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. To stay current and to keep my certifications active, I continue to take classes.

• April, 2026 - Canine Social Behavior (Class offered by IAABC): A five-week class that focuses on canine social behavior with an emphasis on intraspecific (dog-to-dog) social interactions. 

• In May, 2026 - I will start classes that will go toward a possible certification as a behavior consultant.  Although I have taken numerous classes on working with behavioral issues including "Aggression In Dogs", I have not taken a comprehensive series of classes.  Starting in May, I will take the first of ten classes to work toward a behavioral certification through the Karen Pryor Academy.  Check back here for updates as I work through the program.

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.