Staff Spotlight – Karen Widaman, Director

Say hello to It’s A Dog’s World Director, Karen Widaman! 

When it comes to dog training, Karen Widaman is an expert. Director of It’s A Dog’s World K-9 Academy in Chino, California, she’s been training dogs since childhood and received her professional certification in 2007. Now leading a team of skilled trainers and working alongside Chino’s Caring Kennel, she’s giving dogs of all ages the tools they need to be healthy, happy, obedient pups.

A Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT – KA) from American Pro Dog Training Association (APDA), Karen has been professionally training dogs for over a decade. With further credentials that include Animal Behavioral College Dog Trainer (ABCDT) and appearing in industry publications including Dogs Naturally Magazine, her expertise in the space is matched by a long love of four-legged friends.

“I remember the first time I ever felt the calling to help an animal,” Widaman says. “I was a young girl, maybe six or seven, and passed by a very angry German Shepard on my home from school. I felt sorry for the poor creature, and made it my mission to make him friendly.”

While Widaman notes that no one should ever try to train an aggressive animal without the proper support, she marks this moment as her first experience in dog training and a realization that this would someday be her future.

“Befriending the German Shepard took six months. I used various strategies, all positive reinforcement – verbal praise and eventually treats. It was a slow process that started with faraway care and ended with a cuddly new furry friend,” Widaman recalls with a smile. “When the owner saw me with the dog, he asked me if I made the dog friendly and he told me, ‘Ya know, this dog had a job, protecting our house. Now he doesn’t have a job!’ Luckily the owners kept the German Shepard and got him a partner for protection.”

Her belief in positive reinforcement persisted as she found her way into canine care. Now leading a team of trainers, It’s A Dog’s World incorporates many different training methods for basic obedience, socialization, crate training and more. She shares that positive training is a better method because many times fear-based methods lead to distrust.

An avid essential oils user, she also incorporates various oils into training. Whether diffusing calming aromas into the air or applying a specific blend directly on the dog for relaxed or focused effects, she believes holistic, positive actions are often the best way to see results in training. In addition to her strong crew of trainers, she also relies on four-legged members of team. Ruger and Izzy are her personal pets that have assisted in hundreds of socialization trainings, and have become “celebrity trainers” at It’s A Dog’s World.

If your pet is experiencing any type of behavior issues, Karen Widaman and her team can support your training journey and lead the way for healthy, happy pet/owner relationships. For more information and for a free consultation visit www.ItsADogsWorld.biz.