MEET THE TRAINER – Briana Stringer

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 pursue dog training. 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 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 training at a national pet superstore where I was given the opportunity to work with even more wonderful dogs and their owners.  After a year of teaching group classes there, I wanted to provide a wider range of services and activities, including agility classes. In September of 2003, I started Sublime Canines to better serve my canine friends and their humans.

I now share my new home in Carmel, California with an array of animals including my two favorites, my thirteen-year old Lab, Malik CGC, who has taught me more than anyone (and been even more forgiving while I learned) and my six-year old Border Collie, Seal AX AXJ AAD, my agility team member and lap dog. 

TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

I believe in positive reinforcement using food, praise, toys or any other means that motivates your dog to work. I find the training method that works best with your dog’s personality and learning style.  I also use a technique known as Clicker Training, which facilitates a clicking mechanism, used to mark (or take a “snapshot” of) a desired behavior, which in turn, earns the dog a reward (praise, food, toy, etc.). 

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 seminars and workshops to continue my education, including Ted Turner, Ian Dunbar, Terry Ryan, Pat Miller, Jean Donaldson, and Trish King, just to name a few.  I am also an active member in the largest organization of dog trainers in the world – the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), 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!