Pet owners referred to Dee Ganley as the "dog whisperer" years before the Animal Planet's Cesar Millan began hosting a show by the same name. Encouraging dog owners to take control, Milan schools humans in the dog pack mindset and teaches them to become the alpha male pack leader in their own homes.

Ganely prefers a softer approach, but her ability to soothe and train dogs is no less remarkable than her television counterpart's.

"I chose not to follow that path," Ganley said. "I didn't like being that alpha person. It just wasn't comfortable for me."

Although she was criticized for it, Ganley followed her instincts and began using reward-based training 20 years ago. She never looked back. Today, Ganley runs a successful training business out of her Andover home that brings dogs and their owners together through positive reinforcement that teaches the animals to make good choices on their own.

"I like to talk about dancing with the dog," she said. "At the beginning, I'm leading. But as time goes on, we're together, and oftentimes the dog is leading.

At one of her regular classes Sunday in the Andover Elementary Middle School, Ganley approached a barking, jumping Doberman pinscher. The dog already had a "calming cap" covering his eyes to prevent him from seeing the handful of other dogs, each with his or her own behavior problems.

The dog wouldn't listen to his owners. But he listened to Ganley, who was able to help him relax, sit on his mat and wait for her instructions.

"If you get frustrated and angry, the dog just gets worse," she said.

Ganley, a certified animal behavior consultant, was trained in the ways of "jerk and pull" punishment training, long considered a standard in the dog training industry. When she switched to reinforcement training, which uses food to reward dogs when they do something right, she was considered a rebel for bucking the "dominance" trend and ignoring the advice of her mentors.

She began to research the science of operative conditioning, which uses reward-based training rather than punishment to correct the dog.

"It turned my stomach when I had to do something like that, because these dogs were my friends," Ganley said. "So I threw away all my choke collars and all those different things, and I just used food."

On Sunday, bags of dog treats lined the stage at the Andover Elementary Middle School, where Ganley runs hour-long group classes every weekend. She also runs classes in Laconia and Lebanon. Classes cost $100 for four weeks, with an extra class usually thrown in for free. Ganley holds classes for small dogs, big dogs and puppies. Some are there to learn behavior basics, like sitting, ignoring trash or food and walking with their owners.

Others have more serious issues, including aggressive behavior.

Ganley holds private consultations in her home and at the homes of her clients. Sometimes, she can break a bad habit within an hour, but usually a consultation will require several follow-up visits.

She offers one package that includes a one-hour private consultation, one follow-up visit, a phone call and e-mail consultation for $150. A $250 package includes one initial consultation, three follow-up visits and a written evaluation and plan for the dog owners.

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