ABC
Dog Obedience Instruction Program
Canadian Student of the Month
March 2014

Keith Andersen

ABC Student, Keith Andersen resides in Burnaby, BC, Canada, and is currently working with Vision Quest Recovery Society as its in-house dog trainer. Dog training was not Keith’s first choice of careers. He tried the accounting industry, but didn’t like being stuck behind a desk. Keith then moved on to construction work and now is making dog training a full-time job.

“My goal is to retire very soon and devote the rest of my time to dogs,” he said.

Keith found Animal Behavior College on Google. He had looked at many distant-learning programs as well as local ones. Out of all of them, ABC had the most professional look and was very reasonable.

What prompted you to become a dog trainer? Was there a specific event, circumstance or person who inspired you to pursue this career?

I decided to become a certified dog trainer after working with my dog Mak and using that knowledge to help others. It made sense to me to be certified. Working with Mak as a guinea pig taught me a lot about myself and how humans interact with their furry friends. It showed me how much fun humans can have and how our happiness with our buddies can make them happy.

Describe one pet story that touched you the most during your volunteer hours. Do you plan on continuing your volunteer work?

I have spent most of my volunteer hours doing the Puppy Pet Rehabilitation Program at Vision Quest. The most rewarding story is with Zander, our first rescue. He was shy and lacked self confidence when we first got him. His obedience skills were not bad but needed polishing. By using the Urban Agility and Confidence Program I am working on, we got him to come out of his shell and gain much more confidence. Also, he became much more athletic, a bonus.

I plan on spending much more time with that program and expanding it with the hope of introducing it to others.

Have you started training professionally yet? If yes, are you training full- or part-time?

I have started training but only part time. I am busy winding down the waterproofing business and developing the Vision Quest program. I also am completing my Pet First Aid Instructors program.

What are your plans for dog training? Do you want specialize in particular type of training or in training a particular breed of dog?

I will do basic obedience training but there are many “trainers” who do that already. I want to focus on the rescue program with Vision Quest. I also want to teach the Urban Agility and Confidence program, teach first aid and to run a program I call “Doguistics,” which teaches humans how dogs communicate to themselves and to us. I also will include how dogs learn and how important “leadership” is as opposed to “alpha” and being dominant. I would also like to get involved with reactive dogs and helping them have a better life.

Which dog breed best describes you and why?

Labrador Retrievers; they are smart, hard working, very sociable and love people and other dogs. Also, they’re well-liked by most people.