Vera Wilkinson

The Cooperative Dog is me, Vera Wilkinson CDBC, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP. Dog training & behavior consulting is not just my full-time work, it is my life's work. Since 1996, I've spent thousands of hours with dogs and their people teaching private lessons, group classes, dog behavior education seminars and consulting privately on dog behavior problems throughout Boston, Greater Boston and all over Eastern Massachusetts. My primary focus is on education and helping people to bring out the very best in their dogs by providing practical training for everyday life. Szap, my heart dog and the original cooperative dog, led me to my life's work. After taking several classes and volunteering as an assistant trainer at Angell MSPCA in Boston in 1995, Szap and I went on to explore the broader world of dog training. He loved working as much as I did. We took one class after another in obedience, sheepherding, agility, tracking and more. I accomplished what I set out to"- to experience dog training methods new and old, first-hand. I settled with what I started with as my preferred base- positive, humane, science-based dog training. In the years since I've tweaked things and made it my own method'. Hawk is with me now. She's a deaf border collie x akita (at least, that's what I call her!) born in Georgia on March 22, 2011. She came to me at five months of age and had already been in several different homes/foster homes before it was realized that she was deaf. She, like me, is a work in progress. I'm learning a great deal from her as well and you can see her growth and experiences on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and her own blog.