Balanced, fulfillment-based dog trainer located in Orange County, California
One-on-one customized dog training focused on obedience, behavior, and trust
Immersive training program where your dog learns structure, manners, and balance
Social, structured group classes building obedience, focus, and real-world skills
Safe, structured boarding with enrichment, supervision, and balanced routines
Focused individual training reinforcing commands, confidence, and engagement
Structured walks and playtime promote exercise, stimulation, and good behavior
I am a balanced, fulfillment-based dog trainer located in Orange County, California. I work with all dog breeds of all ages, including puppies. I work with all behaviors and have a lot of experience with reactivity, resource guarding, fear and hyperactivity. I am also comfortable working with aggression cases.
My belief is that we need to meet the genetic and biological needs of your dog first. This includes proper exercise, exploration of their environment and play. Structured play creates an outlet for dogs’ natural behaviors like chasing, stalking, biting, tugging, jumping, barking, growling, etc. Once their needs are met, then we move into teaching more specific behaviors. Structure and boundaries are essential to creating a sense of stability and predictability for our dogs.
I am also a balanced trainer, meaning I utilize positive reinforcement, as well as punishment and correction in my training. I want to give the dog the clearest communication possible, and when we use both positive and negative reinforcement it becomes very clear to the dog what is being asked of them. Clarity creates confident dogs who know what is expected of them. It is our job to build our dogs up through praise, positive reinforcement and doing what they are good at. I also believe that it is our job to teach our dogs how to handle stress. Learning to handle and navigate stress creates resilient and adaptable dogs. My goal is to find the balance and help you identify when your dog needs help and when your dog can be pushed to grow.
My husband and I impulsively agreed to temporarily foster Thunder, a large German Shepherd/Border Collie mix. We were told that he was aggressive and could not live with any other pets. We had just gone into quarantine due to Covid-19, so I was home a lot and thought it could be fun. We had no idea what we were doing and absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Within two weeks, two things were very apparent: one – Thunder was our dog and we were keeping him; and two – he was a total liability and something had to be done.
We found a trainer and worked with her diligently, and after about nine months, Thunder was able to safely be around other dogs. I was blown away by his drastic change and loved the experience of learning how to help him through the things that previously caused him so much stress. We enjoyed the process so much that we decided to do it again. We pulled Zues, a young, hyperactive Australian Cattle Dog/White Swiss Shepherd mix from the back of a trap house. We worked closely with our trainer to go from “he’s ruining my life” to “he’s my dream dog.” Nine months later, I met Lola, who was being fostered by our trainer. She was a highly leash reactive, Staffordshire Terrier/Shar Pei mix. We trained and integrated her into our pack and had an absolute blast.
After about a year, I wanted to keep working with more dogs, but we didn’t have room to adopt any more. We started fostering so that I could practice training different types of dogs while also helping them find homes. I also did volunteer work with rescues, just trying to get more experience. In the spring of 2023, I got my first client and decided to really commit to becoming a professional trainer. Since then, I’ve participated in shadow programs, workshops, group classes and I’m in educational apps every single day in order to expand my understanding and experience.
I love working with dogs to build their confidence and help them become more comfortable in the world around them. I love helping owners build positive relationships with their dogs rooted in effective communication and mutual respect. I love showing dogs and owners that they are capable of so much more than they think.
Behavior modification has become secondary for me. I train my dogs because it is fulfilling for them and it provides them with the most freedom possible. When I meet all of my dogs’ actual mental, emotional and physical needs, the desired behaviors follow. My goal for all of my clients’ dogs is to be off leash trained and able to go anywhere with their owners. The better behaved your dog is, the more a part of your life they can be. Training creates freedom, and dogs are meant to be free.
