About Me
HI THERE! I’M MICHELE.
I wasn’t always a dog trainer. I have been a massage therapist since 2002. Before that I was a graphic designer. I actually found my way to dog training over a decade after rescuing a 7 month old golden doodle named Stanley. Stanley was the worst dog ever. He could break out of or into anything. He ran away regularly. He stole pizzas, a cheesecake, Stromboli, a rotisserie chicken and ate an entire box of goldfish crackers all while the box was stuck on his
head. He opened every child safety lock in existence to get to our trash so we resorted to keeping it on top of the refrigerator. He had terrible separation and containment anxiety and was a resource guarder. Despite his faults, he was a sweet boy most of the
time and we loved him with all our hearts for 11 years. My time with Stanley taught me 2 things:
1. Bad dogs make for very entertaining stories and 2. I would need to do something very different if I ever were to have a dog again.
In 2017, we decided to welcome a new puppy into our home - Fred, the Tibetan Terrier. This time I reached out to a behavioral dog trainer & worked with her from the time Fred was 8 weeks old. Suddenly everything started to make sense. I learned how dogs communicate with each other. I did every thing she suggested. By the time Fred was 4 months old, he was coming to my massage studio with me & sleeping quietly on a blanket in the room while I worked. He did this for years and still does from time to time when I see massage clients at home. He is by far the best dog we have ever had.
I have had the privilege of working with Fred’s original behavioral trainer & her amazing staff of women. She was my mentor for years and I learned so much from her. A few years ago I became a volunteer with United Disability Services (UDS) as a puppy and dog handler for their service-dog-in-training program. I continue to learn new things from these puppies, trainers and other volunteers.
My training is a combination of techniques learned from my mentors, online sources and daily experiences. I understand that all dogs and owners are unique in their personalities and experiences so I will always do what works best in each situation. I am so excited to help you build strong communication, trust and understanding with your dog…
because dogs are family too!
My training is a combination of techniques learned from my mentors, online sources and daily experiences. I understand that all dogs and owners are unique in their personalities and experiences so I will always do what works best in each situation. I am so excited to help you build strong communication, trust and understanding with your dog…