sshoward83

My name is Susan Howard and I am the owner of Ruff Diamond Dogs In Home Dog Training. My earliest childhood memories all revolve around my love of animals.  From bargaining with my parents -- good grades in exchange for a puppy, to sneaking a kitten home on the school bus hidden in my book bag, I have always found a way to be around God's creatures "great and small".  

I began training dogs twenty three years ago and quickly found avenues for my passion that I never knew existed.  I became interested in AKC obedience trials, achieving Obedience Titles on my Border Collies and Giant Schnauzer.  I also found an outlet for my Borders' natural herding abilities and spent many weekends trudging through wet pastures to indulge them.  One of my Borders proved to have her own passion -- for the flying disc -- and convinced me to compete nationally.  She even took us as far as the World Finals in Washington, DC!  In addition, we dabbled in AKC breed shows, flyball, agility, tracking, pet therapy and even Schutzhund.  If there were dogs involved, you can bet I was going to try it!

Over the years, my training philosophy has evolved as my knowledge of reinforcement training and canine behavior has increased.  I now firmly believe that punishment need never be a part of any training program.  I would love to have the chance to share this exciting information with you.