Most dog trainers grow up around dogs. Their love of dogs often leads them to a career working with canines. I didn’t have a dog as a kid; in fact, I didn’t get a dog until I was close to 50 years old. As a young child, I was bitten by 5 different dogs, so naturally, I was afraid of them. So when clients ask me how I became a dog trainer, I tell them it was a very circuitous path.

My family and I got a Shiba Inu puppy when I was 47. I had just completed 5 years of allergy shots and was deemed no longer reactive to cat and dog dander. My husband and two children, 11 and 8 at the time, pleaded with me to get a dog. I can still hear them say, “You’re not allergic anymore! Let’s get a dog!” My allergies were no longer a reason to say “no.” The kids promised to walk it, feed it, take it out to pee and poop, etc. But if you have kids, you know how long those promises last.

Family pressure won out and we acquired a 7-week-old Shiba Inu from a local breeder, whom we named Kasey. My husband researched this breed and determined it would be the best fit for our family. When we met Kasey, I thought she resembled an Ewok from the Star Wars movies, a little chubby fluffball. I was instantly smitten with her.

Again, as a reminder, I had never had a dog, so I didn’t know what I was in for. At the time we got Kasey, my two children were very involved in club sports and school activities. I chauffeured them to and from practices, games and events. We were gone for a couple of hours or more. I took Kasey with us on car rides when I could, but that wasn’t always an option. There were numerous instances Kasey was at home in her kennel by herself, which isn’t fair for a puppy.

I also held down a full-time job working at a preschool and parents’ day out, teaching music. So the combination of raising a young family, working, having a spouse who traveled frequently, and shuttling kids back and forth left me exhausted. I wasn’t always engaged in keeping an eye on a young puppy.

This meant there was some unsupervised time. Kasey converted the legs of our expensive wood furniture into her own chew sticks. She left bite marks on our door frames. She dug numerous holes in our fenced-in backyard.

I took her on walks in our neighborhood hoping to get her socialized. This was something I read that was important to do with puppies. However, I made a huge mistake when I took her to a local high school track. Neighbors brought their dogs there to socialize, expend excess energy and have fun.

Keep this in mind as you read the next two paragraphs: I thought all dogs liked each other. One early evening, I walked Kasey to the track for the first time. Several neighbors were there, along with their mostly large dogs. I unclipped the leash from her collar and thought she would bound toward the group of dogs and have a glorious time. I anticipated her response would be one of bliss and glee, excited to be among her species.

What happened was just the opposite: she was swarmed by the group of dogs, all trying to smell her. She freaked out, screeching, and desperately tried to get away from the crowd. I was horrified, not realizing this would be the result. I scooped her up out of the chaos and went home. I didn’t know it then, but I had just ruined her ability to be comfortable around and accept other dogs for the remainder of her life. That night, while she slept, she had a dream in which she uttered the most gruesome cry. I assumed the reason was from the traumatic incident. I’ll never forgive myself for putting her in that situation.

In the following years, my kids both went to and graduated from college then on to graduate school. With no children left at home, my husband encouraged me to find a job I would enjoy. That’s when I quit my school job and began to pursue a career working with dogs.

I enrolled in an online dog training program. I learned everything from how dogs learn, equipment used in dog training, how to train commands, and how to start a training business. The program also required me to volunteer a minimum of 10 hours at a local animal shelter. In addition, I had to complete an 18-week externship at a local established dog training facility. Then came the final exam, which I passed. I was certified as a dog trainer through the program I attended. Then I started my own dog training business. I accumulated the required 300 contact hours of training dogs to take the CPDT-KA credential exam. CPDT-KA stands for Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed. The exam is administered by the APDT, Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Passing the exam and earning the credential tells clients I meet my industry’s standards regarding training dogs.

I’m currently working toward earning my Certified Behavior Consultant-Canine (CBCC) credential. This will be useful when consulting and working on severe dog behavior cases.

I love what I do. I help dog owners better understand their canines by teaching humans how to interpret dog behavior. I also help dogs learn and respond appropriately to their owners’ commands. It’s a win-win.

P.S. In July 2022, we had to put Kasey down. She was 13 years old and suffered from advanced kidney disease. She was a great dog and I still miss her. We got another Shiba Inu, Mochi, in March of 2023. I learned so much from my experience with Kasey. I won’t make the same mistakes with Mochi.