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I sent my state assemblyman a Email yesterday. He’s very good friends with my town supervisor. who’s been also backing me on this topic. At this point I’m not holding back because I refuse to let this nonsense being pushed by these emotional activists that claim expertise in a topic they know nothing about…
“Dear Assemblyman Beephan,
My name is Kenny Wallace, and I am the owner and operator of Phalanx K9 – Modular Dog Training located in the town of Dover Plains, in the Hamlet of Wingdale, NY. I am writing to you as a small business owner. I have spent the last few years of my career working directly with both working dogs and companion animals, often in high-risk situations involving severe aggression, solidifying bonds and troubleshooting and managing behaviors with owners and their troubled pets or working dogs.
I am urging you to oppose the proposed dog trainer licensing legislation (S7723/A6985). While the stated intent may be to ensure “humane training”, I can assure you it does not, as it is based on emotion and activism, not factual evidence. The reality is that this bill is being driven by a small but persistent group of self-styled “dog behaviorists” who have been lobbying NYS legislators for years to impose bans on legitimate and effective training tools and methodologies — from certain collars to entire training methods.
These proposals are rooted in pseudo-science and emotional ideology rather than proven training practices that I have been using. My own methods are based on applied behavioral analysis and being LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive). This is part of a system known as Foundation Style Dog Training, developed by K9-1 specialized dog training. Through this system, I have learned that it is entirely scientifically factual, safe and humane to use low- to medium-level corrections in a humane way while completing all the prerequisites of building a strong bond and obedience foundation, even with the most extreme cases and circumstances, I have learned through these methods that every single dog and even wolf hybrids in some cases, are all in fact able to be trained.
In other cases like Europe, similarly restrictive, one-size-fits-all legislation has made effective dog training nearly impossible. Such measures create unnecessary bureaucracy, do nothing to improve animal welfare, and place additional burdens on small municipalities that must enforce them — while making it harder for business owners like myself to operate.
The dogs I work with are sometimes on the brink of being euthanized unfairly or surrendered to a shelter, who will typically euthanize anyway due to extreme aggression, dangerous behavior, or genetic predispositions that aren’t fully understood. This is also due to a complete lack of knowledge and experience in understanding dog behavior by SPCAs and shelters to deal with these types of dogs — behavioral issues that cannot always be solved with “positive reinforcement only” or “force free” methods. Once all of the prerequisites of my training methods have been met, sometimes the only way to ensure safety for the dog, people or other animals is to use a variety of tools appropriately and only as needed, such as prong collars, electronic collars, and carefully applied aversive techniques, by teaching the dog how to respond to, escape, and ultimately avoid corrections entirely. Removing these tools and methods from my professional toolkit can literally be the difference between saving a dog’s life and issuing a death sentence. Either through behavior euthanasia or accidental death.
The “force-free” and “positive only” marketing claims used by some trainers and those same lobbyists are misleading and fraudulent. I have personally worked with clients who spent thousands of dollars on such programs, only to have no effect on their dogs’ behavior, worsen to the point of being dangerous or much worse. While most trainers are probably responsible professionals, this bill would punish the entire industry, cripple small businesses, and ultimately lead to more people or animals being hurt of even killed, more dogs being surrendered, injured, killed or euthanized, putting an unnecessary burden on dog owners, taxpayers, dog training professionals, law enforcement and dog control officers that will have to enforce this very unnecessary legislation.
This legislation would:
- Limit owner choice by mandating only one state approved “acceptable” training methodology.
- Place unnecessary licensing and cost burdens on trainers, disproportionately harming small businesses.
- Requiring dog training professionals will have to follow state approved methods that are not effective.
- Reduce the number of trainers equipped to handle serious aggression cases, leading to more dogs being surrendered or euthanized.
- Harm public safety by making it harder to address dangerous behavior in dogs.
I urge you to stand with small business owners, and legitimate working-dog professionals, in opposing S7723/A6985 at all costs. This bill will not improve the quality of dog training in New York — it will only restrict professional expertise, endanger animals, and increase risks to public safety.
Thank you for your time and for your continued support of our community. I would be happy to speak with you directly and share real-world case examples from my work.
Respectfully,
Kenneth Wallace
Owner & Operator – Phalanx K9 – Modular Dog Training
Unofficially:
Town of Dover Police Constabulary,
Investigator / DCO
Note: I did speak with Town of Dover supervisor Rich Yeno on this topic and I have his full support.”
