Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Crane.
Hi Heather, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Sea Dog Animal Training was born from the techniques and theories of relationship-based, positive reinforcement techniques I learned from working with marine mammals. Marine mammals are wild animals yet choose to participate due to the trust that is built between animal and trainer. Sea lions are often called “sea dogs” and since we use the same training techniques and theories, we named our company after Sea Lions. Houston has a pet overpopulation crisis. Many of the pets have difficulty being adopted or removed from the streets due to feral or aggressive tendencies that have developed for survival. So many of the pets on the streets of Houston face starvation, torture, abuse, abandonment, etc., which leave the animals relying on their basic instincts of survival. Though many animals living on the streets are domesticated animals, they are as in tune with their instincts as ever due to the living conditions. I recognized the parallel between working with wild animals and the feral populations that are often deemed non-adoptable due to the behavior resources they require.
I made it my mission to create a training resource for rescue organizations by providing discounted behavioral consulting services to the rescue groups trying to address the pet overpopulation crisis. We also provide discounts to owners that adopt or rescue their pets as a “thank you” for not further contributing to the pet overpopulation crisis by purchasing from backyard breeders or puppy mills. Additionally, we offer training proactively for owned pets with the hopes of preventing behavior issues which often lead to owners relinquishing their pets to the shelters or even dumping pets on the streets. Since we were established in 2019, we have rehabilitated many feral pets, solved complex behavioral issues, and have helped remove the label from pets that have been deemed “aggressive.” We take on some of the most challenging behavioral cases that other animal trainers are unwilling or unable to take on due to advanced behavioral issues. Our staff consists of highly educated and experienced animal care professionals, all with extensive histories working with exotic animals. Our full-price services are still about 1/3 the cost of our competitors because we believe in making behavioral resources more available, accessible, and affordable. We are committed to solving the pet overpopulation crisis through behavioral intervention and management resources.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road getting started. Sea Dog Animal Training grew rapidly during a really challenging economic time, influenced by the pandemic. As more people were adopting animals, more people needed behavioral assistance. I started the business as the sole service provider and quickly became overwhelmed emotionally and physically by the demand and compassion fatigue. Operating from my home meant I had a limited capacity for how many animals I can take. I was receiving pleas weekly to take animals for my Board and Train program. When I was not able to take the animals, they were often euthanized through the shelter system. I carried an immense sense of guilt when I did not have room in my home to safely house another pet for training.
One day, I received five pleas for help to save dogs that would be euthanized if I was not able to take them, as there were no other trainers willing or able to take on these advanced cases. After the fifth call, I was emotionally worn down and feeling like animals were losing their lives due to my limited capacity. I was receiving phone calls from out of state to transport pets to me to rehabilitate. Our program was their last chance. It gave me an extreme sense of responsibility and I felt I was failing these pets and the people trying to save them. I walked in, exhausted and crying to my husband and told him I needed a facility; Sea Dog Animal Training had grown too much, too quickly and we were past capacity.
The next day, I worked on recruiting more trainers while my husband went and searched for commercial property. We found a location we loved and it seemed like it was absolutely perfect. In September of 2020, we began to pursue purchasing the commercial property. Due to the pandemic and small business administration process delays from covid impacts, the road to acquiring the property was anything but a smooth road. Acquiring a sizeable SBA loan in the middle of a pandemic was no easy feat. We are thankful for the many talented professionals, from loan officers, accountants to commercial realtors that worked with us diligently for seven months until we eventually successfully closed on the property in March of 2021.
Sea Dog Animal Training is excited to share that we are in the process of build-out on our newly acquired 16,000 sq. ft. training facility located in Cypress, Tx. We know that operating on this scale exponentially increases our current capacity and we hope that it will alleviate some of the stresses for the rescues who work tirelessly to provide behavioral intervention resources to difficult behavioral cases. It gives me peace of mind that I might never have to say again, “no, I don’t have space,” to an animal that deserves a chance.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
By day, I am a marine mammal trainer and I work with California sea lions. I have been an animal training professional since 2010, working with accredited Zoos and Aquariums, but have trained animals long before that (dating back to 2007) in less formal settings as well.
I specialize in advanced behavioral consulting services and training for cats, dogs, and exotics. I have a Masters in Wildlife science which focused heavily upon animal behavior and helps me decipher some of the challenging, common behavioral issues we see with domestic and exotic pets. I am best known in the pet rescue community for working with dogs that have been deemed aggressive, rehabilitating feral animals, and reducing extreme anxiety. In the marine mammal field, I am best known for my contributions to understanding and sharing techniques for pinniped (sea lions, seals, etc.), diet management, voluntary husbandry training (animals choosing to participate in their own medical care for procedures like blood draws, sonograms, etc.), and for storytelling. Storytelling in non-profits is critical for sharing mission-based practices with guests and supporters of organizations like zoos and aquariums. Effectively sharing the work we do helps others buy in and support our efforts, but it also inspires action to help save animals in the wild by moving people from awareness to action.
I am most proud of all of the lives we help save by behavior modification. I am proud that, unlike most dog trainers, we do not use any aversives whatsoever in our training methods. Aversives are techniques that inflict pain, fear, intimidation, or discomfort to modify behavior and include things like prong collars, electronic shock collars, ultrasonic devices, noisemakers, forceful body language, and even water spray to reduce undesirable behavior. These aversive methods are extremely common and have been normalized in the dog training profession. Not only are these methods not necessary, they are NOT effective and have been shown to increase aggression and anxiety in pets. I am proud to say that we do not use these methods as we focus on positive reinforcement, relationship-based training.
I am also proud that we offer Constant Contact, where our clients can reach out to their trainers outside of training sessions. Oftentimes, behavior occurs when a trainer is not there, and it is in these moments that most people will relinquish their pets if they feel they do not have a support network. We make ourselves available to our clients so the pets will be guaranteed to receive the behavioral resources necessary for their success. Additionally, we commit to the pet for their lifetime, even after the pet has graduated from our training programs. Our commitment is to the pet, not only the client, so this means that if a pet does go to a new home or moves out of state, our services transfer to the new owner. I know of no other trainers that offer these benefits or this level of commitment to the success of the pets and their owners.
The same things that make me the most proud are also the things that I believe sets us apart from others. Additionally, we are very transparent, which is also a distinguishing characteristic. We do not hide any of our techniques or theories, and in fact, we work diligently to educate our clients on our techniques and theories. We always say, “we hope to work ourselves out of a job!” because it is our hope that if we impart the knowledge, our clients will have the tools and eventually not need us. We also hope that our clients will take what they learn and apply it to other pets and teach their friends and neighbors, too! We believe shared knowledge is power!
Our mission to reduce the pet overpopulation crisis through behavioral management, intervention, and training is yet another thing I am proud of and that sets us apart. Everything we do and every decision we make is rooted in our mission to reduce the pet overpopulation crisis as well as support our rescue partners.
What’s next?
We are opening our 16,000 sq. ft. training facility in Cypress later this year. One-third of the facility is dedicated to our rescue partners to use. We hope in the next 3-5 years to open two additional training facilities throughout Houston to make our behavioral resources more readily available to our community.
We are looking to offer a more broad spectrum of training and services for our owned pets as well. We hope to include different disciplines of training from basic obedience to search and rescue training to agility… we hope to have something for everyone!
Pricing:
- We offer FREE 30-minute phone consultations if you rescue, adopt, or foster a pet!
- We offer discounts on all services if you have rescued, adopted, or are fostering a pet
- Adopters of ThisIsHouston Rescue or Houston K-911 Rescue receive $200 off an in-person training package
Contact Info:
- Email: hcrane@seadoganimaltraining.com
- Website: www.seadoganimaltraining.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seadoganimaltraining/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaDogAnimalTraining/
Image Credits
Sea Dog Animal Training, LLC
