About the Trainer

Keith Dorans, Owner/Trainer
CPDT, APDT, IAABC, IPDTA

Keith has always been a dog lover, and he found his niche in the field of dog training, almost by accident, several years ago. Already the owner of two dogs, he and wife Lisa Marie’s decision to add a third proved to be a truly life altering experience. Bringing Holly, an eight week old Pomeranian, home for the first time made it crystal clear that his two older dogs were somewhat undisciplined.  The decision to properly train Holly was one that ultimately changed his life.

After researching local trainers and obedience facilities he decided on Sit, Stay, Play in Union, NJ.  The head trainer there was Eleasha Gall and her credentials were no less than impressive.  He took his newest puppy for a three week intensive training program they offered and was amazed with how quickly she learned from the “positive reinforcement” tactics.  Holly soon became a regular in Sit, Stay, Play’s daycare program and her behaviors grew more solid as time passed.  Within a few months of joining Sit, Stay, Play, Keith was presented the opportunity to buy the business from Eleasha, he jumped at the chance. And so was born The Paw Pad.

Becoming a business owner, in addition to changing careers after many years, is no small undertaking.  But Keith immediately began an apprenticeship under Eleasha, learning as much as could from her numerous years of experience.  He spent the next few years taking courses and earning credits towards becoming a certified dog trainer.  After successfully completing both level one and level two Pat Miller Academy courses, volunteering countless hours training at local shelters, doing numerous private sessions, and teaching alongside Eleasha in the abundance of levels group classes offered at The Paw Pad, Keith felt he was ready to take the highly acclaimed CPDT-KA test for dog trainers.  Keith was one of just nine trainers who successfully passed the CPDT-KA test in 2010!

His love of dogs shows not only through his dedication to making himself the best trainer he can be, but also in his involvement with helping the community improve the human/canine relationships they share.  The Paw Pad, under Keith’s supervision, offers programs, free of charge, to local youth groups such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and similar programs, inviting the kids to come in and learn about Safe Pet Relationships. These presentations are offered at his facility or off-site and are held with and with-out dog presence.  In addition, Keith has worked with local Animal Shelters offering free training class opportunity to all newly adoptive families – another effort in helping people strengthen the bond between them and their dog!

As his experience grows, so does his desire to learn more.  Keith continues to try to attend classes and seminars that will keep him keep up to date on all of the latest behavior and training theories and practices.  Keith loves helping people and their dogs and he plans to continue to work with them both for many years to come through training and volunteering.