Manners And More Tucson Dog Training is owned and operated by Tucson dog trainer, Nate Danforth.
As a young boy I was not able to have dogs but the allure of a boy and his dog never left me. I fueled my ideals about the Human-Canine bond through reading books like Old Yeller, Big Red, Stone Fox and Call of the Wild. I watched Rin Tin Tin and Lassie, imagining the day I could have a dog who would be my faithful companion and partner in every adventure. When I got my first dog, in my early teens, I experienced a rude awakening. My dog was not like those in the stories. He had his own agenda and rarely did our interests align. I was never able to go on any adventures with my dog because if I dropped the leash he would be gone in an instant. I quickly learned that humankind's best friend doesn't get that way on his own.
I've spent my time since then learning how to make the dogs in my boyhood stories a reality. I have studied from every method I could get my hands on. In 2002, I began training dogs at my local Animal Shelter in Presque Isle, Maine. I worked with a wide variety of dog types and temperaments there. I left Maine and moved to the southwest and after a short time made a childhood dream come true. I was assigned to the K-9 handler position in my local police department. I continued to broaden my experience base by working with dogs in a wide range of venues like basic pet obedience training and dog sports such as flyball and AKC obedience trials. I have studied with a variety of dog trainers and am never afraid to learn from others who have achieved excellence in their field.
My passion is servicing the Tucson area's pet dog training needs but I continue to compete and train for AKC obedience trials, Schutzhund and French Ringsport. I believe strongly that competition is a great tool to continue to hone and demonstrate my skill as a dog trainer. Being in the ring with my dog is a fulfillment of my boyhood dreams of a dog and his owner off on an adventure and working together as a team.
