MEET THE DOG TRAINER, BRIANA STRINGER, CPDT-KA

I was born and raised in the wonderful city of Austin, Texas.  I have always had a love for animals and a fascination with animal behavior.  Growing up, I managed to bring an array of them home with me to "study". My childhood pets included dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, a red-tail boa, a king snake, ferrets, a cockatoo, an African gray parrot, macaw parrots, horses, chickens and even a water dragon!    

Working at the Town Lake Animal Shelter in Austin, Texas, motivated me to become a dog trainer. It became apparent that dogs were being brought to the shelter by their owners because of bad behaviors, which could have been easily corrected with proper dog training. I also had the opportunity to work with a variety of breeds by providing foster care for some of these abandoned dogs.  

After working at the shelter, I trained at an Austin area boarding/training/agility facility where I learned the fundamentals of dog training. I then began providing all levels of dog training at a national pet superstore, where I had the opportunity to work with even more wonderful dogs and their owners.  After a year of teaching group dog classes there, I wanted to provide a wider range of services and activities, including agility classes. In 2003, I started Sublime Canines to better serve my canine friends and their humans.

I share my home in Austin, Texas with my fifteen-year old Lab, Malik CGC, who has taught me more than anyone (and been even more forgiving while I learned) and my eight-year old Border Collie, Seal AX AXJ AAD, my former agility partner and lap dog.   

In my free time I volunteer as a dog trainer with the Williamson Country Kids-N-K9s program, helping at-risk youth improve their lives by training shelter dogs for adoption.    

TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
I use modern, proven, positive reinforcement training methods grounded in learning theory in all my dog training classes.  I am a strong believer in marker training and in building a relationship with your dog by learning what truly motivates him in life - praise, toys, food, a ride in your truck?  Together we'll create a thinking dog, a dog that makes good decisions on his own without you having to micromanage his every move.  I find the dog training method that works best with your dog’s personality and learning style and teach you how to easily implement it into your daily routine.  

As as dog trainer, my goal is to create a respectful and loving relationship between you and your canine companion. Having a well-behaved dog enables you to include your canine companion in your daily activities and in turn gives your dog the opportunity to become more socialized to the world around them. Socializing your dog reduces the risk of unwanted behavior, including aggression.   In order to better serve my clients I have traveled to numerous dog training seminars and workshops to continue my education, including Ted Turner, Ian Dunbar, Terry Ryan, Pat Miller, Jean Donaldson, Gail Fisher, Kathy Sdao, and Trish King, just to name a few.  I am a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Profesional Dog Trainers, a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the largest organization of positive dog trainers in the world, and a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. 

I truly love what I do! I am deeply committed to improving dogs’ abilities and their relationship with their owners through proven positive methods.  Training your dog should be fun and Sublime Canines can help show you how! I look forward to seeing you in one of my dog training classes soon!