Master dog trainer and canine behavioral specialist Robert Williams with two of the dogs he has trained. (Submitted photo)
EAST LIVERPOOL — Dog owners who want to learn to how to correct common dog behaviors, gain control of their dog, help their dog overcome anxiety or fear, identify what their dog is saying through body language or learn to foster a healthy relationship with their dog can do that at the What’s Your Dog Really Saying workshop to be held Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Tri-State Coon Hunters Club located at 2601 Irish Ridge Road.
Those interested in attending the workshop conducted by Robert Williams, canine behavior specialist and master dog trainer, will need to register by contacting Mary Ann Manning, event organizer, at 740-296-3544.
The cost of the workshop is $25 per person with a homemade lunch available for an additional $5.
The workshop will take place in two segments — a morning segment which will be presentation and discussion format and an afternoon segment where dog owners can bring their dogs for a hands-on workshop where they can get individual assistance with specific behaviors. Owners will need to provide proof their dogs have had their rabies and bordatella vaccines. Phone photos of proof of vaccines will be accepted.
Williams, a graduate of University of North Carolina Pembroke, got his start in dog training as a K9 police officer, a position he held for 15 years, training police dogs as the lead K9 officer for the Southern Pines, North Carolina Police Department.
He has since retired from that position but continues to train K9s and pets as the owner of JAS K-9 in Southern Pines.
Williams has traveled worldwide training K9s and pets. He has trained dogs in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Austria. He has trained throughout the United States and has trained the FBI’s (Federal Bureau of Investigations) HRT Teams K-9 Unit.
In addition to being a master trainer, Williams is also a canine behavior specialist who has studied why the dog is doing what he is doing and why the dog exhibits certain behaviors, Manning said. Williams can instruct the owner on what they can do to get the dog to stop doing those behaviors through positive reinforcement.
When Williams works with dogs, he focuses on the concept of controlling the outcome which means the owner controls what the dog is doing and controls the dog so there is a positive outcome, Manning said. It’s basically looking for the positive outcome.
Participants in the workshop will be presented with a variety of tools to use so pet owners can get started on things like getting the dog to focus on the owner so that the dog isn’t distracted, and they can keep him focused on training.
Manning also noted that when a pet owner trains with Williams, he helps with the dog and demonstrates, but the owner is the one who does the actual training.
Williams noted that the workshop is not only beneficial to pet owners but also to shelters, pet rescue volunteers, groomers, veterinary staff and anyone else who encounters dogs with behavior issues.
“I often get asked for assistance from animal shelter staff because a dog that is not mean or aggressive has bitten or exhibited other undesirable behavior,” Williams said. “Having an understanding of why that dog is behaving in that way is crucial to correcting the behavior and ultimately, adopting the dog successfully.”
Williams, a native of Clarksburg, W.Va., is certified through the AKC, Animal Behavior Course, the Catch Dog Training Program and is a master trainer through K2 Solutions in North Carolina.
He owns six Belgian Malinois dogs who are trained to protect and cuddle his children and family.
