PDTE 2016 July Newsletter

Members
Corner
PDTE is happy to welcome twenty two new associate members.
Julia
Robertson
United Kingdom
I
have always worked with animals
and from the age of ten decided
that would be my vocation.
After working as a veterinary nurse,
I started training and working in
agricultural and animal husbandry.
I partnered the management of a
large dairy herd that we establish
from one heifer to 250 dairy cows.
But the pivotal moment arrived when
Alexa Martinez
Spain
our six month old Labrador ‘Huffo’
suffered a massive trauma and we
were recommended PTS. But as it
transpired, it was a soft tissue problem!
I managed him with gentle exercises,
as he could not lift his head from the
floor; eventually he made a recovery
and then lived until he was 17 years
old! That was the time when I realised
how muscular pain perception in
dogs was so misunderstood and that
many dogs could be suffering extreme
muscle pain.
In 2002 I established the Galen
Therapy Centre, where I began
treating dogs with degenerative
musculoskeletal change that were
referred from local veterinary
practices. I still run and work in
busy consultancy where I treat dogs
as well as run extensive accredited
training programmes and modules.
I have now developed a variety of
courses aimed at enhancing mobility
I
have lived in Spain for almost
20 years now. I have two
daughters and two dogs. I am a
cat & dog behaviorist and trainer (as
well as industrial engineer, but that’s
another story). I graduated with a
Masters degree in clinic ethology and
have had special training for behavior
modification, both from the University
of Barcelona.
I am lucky to have always lived with
dogs and cats. Because of my love
of pets, I decided to professionally
dedicate myself to improving the
in dogs both from a preventative
and management perspective. The
therapy uses a multidimensional
assessment programme, to evaluate
areas of muscle dysfunction and
pain, followed by hands-on, totally
specific massage techniques to
treat and manage degenerative
musculoskeletal change. Examples
of this change could be osteoarthritis,
general pre or post rest stiffness,
post injury or accident and all forms
of specific or non-specific lameness.
I have authored and co-authored
three books published through CRC
Press (Taylor Francis) and Hubble and
Hattie. I have produced two DVD’s on
the subject of Myotherapy. ‘Tongue
to Tail, the integrated movement of
the dog’ won the 2012 Dog Writers
Association of America, Maxwell
Award. I have been a regular columnist
for Dog World magazine for last three
years.
bond between humans and their pets
and helping them solve problems of
coexistence. In my opinion, the wellbeing
of pets and owners is the key
to a good and lasting relationship,
which will result in fewer abandoned
animals. I truly believe that respect,
trust, empathy and knowledge will
help achieve this goal.
I am very interested in pet well-being,
behavior modification techniques and
stress management.
Nicole Grygar
Germany
My name is Nicole Grygar
and I live with my
husband in a small village
near Nuremberg in Germany. We live
together with our two dogs – Beyla a
9 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback and
Jule a 4 year old Whippet,
M
y name is Kirsten
Merkel, I´m 48 years
old and my daughter
is 20 years old. I live in the south
of Germany, in Reutlingen. Since
childhood, dogs have always been
with me. Three years ago, I decided to
get a dog trainer education. And since
I
have always loved animals. When
I was a kid I dreamed of having
a dog and a horse. As soon as I
M
y name is Lizz I live in
Dutchess County NY.
I have my CPTD-KA
and have completed Turid Rugaas
International Dog Education Course
in Asheville NC. I do Private lessons,
and want to continue until I get
certified in Behavior. I want to bring
Because I didn´t know how to handle
Beyla in some situations I started
attending seminars and workshops
and now I´m so thankful for that
trouble Beyla gave me. In 2011 I
attended a seminar with Turid Rugaas
in Bad Wimpfen. There I met Sonja
Hoegen. I accompanied her one day
during dog training and I really liked
the way she worked with the dogs
and also with the clients. So I decided
to apply for the next dog trainer
education at dogcom which I finished
last year in October. I´ve completed
a dog-nutritionist education with
Silvia Weber this year. During the dog
trainer education I got an idea about
the importance of good food for dogs
and I wanted to learn more about it.
July 2014 I have my own dog school
“Hundetraining Land & Stadt“.
Kirsten
Merkel
Germany
could afford it , I realized my dream
. Our first dog was a Labrador -
Groenendael cross. That is how my
love for the Belgian Shepherd started
. Over the years several Tervuren and
Groenendael shepherds have come
and gone. Then we decided to breed
a litter.
I also wanted to know more and more
about dogs, how they feel, think and
Turid’s method to the US. That is
currently how I work with dogs. I
have also volunteered at a shelter.
Elizabeth
McKeon
USA
At the moment I am attending the
nosework dog trainer education with
Anne Lill Kvam, because my dogs and
I love doing nosework and I also want
to do it with clients. It´s a nice way of
doing something together. It´s really
good for the dog-client relationship
and it´s fun!
In my other life I´m a social worker. I
support mentally ill people that they
can live an independent live. I realised
that there are so many similarities in
dog training and the work I do with
my clients. I just started my own dog
school. My aim is to support dog
owners living together with their dogs
in a respectful way.
communicate. How could I make
them happy whilst respecting them as
dogs?
Ultimately I would like to teach people
how they can make their dogs happy.
Diane
Buytaert
Belgium
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