The story behind my journey goes beyond my love of dogs, attending the typical dog training classes, or obtaining online certifications: During my lowest point in life, I discovered my love for Ethology; The Science of Animal Behavior. Having had family pets since childhood, I had only been exposed to the harsh, “traditional” training methods, so it fascinated me how science changed the way many a
nimals are trained today.This fascination lead to an opportunity to be selected as an apprentice under the coordinator of a Service Dog Training Program that evaluated, raised, and trained Service Dogs for multiple renowned charitable organizations. Each dog underwent 12 to 24 months of training and upon completion, these highly trained canines got matched and placed with those suffering from various disabilities, including Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, at no cost to the recipient. What started as an interest, quickly became a passion. What began as a 18 month, 6000 hour intensive Animal Training Apprenticeship program led to nearly 7 years of learning, experience, and understanding. I discovered that it takes rigorous training and superior standards to produce a dog that is reliable to assist and be managed by those with limitations. Having an eye for detail advanced me to Senior Trainer. My responsibilities expanded to include evaluating puppies, conducting group classes of up to 15 dog-trainer teams, mentoring new trainers, conducting 1 on 1 sessions, and becoming a behavior specialist for dogs with problem behaviors. Playing a part in the curriculum development furthered my understanding of the latest science based training methodologies. My quest for learning expanded to the world of dog sports, where the highest level of focus, communication and bond are paramount to achieve world class obedience titles. Although, competing personally isn’t of particular interest, I include the latest techniques used to achieve these high level results in my training tool box. In addition to the day to day training and business operations, my current pursuits include certification through the Animal Behavioral College (ABCDT-L2), International Association of Canine Professionals (Certified Dog Trainer-CDT), and attending other continuing education seminars both in person and online. My current credentials include certification as Animal Trainer from the U.S. Department of Labor, Instructor and Evaluator for the American Kennel Club, and Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.
