Evan Weston, Leader of the Pack

My name is Evan and I speak dog. Through empathy and understanding, my job is to teach you and train your dog to speak the same language. We are believers in what King Frederick II of Prussia said in 1789: “dogs are man’s best friend.” Of course, part of being a ‘best friend’ is having the ability to communicate clearly; the ability to listen, be heard, and act accordingly.

I have been teaching and loving man’s best friend for over 50 years.  Long Island, New York was my boyhood home and after graduating from Tufts University and a tour in Vietnam, I went on to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as a Naval Officer assigned to the Marine Corps. There, I had a German Shepard mix named Salty, a responsive, active, thoroughly trained dog who loved the ocean almost as much as my fellow Marines did. Since that time, I’ve had a number of dogs as a part of my family – including Airedale Terriers, a Rottweiler, Chocolate Lab, Bull Mastiff, and now….Gibbs and Kiki, two phenomenal rescue dogs. Each step of the way, I trained my dog and they and I spoke the same language. If you choose to have your dog trained here in Harpswell, Maine,  they will sleep by the foot of our bed, right next to Gibbs and Kiki – we treat our dog as a member of our family, and your dog will be no different. Love and appreciation are important parts of effective dog training.

Gibbs, Senior VP, Belly Rubs Division

Gibbs is my Assistant Trainer – our beloved yellow lab rescue dog. Gibbs’ primary job is to demonstrate what it means to respond to commands, acting as a role model for the other dog(s) currently in training. Peer pressure in the dog world is a good thing, and makes for a faster, more permanent training exercise. 10 years ago we met Gibbs at the New Hampshire welcome center on I-95. He arrived after a three day journey crated in a big rescue van and he was obviously insulted that he had to ride in the crate instead of in the shot-gun seat. As soon as he got into the back seat of our car with me, he sat as close to me as he could possibly get and began licking my face. That’s when I asked myself, “who rescued whom?” If you want to be appreciated, rescue a dog from the misery of the southern kill centers.

Kiki, Director of Self Care

Kiki came to us about 5 years ago after having been bounced from home to home with what some humans call “issues.” Her previous family (but not the first!) asked me to train her, and I was honored to do so – rescue dogs have a special place in my heart, and deserve all the love and attention we can spare.

When Kiki and I first met, I had to wear gloves and use a muzzle to safely approach her. Three sessions later, she was a calm, trusting and obedient dog. Despite her newfound obedience and loving, positive attitude, her family decided to surrender her. When they told me they were giving her up, I was crushed. That thought was too cruel for my heart to tolerate, so after she warmed herself into my wife Ronnie’s heart, too, Kiki was officially welcomed into the family, and hired into the family business as an Intern but she was a quick learner. While totally able to be an assistant trainer and provides a productive dynamic to training exercises with other dogs, she is more interested in taking care of herself and naps regularly in the back of my SUV.

The Amazing Maizie

Maizie was born with Entropion (a genetic condition in which a portion of the eyelid is inverted or folded inward), making her essentially blind. Her previous “owners” let her live like that for 18 months and to make matters worse, the house she lived in was  hoarding situation (dozens of dogs and cats!) Animal control removed her from this horrible situation and we adopted her. With the help of a local rescue organization, the vet performed two operations that cured it but the survival techniques she learned in the hoarding situation were still with her when she came to our home.   Maizie was not house broken but after a couple of months of loving reinforcement when she did her business outside, she got the hang of it.  She was also pretty possessive of her food.  For the most part we have cured that too. Maizie is always in need of comfort and reassurance but she came to the right place for that! She can fly through the air to catch a frisbee and loves doing it until she drops.  Her brother Gibbs and sister Kiki ask me why we brought her home but they understand the concept of rescue and she’s definitely part of the pack. We are still working on finding a position for her in the family business but for now, we just call her the Amazing Maizie.

Ronnie Weston, Director of Spoiling

 

My wife Ronnie completes our team. She loves the dogs as much as I do and pitches in wherever and whenever needed: website, social media, poop patrol, recreation, scheduling, transportation, and most importantly Director of Spoiling. We (me and the dogs) are extremely lucky to have her in our lives.❤️