Joel Walton

Joel Walton

Joel successfully served in ten different Enlisted and Officer Grades in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and then to Chief Warrant Officer while serving as an Instructor at the Coast Guard Training Center in Petaluma California. After earning a Bachelors of Science degree at Boston University and serving at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, Joel retired in 1988 as a Lieutenant, with 25 years of active service.

Walton Family Dog Training LLC was founded in 1986. After training families to train their puppy dogs for many years, Joel now restricts his practice to fearful and aggressive behavior cases in the Washington, DC area. He continues to provide classes for aspiring positive dog trainers. Joel and his wife, Janet, live with over twenty five Labrador Retrievers and have retired from breeding.

Joel helped start the Association of Pet Dog Trainers in 1993. He founded and managed the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Email List for seven years. Joel Walton earned Level I certification through the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers, the first national certification for dog trainers in history at Ellenville, NY, on September 28, 2001, his 59th birthday.

Joel’s first two books (both written with Eve Adamson), The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Labrador Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers for Dummies were both best sellers.