High Expectations

Katie High’s life has gone to the dogs, and she could not be any happier about it.

High, of Camas, has been training puppies and adult dogs for three years, but she has been around canines most of her life.

High, 34, moved to Camas at the age of 4. Her family lived on the west end of Lacamas lake, and she later attended Mountain View High School.

During High’s childhood, she grew up with hunting breed dogs — Labrador retrievers and vizslas. “Ruby,” a German shorthaired pointer, was her first personal dog.

High now has two dogs –Jack, a mixed breed she adopted from the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, in Washougal; and Ginger, an Australian shepherd she adopted from a local family. She also has several chickens and a rooster.

High offers four weeks of classes for puppies 5 months old and younger. Obedience training is available for dogs older than 5 months.

Certificates are available for graduates of puppy, obedience and advanced obedience classes. After passing all three courses, participants can take the Canine Good Citizen class and receive a certificate.

High’s classes address obedience, agility and behavior issues.

“I love working with dogs, as I learn something new about dog behavior with almost every dog I work with,” High said. “I love seeing an owner of a dog gain confidence and control with their dog. With training, your dog can become such an amazing and enjoyable companion which is a joy to see.”

She spent six months at Triple Crown Dog Academy, in Austin, Texas. Course topics included puppy training, obedience, competitive obedience, behavior issues, agility, tracking and search and rescue.

High is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals.

“I believe in continual education and go to training seminars every year to stay current on new ideas in dog training,” she said.

High said the biggest challenge in dog training is when people let bad behavior go on for a long time before they get help.

“The bad behavior gets worse and worse until the owners are at the point where they are about ready to give the dog up unless the problem can get fixed,” she said. “The longer the bad behavior goes on, the longer it takes to transform the behavior. I wish people would call for help before they are at their wits end. The behavior is much easier to fix when it first starts occurring.”

For more information, contact High at 600-1620 or katiehigh@live.com or visit www.hedogtraining.com.