Oprah calls Tamar Geller a life coach for dogs – and their people. It's a title the trainer wears with pride.
"I really love it," Geller tells PEOPLEPets.com. "It's an honor."
For Geller, who developed the trademarked Loved Dog Method and who has written a new book called 30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog, having well-behaved pets is all about respecting the animals.
"I want you to empower your dog the way you empower your children, the way you empower your spouse, the way you yourself like to be empowered," she says.
Her approach is an extension of her background. Geller was born and raised in Israel, where she says she had a tough childhood in an abusive household. The experience made her want to become a child psychologist, so she could "help kids speak up and feel good about themselves."
But first she became an intelligence officer in the Israeli Army Special Forces, and had an opportunity to study wolves in the wild. That experience eventually led her to a career as a dog trainer.
"In the wild, wolves are proactive with the way they raise their cubs, and teach the young cubs through games. Everything I saw the wolves doing, I tried with my dogs," she says. "I also took from my knowledge of child psychology and made everything very simple."
Once she moved to the U.S., Geller was asked to help someone whose cocker spaniel was stealing socks. "His name was Kenny G," she says. From there, she met Nicolette Sheridan, who introduced her to Oprah. While her famous clients helped her launch a successful career, Geller believes the true success is in her method.
"The dog is your willing partner," she says. "People are way better dog coaches than they give themselves credit for [being]. They just need to stop and think about it."
Read more about pet behavior on PEOPLEPets.com:
Ask Ethel: Help! My Cat Is a Bully
Ask Ethel: My Two Dogs Are Destroying My House!
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