David Shade is an award-winning dog trainer based in King of Prussia. He served in the Army for four years as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. While serving a tour overseas in Afghanistan, he was awarded The Purple Heart.

When he came back home, he had some emotional and physical wounds that he sought to heal through work and finding his way, but he still wasn’t finding the peace he sought.

He felt one day that he was ready to get a dog. He had always wanted one, and so he brought home a female boxer named Lulu.

He found that the unconditional love of a dog and Lulu’s powerful healing saved his life. Lulu’s love was what Shade needed to move on with his life. And he realized he always wanted to work with dogs and began a dog training company.

“My life was saved by a dog. If I can do right by that and help and save as many dogs as I can, then I will,” Shade said. “Every dog I help train, every owner and family that I work with — if I am bringing a dog to a happy home and keeping that dog out of a shelter, then that is one more dog that I made a difference to. “

He says he began At Attention Dog Training because he was born to help dogs. Bringing his love for dogs and his business acumen to the forefront, Shade found his calling: Keep Happy Dogs in Happy Homes.

Shade then went on to study Biology at Cabrini University, then worked on receiving a certification in dog training from the Catch Canine Trainer Academy. He also became a Fear-Free certified trainer and a member of the Pet Professional Guild.

His methodology is to evaluate the dog depending on the needs of the owners. Does the dog exhibit aggression, fear, chewing, etc. David seeks to get the dog to a calm and peaceful state (and the owners, too) with no anxiety.

With science-based dog training, specific dog signals and psychology to train the dog, the dog will begin to exhibit different behaviors.

Shade applies the skills and abilities he learned within the Army — lessons that are taught every day — to dogs. The skills and values that are taught to the men and women of the military are what he applies to his dog training. By utilizing dog training morally and ethically, then everyone in the family, especially the dog, is going to feel good at the end of the day.

Shade has now branched out into a new arm of training. Due to the pandemic, not everyone can get together with their dog and with Shade in person, so his new company seeks to train dogs and educate people online.

With PupCamp, a simple subscription gives access to a sizeable library of online video courses allowing you to train your dog or puppy in the comfort of your home at your own pace.

Whether you are local to the area and want traditional in-home training through At Attention Dog Training, or you want online course content at an affordable rate, Shade has created programs that work for everyone!

His goal is to give everyone the gift that he shared with Lulu, the dog that saved his life. He believes that the companionship that comes with an animal and the bond that develops from training is priceless.

For more information on David Shade and dog and puppy training classes, reach out to At Attention Dog Training, or Visit PupCamp.com to access his online courses.