61 New Driftway, Scituate, Massachusetts 02066, United States
1-781-745-2275 (BARK)
The RcK9 Crew
Stephanie Curran, CDT
Owner/Head Trainer
I am honored and excited to be able to introduce myself! I have been a veterinary technician and trainer for over 10 years. I have my CDT, I'm a member of the IACP and I am an AKC Certified CGC Evaluator & Trick Dog Instructor. I love what I do, it's a passion and quite possibly an obsession. I still can't believe that this is what I get to do for "work" every day!
Many years ago I got my start in training through rescue. I ended up with a dog with some behavioral issues that I had to learn how to manage through trial and error. The more I read and learned, the more I realized that most of the dogs that have been surrendered are in desperate need of training. So I decided to pursue certification and open Recurve K9 Training and Behavior Modification! My hope is to keep dogs from ever ending up in a shelter or rescue because of behavior issues that can be resolved with training!
The Importance of Play
The importance of play for dogs cannot be overstated. Not only is it great exercise but it's so important for socialization and learning to read and practice appropriate social cues. Too often I feel like humans interfere and inhibit the natural cadence of how dogs, dog. That's what we call it here at RcK9, letting dogs learn to dog (with human supervision of course!) at their own pace. Sometimes play can be rough and that's ok, it's all needed. As long as you have dogs that understand how to interpret other dogs social cues, it's all gravy.
We do more than just run around at daycare, we help dogs learn to be dogs again, by socializing and with confidence building. For the most part, we just supervise and let the dogs do the work. Most of the dogs in our crew have been through training and they know the drill. So when the new kids come to school, the resident dogs do the teaching.
Opening a Line..
Training is about establishing a line of communication between you and your dog. Our goal (and job) as trainers is to teach you how to communicate with and understand your dog in a way that's relevant. We'll work on the usual things but we'll also incorporate the use of body language and spatial pressure.
As far as methodology, we do not focus on any one particular method. Every dog is different and so what works for one dog, may not work for another. We do not get hung up on tools. A tool is just that- a tool, everything has the potential to be misused. We strive to create a balance of structure and love.
If you have questions, shoot us an email at info@recurvek9.com or give us a call at 781-745-BARK (2275)
Our Pack:
Zarek
"Z" for short, my heart, the one who started it all. I lost him at an early age due to a brain tumor. A long time ago when I was working mostly in rescue he was dropped off by a local. We discovered that he had some behavioral issues (which we later learned was because of the tumor) and thus began my adventure into training. He changed my life in a profound way so it's only fitting that his face became our logo!
Tiva
The original girl, at 14 years old she still loves to come to work once in a while and boss everyone around. As a puppy, in 2010 my husband brought her to the hospital I was working at and the rest is history! Tiva is the smartest dog I have ever met and because of that, she's also the biggest trouble maker! She worked along side me for years but these days she is enjoying her retirement .
Tiggs
This is my soul dog. They say you don't get the dog that you want but you get the dog you need. When I got him at 8 months old in 2013, he didn't know how to be a dog. He was fearful and aggressive, afraid of everyone and everything. He is and forever will be a work in progress and I am a better trainer because of him. He's slowed down a tiny smidge in his old age but he'll always be my psycho puppy!
Bean
Or Bratty or Pork Chop or The Velvet Hippo. She goes by many names! She spends her days supervising from her throne in my office. She came to us at 3 years old in February of 2015, the year of the never ending snow! I'm pretty sure that she detests all forms of precipitation because of that horrendous winter! My little traveling buddy, she goes with me everywhere and has not met a single person she didn't love!
Cajun
The most recent addition to our pack in 2021! He was born in 2019 down South, into our rescue and ended up being returned twice. So he came up here for some training and confidence building. He decided that Mark (my husband) was his person and that was that! Occasionally he even talks Mark into carrying him around like a baby. He hangs out at the shop a lot so you might even see him behind the front desk greeting people!
Associations
