Kathleen Lawton

We have all been there. Your dog is barking at the window, chewing the TV Remote, or pulling you down the sidewalk like a runaway freight train. In those moments of frustration, it is easy to focus entirely on how to make them stop. But what if the secret to a well-behaved dog isn’t stopping the bad behavior, but actively championing the good? Well that is the core philosophy behind positive reinforcement dog training. Instead of using force, fear, or corrections to discipline a dog, positive...

What is considered the most important period in your dog’s life? It’s the Socialization Period which runs from about 3 weeks of age to about 12 weeks of age. This sensitive period is considered the most influential 9 weeks of a dog’s life because a small amount of experience can produce a big effect on later behavior, both good and bad. During the Socialization Period, puppies learn about social relationships with people, other canines and other animals that might be part of their life. ...

Hello - I’m Kathy Shumway Lawton and I am the owner of K-10 Dog Training in Mexico NY. I really cannot remember a time in my life without dogs. At a recent point in my life, we had six dogs as I was a true foster failure. It was a rather eclectic group, five of which are pictured on the home page. We currently have Strut, our little black rescue as well as Bella, our golden, both of which are pictured together throughout the website. I began training as a part-time business in 2007. ...