Mission
Our mission is to help dogs and owners live a long, happy life together, by providing training for
Dog Safety and Your Sanity..
Trainers
Tom Dixon, ABCDT, ABCSDT - Owner / Dog Trainer
After years of touring the country as a Singer/Songwriter, I decided to follow another dream of training dogs. More than a dream, it's a passion!
There has always been a dog in my family. When I was young, we had unruly dogs that wouldn't listen to a word you say. One even broke out of the yard and was killed by a car. This has always haunted me. Yes, a dog trainer admitting that he has had a dog that was not trained. Well, bear with me for a minute....
In 2004, my wife and I were recently married and it was an obvious next step for me, for us to get a dog. This is where everything changed for me. I swore that this time, I would have an obedient, trained dog. A Cavalier King Charles - Cocker Spaniel Mix named Gibson, was that dog for me. After going through training with him and us attaining Canine Good Citizen (CGC) status together, I was hooked. I had looked into being a trainer at the time, but my music career took precedence. However, I was always reading and absorbing any information I could on dog behavior and training. Gibson and I always kept up with our training too!
Fast forward 13 years. We felt it was time to expand our canine family and find Gibson a brother. We rescued a mix breed, rescue, named Marshall, who tested everything I had ever learned about training dogs. He was crazy!! I took this as a challenge and was determined to have another "good dog". After about a year of relentless training and dedication to my relationship with Marshall, I finally got through. Our relationship was secure for a lifetime. I jokingly say now that I broke him like a stallion. Consistency and relentless dedication to training was worth every minute of it.
After this experience, I began thinking about training dogs again. Of course, that would mean scaling back on my music career. For some reason, it just seemed like it was time. This is when I decided to take a certification course and take it to the next level. I enrolled in the Dog Obedience Trainer Program at Animal Behavior College and officially became a Certified Dog Obedience Trainer. This was not the end of my education though. Even after working with hundreds of dogs, there are always surprises and new things to learn. I continue to educate myself in the most effective and humane methods for training today's canine companions.
Haley Shwartz - Dog Trainer
Ever since Haley has had the opportunity to work, it has always been with animals. Her passion for dog training started off while volunteering at local shelters. She spent much of her time learning how to train basic commands and used this knowledge to help shelter dogs gain the skills needed to make them more adoptable and give them a chance at a furever home!
Although Haley’s passion was for training dogs, that is not where her career began. She started off as a veterinary assistant and was in the veterinary technician program at Columbia State. It didn’t take long for her to realize that this was not her true calling. This is when she decided to begin pet sitting. Now she had returned to the path of training dogs. She was able to continue to hone her skills, working with her pet sitting clients and fell in love with helping people and dogs coexist, happily!
Prior to joining A+ Canine Performance, Haley worked for another reputable trainer, where she really started putting the pieces together and gained further experience and confidence necessary to really make a difference as a Dog Obedience Trainer. Haley is a valuable member of our team and we are very happy to have her!