Congratulations Bridget!

Let's hear it for Bridget Desroches for becoming the sixth Gemini Dogs instructor to earn her Certified Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT) certification! Great job, Bridget! This is a very huge deal since few dog professionals attain this certification.

A staff member since 2001, Bridget started instructing in 2005, is an AKC-certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, and is a member of the APDT. She and her Border Collies train in competitive canine disc and are members of the Blue Dog Group, an exhibition group.

Here's one of Bridget's dogs, Gromit, during a canine disc demo:


Bridget joins our other CPDT-certified trainers Carolyn Barney, Paul Emerson, Jean McCord, Sally Garrod, and Jan Fulton.

A CPDT-certified trainer is one who has met eligibility requirements and has successfully demonstrated his or her knowledge by passing the certification exam. To meet eligibility requirements, candidate trainers must have:

• At least 300 hours experience in dog training within the last five years
• A high school diploma or equivalent
• One reference each from a veterinarian, a client, and a professional colleague.

Knowledge of dog behavior and application of training techniques are assessed in the following content areas:

• Learning theory
• Instruction skills
• Husbandry
• Ethology
• Equipment

Certified Pet Dog Trainers maintain their credential through continuing education by attending workshops, conferences, and hands-on seminars for professional dog trainers. This continuing education requirement ensures that Certified Pet Dog Trainers are knowledgeable about the most current thinking, research, and techniques in the field.