“Life is no obedience lesson, it’s a way of living together”

I do not do training in the conventional sense. I work with dogs and their humans to understand what dogs are communicating and how to build a life together based on mutual respect, safety, and cooperation.

My practice is grounded in Turid Rugaas’ philosophy of dog behavior work, focused on calming signals, stress and arousal, sensory enrichment, and welfare-first.

Behavior modification has its place, but comes second, not first.

Behavior modification layered on top of an unsafe internal state produces compliance that looks like success and unravels later.

The dog looks well-behaved for a while, and then the suppressed feelings come out somewhere.

Often as redirected behavior toward another animal or person in the household. Sometimes as physical symptoms further down the line.

What comes first in my work is establishing that everyone in the household, the dog included, feels safe.

Then, when useful, we layer in structured behavior work on top of that foundation.

Calming signals are a set of communication behaviors dogs use to prevent conflict, reduce stress, and negotiate social situations. Turid Rugaas, the Norwegian dog trainer who identified and named them, catalogued about 30 of them, including lip licking, yawning, turning the head or body away, sniffing the ground, blinking, and sitting or lying down.

I studied directly under Turid and can teach you.

Once you learn to read these signals, you can better assess how your dog is feeling and what they might need in real time. It changes the whole relationship.

No. I do not use prong collars, e-collars, shock collars, spray bottles, alpha rolls, or any method that relies on fear, pain, or intimidation.

If you have used these tools in the past, that is not a dealbreaker, but I will ask you to set them aside for our work together.

My approach is welfare-first, and it works because the dog is not being scared or hurt into behaving.

In addition, I also do not work with front-clip harnesses, head-halters, any no-pull devices, or leashes attached to anything other than a well-fitted harness that allows for full range of motion.

The reason for this is that pain affects behavior, and all of the above will pull a dog out of alignment and, over time, cause discomfort or injury.

As a Foundational Postural Analyst, I will work with you to find the right fit for your dog, depending on their individual anatomy.

No, and I would be suspicious of anyone who guarantees behavior outcomes with a sentient being.

What I can promise is that I will give you a thorough understanding of what is happening for your dog, a plan built for your specific situation, and honest guidance about what is realistic.

Dogs are individuals with histories, personalities, and internal states.

Behavior work is a collaboration, not a service delivery.

It depends.

Some cases start showing meaningful change within weeks. Others take months or years, especially with dogs who have complex histories or who are living in situations that continue to activate them.

I do not promise timelines.

What I can say is that rushing tends to make things worse, and that durable change is slower than temporary suppression.