Hi, I’m Heidi. My journey into dog training starts like most other’s: with a puppy. I got Sparky as a college kid. I wanted the best for him, so of course, I asked Google. There was also no shortage of advice from well-meaning dog park acquaintances. Unfortunately, the advice was confusing and even conflicting and Sparky’s (very normal) puppy behavior got worse: playing keep away, pulling on leash, dumpster diving, and howling when left at home! I even sprained my ankle chasing him across a busy intersection one time. During a brief stint volunteering at the local shelter, I discovered force-free, positive reinforcement-based training, and things snowballed from there.

It turns out, force free training made all of Sparky’s issues melt away, especially the more I spent time practicing my training skills. We tried out rally, which Sparky loved, and then I decided I needed the sportiest of sporty dogs, so I bullied my husband into getting Marlowe, our border collie. She is the easiest dog to live with, the sweetest, with the most amazing work ethic. We truly got lucky with her, she is my bombproof dog and my first choice for helping out with pups who struggle with making other dog friends.

In 2019, I took over my current dog walking pack. I love taking my group out for our hikes; watching the dogs play never gets old. You can also find me at Golden Gate Dog Sports in San Francisco, teaching agility where we train. Lastly, I’m working on getting myself certified as a dog trainer; I’m currently enrolled in The Academy for Dog Trainers.

I currently live in San Mateo, CA with my three dogs, Bat & Lowe, and puppy Kipper, my husband, and three human children. When I’m not doing dog stuff, I’m taking the kids out swimming, hitting the local parks, reading, and just enjoying family time.