Article: Animals Learn in Time with Taste of Motivation

From The Des Moines Register Jan. 6th, 2002
by Steven S. Woo

Do not eat: Tonja Osborn works with Cody on not taking food at the cocker spaniel's West Des Moines home.

Take, for example, Don and Catherine Swisher's dog Cody. This eight-month-old cocker spaniel was too much for two families and was racking nerves in his third household in four months.

Cody would run around the room out of control and bite. In four weeks Osborn has eliminated most of Cody's behavior problems. The dog has reconciled with the West Des Moines couple's other dog and now walks on a leash without lunging.

Being a dog trainer takes patience and a love for animals. Osborn is confident that any animal can be trained with the proper motivator. She says with food, even lizards and tarantulas can be tamed.

Osborn has a lot of experience with animals. She and her husband, Chuck, own Ozzie's Aquatic Emporium, a Des Moines business that sells fish, turtles and other animals wholesale to pet shops.

The couple also operates Mermaids, a company that sells and maintains aquariums to corporate offices and hospitals around the state.

The best way to become a dog trainer is through apprenticeship. The aspirant should attend seminars on animal training.

Osborn's interest in the field stems from training her own dogs, which have placed in the top 10 in national dog shows held by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and other organizations.

Once fully trained, an animal trainer should not expect to make much money in the first few years of being in business. Upon establishing a loyal clientele and referrals, a trainer can earn more than $30,000 a year, she said.

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Canine Training by Mystic Moon, Inc.
Des Moines Dog Training, and surrounding areas
Tonja Osborn, Owner/Trainer

Call for appointments or more information
515-287-4809