Fido more like Cujo? Let me help you remember why we call them "man's best friend!" Using proven, evidence-based methods, I teach owners to beat the “puppy overwhelm” and help them to enjoy their dogs again. I look forward to improving my client's quality of life - both people AND their pets.

 

Certifications: AKC CGC

 

Designations: CPDT-KA UW-AAB SBA FDM FFCP LSHC-S

 

Job Title: Owner/Operator, Certified Professional Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant

 

Training Equipment: 6ft leash w/ martingale collar & front-clip harness. Options: long-line, back-clip harness, flat collar, &/or head halter. Also: treats, toys, enrichment, clicker, mat, crate, ex-pen, baby gate, basket muzzle, Adaptil, Thundershirt, music, barriers.

 

Training Philosophy: "Education with Compassion"

 

Locations Served: Charleston, South Carolina Metropolitan Area

 

Languages: English

 

My experience includes veterinary medicine, daycare & boarding, animal rescue & welfare, shelter behavior & enrichment, emergency response deployment with the ASPCA FIR team, & instructing Penn Vet Working Dog Center's Canine Handler Academy. Following various service industry positions, I've been immersed in animal behavior full-time since moving to Charleston in 2016, specializing in humanely treating “problem” dogs. In 2019, I left the behavior department of an open-admission shelter & ventured into the world of small business & entrepreneurship as Owner/Operator of Bright Mind Canine Services. I have helped clients via private consults, day training & board-and-train programs, & taught group classes covering topics ranging from puppy socialization to reactivity & aggression. My writing has been published in canine behavior blogs and magazine articles. I obtained my CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, the only independent, standardized certification for dog training professionals. I am also a member of multiple professional organizations, a Shelter Behavior Affiliate (SBA) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a licensed AKC Canine Good Citizen & STAR Puppy Evaluator, & a KPA-Puppy Start Right Instructor. I am a Fear Free Certified Professional (Veterinary), Certified in Low-Stress Handling® - Silver Level, Red Cross Pet First Aid & Safety, & attended the Dogs Playing for Life Shelter Enrichment Program & the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center Learning Lab Partner Program, among other seminars, workshops, & conferences. I am committed to continuing education & improvement. To this end, I am pursuing Licensure as a Veterinary Technician through Trident Technical College & a Shelter Medicine Graduate Certificate from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. I attended Clemson University, where I studied Animal & Veterinary Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Veterinary Medicine, & was Certified in Applied Animal Behavior by the University of Washington (UW-AAB) & the L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Professional Course (FDM). My free time is mainly spent enjoying the Low-country with my partner and our two foster-fail dogs, Faith & Lydia - my greatest teachers & favorite learners!