Doers and Dreamers – Gina Edinger-Carbonari
Many of our previous Doers and Dreamers have been people notably providing value to the community in the form of social services for children, the elderly, or disabled. With approximately 37-47% of American households owning dogs(that’s 70-80 million dogs in total), this week’s Doer and Dreamer is providing services to yet another segment of our community. Harmonious interactions between owners and their dogs, as well as peaceful coexistence between dogs, can benefit even those of us without dogs, with less stressful trips to the Farmers’ Market, hikes on the rail trail, and quiet evenings in the neighborhood. Meet Gina Edinger-Carbonari, who has returned to the Kingston area after serving our country to help maintain order in our canine community.
Name: Gina Edinger-Carbonari
Business: Carbonari’s Canines
Occupation: Certified Dog Trainer and Groomer
Approach that makes me unique:
My philosophy on dog training is rooted in the relationship between a dog and his or her owner. Every relationship is unique, but all require the same thing – good communication. I view each dog as an individual; the “nature” part – breed – and the “nurture” part – experiences – influence behavior, but so does individual personality and temperament.
I use this philosophy to guide owners in developing a better relationship and bond with their dog through training. My sessions are personalized to provide solutions to what the owners are looking for in behavior, which is generally developing good manners, eliminating nuisance or problem behaviors such as jumping, barking, digging, etc., or reducing and/or managing more extreme issues of fear, anxiety, or aggression.
Additionally, all training sessions are conducted in the home or the environment that triggers a behavior, such as the car or other public areas. This provides the most comfortable and natural environment for the dog, allowing for better observation of undesired behaviors to be corrected while also making the training more applicable and a part of the daily routine. Creating daily training opportunities in everyday activities is far more successful than setting aside specific “training time.” It develops greater discipline and consistency for both the human and dog regarding behavior expectations.
I also consider myself a “balanced” trainer, which simply means that I am trained in a variety of methods, techniques, and tools in order to best teach and train. This goes back to each dog being an individual; each dog learns differently, making it important to have different “tools in the toolbox” to be effective. What remains the same for every training program though, is providing plenty of physical exercise, mental stimulation, and good communication.
Originally from: Kingston area; grew up in High Falls and graduated Rondout Valley, but family moved to Kingston in 1988. Kingston address has been residency since.
Brought/Keeps in Kingston: Long family history in Kingston – Edinger on father’s side, Lounsbury on mother’s. (Great-grandfather Edinger was one of the founders of the now-Daily Freeman)
Favorite Hangout: I’m a workaholic, so I rarely have “hangout” time. Really my favorite place would be the Ulster County SPCA…there is always volunteer work to be done there, and I can’t have enough “dog-time” really. Summer is always downtown eating outside, and winter is uptown enjoying heartier fare indoors. I don’t really have one spot – I could name them all and point out what I love about each!
Where to visit not in Kingston: That’s another hard one to limit to one answer. I’ve lived in so many places that I would love to go back to, yet there are so many that I haven’t been to yet that I really look forward to visiting. Savannah is at the top of my list though. Very cool city. Very “Old South” meets modern era. So much history, great climate, an amazing arts and foodie scene, and just very eclectic – oh, and very haunted. You just never know what you’ll experience there.
Something would never guess: I am a retired Marine Corps Officer having served 22 years on active duty, as both enlisted and officer. I served on the Personal Staff of the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, as a Drill Instructor and Senior Drill Instructor, and as a Commanding Officer of several units, including while deployed in Iraq.
