Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center

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Thank you for contacting Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center! During this time our office hours vary and we have limited access to the phone. You may contact us via email at shannonvpw@gmail.com with any questions or concerns or to schedule a private training session with Shannon and we will get back to you as soon as we are able to.

Class Schedules

Please check the "class schedule" tab (this has a drop down menu that lists our classes) for our upcoming classes.

To stay updated please sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage at www.venturapetwellness.com.

Sign Up For Ventura Pet Wellness Newsletter

To stay updated about our upcoming classes, seminars and more please sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage at www.venturapetwellness.com. Don't forget to add us to your email contact list so our emails do not end up in the spam folder.

Get a FREE Webinar from Truly Force Free ONLINE Animal Training

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Shannon's ONLINE pet training website, Truly Force Free Animal Training, is offering a 100% off discount code for a Truly Force Free Webinar (purchase of your choosing) when signing up for Truly Force Free Animal Training newsletter!

Be sure to click the box at the bottom of the homepage to receive your discount code at www.trulyforcefree.com!

PLEASE NOTE: When signing up for this newsletter you are not signing up for Ventura Pet Wellness newsletter - to sign up for VPW Newsletter please go to the bottom of the homepage).

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Positive Puppy Podcast

Sign up for Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center Newsletter!

Positive Puppy Podcast

The Positive Puppy Podcast is all about setting your puppy up for success using positive reinforcement!

In this podcast, your host Shannon Riley and guest discuss common puppy questions from before picking up puppy to the importance of creating a routine and more! Join us as Shannon Riley answers puppy questions such as...

BEFORE YOU GET PUPPY

ROUTINE FOR PUPPY

POTTY TRAINING

PUPPYBITING

FOOD & TREATS

COMMON PUPPY PROBLEMS

ALL ABOUT TEETHING

COMMON PUPPY QUESTIONS (NAIL TRIMMING)

FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING:

IT'S NOT BRIBING, ITS TEACHING!

AND MORE!!!

Take me to podcast

Meet the Owner & Founder of Ventura Pet Wellness

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

using Positive Reinforcement Training Methods,

Registered Veterinary Technician,
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner

Best Selling Author of The Evolution of Dog Training

International Speaker

Who is Shannon Riley, BA, RVT, CPDT KA, KPA-CTP?

I am an internationally sought after speaker and bestselling author of The Evolution of Dog Training, and have been a pet lover all of my life and a dog trainer for over 30 years. I started teaching puppy classes in 1999 at Frontier Pet Clinic in Napa, CA and was trained by Ian Dunbar though his Sirius Dog Training Course. In 2010, I opened Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center in Ventura, CA. I have spent my life observing, caring for and training animals of all kinds!

I am also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers , Pet Professional Guild and a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

I am a past President for the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, a past Allied Industry Member of Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and sponsor of California Registered Veterinary Technician Association.

Why Did I Create Truly Force Free Animal Training?

I created Truly Force Free Animal Training in 2015 so that anyone, anywhere could have access to force free, positive reinforcement animal training.

Truly Force Free Animal Training mission is to spread knowledge and education for humane, force free treatment of all animals with… EMPATHY & COMPASSION!

The Evolution of Dog Training by Shannon Riley

In 2018, I published “The Evolution of Dog Training” available in audio, print and eBook.

In 2023, “The Evolution of Dog Training” was published in Spanish as an eBook!

Education and Experience

My education includes a Biology Degree, specializing in Zoology from Sonoma State. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, and have worked in the Bird Department at Marine World Africa USA, and worked as a handler and trainer for an African Serval Cat at Safari West, a private zoo in Santa Rosa, California. I have also participated in behavior studies including observations of bald eagles and addax antelope through the San Francisco Zoo and Safari West.

I have spent many years as the head dog trainer for PAWS for Healing, a pet assisted therapy organization and performed temperament testing and assisted in the training of therapy dogs who visited hospitals, veteran groups, special educational facilities and convalescent homes. I believe strongly in the benefits of developing the human animal bond and can assist in coaching for pets and their human companions to develop that connection.

In 2014, I completed multiple behavior courses with veterinarians and other animal behavior professionals such as Dr. Susan Friedman and in 2012 was a behavior technician intern for Dr. Rachel Malamed, DVM, Veterinary Behavior Specialist

In 2012 and 2016, I completed a 5-day intensive behavior course through North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) taught by Dr. Karen Overall, Dr. Martin Godbout and Dr. Kersti Seksel. I regularly attend Western Vet Conferences and the Clinical Animal Behavior Conference (CABC), The Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians (SVBT), The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)

Every year, I take approximately 30 hours of continuing education units

International Speaker

In 2017, I spoke at Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) 24th Annual Conference on topics such as, “What’s Your Dogs Currency?” and in 2018 at APDT 25th Annual Conference on topics such as, “Do You Have Compassion Fatigue?”. I have spoken at Pet Professional Guilds Geek Week Australia in 2021. In 2023, I spoke at RescueCon at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on “Understanding Canine Body Language” and at the Ventura College Job and Career Fair on “Starting A Career as An Animal Professional” and Children’s Health and Wellness Expo on “Animal Wellness”. I also hosted Truly Force Free Animal Training first conference Breaking the Chain; A Force Free Dog Training Conference at Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center.

Check out my Podcasts and TV Interviews!

I created, The Backyard Pet Talk Podcast, for pet lovers! Whether you are a professional in the animal field or a pet parent this podcast is for you!

I also created, The Positive Puppy podcast, which is all about setting your puppy up for success using positive reinforcement! In this podcast, host, Shannon Riley and guest discuss common puppy questions from before picking up puppy to the importance of creating a routine and more! Join us each month as Shannon Riley answers puppy questions!

Check out my interview with Bloom TV with Gayle Guyardo and Daytime TV with Maggie Rodriguez

My Dog Training Philosophy

My dog training philosophy revolves around force free, positive reinforcement; however, my ultimate goal is for healthy happy relationships between pets and their people. Diet, exercise, environment and training all play a significant role in achieving this goal.

Best Selling Author shannon riley-coyner

Dog training is full of differing opinions, myths, and old wives tales. With so much conflicting information, how do you know what theory is the best for training your dog?

The Evolution of Dog Training details how to teach your dog, one step at a time, without causing your dog pain or fear. It carefully explains how training with choke chains started and why trainers are now using clickers instead. You'll also learn what current research and scientific studies tell us about how dogs learn, making it easier to a turn your beloved pet into a well-behaved dog. Whether you have been training dogs for decades or this is your very first time, this book will help you sort through all of the opinions so you can train effectively and humanely.

Purchase The Evolution of Dog Training