ABOUT
Sean Miller
CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, FDM
I am an experienced and certified dog trainer and canine behavior consultant in West Lost Angeles with a passion for helping dogs and their owners achieve their personal goals. I have trained dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages, and am dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest science-based training techniques and research.
I am a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine- Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA), and a L.E.G.S Family Dog Mediator (FDM).
I live in West LA with my wonderful wife Raquel, my two dogs, Potato and Finn, and my cat, Toothless. In my free time I enjoy taking my dogs out to enjoy nature. Just like my clients, my dogs are still in training. When we first rescued Finn, he was highly reactive and impulsive. Taking him out for a walk was impossible for months after he left the shelter, but years later, he is living his best life, and is a pleasure to spend time with. While Potato has made tremendous progress, he still struggles with dog reactivity and stranger danger. He continues to make improvements every day.
WHY “WILLFUL”?
Most good dog trainers generally try to avoid using unhelpful labels in favor of more descriptive language. Labels like “naughty”, “stubborn”, “aggressive”, or “willful” don’t actually tell us much about what specific behaviors are being exhibited.
What does willful mean?
Obstinate, self-determined, headstrong, or disobedient.
So why did you name your company that?
Call me crazy, but I think dogs deserve to have some self-determination. They’re held captive against their will, held to the standards of a human society, and often they are given virtually zero autonomy. While it can be frustrating when you and your dog aren’t on the same page, I believe that dogs deserve to be understood. One of my favorite things about working with “willful” dogs is that they make it very clear what they want. When I know what a dog wants, it’s so much simpler to teach them. I love to help dogs make the transition from willful to willing.
*(Also my legal first name is William, and I thought that was kind of clever.)