I am
Sharon Howarth of Back to Basics, a dog training and boarding
facility in Waddell, Arizona. I started training dogs out of sheer
necessity. I was heavily involved with rescuing afghan hounds so I
learned temperament testing and pack pecking order the hard way –
having up to 9 fosters and 3 permanents at any time in my home.
Originally using the old Koehler method (praise and pops), I started
attending seminars and found that positive reinforcement methods
worked so much better for these sight hounds. As a volunteer for
several years with the Inland Valley Humane Society, I was able to
practice these new skills on shelter dogs – and they worked!
I
became employed by a large corporation to teach dogs and their
owners. I learned to adjust my training by knowledge of the dog’s
breed and personality assessment.
I have
studied under such giants in my field as Sue Sternberg (Accord, NY);
Karon Pryor (clicker training), Pia Silvani (director of training –
St. Huberts, NJ) and Jean Donaldson (director of training for SPCA
San Francisco and author of numerous books).
Currently I am an instructor for Phoenix Field and Obedience Club
and Back to Basics. I still teach at the large corporation. I also
assist several local rescue groups with their problem dogs via
behavior modification.
I’ve
worked with well over 500 dogs at my home and given at least 1000
classes over the past 20 years as well as private sessions at
people’s homes.
My
training philosophy is quite simple. I want the dogs I work with to
be eager to learn. I want their owners to have fun while learning
to teach their own dogs. I want a dog so well trained that she/he
is welcome anywhere!
On a
personal basis, I am “owned” by Phoenix (Standard Poodle), Beau
(rescued Afghan Hound) and Sadie (rescued German Shepherd mix).
I can
be reached at 602-402-9125. My company’s email address is
BacktoBasics101@cox.net.
