55 Leroy Road, #15
Williston, Vermont  05495
(802) 860.1111

 

 

info@thedogschool.biz

Shara O'Toule
Visiting Behavior Counselor
I like to say that I work with dogs because there are no marine mammals in Vermont. Originally from Vermont, I moved back in 1995 after spending 5 years as Senior Trainer at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys. I returned to VT to finish my undergraduate degree in Animal Science at the University of Vermont (UVM) as well as to continue to work with animals.
I met Jamie when she spoke at a Companion Animal class. Listening to Jamie talk about her approach to dog training deeply impacted me. My dog Makena, then 18 months old, was developing increased aggression issues. I had previously taken Makena to an obedience class where I was taught to push him into positions and yank him by the choke chain. This only served to make Makena's problems worse. When I spoke with Jamie she described methods of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement that I knew well from the marine mammals, but hadn't thought to apply to different species. I quickly signed up to do an internship at The Dog School (then Canine K-12).
My internship turned into a job and I worked part-time as I finished my degree at UVM. After graduation I worked full-time for several years teaching all levels of obedience and agility classes, and specialty classes such as Tricks & Games and "Is Your Dog a Dolphin?" In time, I added behavioral consultations to my work.

Having a passion for work in the animal welfare world, I ultimately decided to pursue a job with a Humane Society. I approached the Executive Director of the Humane Society of Chittenden County (HSCC), Vermont about creating a position as an on-staff behaviorist. In the fall of 2000, I became the first Behavior Counselor for HSCC

At home, I live with my husband Guy, our son Lincoln, our two dogs Makena and Kiska, Bessie-the-wonder-cat, Carl the hamster and a few fish.

To learn more about Shara and her work at HSCC, visit their website at www.chittendenhumane.org.

 

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