Rachel Friedman

Bubba-Composite-august-11showtime.jpg

Rachel Friedman has worked with both people and animals since very early childhood. A childhood rich in dog, horse and small critter experiences, Rachel carved an interesting and somewhat meandering but nevertheless meaningful route towards her career in the world of dogs. She has a B.A. in Social Sciences from The University of Michigan, a Master's Degree in Social Work from The University of Pennsylvania, and remains an independently licensed social worker (LISW) in the great State of Ohio. 

Combining her passion for and long experience in working with animals with her extensive social work training and work experience, Rachel became a full time dog trainer in 1999 and founded her company, A Better Pet LLC. Her background makes her uniquely qualified to help clients learn how best to teach their dogs, and thus how best to create a harmonious household. She also consults with social service organizations interested in incorporating animals into their programming and provides that overlapping in the Venn Diagram between Dog Training/Behavior and Social Services.

Her passion and commitment to providing the best training possible -- for all dogs -- resulted in the invention and patented Har-Vest, the first and only combined no pull harness and vest/backpack on the market today. Har-Vest helps bring out the best qualities in dogs -- calms overbearing dogs, instills confidence in overwhelmed dogs -- a 3-in-1 Backpack for Dogs (and there's a version for cats coming soon!).

Rachel currently lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio with her three teenage daughters and an eclectic menagerie of pets and usually a service dog project underfoot. Hard at work on finishing her multi media opus, The Six Pillars of Dog Training Wisdom, Rachel is quite accessible and can best be reached by email: [email protected].

Blog posts by Rachel Friedman

Learning Styles of Dogs

Rachel Friedman  |  Tue, 08/30/2011 - 05:58

I don't intentionally wait until the last minute to get something done. I just fill up the vacuum of time allotted to tasks with additional chores that I somehow convince myself need to get done. A large distraction is the particular fondness I have in a pet and kid friendly house for sucking up prolific dust bunnies. My new cordless dust buster has enabled increased efficiency as I no longer have to plug in, vacuum, unplug, move to another outlet, repeat (although I did try using very long extension cords to increase my path -- trust me, for the purpose of dust bunnies, cordless is the way to go!).

One dog may walk with purpose down a path. Another might meander and sniff along or off the pathway in a zig zag. Both dogs get to the end of the path.

 

Wild Idyll - Idyllwild Arts Academy

Rachel Friedman  |  Thu, 08/18/2011 - 09:05

It's been a wild and wacky summer. There's a nip in the air, a shifting of the sun and back to school ads on the airwaves. I still feel a queasiness at these signs of a back to school feel, even though it's been a very long time since my own enrollment days. For years I have written about the trials and tribulations of balancing the care and nurturing of 3 daughters, a rotating stable of multiple dogs and cats and running my own pet and service dog training business. Not to mention taking an idea and turning it into Har-Vest, a patented product I'm almost as proud of as those aforementioned 3 daughters. But now there are transitions afoot in that same nipping air.

 

International Assistance Dog Week Har-Vest Hurrah

Rachel Friedman  |  Sun, 08/07/2011 - 21:42

It's that time of year again -- International Assistance Dog Week. The week was created to recognize all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs helping individuals mitigate their disability related limitations.

 The goals of IADW are to:

 

Bubba Moves on, Har-Vest Sizzler Special

Rachel Friedman  |  Tue, 07/19/2011 - 22:04

Six months of nurturing, training, reinforcing, encouraging, stifling, socializing, supervising and loving one fluff of a golden puppy service dog in training in a metamorphosis from hapless to hopeful leads me to the eve of her permanent transition into her working home. Bubba moves out tomorrow!!

To celebrate her accomplishments, A Better Pet LLC is pleased to announce the Summer Sizzler Special.

Purchase a Har-Vest or a Har-Vest/Euroleash Special anytime now until midnight tonight (Tuesday, July 20) and get FIFTY PERCENT OFF!!!!

 

Bubbles 8 month review

Rachel Friedman  |  Tue, 07/12/2011 - 21:09

Adolescence summed up in just over a minute. In this video, 12 year old Sophie and 8 month old Bubbles, both in the throes of adolescence, test each other. Note how both check in with "the mama" (i.e., me the videographer) and upon being ignored, are forced to deal with each other. I love how Sophie remains patient and finally gets Bubbles to listen despite what feels like a long line of ignoring. The big reward is a love fest. My favorite is how Sophie gets a hands on feeling of what it's like for a parent to stay true and patient to a child.

Six month review

Three Month Review

 

Made in U.S.A.

Rachel Friedman  |  Sat, 07/02/2011 - 09:12

Holiday weekends often revolve around an extra day off for people with real jobs, weekend getaways or the jumpstart to an anticipated vacation of some duration, family and/or friend get togethers and yes, even specials at your local and online stores. Holidays during summertime also mean BBQ's and long days. In the spirit of the season and the giddy joy I experience playing with dogs all day long and enjoying the great outdoors,  I offer a HOLIDAY HAR-VEST WEEKEND SPECIAL. Not just to celebrate the country's birthday, but the pride I have in not only creating and patenting a unique and wonderful product that helps both dogs and owners in so many ways, but in celebrating this great country by keeping my footprint small manufacturing right here in Cleveland, OH U.S.A.

 

Graduation Season

Rachel Friedman  |  Fri, 06/10/2011 - 11:29

Graduation season is upon us. This week, my oldest graduated from high school (go Zena), my middle from middle school (way to go Callie) and Bubbles graduated from her second round of group training classes. Graduation day for puppy class consists of a modified version of the classic (and now sadly out of print) board game My Dog Can Do That.

 

Bubbles at 6 Months

Rachel Friedman  |  Thu, 05/19/2011 - 07:01

You nurture them. Food, water, exercise. Instruction, structure, guidance. Rest, play and exploration. They grow. If you're consistent, fair, patient and kind, they thrive. Educate, socialize, manage and train. So by six months you have a solid foundation of basic manners in many locations. Sure they test people, what teenager doesn't?

 
pootie pad review

Pootie Pads

Rachel Friedman  |  Tue, 05/10/2011 - 13:46

Lest you think I am exclusive to dogs, think again. Cats rule -- Grace and Tank are useful in helping socialize dogs to their feline brethren. So when I learned about the heavily catnip infused quilted Pootie Pads produced by sisters Ann and Sara Reed of Portland, Oregon, I had to get me some.

 

Calming Signals Language

Rachel Friedman  |  Sun, 05/01/2011 - 19:59

Sent in the non-refundable deposit to The University of Rochester yesterday on behalf of my oldest daughter's entry into university life. Her intended major: American Sign Language. I embrace her interest in learning both a language and a culture that is beautiful to watch and the communication for an estimated half a million people. There are about 75 million dogs in the U.S.

 

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