Jonathan Philip Klein

Jonathan Philip Klein
Born(1956-09-05)September 5, 1956
DiedDecember 30, 2016(2016-12-30) (aged 60)[1]
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationPhillips Academy 1971-1973
Palisades grad. 1974
Alma materU. Cal. Santa Barbara 1980 BA
OccupationDog trainer
Years active1988–2016
AwardsBest Trainer by City Voter 2009-2014[2]

Jonathan Philip Klein (1956-2016)[1] was an American expert in dog training and behavior consultant based in Los Angeles.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Klein trained dogs for several decades.[9] He began I Said Sit in 1988 as an in-home pet training service and later offered day-care and boarding for dogs; he expanded his service by networking to vets, groomers, pet stores and breeders.[9] In 2016, his 5,000 square foot facility offered training, day-care for dogs, and both long and short term boarding.[9] Klein trained more than 8,000 dogs during a period of 28 years.[10][11] His I Said Sit service won numerous awards.[2][12]

Klein advocated reward-based training.[11] He did not believe in punishing the animals, but rather teaching wanted behaviors and rewarding them when they happened.[13] Training should be based on "trust and cooperation" rather than fear or dominance or intimidation, according to Klein.[14] He advocated that dogs and their owners should have a healthy "foundation of interaction" comparable to a supportive parent-child relationship.[15] Dogs with separation anxiety or problems living alone can be helped by day-care, according to Klein.[16] He advocated clicker training and hand signals as teaching methods.[11] He liked to find out what things a dog wanted most, and then used that as a reward to encourage positive behavior; for example, in one instance, he found that a difficult Pomeranian valued her dog bed, and Klein used that as a reward.[17] When a family has a new baby, he advocated a calm period of adjustment to get a dog and the baby used to each other, and continuing to give the pet the same attention as before.[18]

Klein opposed surgical methods to remove or soften a dog's bark, sometimes known as debarking or devocalization.[10] He saw debarking as a "quick fix" but which prevents a dog from communicating with humans or other animals, which can cause other long term problems.[10]

Klein attended Phillips Academy in Andover from 1971-1973, graduated from Palisades Charter High School in 1974, and earned a BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1980. He was certified by the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, Inc, was a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. He wrote a blog entitled thedogbehaviorexpert.com and served as a legal advisor and expert witness in dog behavior cases.

  1. ^ a b Sizzle, In Loving Memory of Jonathan P. Klein, Retrieved January 4, 2017
  2. ^ a b Los Angeles City Voter, "I Said Sit!" School for Dogs Ranked #1 of 22 for Best Training, Retrieved April 28, 2016
  3. ^ Lisa Suhay (March 5, 2015). "Once bitten, wallet shy $15,000? Cincinnati passes dog bite law. (+video)". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  4. ^ Staff writer (May 2, 2016). "Get exercise, not a dog bite". Dispatch Argus. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  5. ^ Jill Layton (November 25, 2015). "Why Do Dogs Walk Away From Their Bowl To Eat?". The Dodo. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  6. ^ Vicki Salemi (August 14, 2015). "How to find the best fit for your pup in doggie day care". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  7. ^ Max Adler (November 13, 2014). "'We Double Dog Dare You': Bringing your best friend to the course is the most fun you'll ever have". Golf Digest. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  8. ^ Amanda Kelly (November 13, 2011). "Have pet, will travel". New York Post. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Nicole Fallon (June 7, 2011). "Dog Trainer's Secret to Success is Not Having Any (Secrets, That Is)". Business News Daily. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c "Declawing a cat more acceptable than debarking a dog, poll shows". Times Picayune (New Orleans). Associated Press. February 15, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c Cori Solomon (May 24, 2010). "The Power of Positive Dog Training - Jonathan Klein dog behaviorist". Parents Magazine.
  12. ^ The Inquisitor, Kim Richards’ Pit Bull Viciously Attacks Niece, Decides To Keep The Dog, Retrieved April 28, 2016, ...Jonathan Klein, an award-winning dog trainer...
  13. ^ Interview with Jonathan Klein (2016). "Dog Trainer Jonathan Klein Talks About Dog Food Truck Tour In LA". CBS Local. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  14. ^ Molly Chance (November 14, 2013). "'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills': Is Kim's dog trainer abusive?". Zap2It. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  15. ^ Bill Briggs (June 25, 2013). "Turns out our dogs kind of are our 'babies': study". Today.com. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  16. ^ Vicki Salemi (July 15, 2015). "Dog day care: How to find the best fit for your pup". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  17. ^ Bark and Swagger, Sophia Loren: The Little Pomeranian Who Overcame Her Fears to Become a Supermodel, Retrieved April 27, 2016, ...After many false starts, Jonathan Klein... came into their lives. Klein works from the point of view of the dog and what they value most. In Sophia’s case, it was her bed. ... Jonathan used her bed as a lure ... it worked....
  18. ^ Linda DiProperzio (June 2016). "The Power of Positive Dog Training - Jonathan Klein dog behaviorist". Parents Magazine. Retrieved June 24, 2016.