Long Beach Dog Trainer
Wins National Writing Award

Long Beach—On February 11, 2007, at the Dog Writers of America’s (DWAA) annual awards ceremony, Long Beach native and professional dog trainer Terry Long, CPDT, was awarded the prestigious Maxwell award for her article, “Shape for Confidence.” Long’s award-winning article was first published in the March/April 2006 issue of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers’ Chronicle of the Dog, a publication distributed world-wide.

The DWAA writing contest is open to writers, publishers, editors, photographers, and artists whose works depict life with dogs. There are several categories of competition, and the coveted first-place “Maxwell” is awarded in each category. Long was a finalist in two categories: Best Magazine Column for “About Agility” in Dog World, and Best Feature in a Canine Newspaper or Newsletter. “Shape for Confidence” won in the Canine Newspaper or Newsletter category.

Long, who owns DogPACT Training and Behavior Services, is a writer and former managing editor of the Chronicle of the Dog, currently editor of its “On Behavior” column, and writes Dog World magazine’s monthly agility column. During the 10 years she has been in business, Long has worked with hundreds of dogs on everything from puppy manners to aggression to noise-phobias.

“Shape for Confidence” addressed the power of clicker training, a reward-based training technique, to build confidence in fearful dogs. Her article recounted the story of Kippy, a fearful Coton duTulear, a 12-pound fluffy white dog owned by [then] Naples resident Lynn Craig. Craig hired Long to work with both of her dogs, not expecting that Kippy would go very far in training due to her fears. Long fell in love with the little white dog and patiently “shaped” bolder and bolder behaviors until Kippy overcame many of her fears and, to the delight of her owner, became quite a show-off, “saying her prayers,” prancing, dancing, and scooting her way into everyone’s hearts. Long’s article focused on how learning these “tricks” built confidence in a dog others thought would never amount to much. 

DWAA’s Maxwell award is named after the late Maxwell Riddle who was a founding member and former president of DWAA. Riddle wrote The Springer Spaniel in 1939 and wrote a monthly column for Dog World magazine for more than 50 years. He was also the pet columnist for the Cleveland Press from 1938 – 1969.

The DWAA was created on February 13, 1935, in the Westminster Kennel Club’s meeting room in the old Madison Square Garden in New York City. The annual meeting and awards ceremony is held in New York City each year just before the Westminster Kennel Club show. The annual writing contest is meant to encourage quality writing about dogs in all aspects of canine companionship and dog sports (www.dwaa.org).

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