Our Trainers

8 years ago, I began working with and training dogs when I started puppy raising with Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) as a volunteer. I received my first guide dog puppy in 2014 and have since then raised 5 successful puppies that are now working as guide dogs for the blind. My 6th puppy was career changed and is now a classroom pet, providing encouragement for the young kids in his class to pursue literacy. In 2018, I started a volunteer puppy-raising club for GDB to not only create a group that provided trained dogs for GDB but to also give people in the Tri-Cities a chance to make a difference in another person’s life. Our club, based in Kennewick, created the opportunity to educate club members on how to effectively work with their puppies to create a solid training foundation using positive reinforcement.

I started working at Pet Medical Center in their daycare and boarding facility towards the end of 2019 to give myself the opportunity to work with different dog breeds and to grow as a trainer. 2021 brought my work with Guide Dogs for the Blind to a close for now and has shifted my focus and love for working with dogs and their parents into teaching training classes here at PMC for our clients.  In 2022, I became an approved AKC evaluator, enabling me to administer Canine Good Citizen and AKC Star Puppy programs and testing.

My own dog Eugene, a Great Pyrenees mix, has been with me since he was a puppy in 2016. For as much as I have taught Eugene, he has taught me even more about how to not only train other dogs but how to slow down and take time for the little things in life. Eugene loves going to work with me every day to socialize with both his friends in daycare and throughout the rest of PMC. He is also well-educated and has achieved his CGC title and 2 trick titles since we joined the PMC family.

I am excited to continue expanding my skill set to benefit my future as a dog trainer and the clients I work with daily. Giving clients the ability to strengthen the bond between themselves and their dogs by creating clear communication with their dogs is important to me. I look forward to sharing my training experience from GDB and PMC to create a positive impact on your own training journey.