Molly has more than 25 years of experience working with registered therapy dogs as an owner/handler, mentor, and positive reinforcement trainer. She graduated with a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1991. In 2011, she completed six months of intensive work and graduated with honors to become a Certified Training Partner from the prestigious Karen Pryor Academy. Her professional career has been spent almost entirely in the non-profit sector, working primarily in the areas of training and mentoring volunteers, public relations, marketing, education, and community outreach.
Molly's certifications include:
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (graduated with honors)
- HSUS Certified Humane Education Specialist
- Puppy Start Right Preschool Certified Instructor
- American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs (formerly Therapy Dogs, Incorporated) Tester/Observer
- Pet Professional Guild professional canine trainer
- Force Free Trainers of Wisconsin member
She attends Clicker Expo conferences regularly and participates in ongoing education opportunities each year.
In 2009, Molly founded Compassionate Canines, Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provided support, education, and training for therapy dog volunteers in the Appleton, Wisconsin area. She served as executive director from 2009-2015 and mentored volunteers, evaluated potential therapy dogs, helped guide volunteers through the therapy dog registration process, and trained & supervised more than 70 volunteers and their therapy dogs. She developed more than a dozen programs for elementary schools, universities, mental health organizations, skilled nursing homes, and in-patient hospice facilities in the Appleton, Wisconsin area.
Molly is a positive-reinforcement, clicker trainer who utilizes classical and operant conditioning to teach both dogs and people. Clicker training is fast, effective, fun, and builds a strong relationship between dog and handler based on trust and mutual respect. Training with Molly means working with your dog in a force-free, pain-free, punishment-free trusting environment where the dog is challenged to think and engage rather than be a passive recipient of information.
With more than 20 years of experience as a hospice volunteer and working as both a hospice volunteer coordinator and director of grief/bereavement services for an Appleton, Wisconsin-based funeral home, Molly brings a unique combination of therapy dog training and health care experience to the table.
In July 2016, Molly relocated to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin and continued her volunteer work in the community with her three registered therapy dogs, Murphy James, Fitzgerald William, and Madigan (left to right).
Molly's certifications include:
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (graduated with honors)
- HSUS Certified Humane Education Specialist
- Puppy Start Right Preschool Certified Instructor
- American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs (formerly Therapy Dogs, Incorporated) Tester/Observer
- Pet Professional Guild professional canine trainer
- Force Free Trainers of Wisconsin member
She attends Clicker Expo conferences regularly and participates in ongoing education opportunities each year.
In 2009, Molly founded Compassionate Canines, Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provided support, education, and training for therapy dog volunteers in the Appleton, Wisconsin area. She served as executive director from 2009-2015 and mentored volunteers, evaluated potential therapy dogs, helped guide volunteers through the therapy dog registration process, and trained & supervised more than 70 volunteers and their therapy dogs. She developed more than a dozen programs for elementary schools, universities, mental health organizations, skilled nursing homes, and in-patient hospice facilities in the Appleton, Wisconsin area.
Molly is a positive-reinforcement, clicker trainer who utilizes classical and operant conditioning to teach both dogs and people. Clicker training is fast, effective, fun, and builds a strong relationship between dog and handler based on trust and mutual respect. Training with Molly means working with your dog in a force-free, pain-free, punishment-free trusting environment where the dog is challenged to think and engage rather than be a passive recipient of information.
With more than 20 years of experience as a hospice volunteer and working as both a hospice volunteer coordinator and director of grief/bereavement services for an Appleton, Wisconsin-based funeral home, Molly brings a unique combination of therapy dog training and health care experience to the table.
In July 2016, Molly relocated to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin and continued her volunteer work in the community with her three registered therapy dogs, Murphy James, Fitzgerald William, and Madigan (left to right).