New Bridgeport Business "All About Dogs" Offers Training for Service Dogs, Obedience and More
By Trina Runner on January 31, 2020
The proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” is true for Brenda Scotchie and the way her new business came to be. After her daughter fell ill, the doctor recommended a service dog and provided a script for the training but, as the Scotchies found out, there were no trainers in this area. Like having a recipe with no ingredients, Scotchie set out to get training by any means necessary, ultimately opening All About Dogs, a new business in Bridgeport that offers training for obedience and service dogs.
“When we first started researching service dog training, we became very frustrated by the long waiting lists,” said Scotchie. “Ultimately, we decided to do the owner-trained option and chose a puppy at the local humane society.”
The family took a basic obedience class and repeated it two more times, then they branched out and took classes outside the county. The problem was that many of the techniques used in the classes used pinch or prong collars or even electrical shocks in order to train the dog.
“Our puppy had no behavior issues and we didn’t like training with in such negative ways,” she said.
Scotchie signed up for the Service Dog Training Class at West Virginia University and learned much more humane training methods using positive interactions and treats. The new approach helped the puppy bond better with the family and the results were undeniable.
Knowing that other dog owners were facing some of the same roadblocks, Scotchie decided to become the trainer she had been searching for. She attended workshops, classes, and seminars. She networked and researched and trained, and, eventually, she became one of only three West Virginians to achieve Certification of Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA). The certification provides an independent, scientifically valid measure of an individual’s understanding the in the field of dog training.
With All About Dogs now open, she offers basic obedience class, intermediate obedience class, puppy socialization, individual evaluations, private consultations, and private training. She specializes in service dogs and helping handlers with the special training, laws, and information needed with assistance animals.
Service dogs, like the one recently introduced at Bridgeport schools, have been known to help with physical and emotional disorders including autism, epilepsy, mobility issues, sensory disabilities, anxiety, diabetes, and more. They have also been a proven asset to those experiencing PTSD.
In addition to All About Dogs, Scotchie is a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, a certified AKC evaluator, Vice President of the Clarksburg Kennel Club, a handler for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and the founder of the West Virginia Service Dog Support Group.
“I absolutely love training dogs and working with people to enhance their handling techniques,” she said. “Training is so rewarding!”
Additional information can be found on Facebook under allaboutdogswv or inquiries can be emailed to allaboutdogswv@gmail.com.
Leave a Comment
Log in or create an account to post a comment.