Mini-Bio Cont'd.

From the time I was ten and bringing home strays (much to my mother's chagrin), I had an affinity for animals. When I was a teenager I wanted first to be a horse trainer, but years taking riding lessons and seeing how the horse industry worked cured me of that! Then I thought I'd be a vet, but a summer working in a vet hospital solved that problem! In my early twenties I decided that the thing for me was to train parrots, and I went up to Canada to go to school at the University of Guelph, just outside Toronto. Then I fell sideways into dogs: I got a job to help pay for school with a groomer, who gave my number to a client of hers and told him, "Jenna is fearless. She can deal with your dog." There's a good reason for my fearlessness. After years of training horses I'd seen the worst, and horse that's trying to kill you is much more worrisome than a dog. On top of that, I knew a vast amount of dog body language and behavior from reading, studying, and the oldest teacher in the world--experience. I was already into dogs, I just didn't know it yet!

I re-trained that client's dog within three days, from highly aggressive to happy and cheerful, and realized I had a new calling. I did get my behavioral psychology degree, with an emphasis on using it for animal training, and then came back to California and promptly found more trainers here. I worked with anyone who would have me, because I quickly learned that each type of dog training had techniques and tricks and tips you didn't see in other places, and I wanted to know as many of them as possible.

After that, I started training the dogs that other people wouldn't take; mostly highly aggressive dogs, attacking either people or other animals. Then it was out of control puppies (there's nothing quite as bewildering as a truly out of control puppy!), other dogs, more basic problems, problem solving, and so on. I now enjoy a large variety of clients, and love when I get people who call me in for knowledge, to keep problems from happening in the first place.

The biggest thing I learned in my training was that no technique works for all dogs. Or perhaps more accurately, no technique is the best technique for all dogs. Some dogs need confidence building, and others need rules they can rely on. Some will give you their hearts for a treat or kind word, and others want you to earn their respect. There are a few things I always like to start with, but how training progresses depends on the dog, the owner, and the household situation. It also depends on the owners and trainer: not every pair fit perfectly, so if I can't help I won't charge you for the session, and I will try and refer you to a trainer that might fit better!

Dogs are my passion, and I have yet to meet a dog whose life can't be improved--and by extension, their owner's lives, too! I am exceedingly grateful for those people who took a chance on me when I was a baby-trainer, and those trainers who saw something in me that was worth feeding and teaching. I hope to keep learning, keep teaching, and keep helping whoever I can.