Where it all began
When I tell my clients about me, I always say “I am a dog mom first”. I know there are trainers that scoff at the term “dog mom” but to be quite frank, I simply do not care. To many of us, our dogs have loved us, and saved us. They are our companions. We care for them, teach them, share our home with them and love them unconditionally. Our relationships run deep.
I share a similar story to most of my clients. I grew up with dogs, when I was on my own for a few years, I got my first puppy. He was a Newfoundland named Huckleberry Finn. (He’s the sweet brown bear pictured.)
Huckleberry was perfect. I always loved dogs but he started my obsession with Newfoundlands. I knew he was going to be huge so I did some reading and learned a bit about training. The first training tip that stuck with me was to always be consistent. I did not want a 150 lb dog to overpower me so I made sure to be clear with him about our relationship. I certainly was not perfect and to be honest, he was pretty easy. I could take him anywhere, he loved people and dogs. He was everything I needed and more. My next dog was not so easy.
I was so in love with Huckleberry Finn and wanted to share my life with another sweet soul. By this time I had met my husband. He had two dogs he adopted from the shelter. I knew I wanted to adopt my next newfie as well. It took over a year to be chosen for our second Newfoundland, Gruff. We adopted Gruff through a direct rehoming. He was just over 2 years old at the time. I was so happy and felt lucky to be chosen to be his mom. (He’s the sweet boy shown below.)
Not long after, we adopted another newfie named Birdie. Birdie lived on a chain in a dirt hole being bred back to back heats until she almost died. I rehabbed her. She learned how to live inside, play, rest and be a family dog.
When Gruff started having issues with reactivity, I was lost. Like many of my clients, I didn’t see the early signs. Admittedly, I also did not take it very serious. Newfoundlands tend to attract a lot of attention and Gruff was telling me he did not want it. That was something I was not used to given Huckleberry Finn loved everyone.
Gruff’s reactivity progressed and Birdie’s started. I got them haltis, started wearing a fanny pack and began educating myself with all of the free information on the internet I could find. We had some good moments… until we didn’t.
One day as we were walking, someone asked if they could take a picture of the dogs. Not wanting to come off as rude, I said yes. They were about 10 yards away from us and stepped a little closer when Gruff got out of his halti, ripped the leash out of my hand, and charged them while barking. He recalled but about halfway back he turned around and charged them again.
Two days later, on another walk, someone stopped my husband to chat. While I stood off to the side with Gruff, they walked past and attempted to pet Gruff. This was completely unexpected to me and unwanted by Gruff. He jumped up with his mouth open and then I heard his teeth snap together. My heart sank. His reactivity had progressed to an actual bite attempt. With all I was trying, I was missing something. So, I hired a trainer.
That trainer saw my commitment, willingness to learn and desire to understand. She encouraged me to consider a formal education. From there I started paying for courses, practicing new skills with my five dogs, hired Vinnie Somma through Say It Once Dog Training to mentor me and then flew to Idaho to become certified as a behavioral dog trainer through Stephanie Vichinsky & Method K9.
With the education I invested in, as well as patience, consistency, and commitment to follow through, I was able to successfully rehabilitate Gruff’s fear reactivity. He lived the rest of his life loving the people he came in contact with and never had another bite attempt again. Birdie also has been successfully rehabilitated from her reactivity. She now is one of the first helper dogs I bring out during training sessions to help my client’s dogs.
I also have a fourth Newfoundland we added to our pack named Bingley. He taught me a whole new world of lessons and different training challenges in his youth but again through commitment to training, he has shaped into one of the most incredible dogs I have ever had the privilege of sharing my life with.
We have more adopted dogs, a little mix breed named Badger and an English Bulldog named Leroy. We lost 3 dogs in 14 months. Our Australian Cattle Dog mix named Loki, Gruff and Huckleberry Finn. Through it all we continue to foster dogs as well as train the dogs I am called for. My home is now a revolving door for dogs of all different behavioral challenges and my pack is always up for the work of helping new dogs learn.
Why dog training?
In 2010, I just wanted my dream dog.
In 2011, I just wanted my dog to listen to commands.
In 2016, I just wanted my adopted dogs to walk well on a leash.
In 2018, I just wanted my 165 lb Newfoundland to trust me.
In 2019, I just wanted to stop my dogs’ reactivity.
In 2020, I just wanted a mentor to learn from.
In 2021, I just wanted to have my first client.
In 2022, I just wanted to be a certified dog trainer.
In 2023, I just wanted to be a better trainer every day.
In 2026, I just want to continue helping my community.
After achieving each of these goals and shaping what was the beginning of my career, I just want to continue!
I am proud of the way my career has organically grown. It feels as though becoming a dog trainer was always going to happen even when I could not see it. I am grateful for every milestone, and all the people who believed in me along the way. I love my clients and I love their dogs even more.
A common sense approach to balanced training…
There is no standard way to approach dog training. We work to tailor training plans to the individual dog and family’s needs. I find most pet dog owners face issues due to a lack of understanding and proper communication. With my common sense approach to balanced training, we learn to speak the language of our dog- breaking down barriers and building relationship.
We help your dog learn to look to you for guidance and leadership. Teaching “yes” means yes and “no” means no in a very clear way to the dog. All while helping you understand the why behind your dog’s behavior, what the world is like through their eyes, and how they biologically need to be fulfilled.
Dogs are living creatures that think and feel. They are not robots and I will never push unrealistic expectations of such.
My ultimate goal is to empower you as the dog owner to unlock the true potential of your dog so you both can live your best lives together.
In the story above, I mentioned that one of the first valuable pieces of dog training advice I read was to be consistent. Long before I was a professional trainer, I was occasionally asked for dog training advice. I would always tell the person “the key is to be consistent”. When it came time to name my business, I wanted to tie in a pun about the Florida Keys while staying true to my dog training journey. This is where I came up with the business name The Keys To Dog Training. It is more than a name, it is a mantra, a motto and a catchphrase that encompasses what I believe is the foundation to create a healthy, enjoyable relationship with our canine companions.
What are the keys to dog training?
As pet dog owners there are 3 key characteristics we strive to achieve in our dogs:
Confident
Well Mannered
Neutral
We want dogs that can walk into a space without fear, anxiety or feeling stressed- Confident.
We want dogs that are not going to bark, lunge or jump on people or other dogs- Well mannered.
We want dogs that exist in various environments without needing to be the center of it- Neutral.
There are 3 keys as owners we need to contribute to our dog’s training in order to be successful:
Be Patient
Be Consistent
Follow Through
We need to remember you are two different species, both learning, both trying - Patient.
We need to be clear in our communication and leadership in order to avoid confusion- Consistent.
We need to show our dogs there is value and meaning in our language, every time- Follow Through.