Why Choose Us? With different people in the area offering to train your dog, why choose Canine Connections for you and your dog? To help you in your decision I have put this page together with a little more information about Canine Connections. I have also added a seperate page on How To Choose A Dog Trainer.

Canine Connections was started in 1999 after the club Happy K-9's (you may remember our group marching in the area parades, often in costume) ended. In 2000, Canine Connections registered as a business in Rolla and has been holding classes ever since.  Jessi Queen,  the owner/instructor/trainer, has been training dogs since 1992.  There have been hundreds of dogs and their humans that have come to our classes over the years. My goal is to teach you to train your dog to be a welcome, friendly, well mannered member of your family.  I firmly believe that a trained dog is a much happier dog.  He is happier because he gets more freedoms and privileges than an untrained dog, but most importantly, he gets to keep his home. The most common reason for a dog to be taken to the pound, euthanized or given away is lack of training. Please don't let your dog become another statistic.

I have been involved in training dogs since 1992. Since that time I have been a member of various clubs and organizations. I have worked in many dog related jobs, as a groomer, trainer and kennel worker. I have worked for rescue groups as a foster home and as part of a transport team. I have attended numerous training seminars and workshops throughout the years, learning many different techniques and what types of dogs they generally work for. Not to mention, the extensive library I have read and collected over the years on various training methods and sports. I started out in the old school methods and swung then to purely positive (treats only!) and have found the benefits of training with balance. This balance has been taught in the classes for many years and has shown that it is the best way for a dog to learn the commands that are useful to you at home with your dog. Too much of either "old school" or "cookie only" will not get you to where you want your dog to be in how well he obeys and listens to you. Obedience training helps you on your way to gaining a better relationship with your dog. Along with the balanced training, another key is Leadership and understanding pack structure.

Our main service is through group classes. This is because this is the most ideal way for most dogs to learn what it is you want to teach them. In a group class, you are training your dog with the help and supervision of the instructor. The instructor tells you how, shows you how and helps you to get your dog to listen to your commands. The weekly instruction is then followed up by you, at home when you work with your dog throughout the week. When the next class meets, you then are shown how to progress on in training or get help with whatever you or your dog are having problems with.  This weekly instruction is best because it gives your dog, and you, time to learn the behaviors and practice them before being expected to progress. Group classes are also more cost friendly in most cases.  Private lessons are better than no training, if you cannot attend a group class. I offer individual Private Lessons, see the Personal Training page for more information.  The downfall of Private lessons are that many owners fail to follow through with training.  As much as we would love for training to be a "one time and its done," this just is not the case in dog training. Training is an ongoing process, whether you intend to train your dog or not, your dog is always learning from you - sometimes things you don't want them to learn! Finally, Send-Off training, Boarding training or Kennel training... this is usually the least most effective way to train your dog. Not only do you have no control over how your dog is trained, but your dog learns to listen to another person, not you. Often you are taught how to handle your dog when you pick them up. Notice I said Handle and not Train. The other downfall is that you will often revert to your old ways when dealing with your dog because humans by nature are change-resistant.  Without the gradual change that happens in group classes, people that send their dogs off for training usually end up reverting back to their old ways of interacting or not interacting with their dog, ending up with a dog that doesn't obey them and out of a lot of money.  In the end, no matter what training you decide on, really any training is better than none at all.

Our classes are held outdoors in the spring, summer and at the beginning of fall but dont let this stop you from attending. The benefits you will gather from training outdoors vastly outweigh any of the possible weather problems. In the case of bad weather, class is postponed that week and carried on the next week. You don't miss out on anything and even get an extra week to practice! Training outdoors lets you and your dog get into the habit of listening and following commands outdoors among distractions such as kids, birds, squirrels, everyday noises and much much more. Training only in "sterile" and protected indoor environments will get your dog only listening to you in a non-distracting environment. Of course, this doesn't do you any good when your dog is outdoors!  During the winter months we hold classes in distracting buildings.  Even though we may not have the indoor facilities throughout most of the year, what you and your dog will learn in outdoor classes will more than make up for an hour without A/C!!

Jessi has worked with breeds and mixes including but not limited to: German Shepherds, Border Collies, Great Pyrenees, Jack Russell Terriers, Whippets, Shih-tzus, Mi-kis, Pit Bulls, Greyhounds, Great Danes, Australian Shepherds, Australian Cattle Dogs (Heelers), Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Chow-Chows, Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Toy Poodles, Standard Poodles, Miniature Schnauzers, Airedales, Beagles, Keeshonden, Shetland Sheepdogs, Corgi's (Pembroke & Cardigan), Rottweilers, Basenjis, Newfoundlands, the "Pit Bull" Breeds, Doberman Pinschers, Miniature Pinschers, Dachshunds, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, POMs, English Mastiffs, Bull Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Cocker Spaniels, Samoyeds, Chihuahuas, Siberian Huskys, Weimaraners, Shih-tzus, Beagles, Alaskan Malamutes, Bulldogs (English & American), Smooth Fox Terriers, Carin Terriers, Collies, West Highland White Terriers and many more mixes and breeds. I learned of the group NADOI, the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, and submitted my application for membership to this group because of their strict requirements to join. An applicant must have worked with over 100 dogs/owners, have over 250 hours of teaching classes and must submit video of their teaching and training skills as well as a written exam on training and teaching.  Teaching dog obedience classes is not about training individual dogs, as it is about training owners how to get their dogs to do what they want. These are two very different skills, and the NADOI realizes this.  I am an Endorsed Member of the NADOI. You can check out the NADOI here. I am also a former member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and also a Certified Pet Dog Trainer -Knowledge Assessed.  I am the only trainer in the area with all of these memberships and certifications. When you train with me, feel confident in the fact you are working with a qualified Dog Trainer and Instructor.