We’re Fear Free Certified!

Congratulations to Good Dog in a Box cofounder, Jenn Merritt, CPDT-KA, for completing the Fear Free certification program. Jenn’s sister Kim here. I wanted to give a special shout out to Jenn for this latest certification in her long line of credentials as a professional dog trainer and Tellington TTouch practictioner.

You may remember, two weeks ago, we gave the Fear Free program our Good Dog of the Week Award. The Fear Free initiative was developed by “America’s Veterinarian” Dr. Marty Becker, a life long advocate for compassionate animal care and fostering the animal-human bond. The program aims to “take the ‘pet’ out of ‘petrified'” and get pets back for veterinary visits by promoting considerate approach and gentle control techniques used in calming environments.

As our community knows, we are all about reward based training methods, gentle touch, and calming techniques. We’ve had the great pleasure of talking to Dr. Becker about the Fear Free program and Jenn was more than anxious to go through the training. She was super impressed with the program’s curriculum and methodology for creating a non-threatening, calm environment for pets.

As we all know, a calm dog is a heck of a lot easier to get to the vet (or anywhere else for that matter) than a dog that is freaking out and has to be carried or dragged into the clinic. A dog with that much anxiety can be unsafe to be around. Using Fear Free methods leads to the reduction or removal of anxiety triggers. The result is a more pleasant experience in going to the vet. One that is rewarding and safer for everyone involved, including the dog, their owner, and the veterinary health care teams. A calmer dog becomes a more accepting patient and their owners become more compliant clients for better veterinary care. A definite win-win for all involved.

Jenn is our chief curriculum creator and in-house professional dog trainer, so I’m thrilled she had the opportunity to go through the Fear Free program. So congrats to Jenn and thank you to Fear Free.

Visit the Fear Free website to learn more about the Fear Free program and Fear Free Certification for vets, dog trainers, and individuals in the pet industry.