STARS IN THE SKY VALLEY: Martha Norwalk's lifelong animal magnetism

Animal behavior expert Martha Norwalk was once called in to advise a couple who had taken on a job as caretakers on a yacht. The problem was they had a very large mastiff that not only took up a lot of floor space when he took his nap, but developed a pattern of attack aggression when awakened. They loved their dog and wanted to keep their job. What to do?

Martha first instructed the couple in the basics of canine behavior, diet, hormonal issues and communication, and then addressed the problem behavior.

After contemplating this very large dog, which was sleeping at that time, she devised a reconditioning strategy.

From a safe distance, she threw a dog treat and hit the dog, waking him. Then she said in a loud and excited voice, "Treat, treat, get the treat,GÇ¥ while pointing to it. The dog's attention was immediately focused on the dog biscuit. By pairing waking from a nap with a treat, the aggressive behavior immediately extinguished.

This is just one example of the hundreds of situations in which Martha has successfully intervened to save a beloved pet from being ousted from its home.

Martha's love of animals goes back to when she was very young. She lived in a city so her menagerie consisted of mostly cats, dogs and birds, though she shared stories of bringing home chameleons from the Puyallup Fair and constructing a habitat. And there was the time she collected 100 garter snakes from a field that her parents allowed her to carry home in huge jugs. Once, she rescued an injured seagull while on vacation at Cannon Beach. It found a home on her balcony until it was strong enough to fly on its own.

This was a time before animal rescue organizations like PAWS and Pasado's were active. Martha's neighbors knew to bring the orphaned or injured to her to be nursed to health. Martha's mother, an animal lover herself, shared in her enthusiasm and contributed to her daughter's efforts. Her father was allergic to animals, so she gives him great credit for putting up with a house full of them. Martha's cat caught a baby bat once, which her father forbade her to keep. This she ignored, hiding it in a shoebox and feeding it with a bottle until it could be released.

In addition to taking riding lessons, the 12-year-old devotee began training her poodle through an obedience class at the YMCA. This launched her life's career as a dog trainer.

At 15, Martha got a job with a local veterinarian, where she worked for 11 years. Her dream was to be a vet, and to that end she planned to enroll in veterinary medicine at Washington State University in Pullman. Unfortunately, she discovered she was allergic to formaldehyde and had to abandon that idea. Instead, she attended the University of Washington for two years before attending the first Vet Tech program offered in the state at Pierce College in Steilacoom. She graduated as one of the first two Vet Techs in Washington.

Martha helped open the first orthopedic veterinary practice in the area and then was invited to manage the office at Green Lake Veterinary Hospital. She remained in the business for nearly 20 years.

In addition to her professional career, Martha developed expertise in dog training and showing. From her first poodle to German shepherds and then golden retrievers, Martha's dogs have been consistent winners in the show ring; one ranked among the top 10 in the country.

As a member of the Washington State Obedience Training Club, Martha began teaching classes, eventually becoming the head of the training program. She later became co-owner of Canine College, which offered classes and training. From her extensive experience, Martha determined that basic obedience training was not enough to address the myriad problem behaviors she observed. She then moved into behavior therapy, learning and creating new ways of solving animal problems.

During the 1980s, she launched Martha's Canine, Feline & All Creature Counseling and began seeing private clients. After moving from Seattle to Monroe, Martha was invited to host an animal talk show on KVI, one of the first talk radio stations in the nation. This was an experiment, but from the first show, the phone lines were full and stayed that way for 10 years. Soon Martha was offered a spot on KOMO and began broadcasting the KOMO Pet Show in January 1995. Martha's next port of call was KKNW AM, where she has hosted Martha Norwalk's Animal World for the past 12 years. Martha interviews guests and takes calls from 9 a.m. to noon every Sunday.

In addition to her private practice and radio show, Martha offers classes in animal communication. Her next class will be held on April 20 and 27 at Natural Pet Pantry in Kirkland. Find out more at www.marthanorwalk.com.