Dog Training, Agility, Dog Obedience, Southern Maine, Falmouth, Tree Frog Farm

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About Us

Liz Langham, CPDT
North Yarmouth, ME
207 846 1690
treefrogfarm@gmail.com

Me in a Nutshell
As a child I was fortunate to know what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to work with animals. I was not clear with the how part but I was clear with the why. Animal shelters are over- flowing with animals without homes. On New Year's Eve 1999, I vowed to work towards reducing the number of unwanted animals. My goal as a trainer is to help people better understand the whys of dog behavior. With this knowledge and a strong foundation of training, relationship, and leadership, a strong and fulfilling bond can be shaped between the owner and the dog.

Having a degree in animal science has helped my observation skills. As an undergraduate at U. Maine I was fortunate to work one-on-one with the university veterinarian. He taught me the skill of observation. It is important to recognize what might not be working quite right with an animal and what is working well. This skill can help refine training processes to fit the individual dog and handler. I am an owner of two Australian cattle dogs (both from rescue organizations), and I am a mother of three young children who are very dog savvy.

Traveling Obedience Classes
We offer Traveling Obedience Classes for the puppy and companion dog in your home! This is a good way to train your dog in her home environment. Call us for more info!

Living with Children
Living with children and dogs requires specific management tools. Our children need to know how to properly interact with dogs and how to avoid inappropriate engagement. The caretaker in the family needs to understand why a puppy plays the way it does, why the running child makes the puppy more riled up, and why it is so much fun for a puppy to steal a beloved stuffed animal.

My Dog Pack
Emma (1994-2007). Emma was a bold dog with a job to do. I started training her right away. She did well mainly because she was confident and because I switched from averse techniques to a reward-based training. She competed to advanced levels of agility, and competed in 4H agility. Due to health complications, she went completely blind, but managed to get around well. her strong foundation of training helped greatly with her later-in-life challenges.

Rudy (1999-present). I adopted Rudy when he was 10 months old. He had on-leash aggression problems stemming from fear and anxiety. With diligence and training and making all of the scary things good things, Rudy has come a long way. Rudy is now a Canine Good Citizen (CGC - see AKC.com) and has his Agility Dog title in USDAA (USDAA.com). From being tied up and likely abused in his first home, to exploring the wilderness and playing with other dogs, Rudy has come a long way.

Peeper (2007-present) Welcome our new puppy Peeper, an Australian Shepherd Dog

Training Experience
I started dog training in 1994 using averse training (i.e., using a Woodhouse collar), but this did not work well with my high-drive, confident dog. What worked with her was telling her what was right rather than what was wrong. I shifted to clicker training techniques and found great success. Both of my dogs, the highly confident and the anxiety ridden, were very trainable and I have been able to work through big challenges.

In 1996 I started assisting in dog training classes is Oregon. This was my bliss while I worked towards my master's degree in horticulture. In 1998, my family and I moved back to Maine and soon after, adopted Rudy.

I started training in Falmouth and was soon asked to assist in classes. I did this for two years and then went out on my own. To this day, I have been teaching private lessons for four and a half years and dog agility for three. As of now, I have over twelve years of dog training experience.

TREE FROG FARM
Tree Frog Farm is a place to have fun and challenge yourself and your dog. We strive to maximize learning while keeping the atmosphere relaxing. Despite the growing trend of competitive agility, Tree Frog Farm puts the companion dog first. Our goal is to give our busy dogs a job. In addition, agility provides a nice alternate outing for the dog and owner. Set in lovely North Yarmouth, ME, Tree Frog Farm conserves and protects the natural wildlife environment while encouraging wildlife habitat, breeding ground, and conservation. In fact it is not uncommon for Liz to bring her binoculars down to the agility field so class participants can take a moment to observe an American bittern frogging.