Welcome to Kindred Companions LLC. We thank you for taking the time to visit our site. We are very passionate about pet care and pet training. We are happy to help you with all of your pet care needs.

We provide a wealth of pet care knowledge and assistance, whether it be dog training and behavioral counseling or pet sitting and other pet services.

All of our services are focused on providing a positive, fun, and fulfilling experience for you and your pet. Our training methods are diverse but always the least adversive while still getting the results you want.

The focus and method of our care is on the bond between pet and owner. Too often these days, people are following outdated methods that have no scientific backing but instead do them because they are popular, or they have seen them on TV. We do not subscribe to the "dominance" based dog training theory. We instead follow a positive, owner-pet "bond" based theory.

We follow the school of thought that dogs have been our companions for thousands of years and it is their bond with man that makes them unique. It is that same connection that allows us to feel the companionship we have with them. This bond is not a "pack", it is not based on "dominance"; it is based in trust.

 

Molly Sumner has been caring for animals her entire life. From dogs and cats to exotics and wild animals, Molly has cared for them all.

Molly Sumner received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Drew University. Throughout college, she worked in a pet store, volunteered at a local shelter, and volunteered at The Raptor Trust. Training her own dogs sparked a deep interest in behavior and psychology. After college she continued her education taking courses in veterinary technology, psychology and social work. She continued to work in and manage pet stores while training under various dog trainers in NJ.

Molly eventually moved from managing pet stores to becoming a trainer and presenter of exotic and wild animals. After years of education and hands-on work training dogs, rehabilitating dogs with behavioral issues, and working with and training wild animals, she realized this is her calling.

It was the combination of her background with people, her interest in behavior, and her love of animals that went from a spark, to inspirational explosion. For her, it was not just about the animal she was training or the owner she was teaching; it was the combination of the two. The bond between man and dog, that truely moved her and set her on her course.

Today she continues her passion while sharing her home with 5 dogs (4 purebred Shiba Inus and 1 mix-breed), who she trains for competition obedience, rally, and animal assisted activites. Her home is also usually filled with foster and behavioral rehabilitation cases from local dog rescues.

Certifications, Memberships, & Affiliations:

• AKC CGC & S.T.A.R. Puppy Evaluator
• Education Director for the Frenchtown Riverdogs
• Dog and Handler Team with Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs
• Former Animal Welfare Director and Behavioral Rehabilitator for NYC Shiba Rescue
• Pet CPR and First Aid Certified
• Certified Avian Specialist
• member of the National Shiba Club of America
• member of the Shiba Club of Greater New York
• member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
• member of Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
• member of Doggone Safe
• member of the Performance Canine Association