I decided many years ago that an office job was not for me.  I trained to become a professional pet groomer and had a successful grooming salon up until the birth of my son.  When my son was 4 years old he was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum and I became a stay-at-home mom. As I learned more about autism, therapies and techniques which have shown to be beneficial, I discovered the world of autism service dogs.  This brought us Jorga (as a foster) and then ultimately, Ollie.  I became not only an advocate for autism, but for service dogs in society and schools, all while meeting so many wonderful ‘dog people’ and dogs on that journey.  My son is a teenager now and is building his future… so it is time for me to re-build mine!

Thinking about a career again, after so long, is a little intimadating but I wanted to do something other than grooming.  Still wanting to work with dogs I decided to train as a science-based, force-free dog trainer.  This built on my previous handling experience with dogs and would allow me some flexibility as a single parent.  My focus is on puppy training & socialization (who doesn’t love puppies?), canine enrichment (a dog that is lacking specific enrichment needs can be a dog that gets into all kinds of trouble!) and cooperative care training (also known as husbandry) as that ties directly back to my experiences in grooming. 

There is, in my opinion, nothing that can come close to the incredible bond that can be shared between a human and their dog.  The benefits that come from sharing your life with a dog are endless… some you may not even conciously be aware of.  But this bond is something to be treasured fully as their lives are far too short!