About Us
The Better Companion was launched by Claudia Sihler CPDT-KSA, IAABC-ADTin July 2002, which makes 2012 our 10th Anniversary! It was her intention to provide professional assistance in training animals in the Mat-Su Valley of Alaska using positive-reinforcement, motivational methods geared towards individual requirements. She also wished to meet the need for private, individualized treatment and consultation to solve a wide variety of behavioral problems. Her love of agility soon set The Better Companion on a course of offering agility classes. Claudia Sihler will be happy to demonstrate her belief in and use of reward-based training, with or without the use of a clicker, by request and during her classes. In September 2003; BetCo also began teaching Weight Pulling Classes as well as obedience/behavior and agility classes. Since then, she has steadily added advanced obedience/behavior classes, a variety of different activity classes like Flyball, Nose Work and Treibball, Tricks & Clicks (fun!) classes, CGC, C.L.A.S.S. training and more.
In October 2005, Claudia & Frank Sihler opened their newly built training facility and now have a permanent space for their ever- growing list of classes. This also allowed them the opportunity to offer regular Doggy Daycare and Open Play Time to their clients as well as the evening and weekend classes. Their 10,000 sq-ft fenced grass area allows for outdoors training of Agility, Flyball, Treibball, Nose Work, Rally… and outdoor Open Play Times during the summer. They added the Pet Partner® Therapy Dog Seminar and evaluations in 2007 and then, with Frank’s expert assistance; Mushing and Skijor Workshops in 2009, using their very own “house-trail”, a groomed trail running along the perimeter of the property around the facility. It’s a fun, challenging little trail and great for training! Our facility is now in use seven days a week most weeks, with seminars and workshops on some weekends and rental use of the facility when available.
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