Teaching you how to teach your dog
Every dog deserves to be treated humanely. The training process is no exception. We use science-based training methods, as endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Training is a process
Every dog is an individual— how each one learns is unique to them.
Diamond Dogs trains without stress, force or fear. We teach you how to reach your goals through positive learning experiences and management of the environment.
We will assess your dog and give you the recommendations we feel are best— one on one lessons, group classes, virtual sessions, or sometimes, even a referral to another specialized trainer. We want to help you achieve the very best outcome for you and your dog.
Our areas of focus are reactive dogs, fearful/shy dogs, and puppies.
Schedule Appointment
Contact us to learn more.
Testimonials
“We had disappointing results in the past with archaic training methods and knew we needed someone who was more intuitive and holistic in their approach. Cynthia came to the rescue! She is so kind, patient, and knowledgeable. Our dogs fell in love with her immediately.”
“Cynthia is knowledgeable, experienced, and is a master of positive reinforcement training, I highly recommend her and Diamond Dogs.
”
“Cynthia makes the difference for our busy family! She ensures our dog gets the benefit of not just physical, but mental stimulation as well. Her impact carries over, as his behavior on walks is consistently notably improved after he’s walked with her.”
“We wanted to say thank you so much for a wonderful class! We really appreciated your patience, kindness and skill, and we had such a good time.”
About Me
MY NAME IS Cynthia
I have worked professionally with dogs for 20 years in many different capacities: training, walking, pet sitting, daycare, shelters, rescues, and pet insurance.
I live with a 9 year old, rescued French Bulldog who is very reactive. I understand what life is like with a difficult dog!
Bio
It all started when…
My career working with dogs began in 2003 at a large scale dog daycare in Seattle. I quickly saw how this unnatural, stressful environment was detrimental to the very dogs it was supposed to be caring for. Prioritizing profits over their health and mental well being didn’t sit right with me. I left. I started a private dog walking and pet sitting service, Road Dog Walks, as an alternative. Soon after that, I was offered a position at a growing pet insurance firm, Trupanion. I continued to operate my pet sitting business while working in the large pet friendly office. I also served on Trupanion’s office pet behavior team, helping establish protocols for a harmonious, dog safe workplace.
I established my private training practice Diamond Dogs in 2019.
I began working for Dog’s Day Out the same year, starting off in the small, 15 dog capacity daycare. My focus there these days is teaching. I teach various group classes and am the lead trainer for Puppy Training Camp, and Teens Playgroup.
See my current group classes click here: DOGS DAY OUT
Education
Study of behavior has always been my passion. I earned my first dog training certification at the Northwest School of Canine Studies in 2018. I graduated with a Certificate in Canine Studies (CCS).
In fall of 2021 I became certified through the internationally recognized Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, achieving my CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed) credential.
In early 2023, I completed Kim Brophey’s L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Professional Course and earned FDM (Certified Family Dog Mediator) credentials.
As a certified trainer, I am required to keep my education current and am constantly learning. I recently completed three separate week-long courses under Ken Ramirez at the Karen Pryor National Training Center, honing my skillset working with goats, donkeys, and alpacas.