About Us
Katrina Jablonsky ABCDT
In 2004 I got my first service dog, Lily. It was then that she changed my life. The constant hospitalizations stopped and life became closer to a normal one. I knew then that I wanted others to gain the freedom I had. I took as many training courses with my dog as I could to learn as much as I could with my dog and teach her new things. A few years later I enrolled in the animal behavior college. My mentor was a trainer from NEADS. I graduated from ABC without any difficulty and continued the learn from other trainers. Now I have been training dogs professionally for many years.
The methods I use vary by dog in customize training plans. In group classes the training is primarily positive reinforcement. While positive punishment does have a time and place I do not believe it is generally appropriate for beginner classes. I will use what ever works for a particular dog. I am especially fond of clicker training but if it doesn't work for a particular dog or handler we will explore other options. I am also very familiar in working with reactive dogs.
I currently have 3 dogs of my own, Pinky Pie, Bridgette, and Sugar Plum Fairy. Pinky Pie is a sweet spaz of a belgian shepadoodle. She is my service dog. Bridgette, a St Berdoodle, is training to take over for Pinky. Now that she has finished training, I rotate her and Pinky. Sugar Plum is a standard poodle. We also have 4 cats. A siamese named Sven, an unusual tabby cross named Tiddles, a lovable black cat named, Salem, and a tabby named Murder.
I previously had 2 german shepherds which I loved very much. I had Sophie since she was a puppy. She had always been a handful. Unfortunately she passed away from cancer at 8yrs old in Feb 2016. She had been a service dog for a short time until she retired due to health issues. Hans was a rescue and a pet. He was saved from a shelter only hours before they were going to put him down for growling because he was so scared and had horrible ear infections. He had been a rehab case from the very start and I'm happy to say he was a success. He earned his cgc in 2012. He passed away Dec 2015 around the age of 10.
In February 2023 my future husband and I welcomed a daughter into the world. As a result I am ceasing all operations for at least 6 months with the potential to extend well beyond. We will currently only be offering support services to previous clients as we stopped accepting new clients in the summer of 2022. Since we are starting a family, it is unlikely operations will resume in 2024. I am however available to answer service dog related questions and offer guidance.
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There are various volunteers that help from time to time with training.
