When Carol Byrnes, co-owner of Spokane dog training business Diamonds in the Ruff, first entered the world of dog training, rewards-based, positive-reinforcement methods weren’t the norm, she says. 

“When I started out, everyone was issued a choke chain and a six-foot leash,” she says. “That’s the way it was. Everything was very structured.” 

Byrnes began training dogs in the late 1970s at the Lilac City Dog Training Club here, she says. Husband and Diamonds co-owner Dana Byrnes started training at Lilac City in 1989. The two met as sophomores at Shadle Park High School, Carol says, and got married in 1975.

As they gained experience as trainers, the Byrneses traveled to dog training seminars around the Inland Northwest and started meeting trainers who didn’t use choke chains or other forceful methods, Carol says. 

In the early 1990s, the Byrneses got a whippet named Rio. But, when Carol began taking Rio to training, something different happened. 

“I went in the ring with her, set her up, popped the collar, and she completely shut down,” she says. “I went to the side and sat down. The instructor told me if I was going to do anything with (Rio), I’d have to teach her how to take a correction. And I said, ‘Then I don’t want to do this.’ We went home and started (rewards-based) training, and she immediately took to it … and that was the last time I ever yanked on a dog.”

The Byrneses, who’re both certified knowledge-assessed personal dog trainers through the international Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, started Diamonds in 1996 in their home in the Emerson-Garfield area. The business moved into its current 1,150-square-foot space at 2925 N. Monroe about six years ago. 

Prior to opening Diamonds, they trained for another Spokane dog training business, The Family Dog, from 1990 to late 1995. 

In addition to running Diamonds, Carol has been on staff with Spokanimal since it opened in the mid-1980s, she says. She currently does educational programs in schools and a newsletter for the organization. Dana also has a day job with the state of Washington as an information technology specialist, Carol says. 

The Byrneses, whose son Travis also is an instructor at Diamonds, have a staff of 11, including instructors and assistants. Carol says that almost all of the instructors also are certified personal dog trainers. One trainer who recently joined Diamonds will be going for certification this fall, and another is accredited through a different organization, she says. 

“Since anyone can say they’re a dog trainer—it’s not a regulated field—one of our requirements is that they stay up and current in the science of dog behavior and training,” Carol says. “Everybody is going to seminars and pursuing certification if they aren’t (certified) already.”

In keeping with Carol’s experience with Rio, Diamonds uses a positive, rewards-based reinforcement philosophy. It also teaches clicker training, which involves using a small clicker to make a noise when the dog demonstrates a desired behavior. The click is then followed up with a treat or other reward. 

The ultimate goals, Dana says, aren’t only to train the dogs, but also to teach people to understand their dog’s behavior. 

“It’s all very free-form,” he says. “We need to do some training but we’ll have fun too. If your tail isn’t wagging and the dog’s tail isn’t wagging, you’re not doing it right.”

Diamonds takes dog students of all ages. Puppies under 4 ½ months start in the preschool class as soon as a veterinarian gives permission. Puppies 4 ½ to six months of age start in kindergarten, and any dogs older than six months of age begin in what’s called the headstart class. 

“All three of those classes then go into our prep class,” Carol says. “As soon as they graduate (from prep), they have a choice of any of our advanced classes.”

Diamonds offers advanced classes in a variety of topics. For example, one class focuses entirely on calling your dog back to you. Some advanced classes take place outside of the classroom, such as a “tails and trails” hiking class, or a class called “Take It On The Road,” which teaches owners how to keep their dogs from getting distracted on walks. Diamonds also has an introductory agility class, which teaches the beginning stages of leading a dog through an obstacle course. 

The three levels of classes at Diamonds are priced at $90 for the puppy classes, $80 for prep, and $70 for the advanced classes. The school also offers several packages, through which clients can bundle classes with dog behavior lectures or puppy games and confidence sessions. 

Although Diamonds is based in Spokane, Carol says that she and her husband often have students travel here from as far away as Yakima and Leavenworth, Wash., for classes. They also see students from the Palouse area, she says. 

“We’ve had a number of students who have traveled quite a distance to come for classes,” Carol says. 

Having a variety of classes is important, Dana says, because nowadays people are looking for more activities to do with their dogs.  

“It’s not just walking your dog on a leash anymore,” he says. “It’s about what you can do with your dog that’s fun. It’s all about the relationship between you and your dog.”

Besides those who just want to learn basic training, the Byrneses often have people bring dogs to Diamonds to work on more severe behavior issues, Dana says. 

“We’ve had people come back to us and say, “If we hadn’t come to you, we wouldn’t have our dog anymore,” he says. “The ones who make it for me are the ones who are on their last chance. It’s those Princess Leia people—‘Help me, Obi Wan. You’re my only hope.’”

Carol agrees, saying, “We see a lot of people who have been failed by other training methods. There’s no trust between them and the dog anymore. Then we start to see those dogs open up. We start clicker training and those dogs begin to offer behaviors. It’s things like that that make you cry.”

Carol also participates as a trainer for the Pawsitive Dog Prison Training Program.  Kim Imel, an instructor at Diamonds, is the director of that program, which began its ninth session this month. 

Pawsitive, which is run through a partnership between Spokanimal, the Airway Heights Corrections Center and Diamonds, enables offenders to train shelter dogs prior to adoption, under the guidance of professional trainers. The dogs learn basic training through the same force-free, positive methodology used at Diamonds. 

“When I first heard about the program and they asked if I wanted to be involved, I said only as an adviser,” Carol says. “Then we went out on a tour to size up the logistics, and once I was in there and started looking at the potential, and meeting the guys, I changed my mind. I’m addicted. I can’t wait for Thursday. I can’t wait to go to prison!”

The program originally started with just two dogs, she says. Now it usually places eight or nine per 10-week session. 

In 2008, Carol authored a PowerPoint presentation called “What is My Dog Saying?” She followed that up in 2011 with the release of “What is My Dog Saying—at the Dog Park?” and in 2013 with “What is My Cat Saying?”  with a cat behavior specialist. 

She also has put on numerous educational presentations for schools, clubs, and libraries around the Spokane area. She’s also done work for films. In early 2007, Carol’s beagle-and-rat terrier mix, Stanley, was chosen for a role in the Lifetime movie channel production “The Family Holiday.” Stanley was hired again in late 2007 for a movie called “Falling Up,” which filmed in Spokane. 

In the meantime, the Byrneses are considering moving the business to a larger space at some point.

“I would like to have a larger space, but then again, here everyone is within sharing range for questions,” she says. “You get to know the people in your class … it’s a socialization opportunity as much as a learning place.”

Dana agrees that while more space might be nice, the current location has its conveniences. 

“This space is easy to find, it’s close to our house, and to parks that we can take classes to,” he says.