ABOUT
When we get a new dog, we all have a picture of what our life with that dog will look like.
For some, that picture goes awry.
But no worries if it has, I can help get that picture moving in a better direction.
I won’t just cover up problems with a new behavior, instead I get to the root cause of the problem and address the underlying emotion. I assess what inherently motivates your dog and use those motivations as a foundation for change.
Through training we will establish a clear channel of communication between you and your dog to set boundaries and expectations and achieve that ideal picture you have of life with your dog.
BARK DOG TRAINING
Hello, I'm Sami and this is Ovie.
I have been training dogs since 2020, and obtained certification in 2022. In addition to training dogs, I have been a nurse for 15 years and currently work full time as a dialysis nurse.
My passion for dog training started after I got my puppy, Ovie. I had done my research on the breed and I bought all the "things" and I read all of the books and I searched the internet on how to raise my perfect puppy. All was going well, until Ovie was about 8 months old. She started "overreacting" to the neighbor… and people… and dogs... and despite everything I tried, I wasn't making much, if any progress at all.
I felt like I was failing her...
That's where my search for knowledge and understanding of dog behavior truly began.
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As I began to look for the answers to "fix" my puppy, I was intrigued by the biological and psychological aspects of dog behavior. This is where the foundations of my dog training come from. In 2022, I became a Certified Dog Trainer through the Peninsula School for Dog Trainers!
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Ovie wasn't overreacting. She's a dog that was bred to be extremely sensitive to her environment... smells, sounds, movements. She was just trying to tell me what she needed. We had to learn how to communicate with one another.
Communication is at the core of all relationships, that includes with your dog.
Let me help you learn how to communicate with your dog and build a better relationship to achieve your training goals!
approach to training
"Train the dog in front of you."
Every dog is unique with their own likes, dislikes, emotions, joys, and frustrations. At the core of each training plan, I focus on who your dog is innately and the drives that genetically motivate your dog to achieve a solid foundation for new behaviors.
No two dogs are the same. We will create a training plan specific to your dog and your family to ensure that you and your dog are set up for success in the real world.
"Curiosity not judgment."
To a dog, behavior is not "good" or "bad." The behavior has a purpose for your dog. When approaching training, I always take a look from the dog's point of view. I ask why is the behavior happening? What is rewarding to the dog? How can we change the dog's environment, situation, or response to meet your goal for the behavior? This approach will give you the strongest results for long term behavioral change.
Training Methods
I use scientific, evidence-based methods that have a foundation in innate drives, canine psychology, behavioral science and associative learning processes.
I begin by teaching your dog a language for communication while also tackling their emotions, drive needs, and the frustrations of day to day life.
We implement a management plan and then use research-backed training practices to address any problem behaviors that remain to achieve your training goals.
Food, toys, and praise to build confidence, trust, and engagement are at the core of my training.