Dr. Patti Schaefer owns Canisport Veterinary Services, a holistic canine sports medicine and rehabilitation practice in Western Washington. Dr. Schaefer's workshops on canine sports medicine and performance injuries have been well received throughout the country. She is certified in veterinary acupuncture, as well as animal chiropractic. Dr. Schaefer is a former professional horsewoman, now competing in dog sports, with experience in a variety of other bodywork modalities.

Appointments will be scheduled on the half hour. The 7:30pm time slot is for previously seen clients (dogs) only. 

Scroll down to view the schedule calendar for available time slots.  Appointments can be made in advance.  You can sign up for an appointment by email or call 253-854-9663 with your time preference and we will get back to you with confirmation. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance or you will be charged. A waiting list will be taken if appointments fill up.

Questions for Dr. Patti regarding complicated cases may be emailed to her at or leave a message on her voice mail at (360) 923-5759. Please allow at least 48 hours for her reply.

* Please note the following rules for attending Dr. Patti Schaefer appointments at Family Dog Training Center *

1. Only dogs that have a scheduled appointment with Patti Schaefer are permitted in the facility.  All other dogs must remain in your vehicle.

 2. All dogs, whether or not they are students at Family Dog, are expected to be well-mannered and under control at all times.  If they cannot walk into the facility on a loose leash without displaying aggressive behavior (including barking, lunging, etc.) they must be muzzled and/or carried or crated.   

 3. Dogs must not disrupt classes or disturb other dogs.  That means that you must keep your dog on a short leash and not allow your dog to wander up to others.  They must not be allowed to sniff or bark or growl or lunge.   They must be kept a minimum of ten feet away from all other dogs. In short, do not interrupt classes in progress or allow your dog to disrupt the class. 

 4. Please note that the safety of our students, and our classes, is and will remain our highest priority.   We will not continue hosting Dr. Patti if our classes are disrupted and our students' dogs are threatened.   So, for those reasons, we expect everyone who visits Dr. Patti at Family Dog to follow these guidelines.  If you are unable or unwilling to follow these guidelines, we will ask that you not return to Family Dog and schedule your appointments through the vet clinics in Tacoma and Olympia where Dr. Patti also see clients.

 While these guidelines seem like common sense to most people, and most of Dr. Patti's clients are already mindful and respectful, incidents involving aggression -- including dogs being attacked and injured -- have prompted the need for us to put these rules in writing.   Your cooperation will be appreciated.