I have been drawn to dogs my whole life. As an empathetic person, I found comfort in our canine companions. I was that geeky kid who presented dog information to family members and ate dog treats because if dogs liked them then they MUST be good.
Fast forward a few years and a couple dog biscuits later, at the age of 12 I saved up all my money to purchase my first dog. She grew up alongside me until I was 26. Losing her drove me to explore my passion in the canine world. I struggled like most people do and was having trouble finding ways to turn my grief into something that memorialized her. I did some research and decided to foster dogs. I used this as an opportunity to use positive reinforcement techniques as a way to give these pups the skills they needed to be successful in their forever homes. I often ended up teaching their new parents various training skills – I fell in love with this process and wanted to do more.
Until volunteering with BabyDog and Tomey K9, I struggled to find ways that I could combine my love for collaborative learning and my passion for animal welfare. Volunteering only solidified my passion for strengthening human-dog relationships.
Being a part of the BabyDog and Tomey K9 team has allowed me to devote my skills to improving my clients’ relationships with their own dogs. My training technique is rooted in compassion, respect and science-based theories. I work with my clients to reach achievable goals that will make you feel confident in your ability to navigate the world with your pup.
I have completed my Masters of Sustainability in Human-Wildlife Management, specifically focusing on compassionate conservation, and attained a training certification from the Karen Pryor Academy before my hands on training with the BabyDog team.
Currently I have one dog. Sweets came into my care in September of 2022. She was true to her husky breed – loving, social and a little wild. After months of training together, adventures, snuggles, and failed adoption attempts, it was clear that Sweets was meant to stay exactly where she was. She’s challenged me to be a more consistent, compassionate and reflective trainer, and I’m forever thankful for that.