I’m Howie, a certified master dog trainer. 54 years and counting.
Police K-9s, detector dogs, a national champion, and now family dogs in their own homes in and around Columbia, Missouri. Everything I learned along the way goes into your dog. Specializing in working breeds, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs.
- 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google,Howie’s Happy Dog · 78 reviews
- 6Diplomas and certificationsTom Rose, Cornell and more
On the radio
Hear me in my own words.
“Most people really have no idea just how critical the first 16 weeks of a dog’s life are.”
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My path
From police dogs to family dogs.
- November 1972
My first dog, at 16
Leash and Collar Training would not take students in their classes until they were 17. I was turning 17 in December. It took several calls to get them to let me into the class. 54 years this December.
- The working years
Dogs with a job, not the public
Police K-9s: obedience, crowd control, building and field search, protection. Drug and bomb detector dogs. Protection dogs for security companies. Tracking dogs and mantrailers.
- 1992
National champion, and a new way to work
Sleek Ebony von Groneman, my Rottweiler, and I win the Schutzhund National Championship. The same year I get certified to do behavior work, and I stop treating symptoms.
- Service work
Dogs that help people
I train and certify therapy dogs, emotional support dogs and service dogs, specializing in psychiatric service dogs.
- 2020
On the radio
Farm and Fiddle on KOPN 89.5 FM has me on to talk about puppies, fear and aggression.
- Today
Family dogs, in your home
30,000+ dogs so far. Puppies, obedience and behavior cases, in homes within 35 miles of Columbia.
Sleek Ebony von Groneman was the most titled Rottweiler in the country for four years: SchH3, IPO3, CD, CDX, UD, agility champion, working therapy dog, and tracking dog for six or seven St. Louis area police departments. And over 400 commands. People used to ask me where her zipper was. She is the dog in the photo at the top of this site.
That range is why I can pick the right method for your dog, and know when to switch.
Credentials
Every diploma, on the wall.
Master Dog Trainer
The Tom Rose School
Seven months as a student, then more than two years helping train the students.
Solving Canine Behavior Problems
Cornell University
Certified by Cornell in solving canine behavior problems.
600-hour Professional Dog Training
West Virginia Canine College
A full professional trainer course, 600 hours.
Canine Behavior and Training
St. Louis College of Animal Science
Professional trainer, canine behavior.
Obedience Theory and Instruction
St. Louis College of Animal Science
Obedience theory, instruction and training.
Canine Olfactory Training
St. Louis College of Animal Science
Professional trainer, scent and tracking.
- 1992Schutzhund National Championship, first place
BBB accredited, A+
LocalBest 2019, Top 5- 4.7From 78 Google reviews
How I work
I treat the cause, not the symptom.
How I started
The symptom approach
It does not matter why the dog does it, only that it stops. Corrections, the old leash-jerk way. You get a quick result, and it rarely lasts.
Since 1992
The cause approach
The dog does this because of an attitude, and that attitude started somewhere. I take a complete history, find what caused it, then change the attitude. That is what lasts, and it is how I run every behavior modification case.
“The real trick to calming a dog is to make yourself as calm as you can possibly be.”
Have a problem that keeps coming back? It usually has a cause nobody found yet.
Questions
About me.
01Who is Howie Shucart?
I'm a certified master dog trainer in Columbia, Missouri, and I have trained dogs for 54 years: police K-9s, drug and bomb detector dogs, service dogs, a national champion, and now 30,000+ family dogs in their own homes.
02What are your credentials?
Master Dog Trainer from the Tom Rose School. Certified by Cornell University in solving canine behavior problems. A 600-hour professional training course at West Virginia Canine College. Three professional trainer diplomas from the St. Louis College of Animal Science: canine behavior, obedience, and olfactory training. First place at the 1992 Schutzhund National Championship. BBB accredited, A+.
03Have you trained police dogs?
Yes. For many years I only trained working dogs: police K-9s for obedience, crowd control, building and field search and protection, plus drug and bomb detector dogs, protection dogs, tracking dogs and mantrailers.
04Where do you train?
In your home, within 35 miles of Columbia: Columbia, Jefferson City, Ashland, Fulton, Boonville, Holts Summit, New Bloomfield. No kennel, no facility, no board and train.
05Were you on the radio?
Yes. Farm and Fiddle on KOPN 89.5 FM in Columbia had me on in September 2020 to talk about puppy socialization, exercise, calming a dog, resource guarding and aggression. You can play it on this page.
Start here
Let's talk about your dog.
Call or text me. If I can save one more dog from a life of fear, it is worth the call.