Tamar Geller is a dog trainer and New York Times bestselling author who developed "the Loved Dog" method of dog training. Known for her innovative methods, enthusiasm, and celebrity clientele such as Oprah, Ben Affleck, Jon Stewart, Ellen, Julianne Hough, Charlize Theron, Brad Paisley, Natalie Portman, and Reese Whitherspoon, Tamar has transformed lives and impacted relationships not only for dogs, but also for the people who love them. Oprah called Tamar “Life coach for dogs and their people.” After serving as an intelligence officer working with the Israeli Special Forces, she dedicated her time to observing wolves in the wild and studying how the parent canines trained their young. By using similar techniques as the wolves, she created a method of training puppies that does not involve aggression, dominance, or choke chains. Tamar’s method goes beyond positive reinforcement as she emphasize building a solid relationship with the dog based on understanding the dog as the individual that s/he is and coaching them through games and fun. She strongly oppose the training methods that want a dog to be submissive. Tamar believes in empowering the dog to be the best s/he could be and the relationship with their pawrent to be the best possible. She is the founder of the first cage-free doggy boarding and day care center in southern California, called The Loved Dog. Her book of the same name teaches dog-owners how to train their dogs in a nonaggressive way. Among other things, Geller works closely with the animal rights organizationsHumane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, PETA, Helen Woodward Animal Center, and various rescue organizations. She conducts speeches and programs for rescue organizations, and has given lectures about her expertise in animal behavior at Cal-Poly University Veterinary school and at Pepperdine University. In addition to advancing the programs of her foundation, Tamar is an in-demand public speaker with her fun “Unleash Your Life” presentation, teaching companies, organizations, parents, and singles how to understand the “other” behavior and how to use that understanding to empower others to build strong relationships and strong teams. She has appeared on various television programs and media outlets, including The Today Show, Oprah, Ellen, Animal Planet, CNN, USA Today, LA Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, Insider, HLN, Fox News, CNN, HGTV, TLC, Bravo, New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, Men's Health, and 20/20.
The Loved Dog
Tamar created The Loved Dog™ method 30 years ago based on the knowledge she acquired as an intelligence officer in the Israeli Special Forces and also from the time she spent observing wolves in the wild. She rejects the popular concept of teaching dogs to obey five commands, and instead teaches dogs essential life skills. Tamar believes the key is to empower them to know how to self regulate and make good decisions, in the same way human toddlers are taught to do the same. Tamar and The Loved Dog™ method builds a relationship based on love and devotion that goes both ways. Learning through fun games, clear communication, mutual respect and fun. Rejecting the painful collars and choke chains that have been common tools of dog trainers for decades, Tamar honors the wisdom and greatness of dogs and educates with kindness and compassion. This is the only training method endorsed by The Humane Society of the United States.
Philanthropy
Driven by her desire to improve the lives of people and animals in need by nurturing the power of dogs’ healing power, Tamar founded The Loved World Foundation by Tamar Geller. With her background as a former intelligence officer in the Israeli Special Forces and understanding first-hand the challenges of being a veteran, she created the Operation Heroes & Hounds™ program. The program was established in 2007 to aid injured members of the United States military suffering from physical and non-visible wounds. She also created “Another Chance for Love” which helps juvenile prisoners develop self-esteem and life skills by lovingly and compassionately coaching the shelter dogs with The Loved Dog™ method.
Published works
Celebrate Your Dog! The Loved Dog Way of Training, 2007