Karen B. Peters grew up on a farm training and learning from dogs, cat and horses, and rescuing wildlife in the woods and streams of Hunterdon County, NJ. She spent her high school years riding and showing horses, and worked with local vets assisting with large and small animal calls. Graduating with honors in 1985 with a major in Environmental Science from Cook College of Rutgers University, she worked as an Environmental Educator and Wildlife Rehabilitator for 10 years. As an Environmental Educator Karen thoroughly enjoyed helping people develop an understanding of the wild animals who share their world. She helped people to overcome their fear of misunderstood wildlife such as bats, snakes, bees, scorpions and tarantulas. Helping people and animals coexist peacefully together has always been an integral part of Karen's life, and in her work with dogs this is specifically manifest in helping with behavioral problems in your companion dog. Having worked in education most all of her life, including formal certification as a Science Teacher and Being the Head Teacher for 5 years at After School Care Programs that incorporated learning and physical education into every day, she is well equipped to teach dog training clients. The advantage of being professionally trained as an educator shows clearly in the response of everyday people and their animals to Karen's teaching style. Click here to read testimonials.
In 1995 Karen started a successful consultation practice on behavioral and emotional issues with clients and their companion animals, horses, dogs and cats. This ability to communicate came naturally to her and consisted of work done almost entirely on the phone. Karen has a separate website for this work with more letters of recommendation than can fit there, and is currently only working with established clients, except in special cases. She also trained with well known animal communicators Penelope Smith, Anita Curtis and Lorelei Hunt. As she acquired her own dogs, one German Shepherd presented a wide range of behavioral issues. Since communication alone can not change a dog's basic temperament, she sought out help from the dog training professionals in the area, and yet found no one who could truly address the underlying issues and solve the problem, especially aggressive and anxiety issues. She needed actual answers to the consistent behavioral issues that this dog presented. Having already trained with the some of best traditional dog trainers available in NJ and Pa., Karen realized what was missing was the kind of behavioral counseling she had done with clients nationally and internationally for years, and that she could work in-person locally to help with real world everyday living situations. She formed CDTS and began to integrate all the parts of what she had learned firsthand into a cohesive whole, that has as its goal to help animals and their people live more harmoniously and understand each other better. Karen is especially effective at dealing with specific behavioral issues, getting to the heart of the matter and helping people understand how to bring out the best in their canine companion for their lifetime. Karen has titled her female German Shepherd Dog in Schutzhund Obedience, trained her male German Shepherd Dog in Schutzhund and is currently working with him in K9 Search and Rescue training. She has also worked in the past as a professional dog trainer for the Canine Fence Company and at The Pet Campus in Pa.
Karen presently utilizes the best of the old and the newer positive reinforcement techniques, combined with her natural intuitive and perceptive abilities, helping you to become more effective in your everyday life with your dog, after she leaves your home. She believes in empowering the handler to bring out the best in their dog(s) and bringing about a handler - dog communication that answers problems before they become issues. She continues to work extensively with animal communication and behavioral issues in her private practice, both nationally and internationally, and is well known in this field.
In addition to her popular phone consultation practice, Karen conducts local in-home private training lessons to help bring more communication and cooperation into the relationship with your dog(s).
Normally, it takes at least 4 to 6 sessions to work on a behavioral issue. Costs vary with distance and behavioral issue presented.
