KEEP DOGS OUT OF SHELTERS BY SUPPORTING FORCE FREE TRAINING

The Dog Lady is the only 100% Force Free dog training program in Durham, NC. We offer classes, private training, service dog training, and our unique Dog Day School. All dogs at the school get training sessions, play, and crate rest.

We have grown in three short years from one dog trainer with a vision (me, Joanne), to three dog trainers and two assistants. We offer KinderPuppy, Better Than Obedience and Take It On The Road.

We keep dogs out of shelters by helping their humans understand their needs and by teaching them how to train them in the most humane and effective ways. Think about it; if you can train a dolphin using positive reinforcement, you can train a dog! Dolphins just swim away if they aren't interested. And if any animal's basic needs are not being met, they can't meet anyone else's needs either. So we teach people about who their dogs are and what they need to be mentally healthy and to become great pets.

When I started The Dog Lady in Durham, I contacted the city two times to make sure it was legal to use my home property for my business. Both times, I was told I was within the law. Before Covid, I used my 600sf detached garage. Since Covid shut everything down, we have been teaching in my front yard.

After three years and with the certainty The Dog Lady was operating legally, I received a Zoning Violation Citation. The Dog Lady will have to move.

I've had to hire a lawyer because the zoning officer refused to give me more than five weeks to find a place. And I can't afford to pay the amount of rent needed to expand until the business has already moved in. The Day School, which has only been operating for a few months, now has a waiting list. With all the people who are working from home and getting dogs, a program that provides training and a way for the owners to get their work done has become very popular. With a bigger space, we could take more dogs and easily make the money to afford the rent for the space we need.

Please help us keep The Dog Lady going, and help us afford to move to a bigger space. There are several possible locations, but the rent is about $2400-$3700 per month. We need funds to help with the move and to keep us going for a few months while the Day School grows.