Dorene Olson began working at Tri-City Animal and Bird Clinic in January 1991. It was here that she began her training in avian care, training and behavior. She assisted the clinic's avian technician and began an animal behavior and training program for the practice, which also included birds.
Dorene spent time living overseas while growing up and as such was privileged in being able to see some of the world's most wonderful wildlife first hand. Unfortunately, she also witnessed training and handling methods that were not kind or in the animals' best interests. When she returned to the United States, she studied for three years at Colorado State University in the pre-veterinary program before moving to St. Louis and writing her degree at St. Louis University and Washington University. It was while in college that she began her formal education in animal learning and was dismayed to see that some of the barbaric practices done in the name of animal training also existed in her own country.
©TARA Training and Behavior LLC, all rights reserved
Owner
Dorene Olson BA, CPDT
Animal Trainer and Behavior Consultant
CERTIFIED PET DOG TRAINER
Dorene and Piper
Dorene and Tara
Dorene working with a Canada Goose
In 1993, Dorene was introduced to the concept of clicker training and has been teaching it since 1999. She also uses other reward markers for those humans who find the use of the actual clicker too cumbersome. She believes that this positive style of training allows for the greatest degree of communication, as the animal understands that it may freely offer behaviors, which are comfortable to it. She is adamantly opposed to training that utilizes any type of force, fear, pain or punishment. In 2000, Dorene founded the Gateway Trainers and Behavior Consultant group, an educational forum devoted to teaching and facilitation kindness in training. She is currently president of that group.
Dorene has sought to develop an understanding of the natural behavior of the animal species that she works with and how to best facilitate communication and direction to each individual. Her work with avians, especially parrots and waterfowl, has become her passion. One of the most common areas of abuse that she sees in birds is done in the name of "training", as well as through ignorance and neglect of birds' basic needs. Her work seeks to incorporate not only the taming or training of the animal itself, but also of the human caretaker so that a more complete understanding of all the bird's needs be met. In this way, communication and trust is improved and facilitated for both bird and human.
Dorene is member of the Pekin Duck Fund, a volunteer group that rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes domestic ducks and geese. Her work with the Canada geese also frequently finds her at the Missouri Wildlife Rescue Center, where she is also a volunteer.
Dorene is owner of TARA Training and Behavior, LLC, Teaching Animals with Respect and Affection, and WyndSong Border Collies and Canada Goose Management, a company that helps provide humane solutions to the conflict posed between humans and resident Canada geese.
Dorene shares her life with three dogs, seven parrots, two ducks, a mouse, many fish and from time to time fosters rescue animals.
Her dogs have worked in the areas of obedience, lure coursing, schutzhund, and agility - earning titles and placements. Her dogs have also passed Temperament Tests and received Canine Good Citizen certificates as well.
Dorene Olson
TARA Training and Behavior
WyndSong Border Collies and Canada Goose Management
