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Teaching an old dog new tricks
Kathleen Higgins/Post-Register
Cara Putnam has been training dogs for 10 years, breaking all sorts and sizes of canines of some of their nastiest habits.
Cara Putnam has been training dogs for 10 years, starting with her own Great Dane-Rottweiler mix. Putnam didn’t want the Rottweiler stereotype of aggression to apply to her dog, so she went to a trainer, Ron Pace, to help solve her dilemma.
Pace’s style of training did not involve treats for good behavior, clickers or group classes that provide distractions and impersonal instruction. Instead, Pace worked on a dog’s individual problem and how to correct it. Dogs were rewarded through proper motivation — voice, body language and hands movement.
At the time Putnam was a corporate “people trainer” specializing in human resources, but fell in love with dog training and went on to apprentice under Pace in 2003, logging 450 hours.
In regard to not using treats, Putnam said, “We want the dog to work for its owner, not for a treat.”
After completing the apprenticeship, Putnam worked for Pace for five years, working with over 500 people. Pace has allowed Putnam to use his specialized, individual technique for her own dog training business, Crossroads School of Dog Training.
“Dog training isn’t really dog training, it’s people training,” Putnam said. “I could get a dog to do anything I wanted, but it’s getting the owner to get the dog to do what they want (that’s the key).”
Since Putnam used to be a “people trainer,” she is good at her job. Putnam has trained an aggressive dog that has bitten six people to be able to function in a people setting and not react violently.
She has taught at least 8,000 lessons to about 80 different breeds. Putnam teaches adult dog and obedience training in a private neutral setting. She often travels to Wenatchee to meet with owners and their dogs in a park so that they aren’t on the dog’s turf.
Her business is on Frenchman Hills Road, but she is willing to do one hour of travel time to train dogs. She deals with all doggy problems, including jumping, running, barking, chewing, destroying, aggression and potty training.
Putnam is there not only to teach the dog obedience, but also to help the owners understand what is natural to a dog. She does all this in 10 30-minute private lessons, best done in four weeks time. The owner is then responsible to work with their dog two times a day for 10 to15 minutes for 30 days.
Once the dog graduates from private lessons, they will start a Saturday group class that is held twice a month, free for one year. Putnam also teaches owners to have fun with their dogs by playing tracking and trailing games that can be continued on their own.
Her own dogs are a testament to her training skills. Putnam’s 2-year-old black German shepherd, Foxy Roxy, jump over sticks, pipes and through her owner’s arms, all on command. Putnam said her other dog, Simon, a 10-year-old Great Dane-Rottweiler mix, has been taught to show aggression on command and stop instantly in an effort to teach owners what to look for in their own dogs.
To contact Putnam, call 509-670-8386 or e-mail crossroadsdogtraining@yahoo.com.
