Mission
To leverage positive training methods to build harmonious relationships between pets and their people; because dogs aren’t just dogs, they are our family.
Method
I use positive training principles - no fear or force- to understand the root of a dog's behavior to drive lasting results. Pillars of this method center around managing for safety, enrichment, and training to establish a foundation of understanding, clarify expectations, and build a bond between you and your dog.
Jess Florek Hicks, Owner
My training story begins with my three rescue dogs, Georgia, Sadie, and Nash. Two of my fur children are foster fails who were brought into my life because of their increased behavioral needs and lower adoptability profiles, but each of them are perfect for my husband and I.
My challenges and failures in training my own dogs for their special needs led me to grow my education in dog training. Following some traditional training methods, I found myself not making strides in changing behaviors, those behaviors growing more severe, losing trust with my dogs, and feeling at a complete loss. I reached out to multiple trainers and finally connected with a positive trainer that changed my outlook and lead me to become a graduate of the Victoria Stilwell Academy Online Dog Trainer Course. Today, each of my dogs continually reminds me of how positive training can drive a lasting impact and trusting relationship.
My experience doesn't end with my own three bullies. As a foster parent, more than 25+ foster dogs have come through our home, each looking for love and a solid foundation to help them find their forever homes. I spent five years volunteering as a part of a local rescue, evaluating dogs from shelters and owner surrenders to be brought into the rescue program. I learned a lot about dog to dog interactions, dog body language and communication, as well as how to work with dogs from a wide variety of behaviors, histories and fears.
I am passionate about giving dogs a shot to be their best selves. I don’t believe there are any bad dogs, and that training can help keep dogs in loving homes, or set them up to be successful in adoptive homes. I provide training guidance and advice that is easy to understand and can be practiced in your day-to-day routine. Each of my training plans comes with steps to manage for safety, enrich your dog’s life to prevent negative behaviors, and behavior modification through training. My goal is to leverage positive training methods to help you build a harmonious relationship with your dog; because they aren’t just a dog, they are your family.