Jane Masterson

Jane Masterson has been training and walking dogs for 8 years. She worked as an assistant in the beginning dog training class at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club from 1999-2002. This was a traditional class using physical corrections, such as jerks on a choke chain. Jane did not like this part of the training, so in 2002 she began to work at Call of the Wild School for Dogs. She worked there until 2004, first in daycare, and later in training. At Call of the Wild she learned Chris Bach's "The Third Way" method, which she loves. She also draws on the work of Turid Rugaas, Sue Ailsby, Pamela Dennison, Ian Dunbar, Leslie Nelson and Suzanne Clothier in her classes and private lessons.

Jane has always loved animals and studied animal behavior with Penny Ficken as an undergraduate. As a graduate student, she studied evolutionary biology under David Jablonski. After she finished her degree, she taught courses in evolution, genetics and behavior as an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago, Columbia College and Northwestern University. She decided to switch to full-time dog training after discussing with her NatSci 105 students in the fall of 2004 how lucky Irene Pepperberg was (see article about Pepperberg's work under links) because she got to work with animals all day long! Jane's homelife is currently enriched by one dog, two cats and three birds.

Jane has certified 4 of her walking dogs as therapy dogs through therapy dog international . Three of the these dogs also took and passed the test with their human companion. Jane also enjoys working the Sue Ailsby levels and taking agility and tracking classes.