Katherine Aromaa

Hello,

My name is Katherine, aka "Kate" and I am the owner and trainer at Cooper's Dog Training and Behavior Modification. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Colorado State University and after four years of dog training and behavior modification apprenticeships in Massachusetts and Vermont, I opened Cooper's Dog Training and Behavior Modification here in Portland in 2005. I have been doing private in-home lessons and group classes in the metro area since then. I am now happy to be working from my own training center in the beautiful Garden Home neighborhood of Southwest Portland.

Cooper's Dog Training and Behavior Modification is named after my sainted Blue Heeler/ Australian Cattle Dog, Cooper (named after Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks) who had to put up with my idea of "dog training" throughout my college years. I was sure that I knew what I was doing, what with my degree and having grown up training and riding horses. Boy, was I wrong! Once I graduated I could see that my heavy handed approach had backfired. I began taking private lessons myself and was amazed how much was involved in the training and behavior modification of dogs. I had found my calling. I am now what you call a "crossover trainer" meaning that I used to utilize the corrective or "yank and yell" style of training but am now a believer in positive reinforcement as my go-to training method. I believe this gives me more insight into what training methods will work best and when.

Cooper moved on into the unknown back in 2009 which is the same year that I got Abner, a McNabb Cattle Dog (named after Abner Ravenwood from Indiana Jones). Hank is an Australian Labradoodle (Hank Hill, from King of the Hill). We live with Inigo the tabby cat (The Princess Bride) and three Speckled Sussex chickens named Hellen (All Creatures Great and Small) Danielle and The French Chick. I enjoy hiking with my dogs, painting, and binge watching shows and movies on the internet. I often think about but don't end up playing my guitar.