Kelly Gorman Dunbar

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Kelly Gorman Dunbar is a cofounder and the executive editor of dogstardaily.com and a contributing editor at dogtime.com and Animal Cafe.

She is the Founder and President of Open Paw, a non-profit organization devoted to addressing the unwanted animal problem in a whole new way, arming communities worldwide with valuable user and animal friendly training and behavior information with the goal of keeping cats and dogs out of shelters by keeping them in their original homes. Kelly lectures internationally on the principles of Open Paw and consults for animal shelters regarding layout, and staff-and-animal training protocols and procedures.

She is a Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, a multi-faceted business that focuses on teaching people how to train their dogs to be the best canine citizens possible via fun and efficient training techniques involving games and environmental enrichment as rewards for desired behavior. She is a Director for the K9 Games Corporation, a venture dedicated to bringing fun and games to the process of dog training in order to make it easy, entertaining, and accessible for all people, including children.

Kelly recruits and trains the instructors for Dr. Ian Dunbar's SIRIUS Puppy & Dog Training company based in Berkeley, CA. She is the creator of the SIRIUS Sniffers scent-dection curriculum and is also in the process of bringing the French sport of cavage to the United States. Kelly has titled her French Bulldog Hugo-Louis via National Association of Canine Scent Work and enjoys competing in both NACSW nose work and AKC rally trials with her dogs.


Blog posts by Kelly Gorman Dunbar

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Losing It Is Not Impressive (nor effective in the long term)

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Wed, 05/06/2009 - 14:24

Yesterday I was at the studio where I workout, focusing on my breathing in a relatively quite environment, when suddenly the peace and my concentration were shattered by deep bellowing screams coming from the street down below.  It was the voice of a woman, an ANGRY woman.

At first I thought it was the beginning of a fight, but soon I realized that I only heard one voice carrying on (and on, and on). I tried to ignore her, but she was loud and the things she was saying were terrible and ugly. Then I heard her demanding someone (or something) to “GET OVER HERE NOW!”  

The chaos continued for several minutes. Eventually it dawned on me. She was talking to a child. Presumably her own. Finally I looked outside because if there is one thing I cannot tolerate (there are actually many, ask my family and friends) it is the abuse of children and animals.

 
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DSD Reader Report From Ireland

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Wed, 04/15/2009 - 07:55

Editor's Note: DSD reader, Joe Kelly, recently attended Dr. Ian Dunbar's 3-day workshop at Dog Training Ireland and asked if he could submit a blog to share his experiences... here it is:

 
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He Just Couldn’t Stay Away

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Sat, 03/14/2009 - 09:41

About four years ago Dr. Ian Dunbar gave what he thought would probably be his last multi-day seminar in the U.S. He had been doing the lecture circuit for about 25 years and really wanted the opportunity to spend more time at home and to work on projects such as Dog Star Daily and the K9 Games®. It was time to wind down, or so he thought.

 
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Love Letters and Lessons: Part 2

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Sun, 03/08/2009 - 08:48

As promised here are more letters to dogs written by our readers to their canine companions past and present. You can find Part 1 here.

“Dear Dog,
Thank you for always wanting to have walks with me and always enjoying yourself, whatever the weather. Thank you for introducing me to lots of interesting people and for taking me to puppy and training classes so I could start understanding you a little better and your friends that you like to play with. Thank you for also teaching me that you have a language with other dogs that I cannot always understand. So still showing me that I have and always will have lots to learn.”

“Thank you for keeping me grounded to the natural world. You are a minimalist. The basics that you live by are the basics that we humans actually need.”

“Dear Dogs (I have many)

 
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Love Letters and Lessons: Part 1 In A Series

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Sun, 03/01/2009 - 07:47

Last month we asked our readers to share their love of dog with us by answering two questions,  “What have you learned from the dogs in your life?” and “What would you say to your dog if you were to write a letter to him or her? (Assuming dogs could read!)

The response to our survey was overwhelming and insightful (thank you!) and gives a tiny glimpse into the wonderfully complex and beautiful relationship between two very different species that spend their lives together. Below is the first in a series of posts where we share our readers’ responses with you. Enjoy!

 

 
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Three Little (BIG) Things All Dog Owners Should Know

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Fri, 02/27/2009 - 07:32

Many of you may not have had the opportuity to see Dr. Ian Dunbar speak publicly at a seminar as of yet, so we thought we'd give you a little taste. A few months ago he spoke at EG (Entertainment Gathering) where he shared what he believes are the top three important things people should know to live with and train dogs. We here at Dog Star Daily thought it would be a good idea to share the video with you. Enjoy!

 
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Week One, Great Fun!

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Fri, 02/13/2009 - 06:11

More from my mom, who is sharing her adventure of getting a new puppy. – Kelly

 
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Magical Moments, Courtesy Of Dog

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Thu, 02/12/2009 - 08:49

Day in and day out most of us go through the motions of our routine pleasantly enough, even if most experiences aren’t particularly remarkable. On occasion, however, we come across an opportunity to recharge our batteries and get the creative juices flowing in a way that inspires us to up the ante, do more, get excited about what we do and how we do it with renewed vigor.

This weekend was one of those energizing times for me. I just got back from Portland, Oregon area where I participated in a conference called Masters in Behavior that was hosted by the Multnomah County Animal Services and focused on the behavioral aspect of shelter dogs. I felt honored to be a part of such a wonderful group of presenters such as Dr. Amy Marder of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, Dr. Pam Reid of the ASPCA, Bernice Clifford of the amazingly cool Animal Farm Foundation, and Dog Star Daily’s own Dr. Ian Dunbar.

 

Have I Lost My Mind? New Love At An Advanced Age

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Tue, 02/03/2009 - 08:05

The following post is a guest blog by my mother, Mary, who recently opened up to the possibility of getting a new dog. She hasn't had a puppy in about 15 years and thought it would be a good idea to share the experience of her journey as a senior thinking of re-entering the world of canine companionship. – Kelly

 
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Interpretive Dance

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Wed, 01/28/2009 - 08:47

Lots of debate out there about how best to train dogs. Of course there is no one way to train all dogs, or even one way to train one dog. There is no magic formula that will work every time, like clockwork. Dogs are living, breathing, thinking creatures and we form relationships with them, which adds to the dynamic as well. Even the long and well-practiced methods of a seasoned trainer will need adjustments for each individual trainee in each individual context. This is the art of dog training in my opinion and while some people may instinctively be better at it than others, years of practice will help those less naturally inclined, because dog training is also a skill.

 

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