Our Story

     My earliest days were spent in New York, where I lived with both of my parents and German Shepherd named Lucy. Lucy and I were the best of friends. Well, as much as a 2 year old and a dog can be. Unfortunately, when my family fell apart, my dog went with it, and I was absolutely devastated.

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     Upon moving to Connecticut with other family, I begged and begged for another dog. Finally, my grandmother caved and took me to a local adoption event. Tucked away in the corner was a crate, and inside, an incredibly reactive German Shepherd. Naturally, that was the dog I HAD TO HAVE, but of course, that was the dog I COULD NOT HAVE.

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     Eventually, my grandmother settled on the fattest most out-of-shape Miniature Pinscher imaginable. His name was Pookie, and it was not love at first sight for us. What was supposed to be a dog for me turned out to be a dog for my grandmother, yet I still tried my best to build a relationship with him because any dog was better than no dog at all.

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     I would take him for walks, where he just dragged me down the street. I tried to teach him to “sit” and “down”, which he completely ignored. Any time the gate was left open or he'd sneak through the front door, he would BOLT, faster than you can even believe. Picture this: a small, barrel-shaped dog with tiny toothpick legs sprinting up the steepest driveway in the state. Even now, as an adult, I recall this memory and laugh hysterically at what a little menace he was. He was a true runner with zero inclination to return home. The only way to catch him was to drive around until we spotted him, open the car door, and watch as he jumped right in, looking happy as a clam... as proud as could be that he actually RAN!

 

     Jump ahead to my first job as a Bather for a local groomer. I was able to interact with a ton of different dog breeds, not just for baths, but for fun, too. I got to spend some quality time playing with each dog I bathed and learned that I absolutely ADORED Standard Poodles. I knew, someday, I would have one of my own.

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     After being exposed to such a huge variety of breeds and mixes, I realized my dream was to work with dogs, but I wanted so much more than this. My true interest was understanding how dogs' minds work. I heard about Animal Behavior College and thought it would be a great place to start my training career. During the course, I found myself disappointed. There was very little information I found valuable or hadn't already learned just from owning a dog– I wanted to go deeper.

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     Towards the beginning of my ABC venture, I was gifted my first dog as an adult. Pudge was given to me by a friend. She was the cutest “designer breed” puppy you’ve ever seen– half Chinese Shar Pei, half Beagle. Pudge was the quickest dog to potty train, the hardest to crate train, and the easiest to love. We managed some of the basics together, which wasn't too bad for someone who knew nothing about true dog training, but this was absolutely not enough.

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     As Pudge grew, it became apparent that just like Pookie, she was a runner. I knew that I could not go through this again. I never wanted to be the guy chasing their dog down the street or the guy yelling at their dog while they're completely ignoring them. So, I started to ask around about training.

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     By this time, I was working for a different groomer in town, and she had a friend who owned a Police K-9 kennel, which happened to be looking for some help, and possibly even an additional trainer! I went to inquire with them about the potential job opportunity and expressed my interest in training. After working at the kennel for a few weeks, I began asking about becoming a trainer. While they weren’t very personable, they did share some very valuable information. I was told that they didn’t have time to train me themselves, so I should go to the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers... in California.

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     My dream was calling. So, I researched, I read, I asked for opinions, and I saved as much money as I could to make this trip across the country. Finally, I was able to get myself enrolled in every course they had available. I packed the biggest duffle bag I could find, bought a crate for Pudge, had her raw food shipped to where we would be staying, and hopped on a plane.

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     Both the knowledge and friendships I gained there are truly priceless. When we got home, Pudge was no longer a runner. She understood everything I asked of her and was happy to oblige. She went literally everywhere with me, never had a leash (except where legally required), and was just the happiest dog on the planet... which, obviously, made me happiest human on the planet.

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     If I'm being honest, the fact that I returned from Cali with a dog that no longer ran away was actually the second best thing I brought home with me. And the first and absolute best? The wealth of knowledge I acquired that would ensure I never have a dog that runs again... knowledge I could share with other people who are struggling with their own dogs, as I once had.

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     So, let me tell you exactly why I will never train another dog using any methods other than what I learned from Michael Ellis and all the other phenomenal trainers I spent time with on my journey. After I got back from school and living my best life with my star-student, Pudge, I decided to get a project puppy. A puppy to train, not just for funsies, but to really put my new skills to the test.

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     My project was a German Shepherd puppy named Vera. I trained and trained and trained some more, and everything was fantastic. But as life does, I was thrown some curve-balls and having two dogs was no longer feasible in those circumstances. Enter Katherine– my absolute favorite aunt, visiting from Santa Monica. When she met Vera, they instantly fell in love.

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     How could I deny my favorite family member the experience of living with a beautifully trained dog when I couldn’t exactly give her the perfect life she deserved? So, Vera went to live in California with my aunt. I was frequently giving training tips and received pictures and updates in return. They were a dynamic duo, just like Pudge and me. I was able to visit Vera and Aunt Katherine a couple times over the years, and everything was still as perfect as day one.

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     Several more years went by, and my life had changed drastically. I had built a family, moved to Georgia, and was doing better than ever. We decided to add another puppy to our ever-growing family, so I found myself going to California one more time. Dan and I flew out, rented a car, paid a visit to Michael, and picked up our second Belgian Malinois. But before we started the exciting road trip back home to Georgia, we obviously had to stop for a visit with Aunt Katherine and sweet old Miss Vera.

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     We stayed with them for a few days, just hanging out, playing with dogs, and making memories. While playing in the yard with the dogs, Aunt Katherine made a comment about not knowing all the things Vera had once upon a time known. So I said, “let’s see!” and grabbed a handful of puppy treats, leashed our new puppy, and handed her to Dan. I called for Vera, who eagerly came running to play.

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     It had been about six years since the last time I had even seen Vera, and probably eight years since we had done any training together. With pockets full of treats, I looked down at Vera, said “Au Pied”... she launched herself into the perfect tear drop heel, and moved in unison with me, as if we had never been apart. That moment was so perfect, so beautiful– I could have cried.

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     When you train your dog using methods they understand, working in alignment with their psychology, you can achieve anything. The sky is truly the limit with a dog that is taught how to learn and enjoy training... and I guarantee, you’ll enjoy it, too!