Everyone wants a good dog.

Almost nobody thinks about becoming a good handler. That gap is where I work.

Before I was a dog trainer, I was a Blackhawk crew chief and counterintelligence agent in the US Army. Those two jobs taught me the same thing: behavior is information. Every reaction has a cause. Every pattern has a source.

The most dangerous mistake you can make — in an aircraft, in the field, or with a dog — is treating the symptom instead of the problem.

I left the Army with a B.S. in Physiology and a question I couldn't let go of:why does the training industry keep treating dogs like problems to manage instead of relationships worth building?

What if the reason training isn't working has less to do with your dog — and more to do with the relationship you two haven't built yet?

How I Think

Your dog is not being stubborn. They're not dominant. They're not "bad."

They're a sensitive, intuitive animal shaped by genetics, environment, and every interaction they've ever had with a human. When a dog acts out, shuts down, pulls, barks, or can't settle, that's not a character flaw. That's communication. My job is to read it accurately and teach you to do the same.

Here's the part most trainers skip: your dog is reading you right back. Your tension, your confidence, your hesitation…they feel all of it. The relationship runs in both directions. That's why I train handlers as much as I train dogs.

GoodPup Certified | CPDT-KA Candidate | CDBC Candidate | M.S. Anthrozoology (in progress)

What does any of this mean for your dog?

I'm currently documenting something the industry hasn't examined closely enough: what actually predicts whether a dog thrives, and whether our assumptions about which dogs are capable are backed by evidence or just conventional wisdom.

In my research, I'm tracking foster puppies’ development from puppyhood forward, comparing what the research says against what we actually observe. That work feeds directly into my Master's research on human-animal bond dynamics, and into every assessment I run with clients.

What this means for you: I don't walk into a session with assumptions. I walk in with questions. Whatever you've been told about your dog's breed, background, or "temperament problem"… let's look at what's actually in front of us before we decide what's possible. Most dogs are more capable than they've been given credit for. Most handlers are too.

What Working With Me Looks Like

I specialize in the beginning… puppies, newly adopted dogs, and the critical first six months, and in the next chapter… training psychiatric service dogs and their handlers to grow together, in a unique 16 week done-with-you program that prepares you just as much as your dog for life with a service dog.

What I see most often: families who love their dogs and feel flooded by information, and disinformation, on how to best care for and train your dog. I help you wade through the chaos and create customized programs that work for you, your dog, and your goals.

A session with me includes:

• A real temperament assessment — not breed assumptions or salesy talking points

• A handler read, because your patterns matter as much as your dog's

• A training plan built for this dog, this family, this dynamic

• Education you'll actually retain — so you understand the why, not just the what

You leave knowing how your dog thinks, what they need from you, and how to keep building after our work together ends. This is not a volume practice. I work with a small number of clients at a time, in depth.

If you want a “trained” dog handed back to you, knowing basic commands but not how to think for itself, I'm probably not your trainer. If you want to understand your dog and build something that lasts - give me a call.

If I’m the kind of trainer you've been looking for:

Send me an email — Let's talk about your dog, your goals, and whether we're the right fit.

View Services— Puppy foundations, new dog integration, behavior consultations, and more.

GoodPup Certified | CPDT-KA Candidate | M.S Anthrozoology, 2026 | Insured | Serving Alexandria, Arlington, Springfield, Loudoun, and surrounding DMV areas.

Virtual consultations available nationwide