Park Cities Obedience School Marks 40 Year Anniversary

Clients have included some of DFW’s most colorful and famous families

DALLAS, May 13, 2013 – Park Cities Obedience School (www.parkcitiesobedienceschool.com), a leading provider of dog training, dog daycare and dog boarding services for families throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area, this month is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Owner Phil Marr established his training business in 1973, when the Watergate scandal captivated the country, drive-in theaters featured American Graffiti, and sideburns and bellbottoms were groovy.

“It was a different time and the training techniques were frankly heavy handed and not very good,” said Marr. “I recognized there was an opportunity to train dogs differently – using behavior modification techniques that I learned in school, which relied on love and encouragement instead of force. Dogs and their owners loved it and the rest, as they say, is history!”

Over the decades, Park Cities Obedience School has trained thousands of dogs of all shapes, sizes and even ages. Marr says the adage that you can’t teach an older dog is completely false. All dogs love to please their owners, which is at the heart of Marr’s training philosophy – showing the dog what you to do and rewarding them for doing the right things.

It is a philosophy that has earned the trust of many of DFW’s most colorful and famous families, including business leaders such as T. Boone Pickens, Trisha Wilson, Nelson Bunker Hunt, and Rusty and Dee Dee Rose, and sports stars such as Mike Modano and David Feherty, among countless others.

“The greatest joy I have derived over the past 40 years has been to see dog owners, many of whom come to us pretty frustrated with their pet, completely change their attitude and appreciate how wonderful having a well-behaved companion can be,” said Marr. “My advice is to be politely insistent with your dog, use your normal tone of voice and show them love and affection as a reward. You’ll end up with an amazing relationship.”

Over time, Park Cities Obedience School has expanded its services to cater to the changing needs of dog owners. Their Board-and-Train program was introduced when job demands became so exhausting that many dog owners lacked the time, energy or desire to train their own dog in a group dog training class or private dog training lessons. The two-week-long program keeps the dogs overnight, and during the day they participate in a training regimen administered by each of Park Cities Obedience School’s animal behavior experts.

Marr introduced dog daycare when people started feeling guilty about leaving their pets home alone while they worked.

“Dogs didn’t change, but people continue to change. Kids and their parents spend a great deal of time focused on their electronic devices rather than being active and engaging with their pet, so allowing the dog to spend the day socializing with other dogs is a great way to keep them active and happy,” Marr said. 
Asked about the biggest lesson he has learned over the 40 years, Marr says it’s that they aren’t in the business of training dogs at all – they train dog owners.

About Park Cities Obedience School

Park Cities Obedience School & Dog Daycare is a full service pet obedience training, dog boarding and doggie day care facility. Family owned and operated, it has been helping families who live or work in Highland Park, University Park and North Dallas train and care for their dogs for decades. For more information, visit www.parkcitiesobedienceschool.com.