About Us
My name is Harry and I began my career in dog training like many other trainers, initially as a client. I had an energetic German Shepherd puppy that would constantly pull me on walks while barking and jumping at everything. Seeking help, I hired a local trainer who eventually became my mentor a few years later. I spent several years shadowing under her and her daughter before gaining the experience to work with clients independently. I worked in the Bay Area of California with the company for nearly 6 years until the onset of Covid and lock downs. Unfortunately, I was laid off during the nation wide shut down, prompting me to venture out on my own and establish my own company.
Since then, I've expanded my expertise by learning and shadowing various sport dog trainers and other working dog trainers to enhance my knowledge. This year, I achieved certification as a PSA (Protection Sports Association) decoy, aligning with the sport in which both my dogs and I compete. While I've explored various aspects of dog training, my true passion lies in pet dog training, and that remains my primary focus.
Nearly 11 years ago, when I rescued my own dog, I gained a profound appreciation for having a trained and balanced companion that I could engage in various activities with. I find immense joy in sharing this gift with others, as long as they are willing to put in the necessary effort.
On the left is Anja, and the right is Leyla, the two dogs that started it all. As my interest in sports evolved into a hobby, my personal dogs transitioned from rescues to working line dogs. Decoying has emerged as my latest adrenaline rush. While our program does not specifically train dogs in this particular style, we can incorporate many of the theories and exercises from sport training into our work with your dogs.
Many dog trainers enjoy showcasing their high-drive dogs capable of executing intricate obedience commands. While it's impressive to train dogs in a heightened state of arousal, I find it impressive when the same dog is calmly laying down in a restaurant or store or warmly greeting guests. We refrain from flaunting our dogs' working abilities; instead, we highlight their capacity to relax and simply be pets. Our goal isn't to turn dogs into robots but to ensure they can co-exist and thrive in our world.
Our Dogs
Currently, we own four personal dogs, each with totally different personalities and quirks. We are constantly working with our dogs to improve our relationship and overcome some of the problems we face. We use our dogs in our training, with board and trains being a key tool that we implement to help build confidence, socialize, and work on reactivity and aggression. Our dogs are not perfect, but they do showcase how we train and what we are capable of. They are our pets, not robots, and we strive to have them perform in sports at a competitive level while, at the same time, being able to take them out to restaurants and cafes.
DIZZIE Belgian Malinois
Dizzie is our oldest dog and was a rescue I got in California. I adopted her on her 1st birthday from a fellow dog trainer, and she came with a bite history and resource guarding issues. After a few months of training, I realized that she was not a bad dog, but rather a good dog in a bad situation. She became my demo dog and has been a social butterfly with all of my board and trains. I worked a lot on her obedience and confidence for sport training, and eventually competed with her a few years back. She earned her PDC sleeve division in the sport PSA. She is retired from sport work and now enjoys the pet life, but occasionally gets to indulge in a few bites for fun. She will turn six years old in March.
SCARLETT Belgian Malinois
Scarlett was my first puppy, and I bought her in California from a breeder with sport training in mind. Her parents were both working dogs, with her father being a national champion. She has an extremely neutral attitude towards dogs, mainly caring about the Chuck-it ball. Scarlett is also very neutral to strangers but tends to be shy around newer people. She has competed in the sport PSA, achieving her PDC, and will soon be competing in higher levels. Scarlett is a great asset due to her lack of interest in play; we use her as a major distraction for dogs that are reactive or fixate on playing. Additionally, dogs that are nervous around other dogs or fearful often find comfort in Scarlett due to the lack of attention she gives them. She turned 3 last July and still acts like a puppy.
BANSHEE Dutch Shepherd
Banshee is a two-and-a-half-year-old ball of energy. She embodies the idea of big things coming in small packages – a Ferrari in the body of a puppy. Banshee is a strong, confident, and social dog. Given her high energy, she doesn't socialize with everyone, but she's a great match for other high-energy dogs. She also competes in the sport PSA and will be going for her Level 1 title in the upcoming months.
KORRA Dobermann
Meet Korra, the youngest member of our crew at just two years old. A blend of lapdog and Tasmanian devil, Korra exudes enough energy to power a small town. Social with both people and other dogs, this ball of spunk strikes the perfect balance between sport and pet. With boundless energy for a game of fetch and the ability to curl up beside you on the couch during movie nights, Korra is not only trained to detect explosives but is also preparing for competition in the sport PSA. Competing for her PDC this year, Korra is a great example of what we call a balanced dog.
