My name is Hollie Halvorson and I started Draco's Lair Dog Training to share the knowledge I have gained thru my experience training dogs so that it may help owners to form a stronger bond with their dogs.

I devoted many hours to not only working with my own dogs, but also volunteering at a local obedience club over the course of more than 10 years. I instructed group classes, was vice president for a time and also became their Training Director.

One of my dogs, Blue, began training at 5 years old with reactivity issues to other dogs. He would bark and lunge at other dogs, causing quite a scene. He and I worked very hard and did manage to overcome most of his reactivity.

By the time he passed away at 14 years old, we had become a therapy dog team registered with a complex rating with Pet Partners and we had competed in AKC Rally and Obedience trials, earned the AKC Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine and Urban Canine titles and 2 Trick Dog titles. In the end, we had a total of about 12 AKC titles (and quite close to a Masters title in AKC Rally Obedience).

For personal reasons, I took a break from dog training after Blue retired and another of my dogs, Zeus, developed Lymphoma.

Currently I only have one dog, Draco. With most of my previous dogs, our focus was on formal obedience work. With Draco, our focus is just a good family dog that I can take almost anywhere with me. 

Overall, Draco is a pretty good dog. Especially considering the lack of much training. But he does have his issues. He has terrible separation anxiety. To the point that he will hurt himself breaking out of crates and destroy things because he absolutely loses his mind when he is left alone. But as long as someone is with him, he's perfectly fine.

Draco is also a bit timid and shy. He likes people and wants to make friends, but he is cautious with people. Which is hard when almost everyone thinks he's such a handsome boy and wants to meet and pet him. 

So Draco is a good dog around the house, most of the time. And we are still working on the 'can take almost anywhere' part.

I truly loved working on formal obedience training with Chico, Blue and Zeus. There is definitely an incredible bond built between dog and handler, and most dogs love the work. But really, most would also be just as happy sitting with you on the couch, or going for a walk or drive.

I truly believe that our dogs our at their happiest when they get to spend as much time as they can with the people they love, and when we enjoy that time as much as they do. 

So that is why here at Draco's Lair, we want to focus less on formal obedience exercises and more on communication with your dog and teaching them how you want them to behave.