I am certified through the Animal Behavior College and a member of the Pet Professional Guild. In all of the training I offer, the animal's needs come first. Training should employ safety for the animal and the humans. I am trauma and attachment informed. The relationship between humans and dogs was not founded on fear, or force, or pain. It developed out of trust, and an exchange of ability and skill to improve each species lives. As human evolution dramatically changed in the past 100 years, so did our relationship with dogs, and not as you might think. My goal as a trainer is to help you understand what your dog needs from you, and how your dog can contribute to the improvement of your life! I hope to restore some balance to the relationship between pet owners and pets, or working teams! Trust is the key element, and paramount to all else!
As a professional dog trainer with a lifetime of practical experience in many different dog "sports" and "professions" I teach basic social manners, and specialize in behavioral issues like reactivity, feral and semi-feral rehabilitation. I have over 12 years of experience with shelter and rescue dogs with serious behavioral issues. I am experienced in a variety of dog sports and activities, like herding, obedience, rally, disc, stunt, agility, hunter/retriever, tracking, nose/scent work, and lure-coursing. This broad range of experience helps me to apply my knowledge to pretty much anything you would ever want to do with your pet or working companion!
As a professional dog trainer with a lifetime of practical experience in many different dog "sports" and "professions" I teach basic social manners, and specialize in behavioral issues like reactivity, feral and semi-feral rehabilitation. I have over 12 years of experience with shelter and rescue dogs with serious behavioral issues. I am experienced in a variety of dog sports and activities, like herding, obedience, rally, disc, stunt, agility, hunter/retriever, tracking, nose/scent work, and lure-coursing. This broad range of experience helps me to apply my knowledge to pretty much anything you would ever want to do with your pet or working companion!
Nature is cruel, but we don't have to be.
Temple Grandin
Words from Temple Grandin that I wish all dog trainers would live by. I apply this to every situation with animals. every time.
I grew up loving the company of animals more than I did people! As I matured I realized that my special connection with them was not unusual. I was not alone in my passion for other species! But I vowed to do something in life to celebrate that love and to connect with people who shared it.
In 2007 my job was no longer viable and I decided to turn that passion and the experiences I had gained through hobbies with my animals into a profession. I researched schools and settled with the Animal Behavior College for a dog training certification. In 2008, while working at a local veterinary clinic I completed my certification and began professional training. SInce that time, I have worked with hundreds of pet animals through private clients, classes and mainly through shelters and rescues. I founded a small rescue in Carbon County that focuses on unstaffed rural shelters in the county, and feral cat populations in our ranching and rural communities. I am very proud of the successes we have achieved with our placements of stray animals, the work we have done to reduce pet overpopulation, and the connections we have made to help pet owners learn more about improving the quality of life for their furry companions! The experience has also allowed me to connect and form solid friendships with other trainers of many disciplines, and has opened my eyes to so many more possibilities for especially dogs.
My “hobby” experiences with pets and other animals include field hunting, scentwork (using the nose to detect certain things- shed antlers, humans, presence of other species), working cow horse, reining, reined cow horse, team penning, team sorting, trail riding, sheep and cattle dog trialing, and agility. My prior, diverse career experiences involved working with livestock and training scent detection dogs for human searches, and led me to a deeper understanding of body language in other species.
I am always collaborating with trainers of other specialties, as well as those who share my particular passion and interest. I attend clinics, ongoing education seminars, and webinars to further my abilities as a handler and as a trainer and to stay current on behavioral sciences. I am an associate member of the Pet Professional Guild. I study methods from many different trainers, and the webinars and clinics I attend include top trainers and behaviorists from around the world, such as Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Patricia McConnell, Susan Woodard, Grisha Stewart, any more. I have attended herding clinics with Julie Hill, the only woman to win the International Sheepdog Trials and Gordon Watt, also a Supreme Champion, and other top herding clinicians in the US.
My passion for dogs is surpassed only by a passion for horses, especially wild mustangs. I have had the pleasure of working with horses, but my life and my career choices make it difficult for me to have my own. I have ridden for other people, competed on an amateur level in a few disciplines, and as a child and teenager, I was always horseback. My "borrowed" horse, "Jeep" was my best friend, and we shared so much of life together! I love photography, and one day, while out with my camera, driving through the desert, I found a small family band of horses with new foals. I knew they were mustangs. I had seen them before, but with fresh eyes, and a lifetime of memories and experiences, I observed from a very different perspective. I was fascinated. I went back, again and again. I took my little point and shoot camera, and took photos that were not even good, but they recorded the moments. I started learning personalities. A budding interest has turned into a love affair! Now I hope to turn my training knowledge towards mustangs a bit more, and develop there too.
My personal pet right now is Tess, a unique border collie who’s intelligence and versatility never cease to amaze me. She and I enjoy herding, nose-work, tricks. walks, socializing, traveling, and stretching our minds to discover new possibilities together! I enjoy going to the country to visit the wild mustangs and observe their behavior and Tess is always right there with me, seemingly taking it in just like I do. We watch domesticated mustangs with the same keen interest! When I want to learn, she is always ready for more too! If you want to know more about Tess, just ask, but be prepared for some talking because she is my favorite subject!
I grew up loving the company of animals more than I did people! As I matured I realized that my special connection with them was not unusual. I was not alone in my passion for other species! But I vowed to do something in life to celebrate that love and to connect with people who shared it.
In 2007 my job was no longer viable and I decided to turn that passion and the experiences I had gained through hobbies with my animals into a profession. I researched schools and settled with the Animal Behavior College for a dog training certification. In 2008, while working at a local veterinary clinic I completed my certification and began professional training. SInce that time, I have worked with hundreds of pet animals through private clients, classes and mainly through shelters and rescues. I founded a small rescue in Carbon County that focuses on unstaffed rural shelters in the county, and feral cat populations in our ranching and rural communities. I am very proud of the successes we have achieved with our placements of stray animals, the work we have done to reduce pet overpopulation, and the connections we have made to help pet owners learn more about improving the quality of life for their furry companions! The experience has also allowed me to connect and form solid friendships with other trainers of many disciplines, and has opened my eyes to so many more possibilities for especially dogs.
My “hobby” experiences with pets and other animals include field hunting, scentwork (using the nose to detect certain things- shed antlers, humans, presence of other species), working cow horse, reining, reined cow horse, team penning, team sorting, trail riding, sheep and cattle dog trialing, and agility. My prior, diverse career experiences involved working with livestock and training scent detection dogs for human searches, and led me to a deeper understanding of body language in other species.
I am always collaborating with trainers of other specialties, as well as those who share my particular passion and interest. I attend clinics, ongoing education seminars, and webinars to further my abilities as a handler and as a trainer and to stay current on behavioral sciences. I am an associate member of the Pet Professional Guild. I study methods from many different trainers, and the webinars and clinics I attend include top trainers and behaviorists from around the world, such as Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Patricia McConnell, Susan Woodard, Grisha Stewart, any more. I have attended herding clinics with Julie Hill, the only woman to win the International Sheepdog Trials and Gordon Watt, also a Supreme Champion, and other top herding clinicians in the US.
My passion for dogs is surpassed only by a passion for horses, especially wild mustangs. I have had the pleasure of working with horses, but my life and my career choices make it difficult for me to have my own. I have ridden for other people, competed on an amateur level in a few disciplines, and as a child and teenager, I was always horseback. My "borrowed" horse, "Jeep" was my best friend, and we shared so much of life together! I love photography, and one day, while out with my camera, driving through the desert, I found a small family band of horses with new foals. I knew they were mustangs. I had seen them before, but with fresh eyes, and a lifetime of memories and experiences, I observed from a very different perspective. I was fascinated. I went back, again and again. I took my little point and shoot camera, and took photos that were not even good, but they recorded the moments. I started learning personalities. A budding interest has turned into a love affair! Now I hope to turn my training knowledge towards mustangs a bit more, and develop there too.
My personal pet right now is Tess, a unique border collie who’s intelligence and versatility never cease to amaze me. She and I enjoy herding, nose-work, tricks. walks, socializing, traveling, and stretching our minds to discover new possibilities together! I enjoy going to the country to visit the wild mustangs and observe their behavior and Tess is always right there with me, seemingly taking it in just like I do. We watch domesticated mustangs with the same keen interest! When I want to learn, she is always ready for more too! If you want to know more about Tess, just ask, but be prepared for some talking because she is my favorite subject!
Please enjoy the images below from some of my most memorable animal moments!
Click on the image to read the caption.
Click on the image to read the caption.
Photos below are from my other careers or hobbies that included working with animals.
Click on the photo to learn more.
Click on the photo to learn more.