Cheers To The Underdog
Dog Trainer, Behavior Specialist, and Business Owner. Not the titles I ever expected to have. When I was in high school applying for colleges, my intention was to be a veterinarian (so I guess I stayed in the realm of helping animals). However, I was convinced that getting accepted into a veterinary specialty school would be too competitive, and so I decided to stick to a more general major: Biology….this very quickly switched to Psychology….then to Sociology….Ethnic studies….Culinary management (that was a weird stage)....back to Psychology….and eventually dropping out of college. My indecisiveness and my suffering mental health were a hard-working team that kept me consistently unmotivated. There were brief ups within my down, but it wasn’t all dark, I just wasn’t moving anywhere. Stagnant.
The day I met my black beauty borky best girl, Isis, is the day that everything changed. She taught me what it was like to live comfortably in the moment, and she shined a light on my future. We signed up for a puppy class at Petsmart, and that’s really where I fell in love with training and teaching. It wasn’t about obedience or teaching her to be well-behaved...it was our fun bonding time. I loved teaching her new things and she loved learning what I taught. We were a team.
As I collected the rest of my furbabes, I became heavily engulfed in the animal rescue community, fostering dogs, and helping to place them in adoptive homes. It was during my time volunteering with animal rescues that my eyes really opened to the need for change in the animal community. Overflowing shelters, owners surrendering their dogs due to behavior problems and so many dogs dying. The many faces of desperation and defeat that I would see behind those kennel bars one day but gone the next day will forever haunt me...but those are the faces that drive me to do better, to be better. My hunger for change and my passion for understanding dog behavior is in large part thanks to them.
As I applied for the position of Petsmart trainer, one of the questions stated on the application was why I wanted this position: “To keep dogs in their homes and out of the animal shelters”. That "why" soon blossomed into what is now Boss Babe Dog Training.
Boss Babe Dog Training is an homage to the underdog. The dogs left behind at the shelter. The dogs that are given up on. The dogs people pass by without a second look because they want that cute fluffy puppy. We are a business of animal advocates and our purpose is simple. Boss Babe Dog Training exists to save lives, and it is a business I am so proud of.
All of my life I have been indecisive, unsure, and anxious….but when I think about my business and where I am now, it is all so clear to me. I don’t feel an ounce of uncertainty about where I am or where I’m going. I guess I feel like a bit of an underdog myself. I may not know what the future will look like for Boss Babe Dog Training, but I do know that I am excited about it.
Huge shoutout to each of my amazing team members that have significantly improved the business with each of your additions: Bree Jennerjahn, Stefanie Goslee, Kristina Martin, Candice Souder, and trainers in the making Brenna Hogan and Sara Woods. Your support and commitment have me feeling overwhelmed with gratitude.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Boss Babe Dog Training on our exciting journey. Even amongst a terrifying pandemic, you guys keep us going and growing.
Last but not least, the biggest thank you goes out to each of the dogs that have taught and shaped me into the compassionate, strong, dog trainer, behavior specialist, and business owner that I am today. There is no way I would be here without each of your motivating fluff butts.