Irith Bloom finds joy in helping people teach with kindness while developing choice-rich environments for their companion animals. ... (Click here for full bio and to view Irith's upcoming courses)

Bio

Irith smiling with black and white dog facing camera

 

Irith Bloom finds joy in helping people teach with kindness while developing choice-rich environments for their companion animals. She has been training since the 1980s and has worked with animals ranging from chickens and rabbits to dogs and horses—not to mention humans. She is a sought-after presenter, and her writing has been published in countless online outlets, as well as in print media including the recent book “Your Puppy and You: A step-by-step guide to raising a freak'n awesome dog.”

Irith is co-founder of the Freak’n Awesome Dog Project, which helps people live the life of their dreams with their dogs. Her training company, The Sophisticated Dog, LLC, provides both peer-to-peer and trainer-to-pet-family services worldwide through the magic of online meetings.

Irith is a CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, CDBC, VSPDT, KPA CTP, CSAT, CBATI-KSA, and a Fear Free Certified Practitioner (FFCP - Trainer). She is also certified in TAGteach, a positive-reinforcement method for teaching humans, and is on the faculty of Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior.

Irith has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Member of the Board of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) and on the Advisory Board for Daily Paws, as well as Chair Emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She volunteers for National English Shepherd Rescue. Irith is between dogs at the moment, but shares her home with a well-behaved human spouse named Aaron.


 

Irith's Current and Upcoming Classes

BH335: Dealing With Feelings: Applied Counterconditioning and Desensitization

Whether your dog is having problems in the ring or struggling in daily life, the key to addressing problematic behaviour can be understanding and improving the dog’s emotional...

December 1, 2024