Steve Karwaski has been around animals his entire life and has turned his attention in recent years to rehabilitating dogs.

His business, Keystone Canine Rehab, offers dog owners the tools and knowledge to be the master of their home without allowing the canine family member to rule the house.

"My approach is you have to establish your dominance over your dog right away, not an aggressive way, you just have to be pack leader from the get-go," he said.

One of the things that sets his approach to dog training apart from other trainers is he comes to the home of the animal. He trains animals and their owners one-on-one. He teaches owner dominance prior to going in to a public setting, which is one of the goals.

"You should be able to go with your dog up Mount Helena," he said.

Another way Karwaski's approach differs is there's not a lot of verbal interaction taking place.

"There's not a lot of talking and treats involved, mostly touching and kisses," said Karwaski.

"You don't want to talk to your dog a lot, but when you do, you want it to mean something," he said. "Actions speak louder than words."

He said he believes handlers' energy flows through the leash in a way, for example giving off how confident owners are with their dog. He says calm energy brings calm submissiveness from your dog.

"The second you're frustrated, it's right out the window," he said. "I really recommend folks getting out and doing this in the morning. It sets the pace for the day. Your dog is looking forward to doing that everyday."

His techniques have helped dogs with phobias, aggression, unwanted behavior, obedience and obsessions. Karwaski says the training is generally one-third focused on the dog and the other two-thirds on the owner.

He works with dogs of all ages, but prefers puppies because it is easier to train from the beginning than re-train bad habits.

Kristene Thomas said she took her 7-month-old puppy Sasha to obedience school twice, neither time proved effective, she said.

"She was a firecracker," Thomas said about her dog before working with Karwaski. "We wanted her to be a well-behaved dog."

Thomas said it wasn't until she found Karwaski that her dog is now able to come in the house and be around her children.

Karwaski has been working with Carolyn King's 1-year-old Saint Bernard, Sarg. King said she has seen a big difference in her large canine since they began working with Karwaski.

Prices range depending on needs, but puppies are the cheapest and biters are the most expensive.

He says getting bit comes with the job.

Karwaski's background began with an associate's degree in wildlife from Penn State. He worked as a zookeeper and also at a wildlife park.

Karwaski moved to Helena in 1991 and started a tree service, which he has owned and operated for the past 15 years.

"My body is telling me to do something different," he said.

The tree service took him to area homes to get estimates exposing him to a lot of dogs.

"Sometimes it looked like a bomb went off in their yards," he said. "Others are prisoners with their dog."

He began his business by working with about 30 clients from his tree service, his neighbors, friends and associates.

Today he has worked with about 125 dogs and usually spends the course of a year with owners and their dogs.

To find out more contact Steve at Keystone Canine Rehab at 475-3658.