RAYNE

10-year-old, Treeing Walker Coonhound mix

My heart dog. I adopted Rayne (formerly known as Susu) in May 2016. She is the reason for my incredible passion and pursuit into dog training. Her extreme fear reactivity toward strangers, especially children, and the unknown left me perplexed, and I was not exactly sure how to help her gain her confidence. After all these years, we are still hard at work, but her transformation into the dog that I know today is inspiring. She is the queen of our pack, and she ensures to keep all of those within her rule under control. Her ability to help socialize with nearly all canines and give them the confidence to help them grow themselves is something that I have not seen in another dog before. Rayne is always nearby and ready to pitch in to assist with another’s training, even if she is working on the same task. We also never thought she would earn the privilege of off-leash freedom due to her high prey drive, anxiety in new situations, and reactivity towards people and dogs. However, thanks to consistency, patience, and clear communication with an e-collar,  she can now roam free of a leash. She’s a wonderful example of what training can do to improve your relationship and life with your dog.

HENDRIX

12-year-old, Bloodhound mix

Our favorite land manatee. I adopted Hendrix (formerly known as Bobby) in September 2016 after losing my first dog, Riley, to old age. Rayne became a nervous wreck after his passing, so we needed a friendly, stable dog to help work through her fears. He most definitely fit the bill and more. Like his sister, he is able to interact with dogs who have a hard time making friends with other canines, and he brings a calm presence to training sessions where we are working on reactivity or impulse control. When he is not “hard” at work, you can find him sleeping – here and there and everywhere. It is his favorite activity besides eating food. P.S. His favorite word is “hungry.”

DEACON

7-year-old, American Staffordshire Terrier mix

The itty bitty pitty with a bright future. Deacon (formerly known as Paulie) came to us in September 2017 at eight weeks old. He quickly became my gateway into the world of trick training due to his phenomenal ability to learn new behaviors in record time. He has earned multiple titles for his accomplishments, which has led to his formal name of Deem Me A Piranhabull ATD FASP TGA TKI. I often use him as a demo dog in either my group classes or private sessions. This also gives him the opportunity to refine his training skillset as well. For four years old, he is profoundly mature for his age, but there are glimmers of his adolescence that still hold strong. He is a powerhouse of a player, and when he sets his mind on something (i.e., searching for frogs, playing with ropes hanging from trees), he is absolutely resilient. Like Rayne, he has taught me a tremendous amount about training.

STARK

9-year-old, Doberman Pinscher

A broken-eared Doberdeer with the grace of a fish out of water.

Before Stark came to me in March 2018, he had been in two previous homes, which unfortunately had to part with him for various reasons. I had known him since he was just a puppy, so when he came through the rescue in search of his third home, I could not let him go. He is so extraordinarily different from my other dogs in terms of his drive. He’s “on” almost all the time, and he is always ready to perform whatever behaviors he knows in order to play his favorite game of fetch. If he had it his way, we would play 24 hours a day. He is wicked smart in his own right, but he does not know nearly as many tricks as his brother, Deacon. The two are inseparable, and they can entertain each other for hours with what I affectionately call “gladiator games,” which roughly translates to the roughest and most vocal play imaginable. By the way, Stark is working on some official trick titles as well, but for right now, he is just formally known as The Doberdeer of Winterfell.

TWIG

9-month old, Smooth Collie

Work in progress