About Us
Ruff to Ready Dog Training
Founded by Amanda Lunsford
Multi-Certified Behavior Consultant and Dog Trainer
About Amanda Lunsford
Amanda grew up in Minnesota and moved to Florida in 2016. Since she was young, she has been passionate about animal behavior. Before opening her business in 2019, she worked in commercial sales and management positions. In 2019 Amanda opened up her business to pursue her lifelong dream of helping humans and dogs live happy lives together. More about her credentials and qualifications are below.
Throughout the years of helping pet dogs and their guardians, Amanda has invested thousands into her education to be able to provide the community options that fit within their resources available. Amanda is an advocate for kind, fair, and clear communication with animals. Animals and humans should work together as a team, as well as constantly learn more about each other.
Currently Amanda is only taking behavioral cases.
Contact Amanda today to see if she is a good fit for your case.
““I think empathy is really important, and I think only when our clever brain and our human heart work together in harmony can we achieve our full potential.””
— Dr. Jane Goodall
Behavior consulting & dog training is not regulated
Most states do not require any sort of background check, education, or regulation for handling pet animals. Unfortunately, this can be a safety risk, because dog owners trust pet professionals’ advice about an animal that is capable of inflicting severe damage on humans.
Ethics & Education
Amanda follows the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She believes continued education and regulations in the animal industry are key factors in order to improve animal welfare.
See Dog Bite Prevention by the American Veterinary Medical Association for more information on the injury dogs can inflict and how to prevent it.
“With over 4.5 million dog bite injuries reported each year in the United States, dog bites continue to be a significant public health concern.1 Children are at high risk for dog bite injury, with many incidents reported at or near a victim’s home.2 The current global pandemic has necessitated virtual learning, and children are spending more time at home. The latest report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the frequency of dog bites reported that 800,000 individuals sought medical attention for a dog-bite injury in 2001.3 These numbers are expected to surge due to stay-at-home guidelines during the current pandemic.”
Scientific Report: “Dogs are more pessimistic if their owners use two or more aversive training methods” by Dr. Rachel A. Casey, Maria Naj-Oleari, Sarah Campbell, Dr. Michael Mendl, and Dr. Emily J. Blackwell
Behavior Modification and Dog Training Methods
Amanda relies on science-based training methods to address the reason for the animal’s behavior. First, Amanda identifies the stressors that cause the behavior problems, then builds a training plan simple enough for the humans to comfortably incorporate into their daily lives. She believes dog training should be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Similarly, she does not believe in heavy use of punishment or fear-based training methods.
Amanda focuses on a team effort involving: the dog, dog guardians, and others involved with the dog. This is so she can offer the best chance of success. Amanda takes a 3 pronged approach when developing a training plan. She will look at the safety, the quality of life for both the humans and the dogs, and the resources that are available within the dog guardians’ time, budget, and lifestyle.
Productive training can’t be accomplished unless the needs of the animal are met – both physically and mentally. Repetitive or aggressive behaviors can be linked to poor animal welfare and a lack of socialization.
Amanda provides behavior consulting in Jacksonville, FL, where she lives with her husband and daughter. She is currently getting her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in order to continue her own education. This (and more) is so that she can provide the best and most up-to-date info to her client. Her end goal is to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of training and behavior modification.
About Tami
Before becoming an Apprentice Trainer for Ruff to Ready Dog Training, Tami Steinle spent over 35 years in the customer service industry. Her 2 boys grew up, then she got involved in animal rescue work. Over the last 10 years, she has fostered over 120 dogs and now serves as Director of a rescue for small dogs, Papillon Pals.
She has hosted many dogs, all with their own personalities. The dogs often needed medical or behavioral rehabilitation. Tami worked with local trainers to provide this. This led her to Amanda, which then became a beautiful friendship and work relationship.
She has seen so many dogs in her rescue due to a lack of training from the previous owners. Once she realized that one training style doesn’t work for every individual dog and situation, she learned different techniques, methods, and when best to use and adjust each one. These skills have been essential to helping the foster dogs, as well as their future guardians.
To further these skills, she has partnered with Amanda to learn, grow, and help others become better pet parents. Her hope is to make training both fun and as stress-free as possible so that her clients can build a strong relationship with their canine companion and enjoy their lives together.
Who she is
One of her favorite quotes is, “She believed she could, so she did.” She is a very “now” person. Because of that, she ran a marathon after her first 3 mile mud run (after never running before). Never having spent a night in the woods by herself, she then hiked the Appalachian Trail for nearly 200 miles. Her husband was always there to cheer her on with any “out there” ideas. He has supported her over the last 20 years…no matter how many dogs she brings home from the shelter.