A St Pete native turned Upstate New York resident and back again, my journey into the animal world started early. My mom was a vet tech, and I grew up loving and helping to care for our rescue animals. At age six, I started riding horses on a nearby farm and learned how to care for them through the weekly barn and farm chores. With the support of my instructor, Marie McCullouch, I achieved Level Two in Parelli Natural Horsemanship with a horse labeled as “difficult.” We progressed to working and riding at liberty and even competed and won ribbons in-home and outside events such as barrel racing, trail, and more. Through this bond, I discovered my love of working with animals to overcome behavior issues and the value of a relationship based on mutual respect and trust.

During my undergraduate degree at SUNY Geneseo, I adopted a rescue cat and worked as a teaching assistant for multiple professors, a research assistant for a cognition and memory lab, and volunteered as a Crisis Counselor with Crisis Text Line. I graduated summa cum laude in 2020 with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. My experiences instilled a passion for research and learning. I began pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work at Florida State University, moving from New York down to St Pete.

Upon moving to Florida, I acquired my first personal dog, Hammond, a nine-month-old German Shepherd. In reaching out to The Doghouse, LLC when searching for high-level training to help him excel, I forged a connection that inspired and motivated me. My burgeoning interest in dog training as I continued building on his learned skills led to a part-time position assisting with handling. In the summer of 2021, I changed my original career path and accepted a full-time position with The Doghouse. Since then, I have continued to learn and support the business in various ways while pursuing personal goals. I love watching dogs grow and thrive in our Full Service Training Program, and I am passionate about the care and well-being of every dog that comes through our doors. Learning from the brilliant trainers and hard-working kennel staff here at the Doghouse is an unparalleled opportunity, and I cannot wait to keep growing with the team.

With my German Shepherd, I have achieved the following titles:

– Canine Good Citizen
– Canine Good Citizen Urban
– Canine Good Citizen Advanced
– Dock Junior

I also currently have a Cardigan Welsh Corgi puppy I am raising, intending to compete in agility, and am pursuing herding with both my dogs and scent work.

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