When I was 9 yrs old dog training was my hobby.

I always had dogs growing up as a child , I started training my own dog at the age of 9 at a local dog school close to my home. My mother would drive me to my dog obedience classes & I immediately became so incredibly interested in the entire experience of learning how to train my dog.I followed what I was taught in class and practised with my dog every day and passed the obedience test at the end of the course and earned my certificate. This was my biggest accomplishment as a child and not only did I love my dog but I also fell in love with dog training. My passion for dog training continued through my youth and by the age of 12 I knew I wanted to be a professional dog trainer when I grew up.When I was a teenager I worked part time after school at a veterinary clinic cleaning kennels and feeding animals & I really enjoyed the job.I also worked at a Humane Society scooping dog poop & cleaning kennels as a summer job , still a teenager at this time.I saved up enough money to buy a purebred Doberman Pincher with CKC registration papers & I began to compete with my dog in obedience trials and earn obedience titles with my dog.Dog training was my hobby and I couldn’t be any happier. I wanted to teach others how to train their dogs so I did a apprenticeship at a local kennel club to become an obedience instructor. I assisted with obedience classes and eventually learned to teach dog obedience classes on my own. I began offering private lessons in my backyard in my late teens & eventually started to teach group classes. It wasn’t before long that I rented a hall and begin teaching classes a few nights a week and on Saturdays. My thirst for further knowledge in dog training lead to me learning other aspects of dog training from experienced Trainers. I attended the University of Guelph to study canine behaviour & attended many seminars on a variety of dog training subjects. What started off as a childhood hobby grew into a lifelong passion for me.Follow your dreams ! ~ Dave McMahon.