Green Acres Kennel Shop

Don Hanson is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine, where he is also the Director of Behavior Counseling and Training. As a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP), Don also assists pet parents and their dogs and cats with behavioral problems such as separation anxiety and aggression.  A certified evaluator for Therapy Dogs International, Don tests dog and guardian teams who wish to bring canine companionship to nursing homes and hospitals.

A member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) since 1995, in 1998 Don was asked by Dr. Ian Dunbar to serve on the APDT's Education Committee. As a member of that committee, he was one of twenty dog training professionals and behaviorists selected by the APDT to research and develop the first comprehensive written certification examination for pet dog trainers. He became one of the first trainers certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers in September of 2001.

Don is very involved in the pet community. He served on the Bangor Humane Society Board of Directors from 1996 until 2011, and was its President from 1998 through 2003.

In 2001 Don was elected to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Board of Directors. He was elected to a second, three year term on the APDT Board in the fall of 2004. Don served the APDT as Vice President in 2005 and 2006 and President in 2007. In 2009 he was appointed to lead the APDT's new Education committee. He was again elected to the APDT Board of Directors in 2011 and is currently serving as Vice President and chair of the Education Committee.

Don also served on the Maine State Animal Welfare Advisory Council (AWAC), representing licensed kennels, from 2006 through 2011.

Committed to educating others, Don has presented seminars on pet behavior, dog training, pet nutrition and Bach Flower Remedies in Canada, the Caribbean, Japan, and throughout the US. Don has been the host of "The Woof-Meow" show, a weekly radio program on WVOM-FM/WVQM-FM, since 2005. He also writes articles for the DownEast Dog News and other pet related publications.

Continuing education is also very important to Don. On average, he attends 18 days of seminars every year covering topics ranging from training and behavior to holistic and complementary health care for pets and people. In November of 2003, Don completed the coursework necessary to become the first Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP) in the United States.

Don is a certified member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), a professional member of Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), and the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals (AABP), the Pet Care Services Association (PCSA formerly ABKA), and Truly Dog Friendly (TDF).

Don and his wife Paula share their home with 2 dogs and 3 cats; Tikken (a Golden Retriever and retired therapy dog), Dulcie (a Cairn Terrier), Batman (a domestic short haired cat) and Thelma and Louise (the Green Acres two domestic short haired cats and official mouse patrol).