MEET OUR DOG TRAINER
TANYA LIM, CPDT-KA®
Based in Denver, Colorado
Tanya is a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA®) with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers® (CCPDT) and has been working with pets professionally since 2013, when she founded Play Pals - a highly-personalized dog walking & cat sitting services company in London and in New York City. Over the past 10+ years, she has acquired extensive experience and knowledge by regularly working with hundreds of clients and their pets, consisting of a wide variety of breeds, personalities, and histories.
When she and her husband decided to move to Denver from New York City at the end of 2018, she used that experience as a dog walker and pet sitter to start building the dog training company that she’s always dreamt of building.
Yes, she wanted to build a dog training company.
And yes, she wanted to train puppies, adult dogs, and provide doggy doula® services to expecting families.
But more than that, she wanted to help dogs and their owners build a relationship built on trust, companionship, and choice through positive reinforcement dog training. This is the methodology that her mentors used, and it was, and continues to be, in complete alignment with her underlying love of dogs and all animals.
That love for dogs has lead Family Pupz into becoming one of the top dog training and doggy doula services in Colorado, being selected for a Best of Denver 2019 award by Westword Magazine, featured on Denver 7 News and Fox 31 Denver, and being chosen as one of Colorado Parent Magazine’s featured selection in the "Unique Services For Pets" section of their April 2019 issue.
At Family Pupz, we are committed to only using the most current, science-based and positive training techniques, which are not only powerful tools to help build strong and lasting dog-parent relationships but also makes our sessions fun and enjoyable for both dog and human clients.
Because we truly believe, training your dog is loving your dog.
Tanya’s Credentials
Certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA®) with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers® (CCPDT)
Certified in Professional Dog Training Skills by the State-Approved Dog Trainer School: CATCH Canine Trainers Academy
Certified in Dog Trainer Foundations by the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior, fundamentals of force-free training and clicker training
Graduate of the Family Paws® Parent Education (FPPE)
OUR TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
More than anything, we believe that training your dog is synonymous with loving your dog.
In our world, training is not optional so it’s vitally important to us to convey that our goal with training is to help build a true relationship between dog and dog parent, rather than one based on ownership, obedience and dominance.
That means that we view training as a way to teach our pupz how to be a good dog in our human world, while simultaneously allowing them to fully be who they are: an endlessly curious, excitable, exuberant, devoted, and playful life companion.
And that means we do everything in our power to help you train your dog in a happy and fun setting so you can build that relationship through the most current, force-free and positive approach to puppy/dog training.
Using a positive reinforcement approach as our main philosophy means that we are teaching & rewarding a certain set of skills and behaviors we’d like to see repeated, while managing, interrupting/redirecting & predicting/preventing the behaviors we do not like.
You will learn how to use food, toy and life rewards to teach your puppy/dog new behaviors and to maintain the skills that your puppy/dog has learned already.
Our goal is to make training fun for both you and your puppy/dog, so that achieving your training goals feels pleasant and easy; no harsh punishment, leash corrections, or special tools required.
MEDIA
Guest Appearance On In Pursuit Of Passion Podcast
I chat with Hamish Hallett, the host of the In Pursuit of Passion Podcast, to share how I got into dog training, my love for learning, how I’ve dealt with some tough cases/clients, what makes a good dog trainer, and so much more!
Guest Appearance on The Dog Training Audio Experience Podcast
I make a guest appearance on The Dog Training Audio Experience, hosted by Erika Gonzalez (CPDT-KA, CCDT, FFCP, CET), the founder of From Dusk Till Dog, to talk about all things PUPPIES!
Shoutout Colorado Interview
Hi Tanya, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
If I had to pinpoint one category – it would be my willingness to take risks, to put myself out there and to embrace change. I find myself saying “yes” to projects that push me out of my comfort zone, making presentations/teaching classes in front of larger audiences than what I am used to and shifting gears when efforts are not bringing in the desirable outcomes.
Increase In Dogs Biting Kids During Pandemic
A recent article showed that Children’s Hospital Colorado’s emergency department saw cases of dogs biting children surge during COVID-19, with nearly three times as many dog bite cases during the spring of 2020…
Guest Appearance on Fox 31 KDVR Denver
I make a guest appearance on Fox 31’s morning show to talk about the work that I do to provide dog training & support for expecting families! 🐶❤️👶🏻
To learn more about our Doggy Doula Service, check out our page here.
Family Pupz on Channel 7 Denver
Whether you are an expectant parent or grandparent, one thing you might not think about before the baby arrives is preparing your dog for the new arrival. That’s where a "doggy doula" can help.
Westword’s Best of Denver 2019: Best Doggy Doula
When you're expecting, you have plenty to think about...but have you considered your pet? Family Pupz has. This LoHi business offers puppy preschool, puppy training and adult dog training, but its real specialty is preparing the entire family — particularly pets — for a blessed event.
Unique Services For Pets: Hire A Doggy Doula
Introducing a newborn into the home can be a stressful event in a dog’s life. That’s where a doggy doula comes in. As a certified dog trainer and founder of Family Pupz in LoHi, Tanya Lim specializes in preparing expecting and new families with dogs for life with a baby or toddler.
Denver Voyage Interview
Tanya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to London when I was 21, and even though I had a degree in economics, I had no idea what I really wanted to do for a living. It took several years of asking and searching to reach the epiphany moment that changed my life!
CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM!
