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Theresa Pitner and Bessie pose in front of one of the cutouts in downtown Salisbury. —Karen Kistler

A distraction class was recently held at Bell Tower Green. Theresa Pitner, coach, right in the middle, led the class. — Submitted photo, Sue McHugh – Public Relations

Trained dog walker Wendy Long goes for a walk with Bruno. — Photo sent

Pictured with dog owner and trainer Theresa Pitner, far right, are groomers Angelina Araujo, left, Nicole Casper, back, and Charlie. — Photo sent

Nellie Mae, left, and Gus greet each other during puppy class. — Submitted by Sue McHugh – public relations with Understanding Your Dog, LLC

The distraction class walks in a group around Bell Tower Green. — Submitted photo, Sue McHugh – Public Relations

Theresa Pitner and Bessie by the sign at the training center on S. Fulton St., — Karen Kistler

Chloe looks up and poses for the camera during puppy class. — Photo sent

SALISBURY – Finding her talent and being naturally good at what she does is what Theresa Pitner said helped her start her career as a certified dog trainer.

Training dogs to have fun for the people he worked with is something Pitner said he had done since the ’90s. It was also during that period that he did a lot of fostering and volunteering for rescues and shelters, helping people select their dog. , home visits, walking them, rehabilitating them and getting them adopted.

After years of doing what he loved on a voluntary basis, Pitner began training dogs professionally in 2017. It was in November 2019 that he left hospice care and “just got into full-blown dog training,” he said, with a center training at East Council. Street.

Over the past year, Pitner, owner of Understanding Your Dog, LLC and certified dog trainer, has experienced several new things in her career, one being moving to a new location in October 2023 and the second being starting her own dog training business. hair salon within the facilities. .

The dog training center is located at 1325 S. Fulton St., Salisbury, which, before being completely renovated, was the home of the late Vanda Crowell, who was well-known in the neighborhood, Pitner said, having taught violin and piano to children. lessons.

Pitner said its owners bought it and completely changed it from a four-bedroom house to what it is today.

Several clients have come in and told him they had been to that house before as Crowell music students.

Opening her own care is something she wanted to do, Pitner said, and in February it became a reality. She has two part-time hairdressers on staff, Nicole Casper and Angelina Araujo, and what she said she loves is that “she’s different than any other hairdresser because she’s a gentle hairdresser.”

As for what this type of grooming looks like, Pitner said it’s a quiet environment with no cages and only one dog per appointment. The dogs are not stressed when being groomed, as she said, “groomers take their time and pay attention to any stress the dogs may be showing and make the grooming experience a positive one.”

The referrals come to Pitner and she gives them to the hairdressers, who make the calls, talk to clients and schedule the appointments.

Inside the house, there is a main training area, which is large enough for her to teach her big classes. And if there are dogs that get stressed, he said, there are additional rooms they can go into and still be trained but separated.

Pitner’s dog, Bessie, an eight-year-old beagle-Chow mix rescued last year, helps with classes.

“If we have a dog that’s a little iffy around other dogs, he’s a very neutral dog,” Pitner said, and “that’s why he hangs out here.”

In the main training area and in the neighboring room, the walls are decorated with cutouts of various buildings in downtown Salisbury, which local artist Clyde had made for a play at the Meroney Theater and was able to obtain. He had them at his old Council Street location, brought them with him and placed them on the walls of his new location. So the dogs, while training, can, in a sense, “walk downtown.”

At Understanding Your Dog, LLC, Pitner offers a variety of services, but emphasized that his motto is “I train you how to train your dog” and therefore this is individualized training and not people dropping off their dogs .

“Probably 96 percent of the training is people,” Pitner said. “Most of the time it’s not the dog, it’s the person.”

And while he said that dogs get stressed, it is a reaction to the leash, not being aggressive, but being stressed.

Therefore, he teaches individual dog training classes and group socialization classes, which he offers monthly.

It also offers professional dog walking services as it has a trained dog walker, Wendy Long, who can come and walk people’s dogs, either while they work or at other times,” Pitner said.

They don’t groom dogs or take care of dogs unless it’s to drop puppies off at school; however, they are currently unable to offer puppy school since the trainer cannot be there at this time, she noted.

Workshops are offered for specific things, such as a trick workshop, during which Tracy Crotts, an AKC trick trainer, will host a Trick and Treat workshop at the S. Fulton Street location on November 9 from 10:30 a.m. at noon. The cost is $85 and those interested can register at www.TheresaDogNC.com.

Pitner said Crotts has been working with her since day one.

Additional services include a loose-leash dog walk, teaching puppies boundaries, household manners and anything Pitner says he feels people need.

Seminars are also offered, which are free, and cover various topics, such as older dogs or puppies, which she says are popular now with people receiving puppies for Christmas or any dog ​​problems people want to learn about. Seminars are just people without dogs.

Distraction classes are also offered, where they walk in a group and visit various places, including parks or the nearby cemetery, which Pitner said is a high distraction area due to the smell of squirrels, however, the number of cars and people is less .

The dogs are taken to different areas where the distractions are different, but there is no agenda for this class and it could be more “redirectional, like avoiding jumping and biting.” “It really depends on the dogs,” he said.

While Pitner said he doesn’t train dogs to become service dogs, he does prepare them to be trained to be one.

For example, he said, if someone has a disability and needs their dog trained to help, they will first find out about the dog to see if it needs help with manners and help with that aspect and prepare it.

The training Pitner does is through the AKC Canine Good Citizen Class, a six-week class through the American Kennel Society, he said.

“They come and I prepare them to do a trial with therapy dogs,” he said. “I don’t do tests, but I send them to Concord to have them done.

However, she added that she is taking online classes to become a service dog trainer and would like to use her knowledge to “go one step further” and train the dog to walk with a wheelchair instead of teaching it to lift things. . , said.

When selecting a dog, Pitner noted several important factors, including not purchasing a puppy for Christmas Day, as it is very stressful for a dog to have all that excitement. He said it’s better to do it sooner or later.

It is also important that all members of the house attend at least one training session to learn how to work with the dog.

Spaying or neutering the dog is another factor she passed on.

Selecting the right breed is another critical factor, as he said, “one of the biggest mistakes people make is buying a dog and not understanding what its needs are.”

She explained that some want a puppy because of how cute it is or want a rescue to save it from its environment, and end up looking for the thrill instead of getting the right breed for their particular situation.

“I can train any dog,” Pitner said, “it just depends on where the person wants to start,” which is huge, he added.

While people who aren’t certified can call themselves dog trainers, Pitner said what makes her different is that she went through Animal Behavior College’s Dog Trainer Certification Program, which is where she got certified. Additionally, he went through the Professional Dog Training Council – Access to Knowledge, a real school, he said.

Both require continuing education, something she emphasizes is important and how she stays on top of how to do things.

“I do internships probably every three or four months,” he said. “You have to follow continuous training to learn the latest training techniques.”

Having the letters ABCDT after your name, he said, ensures that you are registered as such and “do not use aversive type training.” I don’t use any electric collars. I don’t wear prong collars. I don’t force a dog to do something. We use positive reinforcement. “I wait and then I reward, and that’s how I train.”

For more information about Understanding Your Dog, LLC, go to www.TheresaDogNC.com or to sign up for dog walking, grooming or other services, call 704-754-2536