Agitated. Stressed. Excited. Playful. The same can be said for a lot of other dog body language but I named this business after the tail as it is so commonly misunderstood that wagging dogs are happy, relaxed and friendly. My goal at Nedra’s WAGZ is help you better understand how to interpret your dog’s signals (tails and more) and partner with them for better communication in order to achieve your ultimate goal: a happy and cooperative canine companion. I provide day training services, private coaching, group classes & workshops. My certifications include CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) and PMCT (Pat Miller Certified Trainer). I am a member of IAABC, PPG (Pet Professional Guild) and Animal Positive Coalition. I (Nedra) have over 30 years of dog experience including 10 years working in and fostering for dog rescue, 6 years collaborating with a variety of dog training professionals across a multitude of training techniques, 2 years working beside aggression specialist Alexandra Macias, and being a devoted dog mom 7 times over to puppies and rescues alike. I’ve dealt with behavior challenges ranging from potty training, manners, extreme fear, leash reactivity and resource guarding. I’ve also enjoyed agility, obedience and confirmation training with my own dogs. As the Behavior Chair for Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue for a number of years, I’ve seen firsthand what aversive methods, dominance theories, lack of socialization and neglect can do to a dog’s psyche. I’ve worked hard to ensure we are rehabilitating as many of these dogs as is possible and safe to do so. And it has fueled my passion for the power of positive reinforcement in dog training. I have turned away from the archaic command and control techniques and stepped fully into the positive reinforcement techniques that are based on evidence and promoted by the Certification Counsel for Pet Dog Trainers (CCPDT), Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). I strive to abide by the code of ethics set forth by the IAABC and found here: https://iaabc.org/en/code-of-ethics
Whether you have a new puppy to get started on the right foot or a rescue dog showing fear, reactivity or walking challenges…I am here to help. I’m available for dog training services in Annapolis, Edgewater, Arnold, Severna Park and surrounding areas. I strongly believe in research-based methods and continuing education as the field of dog training, dog behavior and applied ethology continue to evolve. I currently reside in Admiral Heights, Annapolis with my 2 rescued Golden Retrievers. I happily took on one of my own pups to rehabilitate after he bit an adopter who used old school dominance on him. My other rescued Golden Retriever arrived just as happy and go-lucky as one can be. You will also find us fostering pups whenever we can.
