Ruth LaRocque, CTC, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA is a graduate of the distinguished Academy for Dog Trainers when it was located at the San Francisco SPCA. There, she studied with Jean Donaldson (author of Culture Clash and other award-winning dog training books) and Janis Bradley (author of Dogs Bite But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous). While at the Academy she was able to apply her classwork to training several of the SPCA shelter dogs and was exposed to a wide variety of breeds and temperaments. Since that time she has worked with hundreds of client dogs of all breed groups and with training issues that have ranged from basic obedience to severe aggression and fear-based behavior problems.
Ruth earned her Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and Certified Behavior Consultant, Canine (CBCC-KA) certifications from the independently accredited Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) and currently serves on the Board of the CCPDT. She is an educator for the Family Paws Parent Education (FPPE) program. Through FPPE she enjoys working with families to teach them about the safety aspects of dog and baby/toddler dynamics.
Ruth’s training and coaching includes positive, reward-based, humane methods that ensure dogs love learning. She focuses on instilling good habits in each dog so they can be cherished family companions who have self-control and good manners, using gentle methods to get strong results. Ruth is equally positive in helping her human clients understand and master the techniques needed to change their dog’s behavior.
When she is not providing teaching and coaching services, Ruth enjoys competing in agility with her speedy border collie, Seven. In 2016 they attended their first national agility competition together.
Ruth provides live video Behavior Consultation and training, and in-person services in the Seattle area.
I contacted Companion Animal Solutions for support when we brought home our 9 week old puppy. Although I grew up with family dogs, raising a puppy was unchartered territory. Through ‘Puppy Head Start’ training sessions, I gained an invaluable understanding of our puppy’s needs and behaviors during his critical socialization period. When we first met Ruth, our puppy was timid and afraid to approach people who visited our home. Ruth provided me with the right dose of insight, strategies and encouragement so that I could help our puppy develop confidence in meeting his new world. She worked with us over the course of a few weeks getting us on the right path for puppy behavior development using only positive reinforcement techniques. As we continue to build the foundation for a longstanding relationship with our puppy, the early training and socialization guidance we received from Ruth remains successful and inspiring. We are now enjoying the compliments we receive on his social skills, manners and temperament. Thanks again, Ruth!
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