HI! I’M JESS.
Several years ago, I moved into my home and was SO excited to get my first dog as an adult. I had dreams of adopting a dog that could go everywhere with me. At this point, Poppy entered my life. She was found in an abandoned house, emaciated, and with a litter of puppies in Cleveland, Ohio. I felt an instant attraction to this dog that needed someone to show her a better life. Poppy was extremely loving, but under socialized, had dog and human reactivity, and would pace around the house and backyard 24/7.
At this point, I began learning everything I could about dog training and rehabilitation. After finding a local balanced trainer to work with, I fell in love with the process of rehabilitating and socializing Poppy, and wanted to help as many dogs, owners, and rescues in the Pittsburgh area as possible.
I believe that there are no bad dogs, just owners that need help learning how to communicate confidently and effectively. My training focuses less on stringent obedience and more on providing dogs with appropriate structure and boundaries, which helps to cultivate a calm state of mind and creates dogs that are able to make their own (good) decisions.
When I’m not training dogs, you can usually find me curled up with a good book, on an adventure with my personal pups, or in the kitchen trying a new recipe.
are you qualified to train my dog?
In addition to working with my pups, foster dogs, and over 100 client dogs, I have dedicated years of my life to learning and understanding canine behavior and seeking out education as often as possible. Here are a few examples of how I’ve grown my professional qualifications over the last few years:
Shadowed a professional trainer in Pittsburgh for six months assisting with group obedience classes, puppy classes, private lessons, and board and trains.
Volunteered at a local animal shelter and I’ve fostered over three dozen dogs in my home.
Attended Train the Trainer (T3), a 7-day, 80-hour, hands-on dog training seminar with three of the best trainers in the country.
Spent a week shadowing Solid K9 Training in Bradenton, FL where they train some of the most aggressive and hard to handle dogs.
Spent a week shadowing Sean O’Shea and his team at Good Dog Training in New Orleans, LA.
Attended a three day seminar hosted by Larry Krohn, Jay Jack, and Joel Silverman in Dallas, TX.
Attended a four-day, all female dog trainer, seminar hosted by Kait Stanowski (Kane9 Dog Training) and Bethany Johnson (Walking Dog Training) in Orlando, FL.
Shadowed Kait Stanowski (Kane9 Dog Training) in Madison, WI.
Attended Solid K9 Training’s 7 day Mastermind Program in Bradenton, FL.
Spent countless hours watching online seminars, videos and courses, and reading as much as I can about dog training and behavior from the greatest in the field.
