My Story

A Lifelong Love of Animals

My love for animals started long before I became a dog trainer. I was raised on a ranch, surrounded by chickens, ducks, pigs, goats, horses, ponies, donkeys, dogs, and cats. Animals were simply a part of everyday life for me, and from a young age, I was fascinated by learning how to communicate and work with them.

As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian and later an exotic animal trainer for the movie industry. I taught tricks to my cat, Abby, worked with and trained our horses, and loved training my childhood dog, Charlie.

I didn’t know it then, but I was already doing something that came naturally to me: building relationships with animals through training. Years later, that childhood love would find its way back to me and become my career.

Then Came Cessna

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When I was 22, I decided I was ready to adopt a dog. I visited the Bakersfield Animal Shelter four different times because I wasn’t looking for just any dog—I wanted to find one I truly connected with.

On one of those visits, I noticed a little black shepherd the shelter staff had named Cindy. She was nine months old and had been found running alone through the Bakersfield oil fields.

I asked if I could meet her, and the staff brought her into the meet-and-greet room. They told me to sit down on the bench, and immediately she ran over, crawled underneath my legs, rolled onto her back, and started wagging her tail.

I knew right then she was mine.

Cindy came home with me and became Cessna.

She was sweet, silly, gentle, and incredibly smart. She learned new commands almost immediately, and training her came naturally to both of us. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to train Cessna in just about every environment imaginable—from ranch life around livestock to a high-rise apartment in Downtown LA, suburban neighborhoods, parks, trails, beaches, lakes, and everything in between.

Every new experience became another opportunity for us to learn together, and somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t just teaching Cessna.

She was teaching me, too.

More Than Obedience

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Today, the bond Cessna and I share goes far beyond commands.

We’ve learned how to read each other’s body language and communicate through the smallest cues—a look, a gesture, a change in tone. I know when she’s uncomfortable, excited, tired, or when she needs a little space, and she can read me just as easily.

After so many years together, it sometimes feels like we’ve molded into each other. We’re a part of each other.

I taught Cessna how to navigate my world, and she taught me how to better understand hers.

That relationship is at the heart of why I became a dog trainer. I truly believe my ability to connect and communicate with dogs is a gift God gave me, and I want to use that gift to help other people experience the kind of relationship I’ve been lucky enough to build with Cessna.

My Training Philosophy

I believe great dog training is about more than teaching sit, stay, and come. It’s about helping dogs and their people truly understand each other.

My approach focuses on structure, consistency, clear communication, positive reinforcement, mental enrichment, and building a relationship rooted in trust, respect, and love. I believe in meeting each dog where they are—whether that’s a brand-new puppy learning how the world works or a rescue who needs a little more patience and time to build trust and confidence.

I often tell my clients that I’m 70% human trainer and 30% dog trainer. My job isn’t just to get your dog to listen to me. It’s to teach you how to understand, communicate with, and confidently guide your dog long after I leave.

Because at the end of the day, I don’t just want to teach your dog to sit.

I want to help you build a calm, confident companion you truly enjoy doing life with.