To Whom It May Concern:
I am a Professional Pet Care Specialist in the Tulsa area and have had the opportunity to work with Marj Satterfield on several occasions.  My experience with Marj has been very positive and as a result I have recommended several of my “pet parents” to her.  Marj’s Training Programs have been very beneficial to my clients and their feedback continues to be  extremely positive.   Classes have been provided during convenient days/times and my clients like the individual attention given them because there is always more then one trainer on site.
I recommend Marj to my clients because she:

• Conducts training that achieves the results my clients are looking for
• Is very confident in her abilities and uses them to the fullest
• Is highly skilled in her area of expertise and continuously sharpens and updates her animal skill-set
• She makes accurate assessment of necessary training needs and uses a wide variety of training methods
• She is extremely active and eager to try new approaches based on the needs of the individual pets
• She displays a high degree of honesty, loyalty and integrity throughout the training program
• She continuously meets my customer’s requirements and exceeds their expectations

Marj is a well-informed, resourceful, solution seeker.  I am pleased to have this opportunity to recommend her and always look forward to working with her on community projects.

Do you allow your dog to go out to the end of it’s leash when walking and approach every dog it sees and get in the other dogs “face” Do you have some snide comment when the strange dog (and owner) growls or snaps at your dog? Do you think if your dog is allowed to greet every dog it sees that you are “Socializing ” it? If this describes you …You are the person I warn my class members about…YOU are a RUDE dog owner….yes you are…and don’t go there with the “He only wants to say Hi” your dog really could care less about other dogs except you have made him/her that way…Where and when did you decide that that was the way to “Socialize your dog? How’s that working out for you? I’ll bet your poor dog gets growled or snapped at more times then he is met with a dog who thinks your’s is “special” This is not the way to socialize your dog…Get yourself to a great group class where your dog has to pay attention to just you and tune out all the other dogs and people and you will have a dog that can be around other dogs without whirling and twirling.
Will I help you fix your dog that is lunging and growling at other dogs or people 20 yards away? Sure that is easy to fix…will I help you make your dog one that will allow another dog to invade his/her space? (two foot around your self and your dog) NO ..NO I say. No Where is it written that your dog has to let another dog in it’s face…well it may be written somewhere but I would challenge the author…
The same applies to you OVER-PETTERS out there…have you never seen a dog before? Do you not own a dog? What makes you think you need to touch every dog you see? If I see you coming towards me and my dog I will firmly tell you not to pet my dog…that’s right No petting. Now if you approach and ask to pet my dog …that’s a different story…And what’s up with kids and dogs lately? I was walking my BIG black German Shepherd through the PetCo store and she had a stuffed toy in her mouth that she dearly loves .when out of nowhere a little girl came running up and took the stuffed toy right out of my dog’s mouth!!! I was so shocked that I just stood there…and then the Mom of the little girl asked if my dog would bite her over the toy? I wouldn’t of cared if she would of kerchomped that kid……Parents….DO NOT DO NOT let your children run up to strange dogs….just because someone has their dog out in public does not mean that it is safe around people, pets and children….(By the way if your dog is not safe around other pets, people and children) it should not be out in public!! till it has had some training classes!! having it out in public is not how to “fix” that problem….Really!!
Nix on those STUPID flexi-leads too… you have no control over your dog and they are useless and unsafe…I have many tales of dogs dragging their owners….twining them up with the leads or getting eaten out at the end of those leads by a strange dog that is not on leash….it only takes a few seconds and your little dog is killed or injured by a larger loose dog.. because you can’t get to it in time because it is so far away from you…By the way do you know how to get a dog off of another one or God forbid off of a person? Pick up it’s back legs…any dog will let go of whatever it is chomped onto. It works every time….So think before you let your dog run up to another…NO ONE likes a RUDE Dog Owner.

Really? Where did you read that? Of course everything you read on the internet is “True”!!! I am not sure what year that I started hearing that from training clients. Well now you can say you “read” somewhere that you “Can” use a crate for punishment. I am NOT saying to use your crate for only punishment that wouldn’t make sense. However, think of your dog’s crate as his/her “Room”. Picture this; My child just colored my walls with permanent marker…after letting him know how much trouble he is in I now send him to his room to think about his crappy behavior. (this analogy does not work if you never would send your child to his room; I would surmise that you have an unruly child as well as a dog) The same with your dog …if you have caught him with your best pair of flip flops…I am going to make my correction and then send him to his crate to “think” about it…If your dog does something naughty and you barely correct him and nothing else happens. I would venture to guess that he will repeat the behavior time and time again with most behaviors getting worse and worse. I have used crating after crappy behavior for 38 some years and the behavior stops OH SO quickly and we can move on to bigger and better things. Again I welcome any debate on this subject (and gee my dogs love their crates).And I don’t care if”Mrs.Harper” (fictional character) says not to use a crate for punishment….what makes her more an expert than me?…

The secret to heeling is using the correct equipment. I LOVE this collar…it is inexpensive and works quickly to get your dog heeling so your walks can be productive.
It is the StarMark Training Collar available for you to order right here …it works for all types of dogs ..from small to large… I do not recommend it for very large out of control dogs till you get them under control…
TRY IT YOU’LL LIKE IT!
Go Forth and Train!
Marj the Dog Trainer

More serious injury and death is caused by these products than any other dog management/training tool, in my experience.. not only do you not have any real control of your dog it is impossible to correct them or make any real headway with behavior problems when walking your dog. Also when your dog is 15 to 26 feet out in front of you they are “bait” for roaming dogs, hooligan kids, etc. Here is a laundry list of Retractable lead horror stories..if after reading this you want to still use one…all I can say is you were warned….
Leash is dropped- your dog frightened by the plastic leash handle now zipping noisily toward him, bolts. The leash seems to chase him. Your dog runs into the street or races blindly away to be lost.
Cord/tape is grabbed- Your grab the cord or tape as it plays out, the injury is immediate, your flesh is cut like meat.
Cord/tape wraps around you (or someone else)- Again, deep wounds but also risk of amputation, especially of fingers.
Clip/collar breaks – When this happens, the leash retracts at full speed and the end of the line that does not go into the handle whips around at top speed. Injuries to eyes,teeth and face result.
These things DO happen! Here are a few real-life stories:
Dog runs ahead of her human into an elevator. Doors close, car goes . Dog dies.
Dog dashes into the road and under the wheels of a car. Dog dies.
Dog runs around his human then bolts after a squirrel. Owner goes to the ER with ankle wounds down to the bone.
Dog bolts after another dog, pulls person over, drags her along the ground, cord gets tangled in her hand. Finger amputated.
Dog walking on the other side of road from person. Bicyclist comes around corner; to avoid hurting either dog or person or both with a tangle; the biker runs bike off the the side. Dislocates both shoulders and breaks a wrist.
Now common sense would dictate that you would not be walking with your dog on the other side of the road…but I do see people using these leads without any regard to the safety of their dog or other people.
Is a little “extra freedom” worth it?
Worth the risk of serious injury or death to you, your dog or someone else?
Please use a regular leash, It’s safer, for everyone.

This product is FANTASTIC for shy dogs, anxious dogs, aggressive dogs, dogs that over-bark, dogs that submissively pee,dogs afraid of fireworks, thunder, or their own shadow, dogs that are anxious in the car, train or plane!
It uses the same idea  as swaddling a baby to make it more calm…
Also the Tellington Touch method to work with dogs with behavior problems includes using the swaddling idea.
The Thundershirt used in conjunction with a great training class can eliminate or dramatically deal with many behavior problems.
You can order the Thundershirt by clicking on this link or call me about including this in your plan to change your dog’s behavior.

For some reason I find people are bound and determined to continue to use useless collars and harnesses on their dogs. Leads too( see post on the equally as useless retractable leads) I suppose a lot of it has to do with color and patterns and such…and the producers of training collars are getting better at making them in fru fru collars and patterns. Many years ago the “Positive Training” movement decided that “choke chains” were cruel and unusual and just about have made them go the way of the DODO BIRD. So then everyone jumped on using a buckle collar …for training…well in my opinion buckle collars cause more damage to a dogs trachea than a “choke” collar or a martingale collar could ever possibly do.  Buckle collars are like clothes lining a dog..they put pressure only in one spot…the dogs windpipe ….if the dog pulls when walking..all that pressure sits in that spot…so the more pressure the more the dog pulls.and the more damage it does. We have all heard the horror stories of dog hanging themselves with choke collars on and they should be removed when the dog is unattended. But Martingale collars or check collars as they are sometimes called do not choke the dog they put pressure all the way around the neck like a choke collar but they do not tighten all the way so as to cut off air supply should the dog somehow get it hooked on something. Collars that put pressure all the way around the neck allow you to actually teach the dog to walk by  your side or “heel” . You CANNOT effectively teach a dog to walk on a loose leash with a buckle collar or worse with a silly harness…I know they make some “no pull” harness that is supposed to teach your dog to heel…but again I have yet to see it work effectively.
If you leave your training collar (not a choke collar) on your dog he/she is always ready for a training session so that all you have to look for is your leash. If you have to grab your dog quickly and evacuate your house or car you are assured your dog cannot back his/her head out of his collar in a moment of panic.  I would never travel(that means anytime it leaves your house!) with my dog without their training collar on…
When your dog has his training collar on and you put your leash on your dog knows it’s time to “work” ! and gee my dogs get to go with me a lot..they think it’s fun…but it is really “work”.
So do your dog and your self a favor and ALWAYS have the proper collar on so that your dog is ready and able to go with you at a moments notice.
Oh and one more handy hint…if your dog is coming for boarding to my house..don’t even think of bringing it without a training collar on!!!

The hallmark of dogdom is the art of graceful waiting. Dogs excel at this..they mark the  passing of time by external events not the ticking of a clock. I have never seen a dog check his wrist watch and make a note that you will be home in 7.5 hours or longer if you go to the grocery store for dinner “stuff”. Yes I do think that dogs know when it’s dinnertime, or time to go to class, or the timing of anything in your house that occurs at the same time everyday.Leaving a dog home alone for hours at a time is NOT cruel ( even in a crate) nor is it un-natural. Waiting for the arrival of the beloved human is the natural state of the dog.Let me qualify that; leaving your dog “outside” in the heat/cold without proper shelter; or worse chained; NOT ok.Turned down by a rescue group because you work out of the home? Go get your dog elsewhere!!There is no formula for the hours a dog can or cannot spend alone including hours in a crate. (no matter what the internet says) (oh I forget; if it’s on the internet it must be accurate)Think you need a dog walker, pet sitter, doggie daycare, food puzzles, dogs on the television programming, juggler, mime or game director, or race home at lunch or right after work (eliminating a normal life) just to have a dog…NONSENSE!! dogs for year have gladly waited for their owners to come home no matter when…Trust the Dog!!

Your dogs oral misbehaviors are heavily influenced by the dog food you choose! This includes over-barking, destructive chewing, and aggression towards other dogs and people. Also common sense would dictate that when you feed your dog properly (as they would feed themselves) they live long healthy lives! Please take notice that dogs were not meant to live on dry dog food alone (that does not mean to feed them canned food).  In all of our beginning classes, everybody always asks for a list of recommended foods, so I finally sat down and compiled it.
Other sound sources of GOOD information about dog food are Whole Dog Journal, Dog Food Advisor (online) or a great ground-breaking book, “Foods Pets Die For” by Ann Martin.
You will know your dog is not using it’s food properly because they will shed all the time (they should only shed twice a year) they may have bad breath, (also may indicate parasites) more stools out in back yard, can’t learn.
Never buy more dog food than you can use in 3 weeks. Why? because the fat they  spray on the food at the last of the processing starts to deteriorate once the bag is open. If the fat has gone bad your dog may vomit, refuse to eat the food (smart dog) have loose stools, and other stomach and digestive ailments. Be sure to store your food in an air tight container.
1) Victor – great price point, USA made and sourced. Marj uses the yellow bag, Jessica prefers the Ocean Fish formula: http://www.victordogfood.com/
2) Fromm – Old, excellent company out of Wisconsin. Highly recommended! http://frommfamily.com/
3) Merrick– excellent food, a little bit pricier if you’re feeding multiple dogs: http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
Note: I tried the Whole Earth Farms branch of the Merrick brand and didn’t like it, but it’s your choice!
4) Bil-Jac– old company, one of Marj’s favourites, especially the BilJac meat for weaning puppies: http://www.bil-jac.com/
5) Earthborn Holistic – Good, US made food: http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/
6) Evanger’s – excellent food, a little hard to find in Tulsa but worth it! http://www.evangersdogfood.com/
7) Wysong – the ONLY veterinary diet we recommend! http://www.wysong.net/
8) Natural Balance
9) Castor & Pollux (which can be found at Reasor’s stores now)
10) Fresh Pet
11) Natural Instinct
12) Nature’s Variety Instinct.
These others I would feed if the price was lower:
Innova
Acana
Orijen

What foods we do NOT recommend!
Purina
Purina Pro Plan
Science Diet
Blue Buffalo (We have had a lot of problems with this food recently so it’s made it to this list)
Lams
Eukanuba
Any of the weird grocery store brands (Ol’ Roy, Gravy Train, Kibbles n’ Bits, Alpo)
Beneful

When you acquire your dog, you become their advocate. What this means is that you protect your dog from injury, from other dogs, and from themselves. How do you protect your dog from themself? By teaching them the skills to be successful, correcting them in that teaching process when they are wrong, preventing them from being in a situation where they cannot be successful (being ridden by small children, the dog park, being let loose to roam property) and pushing their boundaries so they can cope with the unexpected.
That is your responsibility to your dog, and when you fulfill it, they will pay you back in spades.