NHS Student Interns With Canine Obedience Program

By Eliza Hallabeck

When Rachel Mrozinski was young, she trained her dog to turn off lights by hanging dog treats from switches. Now the Newtown High School junior is one of multiple students interning with local experts on a topic of their choosing.

Since starting her internship with Canine Training Behavior Services, based out of Wilton, in November, Rachel has been interning under the guidance of Patty Fernandes every Thursday after school.

“There’s a big difference between the way I learn at school and there,” said Rachel. “The internship is really hands-on and you’re not just learning about it, you are doing it.”

While Rachel is interning with a basic obedience course at Canine Training Behavior Services, she said the company offers many different programs from which people can choose.

Ms Fernandes said on Monday, April 5, that Rachel is Canine Training Behavior Services’ first intern, and has been doing a great job.

“She’s the kind of kid you really want,” said Ms Fernandes.

Since she was young, Rachel said she has known she wants to train dogs in her eventual career. She is currently looking into colleges where she can study the field, but, as a junior, has not chosen yet.

“She is always on time and one step a head of me,” Ms Fernandes said, adding, “which is great for me.”

Rachel has been working well with the dogs, according to Ms Fernandes, who added she hopes Rachel will some day be a person she calls for advice in the area.

Rachel said she has learned a lot from working with Ms Fernandes and would recommend other students participate in internship programs. Some of the things Rachel has learned include hand gestures to which the dogs will respond.

“You should only use the dog’s name for movement commands,” said Rachel. When asking a dog to sit, which is not a movement command, Rachel said people should not call the dog by its name.

“Don’t point your fingers, because that is intimidating to dogs,” Rachel said.

Instead of pointing when asking a dog to sit, owners should hold a hand with the palm up to show the dog to sit.

Interning with Canine Training Behavior Services, which as multiple locations in the area, has been a great experience, Rachel said.

“I basically just verified that I want to do this for the rest of my life,” said Rachel.

 Rachel learned of the internship program by going to the high school’s Career Center and asking if there was anything she could do further her future career.

Now Rachel knows dogs learn in sets of threes.

“If they do something three times, in sets of threes, it helps their brain grasp the concept better,” she said. “They can also unlearn things in sets of threes.”

One way to stop a dog from doing a negative behavior, like begging, she said, is to distract them from the action.

“If a dog is begging, and you want it to stop, you should correct it and distract them rather than yelling at them for begging,” Rachel said.

Asking a dog to sit on the other side of the room and telling them to stay is a positive distraction from begging, according to Rachel.

While Rachel said she does not have a favorite type of dog, she is a fan of bigger dogs.

“I’d love to keep going as much as I can with this,” said Rachel when asked if she would be interested in finishing another internship during her senior year at the high school.

For more information on Canine Training Behavior Services go to www.caninetrainingctbs.com.

(Any Newtown High School student currently working as an intern can contact Eliza@thebee.com for a possible article on his or her position.)