Paws-itive Perspectives: A new column already gone to the dogs (and their owners)

By Angel Dumoulin on October 9, 2025.

One of the responses I receive from people when I tell them I’m a dog trainer is; “Do people really need that? I mean, I did puppy classes. What else is there?”

For some of us there is no reason not to train my dog. I love having a dog who follows basic directions, does fun tricks, can come with me on adventures. We play at search and rescue games and scent detection games.

For me it’s about spending time with my best friend doing things we both love. That’s why I got a dog in the first place. In the winter, I spend a lot of time home alone. My dogs are great company and truly my favorite people to hang out with.

Now granted, I’m a bit more of a dog enthusiast than most. Our winter is spent learning with other dog crazy people and competing (for fun) to see who knows the best tricks or how fast they can find items hidden around the house or yard.

My entire wardrobe is based on how badly it attracts dog hair, my furniture is dog friendly, even the house we bought was chosen based on whether it would be suitable for our dogs’ comfort. So, for me, I guess it’s more of a question of “Why wouldn’t I want to keep training my dog after puppy classes?”

Because I continuously spend time teaching and learning with them, their quality of life is greater and the struggles are smaller. They trust me. They value our time together and they know that whatever stressful or scary thing that comes up in our lives, that I’m going to take care of it.

My dogs are not lawn ornaments, left in the backyard and ignored. They aren’t security guards, although I do love that they alert me to security breaches in the alley and keeping the wildlife out of the yard. They are companion animals, plain and simple.

I spend time out of the house with my human friends too, but it’s always nice to come home to someone who is always happy to see me, no matter if it’s five minutes or five hours.

I truly believe that if we are going to keep animals captive in our homes, it is our duty to make their lives as pleasant as possible, and when life isn’t so pleasant, teach them how we’d like them to handle themselves.

My mission in life is to help as many dogs as possible by teaching their humans how teach them, enrich their lives, and manage their environment to keep them safe and happy.

If you have a dog, what are you doing to make their life better? Are you their companion or their master? If you need guidance to get yourself into companion mode, call me! I’d be happy to help.

Angel Dumoulin of Funny Farm Canine is a positive reinforcement trainer with 20+ years of experience, dedicated to humane, science-based methods that build trust, cooperation, and joy. Emphasizing compassion and respect, she fosters a partnership between dogs and owners without fear or force-only motivation, play, and clear communication. Her philosophy, “dominion over domination,” champions empathy and understanding, allowing each dog’s unique personality to shine. Play. Learn. Wag!

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