Holly McArthur is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behavior Counselor who has studied animal behavior, training and learning theory for more than fifteen years. To be certified through the Council for Professional Dog Trainers as a CPDT-KA she passed a rigorous test that assesses knowledge of the science of dog training in addition to having references from clients, colleagues and veterinarians and more than 300 hours of dog training experience.

Holly completed the Marin Humane Society's respected Canine Behavior Academy and the Advanced Canine Behavior Academy.  She stays up-to-date on the latest training techniques and theory through courses and conferences, including the Association of Pet Dog Trainer's Annual National Conference.  She has attended seminars and talks with nationally recognized trainers and authors including John Rogerson, Trish King, Ian Dunbar, Pia Silvani, Jean Donaldson, Sophia Yin, Sue Sternberg, Leslie McDevitt, Grisha Stewart, Suzanne Hetts and Nicholas Dodman.  She is also a professional member of The Behavior Education Network for continuing education. 

Retained by Pets Lifeline, Sonoma Valley's animal shelter, she teaches dog training classes for the general public and conducts temperament evaluations of shelter dogs.  She also frequently authors articles about dog behavior, training, animal sheltering and general animal welfare topics for publications in Sonoma and West Marin.

Holly left a successful career as an entrepreneur and marketing executive to work with dogs and their families because she is passionate about keeping people and pets together. She knows that if dogs and their humans don't understand each other it will be the dog that will lose -- ending up in a shelter or as an outcast in the backyard separated from the pack.  As a professional communicator, she finds creative ways to help clients understand their dog's behavior.  As a result of her work with animal shelters she particularly enjoys helping rescue dogs make the transition to a life-long home.  As a mother of young children she enjoys helping to improve child-dog relationships -- with safety always the priority.  Holly managed the addition of twins into her own multi-dog family and now enjoys working with dog families that are preparing for the transition to human parenthood. 

Holly's skills are tested everyday thanks to the adoption of Bean, a poorly socialized, very fearful, bully of a terrier mix. Bean guided Holly in figuring out how to work with a dog selective, fearful of people, territorial, ball obsessed dog that has severe separation anxiety and guards pretty much anything from other dogs and will, on occasion, guard her people too!  Despite it all, Bean is a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen, which makes her family very proud and was just one box away from her NW1 Title at her first Noseworks Trial. She is determined to try again!  

Holly is a Professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT Member #75862), an approved AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator (#46053) and certified in Pet CPR and First Aid.  She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed and has her Bachelors Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Look for the new pet column, Paws and Effect, in the West Marin Citizen.  Have a question for the vet or behaviorist?  Email pawsandeffect@optimistdog.com Read some recently published articles: Pit Bull Makes his Mark on the World in the Sonoma Sun. Older Pets Make Great Adoptees in the Sonoma Sun.