Hi! 

 

 I’m Monique.  I want to thank you for visiting our page to learn more about us—who we really are behind “Stonebriar.”  I’ve read a lot of other trainers’ bios over the years.  They all start with “I have always had a love of animals,” or “I have always had a knack for training animals.”  Both are true of me—but who I am and what I can offer you and your pet go way beyond “I love animals.”

 

Yes, I did grow up with animals of all kinds—cats, dogs, horses.  I competed in my first dog show in 1981, at age 11, with my Lhasa Apso in AKC conformation.  I haven’t really stopped since then, competing and titling dogs in AKC obedience, Rally-O, conformation, herding tests, and lure coursing.  I bred Smooth Collies, producing breed Champions and Grand Champions, for many years under the Stonebriar kennel name.

 

I went to Texas A&M University to study Animal Science, which was very agriculturally oriented, focusing on animals for meat production.  I wanted to focus on the behavior and training side of working with animals, and that’s exactly what I’ve done for the past 30 years.  

 

Over the years, I’ve seen so many changes in the animal behavior and training industry.  In the 80’s and 90’s, if you were successful at dog shows with your dog, a kennel club would ask you to teach their classes.  And that was it—that was your qualification.  Anyone could hang out their shingle and call themselves a “trainer.”  And that’s exactly how I started, teaching classes for Tryon Dog Fanciers in New Bern, North Carolina.  

 

Thankfully, the training industry has changed a great deal since then.  We have organizations which offer national credentialling to highly qualified trainers.  Yearly continuing education is a requirement to maintain your credentials.  I have held national accreditation since 2002, as a CPDT-KA through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

 

What does this mean for you and your dog?  It means that your credentialed trainer stays current in the latest information in dog training, has pledged to a binding code of ethics, and practices the highest level of training and behavior.  I strongly believe in credentialling—my clients have the right to understand my training methods, my experience, my education, and my code of ethics.

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Credentials for Monique include: 

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LFDM-T: Licensed Family Dog Mediator, Dog L.E.G.S. Model of Applied Ethology

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CBCC-KA: Certified Behavior Consultant Canine, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers

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CPDT-KA: Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers

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FFCP: Fear-Free Certified Professional

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NADOI: Certificant #1087, National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors; Current member of NADOI’s Board of Directors

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Member/Contributor for Pet Professional Guild Equine Committee 

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Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Panel Equid Committee Panelist

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Professional Member of APDT

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Member of the Shock-Free Coalition

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AKC Temperament Test Judge

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AKC Farm Dog Evaluator

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AKC Star Puppy & Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, #4616

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APDT C.L.A.S.S Instructor & Evaluator

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Mentor Trainer for Animal Behavior College

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PetSmart Trainer accreditation, November 2000

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This is who I am: an ethical, skilled, and educated trainer.  My services stand apart from the many trainers out there who “just hung out a shingle.”

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I am really looking forward to meeting you and you dog!