Meet Kimberly, founder of For P.E.T.S.
Kimberly Simmons, CDT, is the owner and dog trainer at For P.E.T.S. based in Farmington, New Hampshire. She has been training dogs for over 40 years, starting out by helping to train scent-work police dogs, as well as focusing her early education on Animal Science through the Thompson School at the University of New Hampshire. Due to the punishment based nature of the training community in the early '90s, which Kimberly did not agree with, Kimberly elected to become a Veterinary Technician, training dogs just for friends, family and her own enjoyment. Being a Veterinary Technician gave Kimberly the opportunity to work with hundreds of dogs, increasing her skills and knowledge. When Kimberly began training (in the 1970's) and for much of her adult life, certification for dog trainers was non-existent. Times change and Kimberly is changing with them by obtaining her Certified Dog Trainer Certificate and working on additional certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Kimberly is also taking full advantage of the many continuing education classes now available on the internet.
Kimberly has trained three service dogs for her own use, gaining valuable insight and experience in that specialized area of dog training. She is skilled with anxious dogs and rescue dogs that are having difficulty adjusting to home life.
When Kimberly is not working, she enjoys walking with her 3 Huskies, riding and training her horses, photography, reading, writing, gardening and kayaking.

Education:
Classes Completed at UNH Thompson School: (1991-1992)
-
Anatomy & Physiology of Domestic Animals
-
Small Animal Breeds & Behavior
-
Introduction to Animal Science
-
Small Animal Grooming
-
Fundamentals of Animal Health
-
Small Animal Production Techniques
International College of Canine Studies:
Certified Dog Trainer Certificate
Continuing Education:
Understanding Canine Behavior, Instructor Barbara Hendelman ME.D.
CEU Status:
18 CEU’s from the IAABC.
8 CBCC-KA,
7 CPDT-KA CEU’s from the CCPDT.
Basic Dog Training Skills & Theory Using Positive Methods, Instructor Jan Crary, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator (Prerequisite for the 6 Week Dog Group Class for Trainers)
CEUs:
CCPDT – 15 CEUs
IAABC – 15 CEUs
ABCDT-L2 – 15 CEUs
The 6 Week Dog Group Class for Trainers, Rachel Friedman MSW LISW
CEU Status:
IAABC CEU’s-14.5
CCPDT CEU’s-12
ABCDT-L2 – 12 CEUs
S.A.N.E. Solutions for Challenging Dog Behavior®
Instructor: Kathy Cascade, PT, International Tellington TTouch Instructor
CEU’s:
IAABC-10 CEU’s
CCPDT-8 CEU’s
NADOI-8 CEU’s
ABCDT-L2 – 9 CEUs
Solving Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Instructor: Peggy O. Swagger
CEU Status:
CCPDT – 9 CEUs
IAABC – 10.5 CEUs
NADOI – 9 CEUs
ABCDT-L2 – 9 CEUs
The Distracted Dog
Instructor: Renea L. Dahms Dip CBST, CDTI, RMT
Learning Theory 101
Instructor: Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB
CEU Status:
IAABC-5
CCPDT-5
IACP-5
KPA-5
ABCDT-L2-5
Lessons in Fear and Aggression in Dogs, Instructor Peggy O. Swager
CEUs:
CCPDT-6.5 CPDT-KA; 6.5 CBCC-KA
IAABC-17
NADOI-14
PPAB/PPG-14
ABCDT-L2 – 17 CEUs
Pet First Aid & CPR Instructor: Sheilagh O’Sullivan (2016)
CEU Status:
IAABC – 9 CEUs
CCPDT – 9 CEUs
NADOI – 9 CEUs
ABCDT-L2 – 9 CEUs
Animal First Aid and CPR Certification presented by PetTech (2019)
Service Dog Training Lecture: Self-Control Exercises for Service Dog Candidates Speakers: Dee Ganley, and Barbara Handelman (2 CEU hour webinar)
Dog and Cat Nutrition, instructor Eleanor Kellon, VMD
Doggone Safe Dog Bite Prevention Educator, Presentor, Niki Tudge MBA, PCBC-A, CDBC, CDT
DIFFERENT NEEDS, DIFFERENT BREEDS: Dog Training the Different Breeds
Instructor: Sue Alexander, CPDT-KA, CDBC
CEU Status:
CCPDT- 1.75
IAABC – 1.5
ABCDT-L2 – 1.5 CEUs
Working with Dogs who Guard Food and Other Resources
Speaker: Trish McMillan Loehr, MSc, CDBC, CPDT-KA
CEU’s Available:
2 IAABC CEU’s
2 CCPDT CEU’s
2 ABCDT-L2 CEU’s
2 NADOI CEU’s
2 PPAB/PPG
Public Access Behaviors and Service Dog Ethics
Speaker: Jeanne Hampl (and Barbara Handelman, Moderator)
CEU Status:
2 each for:
IAABC
CCPDT
NADOI
IACP
PPG/PPAB