Today we’d like to introduce you to Nan Arthur.
Nan has been involved in the behavior and training field for more than 23 years with dogs and over 27 with cats. Nan has a deep belief that her mission is to help pet parents and their animals understand and communicate clearly with one another using the science of positive-based behavior and training methods.
Early in her career, Nan was the first Adoption Counselor hired by Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS) to work in a support program with the San Diego County shelter system. In 2001, Nan was hired away from FOCAS to become the Senior Behavior Trainer at the San Diego Humane Society & SPCA (SDHS). She later added the title of Community Outreach Specialist, all the while designing and teaching many of the popular classes that were offered, including a Feisty Fido class and her signature classes: How to Live Happily Ever After with Your Dog or Cat workshops and Puppy Fun Camp. The SDHS was awarded, “Best place to train a dog,” twice during Nan’s tenure.
Nan currently owns Beacon of Hope Dogs in Alpine, CA (beaconofhopedogs.com) and provides private training in the East County. In addition, she also provides educational lectures, workshops, and seminars throughout San Diego and around the United States.
Nan is the author of the popular book, Chill Out Fido! How to Calm your Dog. She is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer that is knowledge and skill assessed (CPDT-KSA), and earned her Certified Dog Behavior Consultant certification (CDBC) with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants in 2005.
Nan is an instructor with dog*tec’s Dog Walking Academy (DWA) which helps people become professional dog walkers and pet sitters. The DWA has an important impact on communities where graduates reside, as the course focuses on safety (both for the professional and the pets in their care), first aid, and understanding dog body language to make sure good decisions are made on behalf of each dog, in any given situation.
She is also a graduate of the esteemed Karen Pryor Academy for Professional Dog Trainers (KPA) and became a member of the elite Faculty with KPA 9 years ago. The KPA teaches students to become skilled certified dog trainers using the science of positive reinforcement, and more specifically, clicker training. The course is offered world-wide.
Nan holds many other certifications in the dog behavior and training field, and she is a certified Veterinary Assistant, a Certified DOGSAFE Canine First Aid instructor, and is an award-winning writer and photographer.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Pretty much all animal-related fields have their ups and down. Within the behavior and training field, many of the challenges that I have faced are surrounded by what is known as, “social fog.”
What that means is there is still an abundance of misinformation about dog behavior, in spite of the fact that the scientific community has a solid system for dispelling those myths. For instance, there is still a large emphasis on dogs being pack animals, and with that, a need to dominate them.
Dogs are domesticated animals and if they were pack animals, we couldn’t live with them, any more than we could live with a pack of wolves. This myth was dispelled decades ago, and unfortunately, it has reared its ugly head again to the point that the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior felt it necessary to issue a position statement https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Dominance_Position_Statement_download-10-3-14.pdf to help the public understand how out of date and dangerous the ideas of “Dominance Theory” in training and behavior modification are.
A good deal of working with dogs that have behavior problems is helping the humans involved to understand dog behavior so they approach training and behavior modification with healthy and humane techniques.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Have you ever wondered, “What’s the best way to prepare my dog for the new baby?” Do you want to learn more about reading your dog’s body language? Ever considered becoming certified to perform CPR on your furry friend?
Beacon of Hope Dogs enjoys and appreciates working with the community to provide education focused on “all things dogs.” That’s why we offer a wide variety of workshops, classes, and seminars for your group or club. We even provide individual services!
What were you like growing up?
I have always had a great interest in animals and people.
Photography and writing were my original field of interest and I have published many articles over the years.
When I made the career change to pets, my writing and photo background helped me provide handouts and educational materials for the public.
Contact Info:
- Address: Alpine, CA 91901
- Website: www.beaconofhopedogs.com
- Phone: 619-561-2602
- Email: info@beaconofhopedogs.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beaconofhopedogs/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beaconofhopedog
Image Credit:
Nan Arthur
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
