Welcome
Our story
It all began with a small, 8 week old rescue puppy. Half German Shepherd, half Collie, she was shaking from fear. I stroked the small spot between her eyes and cooed at her. She looked up at me, with those baby blue puppy eyes that would soon turn golden, took a deep sigh, and melted into my arms. Dakota. It started with her. We became the best of friends and boy did she put up with my antics. I was a photographer and she became my muse. She was always in front of my camera, sitting ever so politely, waiting for me to capture her beautiful image. Dakota eventually learned about 70 different words and tricks. We did agility together. She earned her CGC. She would have been the perfect therapy dog because she was drawn to people. Especially children and the elderly. I used her with puppies that needed an adult dog to be introduced to and I used her with reactive or aggressive dogs that needed a stable, non-reactive dog to work with. Dakota was a rock star. And then came Kaiser, my East German working line German Shepherd. He and I trained for the BH in Schutzhund. We never trialed because he was attacked by a pack of three dogs and had grown reactive to new dogs. I worked with him for years, with a trainer, and I observed what NOT to do with a reactive dog. It horrified me. I knew there had to be a better way. This is what sparked my interest in behavioral cases. That better way happened to come along with Mya, a little black 4 month old German Shepherd puppy that I adopted from the SPCA. I introduced Kaiser and Mya on neutral ground, and kept them both on leashes while in the home. It took three days, but Mya did everything right. She was curious about Kaiser, but didn’t push his boundaries. Then came the third day. Kaiser was in his crate napping and Mya got up from my side and walked over to him. I jumped up to grab her leash but something told me to hold off. She walked into his crate and settled down next to him. Kaiser opened his eyes and picked up his head. He looked at Mya, sighed, and put his head back down. From that moment on the two of them were inseparable. The trainer I had been going to had told me I needed to put Kaiser down because “he had a screw loose”. This proved to me that Kaiser wasn’t broken. He was simply fearful of new dogs and it took him time to realize that Mya wasn’t going to hurt him. Patience, and persistence won his heart. I knew right then and there that there was so much more that I wanted to learn about dog behavior. I had that opportunity when I realized that Mya was exhibiting qualities that could be molded into helpful tasks and I began to train her to be my service dog to mitigate several disabilities. We trained for approximately two years and she served me for several after that until my health improved to where I didn’t need full time assistance anymore. She is now technically retired but every so often she still feels like I need help and goes out of her way to provide it to me. Thank you Mya, I appreciate it. These three pups were known as The FurCrew. Dakota crossed the rainbow bridge a handful of years ago, and now it just doesn’t feel the same without her. But, we carry on, Kaiser, Mya and myself. I thank them every day for what they, and all the other dogs I’ve worked with, have taught me. And I look forward to continuing to learn as I study for my certification and take continuing education courses.
Our Philosophy
Studies have shown that positive reinforcement makes a dog more likely to repeat a behavior. Aversive training—most often used with extremely high drive working and sport dogs—just isn’t required in the pet world, and honestly isn’t really required with K9s or MWDs either. Science has shown that training using positive rewards will give you the results you desire. Training using force-free methods may require more patience, but it results in an animal that is less stressed and promotes a wonderful working relationship between owner and dog. It isn’t a band-aid that is stuck to a wound like with aversives (shock collars, prong collars) — Rather, positive reinforcement works at the core to help resolve your behavioral issues. We use treats. Lots and lots of treats! However, our goal is to not only teach your dog, but to teach you as well. Each week you will be tasked with homework. Dogs live in the moment, so it is up to you to stay consistent each day and continue the lessons we have addressed during our sessions. By capturing behavior that we want and addressing behavior that we don’t want, we are creating that consistency and providing your dog with a routine. This repetition of tasks will eventually bear the fruitful reward of either new behavior or changed behavior. Simply put, dogs learn how to behave appropriately by being rewarded for doing well. That reward may start with treats, but it can evolve to a favorite toy or a pat along your dog's side. Positive reinforcement, also known as force-free training, truly does work.
We subscribe to the force free, do no harm principle. However, we will use halti/head collars and no pull harnesses in very rare instances. As we evaluate each dog individually and address each problem separately, our goal is to stick with as many positive methods as possible. In very rare cases, due to fragility, injury, or disability, we will utilize these tools. However this is only for the short term and will be combined with appropriate positive reinforcement training. We do NOT support the use of shock collars (also known as e-collars or stim collars) as they can cause fear, anxiety, and even aggression in your dog. We also do not support the use of choke or prong collars. These archaic approaches may appear to work, however they are a bandaid that suppresses behavior and does not address the core reasons for your dog’s behavior. We strive to create a solid, positive bond between you and your dog, and these tools hamper and even damage what you have built. If you have any questions about our methods please do not hesitate to contact us!
Hi, I’m Jennifer!
I have a degree in Criminology and a minor in Zoology from N. C. State University. My original goal was to follow the pre-vet curriculum and attend vet school but I switched gears and worked as an investigator and crime scene specialist in law enforcement for 10 years. Prior to that I worked at a dog and cat clinic for 3 years and interned at a large cat rescue facility, where I fell in love with tiger conservation and enrichment. During my time in law enforcement I was always the one called upon if help was needed with animals. That usually meant calming down stressed out dogs, moving horses aside, and getting the occasional snuggle in when I could swing it. I also started a pet photography business and volunteered my time at the local SPCA photographing the “long timers” and those dogs that were most in need of finding a home. Most of the time these were bully-type breeds, some hounds, and the rest were generally mix-breeds. Through my regular photography I was able to work with all different breeds of dogs, with all different kinds of personalities. I also had my own dogs, as you may have read above: Dakota, Kaiser, and Mya. Between the three of them I was introduced to agility, the CGC, trick training, schutzhund/competition style obedience, and service dog work. In October of 2023 I became a Certified Dog Trainer. The course was a year long and extremely comprehensive. I am excited to continue to learn, advance my education, and plan to eventually offer numerous AKC classes and tests.