Your instructors, assistant trainers, and apprentices have over 50 years of combined experience. Our obvious enjoyment of helping you to achieve your goals will be evident in our thorough and comprehensive instruction in all aspects of you and your best friends' life together. As professional dog trainers and class instructors, our primary goal is to train the "human members" of the families who come to us for help with basic obedience and household manners. We believe that our mission is to provide clear instruction and easy-to-follow techniques that are based on dog behavior and communication with our dogs.
In loving memory of Karen
Hertzog
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"Hogan", Derrinraw's Hot To Trot - Irish Setter - born February 11, 2006. "Magic", CGC, TDI-German Shepherd Dog-6 years old. "Zipper"-Irish Setter-American and Canadian Champion Highland's Light 'N Up, CGC, TDI -10 years old. "Petie" - CGC, TDI - Greyhound - rescued from the racetrack - Born December 25, 2001. "Ryan"-Gordon Setter-CH Covedon's High Flyin' Top Gun, CGC, TDI - 4 years old. "Redy" - CGC, TDI -Greyhound rescued from the racetrack in January 2005. Born August 1, 1999 (7 years old). "Cash" - CGC, TDI -Greyhound rescued from the racetrack in January 2005. Born July 1, 2002 (5 years old). |
Karen Hertzog "aka Sergeant Hertzog":
"Karen began training dogs in 1977 when she took her first Irish Setter to obedience class to become a "good citizen and neighbor". She started as a volunteer apprentice instructor in 1978 and trained people and their dogs strictly as a volunteer for over 15 years (you know she must have LOVED this!). She trained thousands of people and their dogs over the past 28+ years. She made it her "mission" in life that dogs not be given away, taken to the shelter, or euthanized because of problems that are simple to fix.
She also temperament tested litters of puppies for over 20 years to help breeders decide which dogs to place with each owner to ensure a proper match. She was deeply involved in the community as the local coordinator for the dog blood donor program and was a member of and certified evaluator for Therapy Dogs International, where her dogs lit up the lives of people in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, community events, etc. She became an approved American Kennel Club obedience judge in 1987 and enjoyed judging obedience trials all over the country throughout each year".

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Regina Currier (Head Trainer):
I have had dogs my whole life and just trained them myself, along with other members of my family. It wasn't until a few years ago, when I took a new puppy to "Puppy Preschool", that I actually realized how much I love dogs and love training them. After taking several classes, and loving it even more, I was asked if I wanted to become an apprentice and learn how to teach people to train their dogs. I jumped at the chance and am now a trainer. And with each passing day, I love it even more. For me, the best part is when you teach people how to correct a training/behavior problem with their dog and you see their excitement that what you showed them or told them really WORKS! That is the true gratification that comes from teaching! I now have four dogs (three Brittanys and a mixed Corgi), which I show in obedience and breed. Three of my dogs have their AKC Canine Good Citizenship Certificates and Therapy Dog Certificates and are now certified Therapy Dogs - the other dog is too young. I am currently working on AKC Companion Dog and AKC Championship titles, then on to Agility. There is so much you can do with "woman's best friend". And the best part is, as much as I enjoy it, my dogs enjoy it even more.![]()
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Marie Concannon (Assistant Trainer):
Like many people I was desperate when I enrolled my mixed breed Tilly at South Mountain Dog Training Center. I was having a lot of behavior problems with her - so off we went to dog school. I had dogs all my life but was not firm enough with Tilly. It became apparent to me that I did not have a “bad” dog---I just needed to learn the skills to handle a little dog with a lot of energy! We started to walk and practice every day…and soon things were getting better with Tilly’s behavior. From start to finish of the 8-week class Tilly’s whole attitude changed – she was becoming a different dog and I was amazed. I loved the classes so much that I enrolled in the Advanced Beginner class and then joined the South Mountain Dog Training Center Graduates Club!!! I have trained and had Tilly tested and passed the tests for both the AKC Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dogs International. Tilly & I visit children with handicaps in a group home. It is wonderful to see the children---their faces delighted to be holding a soft warm dog!!
Not too long ago I was able to adopt a little red rescue poodle dog named Rudy. He is wonderful, but very shy and scared so he is also going to classes at South Mountain to learn to be brave!! It’s already doing him a world of good. I see the socialization is changing him already.
My job as a Social Worker has taught me people skills so I bring some knowledge of counseling people---now my job is to work with the dogs & people together as a team. I am delighted to be an apprentice at South Mountain. I hope you’ll love the training as much as I do....

Priscilla Cagna (Assistant Trainer):
"I have always loved dogs since I was a child. There wasn't a time in our house that we didn't have a dog. My first dog was a mix German Shepherd/Collie. For the past 25 years, I have always had German Shepherds. I obedience trained some of my previous dogs elsewhere. I met Karen with the two German Shepherds that I have now. Both of them were very shy and presented problems to me that I had never encountered before. I've been training them with Karen for over two years and I'm amazed at how much they have changed. Makenna overcame his problems so much that he is now a certified Therapy Dog and he is enjoying Agility. Miah will be doing Agility in the spring. I have always had a love for obedience training but I have also become interested in behavior problems (ie: shyness, fearfulness, aggressiveness, etc.) and how to deal with them. Karen gave me the help I needed which, in turn, gave me the confidence to deal with these problems. I love dogs and love working with people. It's such a good feeling to watch how the dogs and the people change with each week of an 8-week session. By the end of the class, you see the dog and owner respecting each other and becoming a TEAM."

Trish Schadler (Trainer):
Come and bring your puppies to meet Belle and I at South Mountain Dog Training Center on Wednesday nights for Puppy Preschool. We're always looking forward to making new friends.
As
a team, Belle and I are involved in Rottweiler rescue - Belle came from
Southeastern Rottweiler Rescue. She was a New York pound puppy. We have
been training and working at South Mountain DTC since April of
2000.
After training,
we
became certified with Therapy Dogs International for Therapy Dog work.
We
are
also working toward showing in AKC obedience competition for our
Companion
Dog title.
I have had dogs all my life and have been actively involved a very successful kennel business for the past 10 years.
Hope to see you and your puppy soon !!

Korey Schaffer (Head Trainer):
Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, I graduated from William Allen High School in 1993. I attended Delaware Valley College and received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Food Science with a specialization in Food Technology in 1997. My husband, Mike, and I live in Lynnport, PA (a culture shock from living in the great City of Allentown!).
“Mike and I debated whether to adopt a dog while living in Allentown or to wait until we were settled in a single home in the ‘burbs. In 2000, a mutual friend from high school informed us that her husband’s family pet Golden Retriever was pregnant with a mixed litter of canines. At her brother’s wedding, we were informed that the puppies were to be ready in June. Mike said NO so, as all women do, I gave him evil eyes and the silent treatment. After a few moments of time had passed, he gave in. In June 2000, we adopted Teddi at six weeks old.”
“In November of 2000, I decided to look into obedience training for our mutt. I called numerous training academies and was NOT happy with the results. So, I opened the phone book and called South Mountain Dog Training. Karen impressed me with her theories on obedience (Mike liked the idea of using word NO!). Hence, Teddi was enrolled and completed the Beginner and Advanced Training in 2001.”
“As
everyone knows, Labs are wild by nature so Karen suggested we adopt an
older dog to tame Teddi. We answered an ad for a FREE German Shepherd
and,
upon her abandonment on our front door step, we received Jenni as a
rescue.
With many problems of neglect, I decided to take Jenni to Karen for
obedience.
In October 2002, Jenni was enrolled in the Beginner Class. Karen took
heed
to my ability to handle the large dog and asked me if I would be
interested
in Apprenticeship with her at South Mountain. I was honored and said
YES!
Jenni completed the Beginner Class in December 2002 and I have been
attending
various classes since. I truly enjoy working with the dogs and their
owners.



Karen
Wonderly (Trainer - Temporarily on Leave):
I
have always loved dogs. As a young child I was going to get married and
have dogs - not children. As time went by I compromised; got married,
had children
and had dogs too. Luckily my husband and children share my love of dogs.
Through the years we have had
Floyd a Shepherd/Coonhound mix, Orion an Irish Setter, Jill an English
Setter who was a retired show dog and Rusher a Gordon Setter who we
rescued. In the past, I have taken some obedience classes
with a few different trainers- none made much of an impression on me or
the
dog I was training. Not seeing improvement, I never followed up with
more than one session and just allowed the dogs to be the Alpha of the
family.
We now have Riley, a Red Setter
(the hunting breed of the Setters). We allowed my son to pick from the
litter of dogs. Of course the one that appealed to him was the one
jumping all over us and trying to bite his shorts. The breeder warned
us
that dog was filled with Piss & Vinegar. After a few days at home,
our nickname for Riley was “THE DEVIL DOG”. We tried a puppy class
other than South Mountain and we saw no improvement. I was disappointed
but knew I had to continue trying with Riley to keep what sanity I had
left. The South Mountain Dog Training Center peaked my interest.
I
couldn’t get into Karen’s classes soon enough. At about the second
Beginner class “Sergeant Hertzog” used Riley as a demo for a dog who
pulled on his leash. She did about 3-4 corrections (calling him
stubborn
after the 2nd correction) but from that moment on I knew there was
hope. I was amazed when I saw what she did using the correct technique
and how he responded to her. I was determined to soak up all the
knowledge I could to continue using her methods to accomplish having a
well-behaved dog.
Many people have commented on the
change in Riley and I have told everyone about the wonders of South
Mountain. Riley has
passed the TDI and CGC. He loves going on Therapy
visits. Our newest endeavor with him is agility
training.
Many
thanks to Karen Hertzog and
South Mountain DTC from taking my “Devil Dog” and transforming him (and
me too) into “most improved” in his beginner class.
Recently we
rescued a handsome Gordon Setter from Missouri. Lou
Rawls is a true sweetheart and a wonderful
addition to our family. He has completed classes at
SMDTC at his own very, very slow pace. Lou passed the TDI
test and is currently a
Therapy Dog. Training has also helped our transformation
from a "one dog" to a "two dog" household.
I am enjoying the other trainers here and
enjoy helping owners and dogs to become informed
and well-behaved best friends.


After
going through the classes with "Tiger", Karen asked if I would like to
apprentice
and I jumped
at the chance. I look forward to meet you and learn with
you.


Hello,
my name is Rita Rudiak. I’m married for 20 plus years, though it seems
like
Michael and I have known each other all our lives. We
live in
people refer to them as male and
female - they’re Golden Retrievers named Sam and Ella..yes, if you
say it fast
it sounds
like salmonella.Sam and Ella were born
on
I’ve
either been around or had various pets all my life, my cousins had a
farm and
as kids we spent
lots of time on the farm. Who knew I’d ride cows and
pigs
before horses ? But that made my childhood
so much fun!
When my husband and I talked about getting a pet,
I thought we were planning on just
one. But somehow my husband
suggested that
we get 2, they’d keep each other company when we had
to leave them at
home..it
sounded like a good idea. We fell in
love with our pooches the minute we laid eyes on them and knew we had
to have
both of them. It didn’t take long until
I realized that 2 puppies were twice the work as one, and that I wasn’t
able to
spend enough time with each of them individually,
to train them.
That
was when I called Karen. I heard a lot about her, and her training
programs,
and knew that was where we’d start. I
remember calling Karen to enroll my 2, 9 week old Goldens in puppy pre
school. And Karen asked me
“what was I thinking, when I got
littermates?” I knew then, that I was in for “lots” of work.
Karen not only helped me enroll in the next
session but told me to come up to her training center and she’d give me
some
“immediate” help and get us headed in the right direction.
I LOVE my 2 Goldens, and know how important
it is to have them both be well-trained. They just turned 1 year and
we’ve
made LOTS of progress since they joined our family… we still have some
“issues”
we’re working on but
our issues list has certainly decreased.I remember
telling my friends when we got our
puppies, and ALL
of the issues we had, I used to think they’d never be
well-behaved but with Karen’s instructions, and
many hours of
practice,
we’ve made lots of progress.
Ella has completed all 3 levels of
training at South Mountain, Sam will
begin
his 3rd level next month
and I never knew how important the
proper
training was until now. I can’t walk them together yet, but when
I take
either one of them for a walk and I stop, whoever I’m walking stops,
when I resume
walking, they resume walking. We have
received many compliments from neighbors as they’ve seen us walk the
neighborhood almost every day since we go them, and some people passing
by
have
commented “how did
you get them to sit automatically at the corner?"
I’ve been
trying to do that since I got my dogs. It makes me VERY proud of their
progress,
and I smile the rest of the walk!
When I completed the advanced class
with Ella, Karen walked over and
handed me
a paper as she
asked me to join her team as an apprentice in
training….I was
shocked, and honored, I anxiously look forward to working with you and
your pets
to strengthen the bond you will share with them as you
practice Karen’s
techniques. See you soon!


Brandon
and "Claire"
Brandon
McKee (Trainer):
I’ve been a big fan of dogs my whole life.This
was a problem during my childhood because I was
actually allergic to most dogs. When I was
twelve I finally talked my parents into getting a dog.
He
was a Peek-a-Poo named Skezics. I read all
the books I could get my hands on, and I was sure I
knew how to care for and train dogs.
Fast forward
about sixteen years down the road and my girlfriend introduced me to
another pretty girl named Claire.She was rescued
from a shelter in
is a very friendly and loving dog, she had a list of behavior problems
about a mile long. She ate
everything in the house, everything in the backyard, and she liked to
dig holes half-way to
When I took her for a walk I felt like I was water skiing behind a
speed boat.Suddenly I realized
that I really didn’t know how to train dogs.
After hearing several good
recommendations, I enrolled in the Beginner class at
worked together week in and week out and she became a very obedient,
friendly, loving dog. We now
had the tools necessary to communicate with one another.
After successfully completing the Beginner
Class, we enrolled in the Advanced Beginner Obedience Class. We now learned to take our new skill off leash, and
the night after graduation, Claire passed the Therapy Dog Test.
I was excited when Karen asked me to
join the team at
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Halina and "River"
I didn’t
know abou
knew that we really needed help with him. That is when I found South
Mountain Dog
Training
Center. It was one of the best things I did in my life. We started with
Puppy Preschool, then
took two Beginner classes and then went on to Advanced Beginner.
I hated when classes were
over. I feared that River would turn into a monster, but I kept doing
all of the training
with him
and he is turning into a wonderful well-behaved dog. I will keep taking
him to more Advanced
classes because he and I LOVE it and you just can’t learn enough. There
is something
new to
learn each and everytime that we go to class. The trainers are
just wonderful people and
really care about you and your pet and will go the extra mile to help
you. I hope to help you to have a
well-behaved dog that you are
happy to live with !!


Mike
Detweiler (apprentice):
I grew up
having all sorts of animals that encompassed the family zoo: birds,
chipmunks, mice, fish, all sorts amphibians, cats, and, certainly dogs.
While enjoying all of them, the dogs were my always my favorite. All of
them were Beagles, and each one carried the true spirit of a hound.
When I returned
home after 5 years to the Lehigh Valley from upstate New York and
bought my house,
I decided I wanted a dog to make my house a home. After much
deliberation, I opted to get my
miniature dachshund, "Lucy", and while not a Beagle, she is still a
hound in every sense of the breed,
and in some ways more. Soaking wet, she weighs barely weighs 10 lbs.,
but she has the attitude and
moxy of a dog 10 ten times her weight.
During her puppyhood, she started to exhibit some behaviors typical for
a dog that is, quite frankly, spoiled. It was when my $150 running
shoes were eaten that I decided to enroll Lucy in school. Since
then, we have taken the Puppy Preschool, Beginner, and Advanced classes
at South Mountain Dog Training Center. From these classes, both of us
have learned a great deal, and at the same time we have had a fun and
enjoyable experience.
My eventual goal for Lucy is for her to become a therapy dog. I look
forward to helping you reach whatever goals you have set for yourself
and your dog.




In 1988 I graduated from the NY School of Dog Grooming. For the next 12 years worked as the pet groomer for my family’s full service pet shop. During that time I had Shado and Tarzan. Shado, a Lab mix, was too smart for her own good. We immediately signed up for puppy classes, and then beginner obedience. She transformed from a wild puppy into a wonderful companion. But not without a lot of work.Through training, Shado and I bonded and we had a lot of fun doing it.
Tarzan was my
first purebred dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. He was a bit
headstrong, but after taking puppy kindergarten and a couple of
obedience
classes we really came together. Tarzan came to work
with me every day at the pet
store. He would greet the customers, keep the kids in line, let me know
if
anything was wrong and then be there as my guardian when it was time to
close
up. Tarzan, while
not certified, was a therapy dog as we would go into the
nursing home to visit friends, and he would
stop on every floor to visit
everyone. He would sit for an hour with his head on someone’s lap just
letting
them pet him. I think he loved it as much as they did. Tarzan was also
a Canine
Blood Donor
for seven years.
Now I have
Rudy and Gilda, two young Rhodesian Ridgebacks who are still
in training and quite rambunctious. Rudy is almost two and Gilda is
seven
months. Rudy has gone through Beginner
and Advanced Obedience at South Mountain and Gilda has just finished
Puppy
Socialization classes. They
are both being shown in the confirmation ring by
their breeder, so we’re taking Show Handling Classes,
and Gilda and I are
taking puppy agility. Gilda’s next class will be Beginner Obedience at
South
Mountain. It is so much fun training with
them and I truly believe they love it too.
I am hoping that
Rudy will pass his CGC Test. We passed 12 out of 14
exercises--but he was
just too happy a dog
to sit still so we’re working on that. I would love for both of
them to become
therapy dogs, and
perhaps at some point, get my courage to take them into the
obedience ring.
One thing
I’ve learned through the years of having
dogs and raising puppies is that no matter how
much you think you know, when
you get a new puppy, you are frazzled.
After about 3 or 4 weeks,
you wonder why you did this to yourself!! Patience, persistence,
and proper training,
do bring things together. I know the
great joy that I have had watching my dogs transform from little devil
dogs
into true companions. When Karen asked
me to join the South Mountain Dog Training Center as an Apprentice
Trainer, I
was flattered and very excited. Not only
do I look forward to continue learning
all I can about dog training, but I also look forward to the
opportunity to
share with you what I have learned and to help you bond with your dog
and
transform him/her into that “best friend” you were
hoping for.

Mike Frana (trainer):



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