About Kathy

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.  I completed my certification with the Karen Pryor Academy in 2011 and then studied for my CCPT-KA certification which I received in March, 2017.  I completed my Service Dog Coach certification in November of 2019 and the Aggressive Dog course in 2022.  Lastly I completed my Family Dog Mediator course in 2024. 

What's next?  Dog training is an ever-evolving industry.  In the near future, I plan to

become emersed in positive reinforcement and Family Dog Mediation as I feel that is

the focus that best serves our pets. As more is learned about how we and dogs can live

in harmony, there is more for me to learn.  There is no final destination – it’s a never

ending journey.

Other Education

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and an MBA, both through SUNY

Oswego. In March, 2023, I retired from Laboratory Alliance of CNY, LLC where I was the

Manager of Business Applications for 15 years.