“The good man is the friend of all living things”

–attributed to Mahatma Gandhi

Julia and her dog, Stevie

Hello, we're Julia and Stevie, the human and the dog behind Unleashing Kindness.

I’m a seasoned creative professional with almost 3 decades of experience in advertising and marketing who decided to turn her energy toward matters of the heart.

A lifelong animal lover, it wasn't until my Bordoodle girl Stevie joined our family that I realized I'd had the whole dog training thing backward.

What must come before training—in fact before any learning can take place—is a relationship built on psychological safety. Once you get there together, cooperation follows naturally.

I realized there’s a kinder, calmer, and more ethical way to live with dogs, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Dog with black, white, and gray fur peeking from behind a white wall, standing on wooden flooring next to a wooden cabinet and a tiled floor.

Understanding first, then training can Follow.

Behavior modification methods have their place in my work. But they come second, not first.

Stress and discomfort inhibit learning. Choice and agency build confidence and trust. When we understand what our dogs are telling us, a whole new world opens up.

I work with guardians who want to understand their dog as the emotional, intelligent individual they are. Rather than correcting behavior after it happens, we look at what's causing it.

Dogs don't need to be fixed. They need to feel safe and understood, and that starts with learning their language.

A person with long brown hair, wearing a pinkish-brown sweater and teal pants, is sitting on green grass with a dog laying beside her. The dog is gray and black with a fluffy coat. There is a colorful plush toy nearby on the grass.

Real teamwork starts with Mutual understanding.

It's a partnership, not a hierarchy. I help you help your dog. You help me help you and your dog. Your dog helps both of us help them. When all three of us understand each other, change becomes surprisingly natural.

Resistance Is Communication, And It Needs To Be Respected. Pulling, barking, freezing, avoiding, these aren't signs of stubbornness. They're forms of communication. Guilt, frustration, overwhelm, and the fear of getting it wrong show up for almost everyone. I've felt them myself. Part of my work is gently helping you unlearn old advice that never served you or your dog. There's only one way out, and it's through.

Your Dog's Story Matters. So Does Yours.
You and your dog each come into this process with your own feelings based on past experiences: anxiety, stress, fear, trauma, insecurity, physical discomfort, or pain. All of those matter. All of those deserve to be heard. And all of those influence how you and your dog learn together.

A small dog with black and gray fur wearing an orange harness and pink leash, sniffing a mossy rock on a rocky riverbank in a lush green forest.

The Long Loose Leash Learning Philosophy

Training shouldn't feel tense or create stress for you or for your dog. The leash is my metaphor. Long enough for curiosity and exploration, loose enough for comfort, but connected for safe and gentle guidance, and to stay in constant communication.

With me, you're not judged. Your dog isn't pressured. Both of you are given the space you need to learn with confidence and ease.

What I want to give you and your dog:

  • A patient, empathetic learning space

  • Clear guidance shaped around you, not perfection

  • A deeper understanding of what your dog is communicating

  • A calmer, more connected relationship

  • Progress that comes from safety, not force

Specialties & Credentials

My lead specialties are noise phobia, separation anxiety, and sensitivity, fears, and reactivity in dogs, as well as predation substitute training. I also work with enrichment, scent work, puppy care, adolescent dogs, senior dogs and the behavior changes that come with aging, recall, and loose leash walking.

I work with clients online worldwide in English and German, and—outside the winter months—in person in Central Vermont.

Certifications

  • Nordic Dog Trainer + Caring Human Code® Practitioner (NDT-CHCP)

  • Canine Sensory Enrichment Coach

Completing Certifications in Fall & Winter of 2026

  • Foundational Postural Analyst (Galen Myotherapy)

  • Calming Signals Specialist, studying directly under Norwegian dog trainer legend Turid Rugaas

  • Noise Phobia In Dogs Professional

  • Predation Substitute Training Instructor

  • UVM Companion Animal End-of-Life Doula

Enrolled and pursuing Certification in 2027

  • Kim Brophey's Family Dog Mediation® Professional Course

Affiliations

  • PDTE Associate Member (Pet Dog Trainers of Europe)

  • IAAHPC Member (International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care)

  • Courses, summits, and conferences I’ve completed in canine behavior, emotions, and welfare.

    Calming signals, emotions and neuroscience

    • Karolina Westlund: Animal Emotions

    • ISCP Bite-Sized Introduction to Canine Neuroscience

    • Brain & Behaviour Academy: Exercising the Brain with Dr. Amber Batson

    • Emotionally Intelligent Dog Academy (Marilyn Mele)

    • ISCP Dog Psychology Summit

    Fear, anxiety and sensitive dogs

    • Julie Naismith: Be Right Back! Separation Anxiety Heroes

    • Rosee Riggs: Separation Anxiety Master Class

    • Inside Sensitive Dogs (Marilyn Mele)

    • Build a Solid Foundation (Marilyn Mele)

    • An Introduction to Fear-Based Behaviors Across Species (Debbie Jacobs)

    • Love In Action Dog Wisdom Workshop (Marilyn Mele)

    Puppies and juvenile dogs

    • Karen Pryor Puppy Start Right For Instructors Course

    • Dr. Amber Batson: Understanding Juvenile Dog Behaviour Master Course

    Relationship-centered training, leash and handling

    • Suzanne Clothier: Relationship-Centered Training

    • Simone Mueller: Call Off The Chase Master Course

    • From Leash Drama to Leash Harmony (Nordic Dog Trainer)

    • Taking the Grrr out of Grooming Mini Course

    Nutrition and health

    • Brain & Behaviour Academy: Canine Nutrition & Behaviour with Alyssa Ralph

    • Hormone Health For Dogs (Dr. Karen Becker & Dr. Peter Dobias)

    • Raw Feeding Summit (Pet Summits)

    • Dog Allergy Summit (Pet Summits)

    • Gut Health Summit (Pet Summits)

    Ethical, force-free practice

    • My Perfect Dog PDTE Conference

    • Victoria Stilwell Dog Conference

    • MET Conference (Modern and Ethical Training)

    • KIENO Conference (Kindness Is Essential, Not Optional)

    • Decoding Your Canine Summit (Ness Jones)

My Promise

I will always keep learning so you and your dog benefit from the most current, science-based methods.

I will use only kind, ethical training — never force, fear, pain, or intimidation.

I will recommend safe, comfortable equipment that lets dogs move freely to support healthy musculoskeletal development and maintenance.

I will always put your dog’s emotional and physical wellbeing first. Sometimes this means telling you things you may not want to hear.

I will be honest about what we can achieve together: no quick fixes, no false promises.

I will collaborate with vets and other professionals when needed.

I will treat every dog and every person with empathy, patience, respect, and—above all, always—kindness.

A dog with gray and white curly fur lying on a pink quilted couch next to a black cat with yellow eyes.

If you want a Learning experience built on kindness, you're in the right place.

You and your dog don't need to work harder. You just need the right environment. In fact, it’s very likely that I’ll tell you to do a lot less.

Sign me up