I fostered my love for working with animals early on as a “puppy raiser” for Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan. But, my passion for animals doesn’t just include dogs. Horses have been a part of my life since childhood. I currently share my home, life, and bank account with 2 pups, Stryker and Lucy, along with my horse, Calvin. I’ve also had over 25 foster dogs of all ages since the fall of 2021. I decided to formally start my dog training endeavors after my Golden Retriever, Lucy (who suffers from too much joy) and I, began exploring the world of Nose Work! Professionally working with dogs has always been a dream, and after serving the US Army and establishing my career as a high school math teacher I am finally able to turn that dream into a reality. I am a graduate of the CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and achieved my Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) certification in 2022. Being a veteran myself, who knows the healing power of animals, my ultimate goal is to help other veterans benefit from therapy and service dogs. On my journey to this goal, I noticed a great need for healthy, well-bred dogs that have gone through the proper health and temperament testing and have been worked with since birth in a way to give them the best chance of successfully becoming service or therapy dogs. Many veterans sit on waiting lists to receive a service dog for years…. I quickly learned that training service dogs wouldn’t be enough and we also needed to contribute to the working dog candidates. That need brought us to where we are now, expecting our first litter the week of November 8th. I’m looking forward to sharing all aspects of our journey. Stay tuned!
