Jacksonville Dog Walker & Trainer
Jacksonville, Florida’s Only Concierge for Private Pet Care Services
Who I Work With...
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First-time dog parents (paw-rents)
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Recently adopted doggos of any age from an animal rescue
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Dogs that struggle with anxiety, unwanted behavioral challenges like aggression, or are otherwise “difficult to train”
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Puppers of any age, breed, and size, regardless of how long ago you brought them home
What You Will Learn
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How to stay emotionally regulated while on walks with your pupper, and why this is important to your success.
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How to read your dog’s cues and prevent unwanted behaviors while on walks, meeting new furry friends, jumping on the couch, meeting strangers, and beyond.
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How to create a stress-free, safe environment for your pup when you aren’t home.
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How and why consistency is the most important aspect of any training technique - and what to do when you make mistakes (an inevitable and normal part of this process!). Hint: I help you with tools to forgive yourself and focus on your WINS.
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And more!
Approach
There is more evidence proving the success of positive reinforcement techniques over any other kind of dog training strategies. The success of positive reinforcement methods dates back as early as the late 1800s, with a study you may be familiar with, commonly referred to as “Pavlov’s Dogs”.
Ivan Pavlov conducted this study in the 1890s. The reason why positive reinforcement methods are groundbreaking is that these tactics proved that dogs learn best - and the effects stick - when they are celebrated for “good” behaviors. Positive reinforcement also requires removing “punishing” techniques (think: e-collars, bark collars, prong collars, certain body and verbal language cues, and more) and this is the foundation of my work as a dog caretaker.
Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, although I am transparent about wanting to make a change in this field and do things differently by not using "dog trainer".
Rather, I differentiate myself as an educator for puppers and their humans. I am only one of only three organizations in Florida that strictly practice positive reinforcement techniques. Additionally, I am the *only* professional that offers a holistic approach for you AND your "pupper" in the comfort of your home.
How I'm Different
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I only use positive reinforcement: These practices provide the most successful, long-term behavior changes compared to other training methods. I do not use e-collars, prong collars, or other “punishing” or master/submissive methods. After all, your doggo is your BFF and needs to be treated as such!
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I specialize in working with large dogs and most bully breeds that may be considered “harder to train”, anxious, or even have unwanted aggressive behavior challenges: I help pups and their paw-rents strengthen trust within their relationship, thus making walks and time together fun AND safe for everybody!
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My approach is holistic: I look at all factors that affect how you and your pup interact with one another and the world around you. I provide solutions for mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and creating the ideal environment - all shown to improve animal behavior.
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Integrity is one of my most important values: I am open and honest about whether I will be a good fit for you and your doggo’s needs. If I don’t have the expertise, I will help you find resources or tools that will bring you the results you want.
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I focus on what you and your doggo are doing RIGHT: I help you both gain confidence and increase the frequency of desired, good behavior, while minimizing the likelihood of unwanted behaviors at home, on-leash, and in new or potentially stressful environments.
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I offer private, 1:1 training with you and your pup in the comfort of your home, backyard, and neighborhood. If there are multiple people in your home, we devise a plan to help everyone learn the same skills so training is consistent, thus setting all of you up for the most long-term success.
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I have over 10,000 hours of 1:1 experience working with dogs and their humans using only positive reinforcement techniques PLUS over a decade of experience with pet care, dog walking, and positive reinforcement training techniques.
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I have over 20 years of experience in human psychology and communication (learning styles, behavior, attachment theory, cognition, healing the nervous system, somatic practices, and building healthy relationships).
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I help you create the “man’s best friend” relationship you always wanted with your pup. You + Fido = BFFs4LIFE <3
I want to be the educator for others that I needed for my rescue dog, Kane. I adopted Kane in February 2022 from a local rescue in Jacksonville, Florida when he was a year and eight months old. The rescue told me Kane was close to dead when the team found him, abandoned in a house after a drug raid, weighing only 27 lbs upon intake. Kane was likely a pit bull mix, and he passed in January 2024 at a healthy weight of 65 pounds.
Being a first-time dog owner, I received a lot of training advice that went against my intuition for what made sense to me and my dog. Kane experienced a lot of health, medical, and behavior issues, and I felt like there weren’t enough local resources to help me improve his quality of life.
I am proud to say that friends and family tell me I did more than the average individual to be a responsible, loving dog mom. My dad even jokes that when his time on earth comes to an end, he wants to come back as my dog, because of the love and experiences I was fortunate enough to give to Kane.
I regret nothing about my experience with Kane and I would do all of this all over again. If I got a second chance, I would take it… but with a few caveats. While I did many things right, it was through lots of trial and error with him and other doggo clients, that I learned how important it is to strictly focus on what your doggo does right. Simply put: negative reinforcement techniques do not work for any dog, especially those like Kane, to thrive in a world created by humans.
While I cannot change the past, my ongoing love for Kane makes me feel so passionate about this work. I know I am meant to help other doggos and their families have the experience I wish existed at the time for Kane and me… and save many puppers in the process.
If my story resonates with you, I am looking forward to learning more about you, your story, and how I can be of service to you and your furriest BFF with positive reinforcement techniques.