Sara
Like most in the industry, my passion for animals drew me into a career related to dogs.
Growing up I had a American Eskimo, and a Blue Heeler/Shepherd mix of some kind, always having a dog in the house. My aunt also had A standard Australian Shepherd, that I remember practicing agility courses with at a young age, opening my eyes to the world of dog sports. I remember going to fairs where there would be dog competitions or dog shows, and going home and trying to make my dogs do what I saw earlier that day.I got my very own dog Teahla at the age of 18, one of my female Belgian Shepherds. Within days I fell in love with the breed. Her intelligence and willingness to work was to high to waste, which led me to start my Obedience training.
Having just started working at a dog Daycare/Training/Boarding/Grooming facility in downtown Victoria, I had access to take a number of different classes. I took Teahla through Obedience and Scent detection classes under my boss, who was a Certified Master Trainer through Canada West Canine Center. I started at the Daycare in 2010 as a cleaner 5 nights a week. I would come in, walk dogs, clean floors, monitor the dogs, change over laundry etc, eventually moving up into an Assistant Manager Position in 2013. During this time, I also worked as a bather/groom helper to the head groomer, becoming versatile in the business. At one of the busiest dog facilities in Victoria, I had the opportunity to work with a number of different breeds, temperaments , health problems/ Medical situations and grooming procedures.I was lucky enough to work under somebody with not only training experience, but also breeding/showing and Vet experience, which really helped me dip my brush into different aspects of the Dog world.
Now with three Belgian Shepherds, and a passion for training them , I decided to start really getting serious as a career choice. In 2014, I completed not one, but two Pet First Aide courses, and am now certified in Dog Safe and Pet First Aide with Walks N' Wags Pet First Aide. I also graduated from Canada West Canine Center in 2014 with my Obedience Instructor/Kennel Management certificate, as well as my Master Dog Trainers Certificate. I have taken part in and attended CKC Obedience Trials, and conformation shows, as well as Nosework seminars. One of my true passions is Human tracking and behavioral cases, as well as confidence building in dog and handler!. Dane and I now have 6 Dogs, 4 Belgian Shepherds, a Rottweiler/ Boarder collie cross, and a Miniature American Shepherd (formerly known as the Miniature Australian Shepherd). We Provide a balanced pack to help other dogs in any way we can. This is truly our passion, and we are so happy to be able to have made a career out of it. We have just recently joined a K9 Search and Rescue team with 2 of our shepherds Mufasa and Kingston and our Miniature Aussie Ullar.
Growing up I had a American Eskimo, and a Blue Heeler/Shepherd mix of some kind, always having a dog in the house. My aunt also had A standard Australian Shepherd, that I remember practicing agility courses with at a young age, opening my eyes to the world of dog sports. I remember going to fairs where there would be dog competitions or dog shows, and going home and trying to make my dogs do what I saw earlier that day.I got my very own dog Teahla at the age of 18, one of my female Belgian Shepherds. Within days I fell in love with the breed. Her intelligence and willingness to work was to high to waste, which led me to start my Obedience training.
Having just started working at a dog Daycare/Training/Boarding/Grooming facility in downtown Victoria, I had access to take a number of different classes. I took Teahla through Obedience and Scent detection classes under my boss, who was a Certified Master Trainer through Canada West Canine Center. I started at the Daycare in 2010 as a cleaner 5 nights a week. I would come in, walk dogs, clean floors, monitor the dogs, change over laundry etc, eventually moving up into an Assistant Manager Position in 2013. During this time, I also worked as a bather/groom helper to the head groomer, becoming versatile in the business. At one of the busiest dog facilities in Victoria, I had the opportunity to work with a number of different breeds, temperaments , health problems/ Medical situations and grooming procedures.I was lucky enough to work under somebody with not only training experience, but also breeding/showing and Vet experience, which really helped me dip my brush into different aspects of the Dog world.
Now with three Belgian Shepherds, and a passion for training them , I decided to start really getting serious as a career choice. In 2014, I completed not one, but two Pet First Aide courses, and am now certified in Dog Safe and Pet First Aide with Walks N' Wags Pet First Aide. I also graduated from Canada West Canine Center in 2014 with my Obedience Instructor/Kennel Management certificate, as well as my Master Dog Trainers Certificate. I have taken part in and attended CKC Obedience Trials, and conformation shows, as well as Nosework seminars. One of my true passions is Human tracking and behavioral cases, as well as confidence building in dog and handler!. Dane and I now have 6 Dogs, 4 Belgian Shepherds, a Rottweiler/ Boarder collie cross, and a Miniature American Shepherd (formerly known as the Miniature Australian Shepherd). We Provide a balanced pack to help other dogs in any way we can. This is truly our passion, and we are so happy to be able to have made a career out of it. We have just recently joined a K9 Search and Rescue team with 2 of our shepherds Mufasa and Kingston and our Miniature Aussie Ullar.