Featured Student

Our students are the future of dog training and the heart of our school.

That’s why we regularly take a moment to recognize one of our top aspiring trainers here.


Our Featured Student this month is John Warren of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania. At the time of this posting, John is studying Phase 6 of the Master Class, and he is doing a great job with his studies.

A Word from John

John does amazing work with rescue dogs, especially Pit Bulls.

My Favorite Recent Study Topics:

Phase 2: Understanding Behavior, Body Language and Vocalizations, Behavior Problem-Solving. These topics are filled with useful information and techniques that you are able to take away and put into practice. I deal with dogs, often, really big dogs, (Great Danes and Mastiffs) that I know very little about. So it is imperative that I have a good grasp on body language, and problem -solving or things will not go well. I am now working in a shelter where pit bull and pit bull mixes are common, so again, a new experience in learning behavior and cues and tendencies. Thankfully, I have had many great experiences with this breed already and I want to share that with others.

My Favorite Recent Hands-On Activity:

Hands On Activity: The Basics of Raising a Great Puppy. I revisited this process, which I have gone through before, but it gave me an opportunity to observe others doing it for the first time. Having experience with dog behavior and knowing how prepared one needs to be when adopting a puppy, I struck up a conversation with a couple who were planning to adopt a puppy on a whim. I described the two breeds that made up this dog and shared a little about their typical traits and how it related to how the puppy was behaving already. I also gave them information online so that they could access the info easily and accurately – I really got their attention. I suggested that they go home and research the kind of dogs that they were planning to adopt to see if indeed it was one that fit into their lifestyle. They returned with a much greater awareness of what they were getting into and they were very appreciative of the advice that I shared with them. Revisiting this process and being able to share gained knowledge and experience with folks who can benefit from it is a very rewarding.

John with his gorgeous family of Great Danes.

How My Studies Have Changed the Way I See Dogs:

This program arms students with a full arsenal of information, teaching and training methods to prepare you for a multitude of situations and circumstances. Regardless of coming into it with experience or with little experience, it will help you improve and grow wherever you are in the learning process. I deal with dogs daily and on most of them I don’t have a lot of history concerning their behavior or temperament., so it is important to be constantly aware and to be mindful of the often subtle language that these dogs speak, or I could be in very difficult situations very quickly. I am especially impressed with the library of reading material that are associated with CATCH. One of my favorites has been “The Other End of the Leash” so far.
The teachings from CATCH have also put my prior experience and knowledge in perspective. For example, I’ve been doing some things naturally when interacting with animals and didn’t completely understand why it had the effect that it did, but this material has allowed me to become more organized and deliberate with the process of training.

What I’m Most Excited About:

I had the opportunity to work with a mentor and took a lot from the experience. Being in a setting where an established trainer is providing guidance and learning in real time I found essential. I find that this is the best experience one can have because even if everything doesn’t go as planned, you are in a realistic situation and those coping skills are just as valuable and necessary to be successful.
I must give a shout out to the staff also. They have been very supportive and very, very helpful to me on this journey that I have chosen to navigate. Marcela, you are the best!

Way to go, John, we’re so proud of you!



Read Our Dog Trainer Success Stories


CATCH Canine Trainers Academy Office Headquarters
24 Newark Pompton Turnpike Suite 206, Little Falls, NJ.
Phone: 877-752-2824