In Harmony Dog Training at Green Acres is a small, family-owned business with a facility situated on 20 beautiful acres near Ferne Clyffe State Park and Goreville. The property has 8 acres of woods, a 3-acre private lake, and a large chain-link fence enclosure, all of which provide ample space for training opportunities.
Training services include group classes, single-topic workshops, private lessons, and in-home training. Owner and Trainer Lynn Damme is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and has served as an AKC-certified evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen program and a certified Pet Partners team member. She is certified by the American Red Cross in Pet First Aid.
Lynn uses positive reinforcement, force-free methods of obedience training instead of methods that rely on equipment (choke, prong, or shock collars) or long-debunked “theories” of dominance. Dogs trained at In Harmony learn to work for rewards (treats, toys, play time, attention), and handlers learn how dogs communicate and learn. This knowledge helps handlers establish and build a lasting bond with their dog.
Lynn has more than 25 years of experience working professionally with dogs. She apprenticed with Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Trainer Angie Neal at 4Paws University in Sacramento, California. After her apprenticeship, she taught Step One and Step Two Group Obedience classes at 4Paws. She provided private in-home Puppy Head Start, Home Schooling, and Feisty Fido (designed to improve behavior of aggressive dogs) training. She also taught advanced group classes in tricks and service dog skills. She has studied with nationally recognized dog behavior experts Trish King (Marin Humane Society), Sue Sternberg, Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Myrna Milani, and others. A member of APDT, she continues her education through study and attendance at seminars and workshops conducted by the best positive reinforcement trainers and behaviorists in the country.