About me:

I’m a New Orleans native and grew up in Algiers Point. My mom fostered my love for dogs when I was growing up as we had 8 dogs throughout my childhood. As an adult, I adopted two dogs (Sarabi and Kiara - see their pictures below) from the LA-SPCA who are now 11.5 years old and whom I spend most of my free time with. After college, I spent 8 years working with children providing behavioral services and pursued my masters and a certification in applied behavior analysis. During that time I fostered a few dogs through Take Paws Rescue, volunteered with the LA-SPCA, and addressed some challenging behaviors with my own dogs. That’s when my desire to understand dog behavior and help the dogs of New Orleans truly blossomed. I decided to use my education in applied behavior analysis and my love of dogs to begin my career in dog training. I spent the next few years working under a mentor and expanding my knowledge. In May 2023 I started this company of my own and am excited to see where it leads me.

Professional background:

My background is in applied behavior analysis. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Loyola University New Orleans and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University in 2018. Upon completion of my master’s, I became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst through the BACB in May of 2019. I worked at The Art in Me: A Center for Behavior Therapy and Counseling from 2013 to 2021. In February of 2021, I began working with dogs under the supervision of a CPDT-KA. In December of 2021, I became a Family Paws Parent Educator and in November of 2022 I became a Certified Dog Trainer through the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior's online program. In July 2023 I became a Fear Free Certified Professional (Trainer) through Fear Free® and in July 2024 I became a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board.

My Methods:

I implement evidence based behavior change programs and use force free and positive reinforcement training methods. I do not use aversive tools such as prong collars or e-collars, and I help families transition away from them if necessary. When working with a family, my goal is to help them understand their dog’s mental, physical, and instinctual needs and then provide them with the skills and resources needed to train their dog when I’m not around. I am always taking continuing education units to expand my knowledge of applied behavior analysis, canine behavior, and force free training methods, I believe every dog has unique needs and I work with families to determine what they are and create a training program that works for both the dogs and the humans. I hope to help families build stronger relationships with their dogs and hope to help dogs build confidence in this human-centered world.