Hello! I’m Beth. I’m proud to be a KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) and the first Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer in the greater Alton Illinois / Riverbend IL area including Rosewood Heights, Alton, Bethalto, Godfrey, and Wood River locales. I’m a pet trainer and consultant working with individuals and families to prevent problems and create good manners while having fun and strengthening the bond you have with your favorite tail.
Talented Tails training plans are tailored to meet the needs of you and your dog.
Credentials & Associations
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), graduate with distinction
- Certified Fear Free Professional Trainer
- Trainer and board member with the Greater St. Louis Dog Training Club
- Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
- Member of the Pet Professional Guild
Each of my professional associations is committed to helping trainers be better through education on the most up-to-date, evidence-based training and behavior modification methods. Endorsed by governing veterinary behavior organizations, these are the same methods used in modern zoos to build relationships and train multiple species such as giraffes, dolphins, hippos, and parrots. You can trust that my high standards benefit you and your pet. Although I’ve achieved certification, there’s always more to learn. Each year I participate in continuing education courses and seminars (here’s a secret: it’s not a chore–I enjoy all of them!). This ensures that you receive high quality, effective training plans from me for you and your favorite four-legged family member.
Additional Information
- Volunteer for Wire Fox Terrier Rescue Midwest
- Master of Science Degree in Communications
- Insured
The “Way Back Machine”
I was born loving but allergic to animals of all kinds. Allergies be damned, I sought out, played with, and trained any animal I had contact with long before I knew anything about formal animal training and behavior. Our household and neighborhood had some very patient dogs, cats, and one friend’s not so patient pony. As I matured, my passion only grew. I began training and showing Collies, Basenji’s, Boxers, and Airedale Terriers. With the support of mentors, I began teaching with our local kennel club. My first obedience titled dog was a Norwegian Elkhound that I adopted from a local animal shelter. Both the Elkhound and the Airedales taught me that training needs to be fun.
By the mid-1990s, I began incorporating positive training methods with my Welsh Terrier. In 2003 I adopted a former puppy mill Wire Fox Terrier from the Humane Society. Ashley had lived her entire five or six years in a small pen overrun with roaches and devoid of clean water. This new world she found herself in was foreign and scary. She’d never experienced television, the noise of radio, doors opening or closing, cars, or even the sound of water running in a sink. She had separation anxiety and noise phobias. Ashley and I learned the enormous benefit and joy of fear free, positive training and the need to break things down into achievable milestones that we could celebrate frequently. In response to her needs, I dug deeper into the science behind learning and behavior and continued to fuel my life-long passion by beginning my journey of becoming a certified trainer and fear free professional. 
One of my greatest joys was seeing Ashley bloom into the funny, charming, and happy terrier that she was always meant to be.
One of the best parts of being a trainer is helping others bring out the best in their pets too.