Sheila Heil Ferguson- Dog Training & Canine Obedience Columbus

Sheila Heil Ferguson offers personalized, professional in-home instruction, starting in the client’s home and then working out to more distractive situations if needed. She recommends the best course of action for each client to improve the owner/pet relationship and solve training or behavior issues.

Services include acclimating new pets, behavior modification using Applied Behavior Analysis, preparing dogs for new babies, prevention and control of unwanted behaviors, puppy training (7-16 weeks), formal basic obedience, separation anxiety modification, aggression screening and modification, and AKC Canine Good Citizen training/evaluation. She also works in various environments like yards, neighborhoods, parks, other homes, or vet offices.

Sheila Heil Ferguson offers dog training, obedience instruction, and behavior consulting in Columbus, Ohio. She specializes in in-home and environmental puppy and dog training, addressing various behavior issues. Her methodology is based on science, reasoning, critical thinking, and ethical standards, promoting a healthy lifelong relationship between owners and pets through positive interaction and science-based techniques.

Sheila emphasizes that training should start in the home, as dogs are situational and environmental learners, making it difficult to transfer class training to the home environment. She focuses on canine behavior, incorporating training into everyday life, and uses a Humane Hierarchy of behavior intervention, prioritizing positive reinforcement and minimizing punishment.

She provides personalized, professional in-home instruction, ongoing follow-up and support via phone and email, and formal written summaries of lessons upon request. She also offers a packet of supporting information on the plan of action and lessons covered.

Accomplishments

Sheila Heil Ferguson is a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC-KA) and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through CCPDT. She holds a Diploma in Animal Behavior Technology (DipABT) from Companion Animal Sciences Institute.

She is an approved AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator (#14204) and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (#67358), a supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and a professional member (#264) of The Association of Animal Behavior Professionals. She earned a Certificate of Excellence in “Utilization of Behavior Analysis and Behaviorology” from LLA by Susan G. Friedman, PhD.

Her extensive background includes working as a Veterinary Technician registered with the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association since 1975, and working at The Green Road Animal Hospital and The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital. She instructed formal obedience classes for two years with Columbus All-Breed Training Club and competed heavily in Obedience Trials, earning titles like CD, CDX, UD, and Dog World Awards, as well as Working Certificates in Field work.

How to Get Started!

Clients receive ongoing follow-up and support via phone and/or e-mail, and formal written summaries of lessons when requested. A packet of supporting information on the plan of action and lessons covered during the appointment will be given. Veterinarian and client references are available upon request.