents who weren’t paying attention to their dog’s behavior or potty issues! When I spoke to clients of existing local dog daycares, I discovered that their biggest concern was that their dogs were coming home with unwanted behaviors! They were learning bad behaviors at daycare! I saw that there was an unfulfilled need in our community. So in 2004, operating from a trainer and behaviorist philosophy of what would be enjoyable for the dog and beneficial to their humans, I set out to provide an alternative: a daycare that would address the dog’s emotional, mental and physical heath.

Now my vision of a fully integrated facility addressing the training, daycare and boarding needs of our community exists as an intimate, special place where dogs and their humans can enjoy learning! Where dogs can safely play in large open areas, enjoy basking in the sunshine and be provided with plenty of individualized attention and petting. A daycare where small, well-matched groups learn proper social etiquette while having fun all day long!  It takes a lot of work to maintain this type of environment, but we have had a HUGE success with it.  I welcome you to read some of our testimonials to get a sense of how immediate the rewards of our program can be.

I have shared my home with many dogs over the years, the majority of them being shelter dogs.  I have a soft spot for the shy and fearful dogs, as I have lived with several.  Thus, I have a special program designed to cater to these dogs.  Another emphasis in my training is to work in the home environment, building trust and willingness between the family and the dog.   In my opinion, it’s more important to empower my clients to get their dogs to behave in the home setting.  We can improve the dog’s skills at my facility, but other than teaching what commands mean, that ultimately doesn’t do much good if the dog doesn’t trust the owner and want to behave for them in their home.  This is why most behavior camps fail to help dogs in the long run.  I show my clients how to build that lifelong trust on their own terms.

Having a child of my own, and going through the new baby + new puppy experience, introducing puppies to the family home is another of my specialties.  I teach children of all ages how to behave around dogs and create strong bonds through training.  Every family situation is different, and working with your unique situation in fun and creative ways is exceeding satisfying on many levels.

I love what I do, and love to share information with my clients.  I’d love to talk to you about your dog(s) and your questions or behavior modification goals.  Please feel free to contact me through the office (818-98504800), email or the website.  I look forward to speaking to you!

Kelly Moren —Trainer
Kelly’s full bio

Daycare FAQs
Training and Daycare Information
Boarding requirements and Pricing
Daycare and Training Prices

Basic Training Guidelines:

• Training should be fun. Use a motivator to train your dog, whatever they like best. Whether it’s treats or toys, reward your dog often.
• Most mistakes will be yours, not your dog’s.
• Consistency is the key to training.
• Training should be fun for both you and your dog. If you’re not having fun, ask for the easiest behavior your dog knows (eg. sit or even just calling the dog’s name to look at you) reward lavishly and stop for the day.
• Always end on a good note! See above!

Kelly’s Training Demo Video