Bob was fortunate to have an early introduction to the wonders of nature through his mother's tolerance of his menagerie (which she secretly enjoyed). Bob also gained a great appreciation of wildlife conservation and the enjoyment that people gain from watching nature, through his father, Bill, a wildlife film producer.

Bob also witnessed the relationship people develop with their companions while working in pet stores, as a groomer, a veterinary assistant and attendance at a human/animal bond seminar This interest in the human/animal bond motivated him to receive a B.S. in Human Services, which included psychology, social work and animal behavior. Bob uses these skills in teaching his companion dog classes and social/therapy work with pets and people.

Bob's introduction to dog training was of course with the family pet, using conventional techniques of chokechain and leash. HIs long time companion "Fallon" got a more advanced version of the same from a video tape "Tools in the Housebreaking Process". Even during these early trials, Bob saw how successful positive motivation could be also remembering he had never seen Shamu's trainers use choke chains. "Fallon" appreciated this insight.

Bob feels that methods of training should continually evolve in order to not only improve results but to also create a better understanding and relationship with our companion animals.