Education & Experience
Shelly is a graduate of the prestigious Victoria Stilwell Academy, where she spent countless hours working to obtain her certification as a qualified professional dog trainer (VSA-CDT) and Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP), supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), Professional member of Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).
With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, Shelly applies the psychology of learning and behavior to her canine and human clients. She’s drawn to animals and natural systems and began honing her skills as a wildlife research associate, humane society behavior counselor, and class dog trainer. Shelly has over a decade of experience as an educator and spends time volunteering with her church’s community co-op.
Shelly aims to create lasting, cooperative bonds between her clients and their dogs in a welcoming, fun, and stress-free environment that everyone can benefit from and enjoy! She stays up to date by continuing her education in behavioral science and training her dog (Kai).
Shelly Haines, VSA-CDT, FFCP
Dog Training Methods & Philosophy
Fetch Worthy Dog Training is rooted in science and compassion. We focus on growth, not problems.
Like those in the medical community, we pledge to do no harm. We make the same promise to our clients and their dogs. That means consistently providing you with the fastest, most effective results possible without sacrificing ethics in the process. You don’t need harsh training equipment to achieve the results you’re looking for—you need someone with the skills and experience to train using the most modern methods. Our evidence-based methods help you raise a well-behaved dog with individualized training plans that set boundaries and provide discipline that’s fair – not scary or painful.
We don’t set your dog up to make mistakes to correct them, and we will not force your dog to handle adversity on human terms. We use behavioral science and canine ethology, rooted in compassion & ethics. These training techniques require a skilled professional.
We teach you how to communicate appropriately with your dog, understand their language, and master the science and art of training. We view dogs as sentient beings with needs that need to be met. We want you to enjoy training your dog and enhance your bond through communication and compassion. We care about your dog’s success as much as you do.
How Do We Work?
We work with dedicated and committed guardians using the latest modern, individualized dog training techniques. We work with all breeds, from brand-new puppies to rowdy adolescents, seniors, or newly adopted rescue dogs. We offer all training in-home and virtual services at a competitive price and accept credit cards and payment plans. We provide online lifetime support, and we write detailed training plans. We do not try to over-sell services and will be upfront and honest about how we can help and what to expect. We enhance the human-animal bond and consider everyone’s safety and physical and emotional well-being.
Dog Training is Unregulated
Dog training is an unregulated industry, and sadly, many trainers still use antiquated methods designed to hurt and/or scare dogs or have a misunderstanding of how dogs operate, needs are not met, and are not truthful about the techniques, or education. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, these “aversive” training approaches can lead to dogs becoming more fearful and aggressive. Whether you work with me or someone else, I encourage you to find a professional who only uses evidenced-based training methods. Read the American Veterinarian Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statement about punishment to understand better why force training should not be an option — especially when working to help fearful and reactive dogs.
Dog Training Lessons
Private Training
Private lessons can take place in your home or a designated location, where I will teach you how to train your dog. You will be more successful with several lessons than a single lesson. You can choose packages that fit your current needs, and for can be adjusted for multi-dog homes.
Puppy Program
Fetch Worthy’s puppy program at home or can be virtual from 8 weeks to 2 years old. Let me be your first resort instead of your last. This early training program will prime your puppy’s brain to develop into a happy and well-adjusted adult dog. Fetch Worthy has successfully worked with hundred’s families.
Group Class Austin & Kyle
Group classes are held in South Austin and Kyle, Texas for Basic Manners, Advanced for Canine Good Citizen, as well as recall, and leash walking. Classes are for dogs at least 6 months old.
Wonderful experience for myself and my dog. I have an 8 month old Cavapoo that is full of energy. We have worked with Shelly on leash tugging, recall and avoiding reaction to dogs, cars, people etc. During walks. Shelly is so patient and kind with my dog. Truly custom style training that fits my dogs behaviors. Shelly has eagle eyes and can anticipate need for redirecting using treats or “u-turn “ during training. My dog and I have learned that working together can be very rewarding.
Cheryl W.
Training with Shelly has been a huge help as we’ve added a new puppy to our home. She is calm and patient with our pup, and us. We’ve learned so many more tips and tricks that were new to us despite working with previous trainers. We have been able to focus on the aspects of training that are most important to us and have already seen great benefit after just a few sessions.
Courtney R.
What’s Modern Dog Training?
Modern Dog Training is the way to describe positive dog training that is rooted in science, canine ethology and learning theory.
You don’t need harsh training equipment to change aggression and fear. In fact, when used, most often there’s negative fallout.
To ensure that you and your dog have a safe and fun learning experience, the only dog training methods used are the ones recommended by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior .