How’d I get here?

After a childhood of goldfish and rabbits, my parents agreed that I could get my first dog…as long as I was willing to train him. I was ten years old. They bought me a book to help guide me, which I read thoroughly while awaiting this labradoodle on a plane from Australia.

When we went to pick him up, and my mom first lifted him from his crate into the backseat of our jeep, he put his head in my lap, and I have never again had to wonder if ‘love at first sight’ is a real thing.

I knew I’d love having a dog—I’ve loved animals passionately my entire life—but was surprised how much fun and actual delight I got from training him.

Twenty years later, burnt out and exhausted and drained by forcing myself to do something I had stopped loving, I found myself wondering, very seriously, what would make me actually like life?

Nothing has come to me as easy as the answer to this question. Dogs. Be with dogs. Work with dogs. Help dogs. And it was just how I’d expected—working with dogs did take a debilitating weight off my shoulders and showed me what it’s like to feel at peace.

What I hadn’t expected was that I’d encounter so many dogs suffering from various forms of anxiety, stress, and even fear.

I found that—through no fault of their own—incredible dog owners with nothing but love and good intentions in their hearts, were inadvertently playing into their dogs’ neurosis and making them worse.

Why?

Simply because nobody teaches us what dogs need to feel satisfied. Plus, so many of us struggle with anxieties of our own, which our dogs pick up on and embody.

They get anxious when they sense we’re anxious, and when we see that they’re anxious, we get anxious, at which point they become more anxious—a vicious cycle neither creature deserves to be trapped in.

So, now I’m here to work with anxious dogs and their anxious humans to cultivate the calm confidence that comes from having all your basic needs met, and your nervous system regulated.

Even those without apparent anxiety—both dogs and humans—will act out and be ‘badly behaved’ when their needs aren’t being met…so let’s meet your dog’s needs, regulate their nervous systems, and watch the magic unfold…

A shorter little about my business and approach:

I am an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT) and behaviorist dedicated to helping your dog achieve the confidence they need to lead a happy and balanced life.

With a passion for animal behavior and a belief in the uniqueness of each dog, I design training sessions to meet the specific needs of your best friend.

Whether you're dealing with basic obedience, behavioral issues, or various forms of anxiety, my goal is to provide you with the tools and confidence to help your dog thrive.