The Whole Story
Yep, that’s me and my boys back in 2017. And my dear Trigger wearing a prong collar (and below my late Ullr wearing a prong AND shock collar). A lot’s changed since then—especially the way I approach training. In 2024, I attended a seminar for doggy daycare owners and managers, and that’s when I first heard about the Victoria Stilwell Academy. I signed up online that same week. I was looking for a certification, and this seemed like a solid option.
I was upfront with them about using prong and shock collars. They assured me that after completing the program, they were confident I’d see things differently. At that point, I was pretty attached to my old methods. After all, I’d been training this way since 2004—twenty years of "this is how we do it." How could anyone convince me it was wrong? I always felt like I was being fair to my dogs.
Well... as you can probably guess, they did convince me. Quickly. I learned there’s another way—one that doesn’t rely on discomfort or pain to get results. And honestly? The results were better. I was, as you can see from the photo with my Malinois, using prong and shock collars when I didn’t even need to. It wasn’t a lack of skill on my part, just a lack of knowledge about the other approach—the R+ method. Hear me out, there are plenty of trainers who are successful trainers using aversives. I had to decide for myself, how does my dog feel? Am I taking their feelings into consideration? Am I changing the behavior or the feeling?
What surprised me most was that VSA never judged me or pushed me. They let the research and the facts speak for themselves, and gave me the space to realize: there is a better way.
So here I am now—a crossover trainer who exclusively uses positive reinforcement. It’s been a journey, and I’m here to help anyone who might be where I used to be, without any judgment. Just support and guidance to help you along the way. So if you're friends with me on social media, here's the whole story. And why when I share old memories on Facebook, you'll see the occasional prong collar and shock collar. I'd give anything to go back, especially for my sweet Ullr who never got to experience the newer better version of dog trainer me. Even though he didn't get to experience this new me, I know he knew that I was only doing the best I could with the information I had. I'd like to think he would be really proud of me for the changes I have made.
My New Philosophy
Alright, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s dive into how I train today and what my philosophy is all about. The short version? I want you and your dog to share an empathy-driven, science-backed, adventure-filled partnership. I mean, who wouldn't want that, right?
My goal is to help you build a partnership based on mutual respect. Treating your dog the way you’d want to be treated if you were in their paws—kindness, gentleness, clear boundaries, and crystal-clear instructions. And a whole lot of trust.
I want you and your dog to have such a strong bond that it’s you two against the world. A bond where you can take on anything with confidence, joy, and maybe a few tail wags along the way. Because at the end of the day, that’s the kind of relationship we all dream of having with our dogs, right?
Let’s make that happen—together.