Learning to Speak Dog

Cynthia (Cindy) Lyons teaches an easy, six-week comprehensive course in basic dog obedience and understanding dog behavior.  The basic commands are taught:  heel, sit, down, stay, come and stand, with a focus on developing the dog's attention.  Dog psychology is taught to provide an understanding of the dog's behavior in and around the home and to enable the owner to independently solve problems.  Whereas socialization around other dogs and people is an integral part of the class, a strong emphasis is also placed on developing the relationship between the dog and his (or her) owner.

Rewards and simple corrections are utilized to help the dog define the expectations of his performance.  Positive and negative reinforcements are used to help shape behavior along with adjustments of the dog's home life.  Distractions are used as a major enhancement of the dog's learning process.  No method of punishment is ever used as a dog simply doesn't understand it.


About Cindy....   (just for those who ask)

Cindy was first introduced to the sport of dogs in 1986, when she began breeding and training Rottwielers for Shutzhund, a German title which includes the areas of obedience, tracking and protection training.  1988, she was branching into other breeds and other areas of training.  Cindy went on to compete in obedience, specializing in "difficult" and "problem" dogs, earning 10 American Kennel Club titles in competitive obedience and hunting tests.  Her first obedience title was earned with a Rottwieler that had been declared "impossible" due to a bad temperament.  This dog, Alec, recommended to be put to sleep, earned fourth place in an obedience class of 34 dogs under one of the toughest judges in the American Kennel Club.  In his last competition for his title, Alec was awarded "High Scoring Rottwieler Overall" for three divisions of obedience in Dallas, Texas.  Unknown at the time, Alec would become the first of a long line of "not show quality" and problem dogs to acquire the status of a competitive title.  Through behavior modification and correctional training, Cindy has helped to make homes more peaceful for both the pet and his family, but she has also enabled problem dogs to acquire their AKC Canine Good Citizen Award, titles in obedience, and even Senior and Master levels in Retriever Hunting Tests.

Due to her experience with Alec and other "hopeless" dogs, Cindy has developed a no nonsense approach to living with dogs that has proven effective for the pet and the behavioral problem as well as the competitor.  Her approach has been devised not only from her personal experiences, but also from her early training with Diane Bauman (author of "Beyond Basic Dog Training"), England's renowned behaviorist Jon Rogerson, and others.

Cindy enjoyed competing in the states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, before returning to her home city of San Antonio, TX.  Now Cindy photographs dogs in competition *(www.cynthialyonsphotography.com) and focuses her training on securing good dogs in good homes with obedience training and behavior modification.  She remains firm to her belief that "All dogs can learn..."

*More information on portrait or action photography of your dog may be found at www.cynthialyonsphotography.com