MARTIA NELSON helps people and dogs make breakthroughs together. She uses reward based, positive reinforcement techniques for teaching both species! Martia intuitively recognizes people’s strengths and dogs’ needs, sees solutions, and communicates clearly and kindly. Her teaching style is supportive and fun. Martia believes that proper training sessions not only solve problems but strengthen the bond and positive relationship between people and their dogs.
In June 2007 ANIMAL PLANET phoned and asked Martia to make an audition video so they could consider her in their search for the host of a new dog training TV series! The video clips on the homepage of this website are from that audition video.
Martia first discovered the joy of dog training through classes at Canine Companions for Independence, a Santa Rosa, CA organization that provides assistance dogs to people with disabilities. She raised and trained two CCI puppies: Her first, Chloe, became an assistance dog for a boy in Florida. Her second, Rincon, had other plans (gotta’ dance!) and left the program during his advanced training to come home to Martia. Since then Martia and Rincon have become enthusiastic canine freestyle dancers. They are co-instructors in dance and obedience classes.
Martia is a natural at following creative pursuits and living a life of passion and meaning. She is the author of Coming Home: The Return to True Self, a book praised by Deepak Chopra for its spiritual insight. Since 1986 she has been a life coach helping people to create rewarding lives based on their true selves. Martia is available for personal life coaching sessions, by phone or in person. See www.MartiaNelson.com for more information. Also a painter, Martia is the founder and director of Arts for Healing, a nonprofit project through which she leads free painting groups for women coping with cancer.
RINCON is a Labrador/Golden Retriever cross who loves training, dancing, and food -- in reverse order. He believes that having two left feet should keep no one from the joys of dance.
Born May 16, 2002, Rincon spent his puppyhood and adolescence in a training program at Canine Companions for Independence to become an assistance dog. Shortly before he turned two years old he left the program “to pursue other interests.” (They didn't have a dance program!) Since then he’s been tapping his toes and wagging his tail to music.
A strong advocate of volunteerism, Rincon is a therapy dog for an
Arts for Healing painting support group for women coping with cancer. There his happy heart and cuddly nature have a healing influence. Rincon’s pet project is “Dancing for Dollars,” a program in which he dances to raise money for Arts for Healing.
Rincon on the job.
|
In his abundant free time Rincon enjoys
sitting on the hill in his back yard,
|
| |
 |
playing with his favorite toys, |
|
 |
|
| |
and napping with his two kitty sisters. |
And then, of course...
...there's his secret identity.
