About

Due to the overwhelming number of inquiries and to meet the needs of existing clients under contract, I am pausing accepting new clients for in-home training until 2021. Phone or Zoom consults are available now, with priority given to urgent behavior cases and families with puppies acquired during the pandemic. Whether you prefer in-home training or want to set up a remote consult, go to the Contact page, tell me what I can help you with. A colleague may be able to help. 

Offering dog training and behavior consulting remotely and in your home.

Pupstart Family Dog Training has been in business since 1998. The company's mission is to:

• Promote kind, ethical, and practical dog training;

• Change undesirable behavior;

• Use reward-based training tools and techniques always; and,

• Provide the latest evidence-based information, solid instruction, thorough training plans, and close follow-up.

Dana Fedman, CPDT-KA, ACDBC, is the sole proprietor of Pupstart Family Dog Training in Des Moines. Business Insurers of the Carolinas insure Pupstart.

The CPDT-KA certification means "Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed." This credential is from the independent and accredited Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT.) She was one of the first dog trainers in the United States to pass the first CPDT exam in upstate New York first offered in 2001.

In April 2018, she also received the Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (ACDBC) credential from the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC.) 

Trainers certified through IAABC and CCPDT are required to keep their knowledge current with continuing education units (CEUs.) Dana travels across the United States for conferences and seminars. She also participates regularly in webinars and on-line courses. The best minds in dog training, behavior, veterinary medicine, and running a training business provide content. See the educational events Dana has participated in. Included are public speaking engagements, CEUs recognized by the CCPDT, and IAABC, in addition to non-recognized education.

Dana lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband and their eight-year-old Golden Retriever, Zak Russell Foodman. Zak is a member of the AKC Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. Likes: walkies, sucking on his woobie, car rides, stuffed Kong toys, playing "Tug of Peace," and SNACKS! Dislikes: No walkies. Hair mats.