Where it all started

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I was born and raised in the great northwest. Boise, Idaho to be specific. The spark of inspiration for this career is still up for debate, a good story to ask me about, but for now, we will say it started at around eleven years old when my family brought home a Yellow Lab puppy, Chance. I attended training classes and enjoyed learning how to train him. It completely fascinated me how humans could have this unique relationship with our canine companions.

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It became my dream profession when I began employment at Petco in Boise, Idaho in December of 2006. My official Canine Education Training was through Petco's Certified Dog Trainer Program which after graduating, in 2010, I became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) and Training Mentor for Petco. After that, I continued my education in Canine Behavior online, reading books, attending conferences, watching/listening to videos/podcasts from researchers and other pros in the industry. I worked at, ran training programs and trained new trainers at seven different Petco locations spanning from Idaho to Washington state and finally New York state where I now reside. My employment would voluntarily end, 10 years later, on March 24th of 2017 to open my own business and expand my education and career. In December of 2022, I became a certified Family Dog Mediator®.

 

In August of 2023, I became an instructor for SUNY Cobleskill, Canine Training and Management Bachelors Program. I am incredibly excited to be given this opportunity to teach, learn and grow! 

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I take every opportunity to continue my education with courses, seminars, conferences and more as frequently as possible. I attend the Victoria Stillwell Dog Behavior Conference, Aggression in Dogs Conference and Family Dog Mediation L.E.G.S. Conference yearly. I follow the work of Andrew Hale, Kim Brophey, Alexandra Horowitz, Suzanne Clothier, Michael Shikashio and many more! Research in canine behavior is never-ending and there is always more to learn. I will never stop trying to learn more because I strive to be the best I can be for my clients and my dog.