I’ve also always felt a strong and natural connection to dogs, they seemed to like me and I seemed to “get them”. I love getting to know dogs as unique individuals, I’ve always had a passion for understanding and learning their behaviours. Learning what motivates a dog through developing a relationship is my favourite thing in the world, and I truly do learn from every dog I have the opportunity to work with. Prior to working professionally with dogs I would take advantage of any family or friend who had a dog and force them to let me spend hours with their dogs. What we did during that time totally depended on the dog and how it was interacting with me. Some dogs liked to just exist without interaction and would come up to me on their own time, and other dogs liked immediate engagement. After high school I got started on a degree in Psychology and spent a brief period working in Human Resources before realizing that I truly did not suit a desk job. I continued with the Psychology degree and went in search of more fulfilling work. I was lucky to find a local dog daycare and hiking facility that was owned by a dog trainer who took me under her wing and provided me with learning material and hands on experience - from puppy training classes and shadowing private training sessions, to working hands on with 20-30 dogs a day in a daycare and on hikes. I began volunteering in the evenings and on weekends to train dogs and gain more experience. I then geared my education towards a degree in psychology with a focus on learning theory, cognition, and behaviour modification. I’ve also been fortunate to have the opportunity to shadow under different trainers with different methods and have learned so many valuable skills from them. What I have learned from observing hundreds of dogs across many situations is that every single dog and owner are unique individuals, who learn in their own ways and that dog training truly is not one size fits all. With a strong understanding of the scientific methods behind sustainable and compassionate behavioural modification, hands on experience with all types of dogs, and direct observation of how dogs behave and communicate, I strive to help each dog be confident, fulfilled, and truly thrive in the way that is best for them!