The Force Free Way welcomes all dogs and all people.
A Compassionate Approach
People get a dog for love, companionship and the connection you can only have with a canine. But so often, behavior problems get in the way.
I can help you have that soul-nourishing connection with your dog. My techniques are holistic, with the goals of producing a better behaved dog and improving your understanding of your canine companion. This leads to a deeper and more satisfying relationship while reducing the possibility of future behavior problems.
My passion is helping people improve their lives with their dogs! Having a former social worker as your dog trainer means you get the best of both worlds; someone experienced and skilled with dogs and people.
Joanne Ometz
Owner & Trainer
As a baby, one of my first words was, “Dog!” Growing up in a no-dogs apartment, my super-tolerant mom put up with an endless stream of cats, rodents, parakeets, newts and small parrots. I got my first dog when I started living on my own at 19, and have had at least one throughout most of my life.
Animals were always part of my life, but I also felt called to help people. I became a social worker, working in mental health nonprofits. In 2009, I adopted a little dog named Sadie and took a class with an instructor who taught force free techniques, including clicker training. That was when it all started to ‘click’!
I loved training with Sadie so much, in 2011 I founded the Gateway Dog Club for the Gateway Arts District of Prince Georges County, MD. I attended classes, seminars, read books and took private lessons, sharing it all at our bi-weekly meetings. I had found my true calling working with people and their dogs. This blossomed into a new career when I took Norwegian animal behaviorist Turid Rugaas’s Comprehensive Certification Program in Dog Training, With a Focus on Behavior Consulting and Problem Solving. One of less than 20 people in the US to have completed this certification, I learned to understand canine body language and how to change behavior through techniques based on compassion, communication, and respecting the dog’s need to ‘be a dog’. Shortly after, I took the Karen Pryor professional dog trainer course. Unfortunately, an accident prevented me from completing the final assessment. Having done very well throughout the course, I moved forward, incorporating what I learned in to my skill and knowledge base. I have completed Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs Master Course and am presently taking the Atlas Professional level Service Dog Trainer Course.
There is no licensing in the US for dog trainers, but there are national certifications. I have the Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) certification. Applicants must document 300 hours of dog training experience in a three year period and be referred by a colleague before they are accepted to take the 3-hour, 200-question exam.
Combining my training in both people and canine skills, I use this unique perspective to help you improve your dog’s behavior and enhance the human-canine bond.
I am a proud member of the Pet Professional Guild, the only international organization for dog trainers 100% dedicated to ethical, morally sound training without the use of pain, fear and coercion. I am also a proud member of the Animal Positive Coalition, a regional organization that only accepts force free professionals.