My Story

I've loved animals in general ever since I was little, but my love for dogs became personal as my health declined to the point of needing a service dog to help me become more independent on my bad days. 

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Buddy was a husky/treeing walker coonhound mix I received at a year old with no training but his temperament and work ethic made me make the crazy decision to train him as a service dog. He started my love for dog training and he worked for me for over 6 years before retiring and becoming a nice house pet for a friend that gave him a nice calm place he could call home to live out his golden years.

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From there I entered the sport dog world with an amazing German Shepherd named Cheese that I trained in all cheese commands, English, and German. He helped give me so much experience with many breeds I worked with while training him for 2 years. He placed 3rd in his division at the WDA National Championship and received his BH, FO, High P1 and AKC titles CGC, TKN before being placed as a personal protection dog for a wonderful woman in Arizona. 

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I've been working with and around dogs for over 10 years but more so the last few years. I am an AKC CGC Evaluator and I love (when my health allows) to train and test dogs. Seeing the fire light in a pet parents eyes as they realize there's a whole world out there they can explore and bond with their pet is the best part. There are so many events/titles/sports that almost anyone can find at least one that fits with their lifestyle and can help build and strengthen the bond they have with their pet. 

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Eventually I couldn't keep up with the high drive working dogs I so loved and I started researching Labradors as my next service dog. I became hooked and helplessly in love. Going to shows, interacting with their goofy personalities and eventually getting my own made me realize how I finally found the breed for me. Training a Labrador was still chaotic as I had to repeatedly chase a puppy around the house for stealing my socks, but I always had a smile on my face. My foundation girl, Amai, always makes each day a joy as you can tell she is just happy to be included in the adventures I take her on. 

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I am an AKC Fetch Judge as well as a member of the Southern Indiana Kennel Club (SIKC), Mason Dixon Dog Club, Hoosier Labrador Retriever Club (HLRC), and the Hoosier Hunting Retriever Club (HHRC).

In our free time, Amai and I are official AKC Canine Ambassadors that help educate the general public on responsible dog ownership, dog breeds, and sports that they and their children can get involved with to help keep sports and purebred preservation alive.

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