The APDT announces new annual campaign to promote the benefits of positive training and socialization to create a healthy relationship between dogs and their owners.

San Juan Capistrano, CA - Hundreds of thousands of dogs have been turned into animal shelters because their owners didn’t know how to deal with behavior problems and couldn’t find a reliable resource to help them. We at the APDT (www.apdt.com) think it is long overdue to dedicate a month where we can bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training, and most of all, to inform the public that training your dog can be simple and fun! The APDT has selected January as the perfect month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year right with their newest family member.

The APDT is planning a variety of events in January 2011 to celebrate National Train Your Dog Month.  It is our hope that the everyday dog owners will visit the event web site (www.trainyourdogmonth.com), so they can see how easy and fun training can be, and how patience, consistency and a deeper understanding of their dog’s behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households. We have a wide range of topics that we’ve covered so that pet owners will recognize themselves and their dogs.  We will provide a great deal of information that will help using methods that are kind gentle and that have an emphasis on building your relationships with your dogs.

"As a part of National Train Your Dog Month, I am offering free New Dog Orientations and $15 Leash Walking seminars to help with some of the most persistent training issues dog owners ask about," says Yolanda Freeman, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in San Juan Capistrano.

In addition the APDT has more than 5000 members who are willing and able to help dog owners who need help with their dogs.  Our web site content will include contests winners from our membership and the dog owning public, downloadable handouts on training, and regular updates on the APDT Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheAssociationofPetDogTrainers.US) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/apdt) with fun ideas and tips on how to train your dog. APDT members nationwide will help promote the  event and focus on bringing awareness to their own home towns.