About

About Me

My name is Heather and I have always been surrounded by animals. I started volunteering with rescue dogs in the summer of 2016 and it was there that I met my heart-dog, Bogart. I had no clue what we were getting into when we adopted him! He was filled with pent up energy and was quite rowdy. Needing help, I took him to a group obedience class where he threw a temper tantrum on his first day and refused to do anything but roll around in the grass. By the end of his first 6 weeks he was given the most improved award, and my love of training was born.

Since then I have stepped head first into the world of dog training with a focus on Obedience, Dog Sports, and Behavior Modification. My husband and I foster dogs with behavior issues who need help adjusting to home life. I love helping people and dogs find the communication that they need to thrive together.

The highlight of my time spent training was when Bogart and I appeared on America's Got Talent! It was an amazing opportunity to show off his skills and advocate for Bully Breeds, Rescue Dogs, and Dogs with Disabilities.

I have learned so much from other amazing trainers, and am excited to spread that knowledge. Lets work together to build a lasting relationship between you and your dog. One built on trust, communication, and pawsitivity!

My Training Philosophy

Force Free Fear Free

I believe in force-free and fear free training methods. It is imperative for a dog to feel confident and happy for them to make meaningful progress. I teach Positive Reinforcement, which rewards a dog for doing a behavior we like, Negative Punishment, which removes a dog from the bad behavior or takes away the object they are not allowed to have, and I follow LIMA for reactive dogs. (Explained further below)

The Four D's of Desensitization Training

Distance ~ Duration ~ Difficulty~ Direction

Dogs have what we call a threshold. This is how close a dog can get to, or how long a dog can be around a stimuli that triggers them. (Squirrels, other dogs, doorbells, etc)

Distance - How close a dog can be to a stimuli before they go over threshold.
Duration - How long a dog can be around a stimuli before they go over threshold.
Difficulty - How exciting the stimuli is. Sometimes we can create situations where the stimuli is easier to be around
Direction - Using training, rewards, and redirection to show a dog how they should behave around a stimuli that often triggers them.

Through the 4 D's of desensitization training, we can work together with reactive dogs and help make their world easier for us and them.

My Dogs

Bogart

Bogart is an American Bully mix who lost his leg to cancer at 3 years old. He is now 7 and living life to the fullest. While Bogart is mostly retired, he still has fun at agility trials and has done a few trick performances around town.

In 2020 he was featured on the TV show To The Rescue. And in 2023 we had the amazing opportunity to audition for America's Got Talent!

Benny

We found Benny laying in the middle of the road while we were visiting San Antonio, and after no one claimed him we adopted him! He was a wild and excited dog with energy for days. Training Benny was tough as his attention span only lasted a second when we first started. He has now passed his AKC Canine Good Citizenship, has his AKC Novice and Intermediate Trick Titles, and dabbles in doggy sports.

Juniper

Juniper's mom was our foster dog who came to us surprise pregnant! We whelped the litter and kept the craziest puppy of the bunch. She is one of those dogs who can work all day and keep going.

Juniper loves Agility, Dock Diving, Scent Work, Trick Training, and Frisbee. So far we have our CGC, AKC Novice and Trick Titles, and AKC/NADAC Novice Agility Titles.

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