Going forward, and more about saying goodbye...sort of.

As most everyone knows, I have moved to our new home in lovely Manteno, Illinois:

Here, surrounded by family, nature, and my many animal friends, I am working hard to establish the latest aspect of my long career, training service dogs for wounded United States Marines through the Semper Fi Fund.

Before this, since I was 15 years old, I have focused my efforts on teaching human family members to better understand and communicate with their companion dogs. I spent the last 18 years in Lemont, Illinois, where I enthusiastically raised my children, enjoyed my life, and trained many dogs and their people, to the irritation of my neighbors, who grudgingly tolerated me running my business from my home.

Now, we have accepted an offer on that home, and will be closing the doors on that chapter of our lives in mid to late spring, 2015 (I'll be occupying the house and will continue to offer some classes and lessons there until that time).

In keeping with all of these changes, I want to let you know about the training services I will (and will no longer) be offering to my existing and new clients, going forward.

First, the "no longer", and this is where saying goodbye comes into play; as of this past Sunday, I have ended my long-standing "501" class, which has been meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:30 for many years. We had lots of great discussions specific to matters pertaining to both canine and human behavior, and it was loads of fun. All of the classmates were good friends, and I am sorry to say goodbye.

That being said, anyone who wants to evolve and transition forward with me is invited to participate in the programs I am adding and/ or continuing to offer. These include:

• Spring/ Summer/Fall field trips in the Lemont/ Downers Grove area. These will be enrolled classes, rather than drop-in, with preregistration required, and will be offered on Sundays at 9:30, weather permitting. They can be signed up for one at a time, rather than committing to a series of lessons, and I'll create an online enrollment form on my website.

• Half-day training and play workshops, offered in two blocks (morning and afternoon) on Saturdays, weather permitting, at my new place. Again, preregistration, up until an hour before class, will be required and available online. These will replace current 201 and play classes.

• 101 level group training, taught in a concentrated, three-lesson curriculum, meeting every other week over a five week period, in Manteno. 

• 101 level group training, taught in a concentrated two-lesson seminar curriculum, meeting every other week over a three week period.

         (Both 101 classes can be repeated at no charge, and crossover attendance between either                       curriculum is permitted.)

• Topic-specific clinics, including: sniffer dog, canine disc, agility, musical freestyle, herding, carting, and competitive obedience.

Going forward, Monica will continue to offer in-home training, and also in-home care and training for people who prefer not to board their dogs.

I look forward to an exciting, fun future with you and your dogs!