Tanya – Founder + President

Professional Credentials

  • Pavlov Dog Training, Founder
  • Pavlov School for Dog Trainers, Founder
  • Trainers’ Tribe (social networking events for Denver trainers), Founder
  • Pavlov Holdings (dog biz real estate), Founder
  • Acro Aviation (flight transport for dogs), Founder

Hello, thank you for taking an interest in dog training!  My name is Tanya Cardwell, founder of Pavlov Dog Training.

My original inspiration for becoming a professional dog trainer began while working at the Colorado Humane Society. During my employment, a clear pattern emerged.  Dogs with behavior issues were the first to be relinquished and the last to be adopted.

With no dog training options, something needed to change. This inspired me to apprentice under several dog trainers at the Dumb Friends League.  After this apprenticeship and stumbling, I accepted a dog trainer position.  It was my responsibility to train dogs who failed their behavior assessment.  Some dogs were enrolled for common issues like jumping.  Other dogs were enrolled for serious issues like dog aggression.  Working seven full years in animal shelters allowed me to work with thousands of dogs.

People working in animal shelters will tell you that the highs are HIGH.  And the lows are LOW.  Nothing competes with the high of watching a dog leave the building with a loving family.  Nothing competes with the low of kissing your failures on the nose, and whispering goodbye as they cross Rainbow Bridge.

Motivated by the latter, it became clear that my skills could save more lives by proactively training family dogs before relinquishment was a serious consideration.

Cue, Pavlov Dog Training!