| | | | The Man
Ian's early years.
Ian Circa 1972  | Dr. Ian Dunbar grew up on a farm just north of London, in a little village called Cupid Green. He grew up with dogs, cows, and his imagination to keep him company. In his teens he traveled to Africa with friends for a bit of adventure. Upon his return he attended the Royal Veterinary College (London University), where he received his veterinary degree and a Special Honours degree in Physiology and Biochemistry. Ian later went back to Africa with the RVC to research the transmission of trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) by other (non TseTse) biting flies. It was during his time in Uganda that Ian pondered what he wanted to do after vet school. He thought of his favorite things - dogs, cows, behavior, obstetrics and good weather and eventually came up with the plan to apply for doctoral work with the renowned Behaviorist, Dr. Frank Beach at the University of California, Berkeley to continue his academic path studying dog behavior. We're sure glad that he did! While studying dog behavior at UCB, Ian encountered Sirius, a bellicose Beagle pup, that bullied all of the rest on a one-on-one basis, even pups from older litters were mincemeat when left alone with this bully Beagle. However, when Sirius was integrated into the entire pack, 12 adult dogs and 3 litters (of which his litter was the youngest) he turned into a different dog. Ian observed Sirius' transformation from a pushy pup into a mid-ranking, low-profile kind of guy. Ah, the power of the pack! Ian deduced that it is easy to bully on an individual basis, however, once in a group setting, obnoxious behavior simply would not be tolerated. This seemed to be how packs keep the peace, how young pups learn to behave in a socially acceptable manner, and why early temperament training is so important to developing well-rounded, social, adult dogs. This is how SIRIUS® Puppy Training was conceived. Ian spent the next thirty years of his life devoted to teaching pups and telling the world about the importance of early socialization and training in puppies. Throughout his career he has accomplished much, too many things to list here. If you'd like to know more check out his full bio. |
The Mission
Then & Now
 Over the years Ian's mission has been the same at the core, but of course it's also evolved over time. Years ago, few considered the differences between dog-pros training a dog for obedience competition and other high-end dog sports, and the needs of a family - training a dog to have household manners and be as socially/physically bomb-proof as possible. To fill this void Ian developed both puppy training classes and the idea of pet dog training. Today Ian's on a different mission. He wants to improve the off-leash reliability of pet dogs by teaching people how to cast away all crutches, i.e., to phase out the need of all tools in training while simultaneously improving the dog's performance. Without a doubt, his lure/reward training techniques are the quickest and easiest way to teach off-leash, distance verbal control without the continued need for food and toys, lures and rewards, clicks and treats, or collars and leashes. |
The Method
Continuing Education & Fun
 Education has always been one of Ian's passions as is obvious by his double doctoral degrees, the development of his SIRIUS® Puppy & Dog Training school, and his founding of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, now the largest educational organization for dog trainers worldwide. But his passion is talking to people directly. He's arranged a two-year, spring and fall seminar series, will be speaking at various events, and participates in a weekly podcast with his wife, Kelly Gorman Dunbar and his son Jamie. Of course, also there is a wealth of video, articles, blogs, and our very own Dog Star Daily Training Textbook too. All these wonderful ways to share information because Ian's ultimate mission is to educate people about the prevention of behavior, temperament and training problems and to teach people how to teach their dogs the basic manners they'll need to remain happily in their homes and out of shelters. |
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