FAQs
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I begin with a 1 hour consultation where I meet the dog and it's family and assess their training knowledge, the dog's behavior and temperament, and discuss their training goals where we will then decide which of my training programs will suit their dog's and their family's needs. Each training program will consist of a treatment plan specifically designed for their training needs.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I completed the Animal Behavior College dog training course in 2013 and have continued my education by field work, fostering rescue dogs, attending seminars, webinars, completing online continuing education programs, and self studying with books and research. I belong to many different online training groups and I am a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
Compassion: the feeling of empathy for others; the emotion that we feel in response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help. Compassion is the emotion that drives me..... When I was younger, I put others before myself. As I grew wiser through the years, I learned there was a balance where I could care for myself as well as others. Today, I care for not only myself and the people around me but I’ve also taken on the most enlightening responsibility; helping others care for our less fortunate canine companions who are greatly misunderstood. I grew up sharing a household with a variety of living creatures ranging from fish to iguanas, hamsters to rabbits, and birds to dogs, but my greatest revelation came when I rescued my first shelter dog Patty. She was a pit bull/lab mixed breed rescued from Georgia; what her life consisted of previously is still a mystery. Her and her siblings were transported to NH together to be put up for adoption. I fostered her brother before I took her in. Once he found a permanent home, Patty was the last of her litter to be left without a family. With the new emptiness in our home, Patty became our new foster who ultimately never left. She fit into our family like the final piece to a puzzle. Patty was a great puppy even with the mysterious six months prior that were now part of her past; I couldn’t have asked for a better companion. Full of fear and shyness, jumping and hiding at every new sound, tail tucked with every new face, she was a lost soul with such a warm heart hidden by that fear. With some obedience and a little help on our relationship with each other, as well as some work on helping her overcome her fears, she has come a very long way to become the happy dog she is today. She’s a new dog, a happy girl, who loves to run and play while meeting other dogs and their human companions. I wouldn’t have ever imagined any dog could have such a turnaround of behavior. Patty enlightened me on what canines are capable of with a little time, patience, love, & training. With that newly acquired knowledge I decided to learn more about their minds, their behavior, and how to understand and work with them thus pursuing becoming a dog trainer. With the proper education, I am now able to help build the relationships between man and canine which allows me to provide customized training solutions for a multitude of situations. I am able to help others understand the canine mind and body language and teach them how to understand and communicate with their dog so they too can help their four-legged companion gain self confidence and structure through obedience training and overcome unwanted behaviors to create a more relaxed and enjoyable home for everyone.