Celeste Patten CTC, CPDT
Celeste pictured on the left with Molly, a client’s dog, has been passionately involved with animals for her entire life. She began her professional career in the field owning a pet boutique (Downtown Hound) in Bellingham, Washington. The constant stream of questions on dog behavior from the store’s customers brought her to an intensive, self-driven program of reading and study.
When she decided that her interest in animal health and behavior would be better served by direct involvement, Celeste became a Certified Veterinary Assistant. For many years she has been working at a veterinary clinic. This experience gives her a much deeper understanding of the physiological and health issues that may be
affecting her clients’ dogs.
Celeste has studied at the Academy of Dog Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA. Under the guidance of Jean Donaldson, whose seminal works include “The Culture Clash” and “Oh Behave!-Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker”. Celeste received a Certificate in Training and Counseling (CTC) at Donaldson’s academy for dog trainers, which is often referred to as the “Harvard for Dog Trainers”. She is also a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT), and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Celeste has continued her education by attending the Annual Conference of Associated Dog Trainers and selected other seminars on a yearly basis, which allows her to keep up with new developments in the field. She is also a proud member of the Board of Directors for the Whatcom Humane Society.
Celeste has experience training a wide range of dogs (even a few cats!) with many different behavior issues. She is very experienced with on-leash aggression, and other behavior issues. However, preventive training for young pups and dealing with the many issues that come along with canine adolescence are her focus. If you have an unruly pup or dog-teenager, Celeste would love to help you shape your crazy canine into a Clever Canine.