About Us
Urban Dawgs, LLC - Red Bank Dog Training is owned and operated by husband and wife team Vyolet and Drayton Michaels. We are committed to providing the resources and support necessary to build lifelong relationships between people and their canine companions. Offering a broad range of educational programs and services, our goal is to help dog owners better understand how their dogs learn and communicate, and how to effectively bridge that communication using proven positive reinforcement training methods.

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Vyolet Sciarappa Michaels, CTC, CPDT
Born and raised in Monmouth County (NJ), Vyolet has worked with dogs professionally for over a decade. In May of 2003, she received her certification in dog training and behavior consulting after having graduated valedictorian with honors from the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, directed by renowned author and dog expert, Jean Donaldson (The Culture Clash and Dogs Are From Neptune). This intensive program, where a class of only ten students trains with the industry’s best dog trainers, has gained a reputation for being "the Harvard for dog trainers". Upon graduating from the Academy, Vyolet and her husband Drayton Michaels opened Urban Dawgs, LLC in Seattle and Vyolet was hired as a head dog trainer at the Humane Society for Seattle/King County.

In the Summer of 2004, Vyolet and Drayton opened Seattle's premier dog training center, where Vyolet taught group dog training classes and hosted a seminar for dog trainers by marine mammal trainer/dog expert, Kathy Sdao. In addition to giving feature presentations on Puppy Training and Clicker Training at the 2004 Seattle Pet Expo held at Seattle Center, Vyolet has also made TV appearances on NorthWest Cable News (NWCN) to discuss various dog training and behavior topics. In August 2005, Vyolet and Drayton Michaels returned to Monmouth County to open Urban Dawgs, LLC dba Red Bank Dog Training in central NJ. In March of 2006, Urban Dawgs was featured on the front page of the Asbury Park Press. Vyolet was also interviewed for inclusion in an article on Separation Anxiety in the AKC Gazette Magazine (in publication since 1889).

Vyolet is a twice certified dog trainer, by both the SFSPCA Academy for Dog Trainers (SFSPCA CTC) and the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT), and has the following professional memberships/affiliations:
- Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
- International Institute for Applied Companion Animal Behavior (IIACAB) Endorsed Professional Dog Trainer
- Associate Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)
- Evaluator for the AKC Canine Good Citizen program (AKC CGC)
- Certified in Canine First Aid/CPR

Vyolet is committed to continuing education and is currently enrolled in the Companion Animal Sciences Institute (CASI) founded and directed by animal behavior expert, James O'Heare. She also continues to study dog training and behavior independently and attends continuing education seminars throughout the country to keep current with the latest dog training methods and techniques.

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Drayton Michaels, CTC
Drayton Michaels has been working with dogs professionally for over 7 years. In May of 2007, he received his certification in dog training and behavior consulting from the SFSPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, directed by world renowned author and dog expert, Jean Donaldson. In addition to his academic studies, Drayton has logged countless volunteer hours with numerous shelters and rescue organizations, helping to foster, rehabilitate and train pit bulls (his favorite breed of dog and perhaps the most misunderstood breed in the world today).

Upon graduating from the Academy, Drayton started a specialty subsidiary of Urban Dawgs called Pit Bull Guru to offer modern, reward-based training and behavior consulting for Pit Bulls and large breed dogs of all ages.

Drayton is currently working on a documentary film, titled, "Judging the Innocent", that sets out to debunk common myths about pit bulls and educate the public on basic care and training needs for pit bull type dogs. The film will feature the best and brightest of the professional dog world and includes interviews with Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar, Janis Bradley, Diane Jessup, Jane Berkey and Kate Fraser of Animal Farm Foundation, Karen Delise, Denise Herman and others.

Drayton continues to study dog training and behavior independently and is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). He is a correspondent for Dog Star Daily and author of the blog, Trainer Tails.

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Vyolet and Drayton Michaels live in Red Bank, NJ with their rescued 9-year old Lab/American Staffordshire Terrier Mix named Mojo and 6-year old Terrier Mix named Keyshia.

Why Urban Dawgs?
Training dogs is not a second job or a hobby for us. It is our life and our love. More than 90% of our customers are referred to us by professionals in the pet care field or come to us by word-of-mouth referrals from other satisfied customers!

Our Methods
Urban Dawgs uses modern training methods based on the scientific principles of animal learning theory. Our highly effective techniques are 100% dog-friendly and taught with an emphasis on trust and cooperation, so you can truly be your dog's best friend!

Positive reinforcement really works and you avoid the negative side effects that can come with using corrections and other aversive techniques. We use the presentation and removal of rewards as motivation to get our dogs to work - just like employers use salary, benefits and bonuses to motivate employees or as parents use privileges to motivate their children. Rewards can be many things, depending on the individual dog. The most obvious is food treats but there are many more possibilities (access to play, walks, door opening services, etc). Almost anything our dogs need and/or want on a daily basis can be used as rewards. Training is incorporated into your everyday life and is enjoyable on both ends of the leash!

Click HERE to read testimonials from colleagues and satisfied clients!