About
Sherry
Sherry Clark
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ABCDT (Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer)
ABCSDT (Animal Behavior College Service Dog Trainer)
California, USA
Welcome.
I'm Sherry, and I help families whose dogs struggle with fear, aggression, reactivity, separation distress, and other matters.
My approach is unique because it pulls only the most kind and respectful exercises from all sources of information. My approach has a path to respectfully transform harsh exercises into kind ones.
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I've clipped apart learning theories, methods, and frameworks from history. I've sorted the pieces and glued them back together into a collage of "values" that make life better for dogs and their humans.
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Brain neural pathways are roadways for thoughts.
"Values-Based Dog Teaching" creates new adventures for old thoughts to change behavior.
It's an approach that can complement all methodologies to promote kindness in dog training.
Brain neural pathways are roadways for thoughts.
"Values-Based
Dog Teaching"
Create new adventures for old thoughts to change behavior.
Summary
25 years of training experience.
10,000+ dogs helped.
Certified through Animal Behavior College.
Trainer and staff educator in 7 animal shelters.
Founder of Brainy Dog™ (2001)
Emergency disaster response leader for North Valley Animal Disaster Group.
Operated 3 live-in training camps where dogs lived and trained in my home.
Specialty education: service dogs, search and rescue, wolf behavior, undesired reactivity and aggression.
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Ongoing seminars, classes, books, and staying in tune with dog behavior-related studies.
My history
I grew up in the mid-west, where I taught my first dog, Dixie the Dachshund, to sit for an ice cream cone when I was age 9. I used the same principles of my "ice cream method" through years of training my own dogs.
As a young adult I pursued a career in Computer-Aided Design,
Programming, Process Improvement and Engineering management.
In 2001, I returned to my childhood dream and founded Brainy Dog™, where I combined an ability to teach complex concepts with values-centered training.
Over the years, I’ve worked with more than 10,000 dogs. My work has included shelter dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs, and countless family dogs with serious behavior issues.
I’ve owned and operated three live-in dog training camps, taught shelter staff to train dogs during every interaction and worked by phone with familes to train their dogs while we speak over the phone.
Education has always been a cornerstone of my path. I earned certification from the Animal Behavior College, studied at Wolf Park and trained in Applied Behavior Analysis with Easter Seals Bay Area.
I attended mock service dog training Bergin University and studied specialized trainers in hearing, diabetic alert, mobility, and PTSD dogs.
Beyond training, I’ve led emergency animal disaster shelters during California wildfires, trained in cadaver dog work, and worked alongside search-and-rescue teams in Missouri, Montana, Idaho, and beyond. Through all of these experiences, my mission has stayed the same: to help dogs and humans understand each other.
From teaching a Dachshund to sit for an ice cream cone to values-based dog training my work has always been about connection, kindness, and lasting change.
