About Me:
I am Neurodivergent and Queer
I had a dog training and pet care business years ago before my diagnosis. I had no skills to keep the business part of the business going and without knowing about my neurodivergence, everything I set up failed. This is why I am taking a neuroaffirming approach to dog training. We cannot ignore parts of ourselves and hope to find peace. I am here, as myself for the first time, and cannot wait to work with you.
Hi. Can we start by being honest with each other about how hard it can be sometimes to live with a completely different species that doesn’t speak our language and yet completely depends on us for all of their needs?
And to top that off, as a neurodivergent person, I am way too aware of my own needs or sometimes completely not aware and struggle to understand how to meet them again and again every day. You might know what I mean!!
It’s a lot, right??
I promise to not tell you to “just try harder”!
Neuroaffirming dog training is an approach in which you and I work together to find the ways to have you and your dog co-regulate, learn from each other, and improve your lives together. It also means that I will ask you how I can best support you and not judge you.
What is neuroaffirming dog training?
The Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program I went through was taught by Nan Arthur. Nan has a beautiful holistic approach to working with people and their dogs. This way of training and teaching has stuck with me, and I try to do my best at bringing a bit of Nan’s wisdom with me everywhere I go.
As a recently diagnosed neurodivergent in their 35s person, I am having a heck of a time finding people who are neuroaffirming that can help me navigate my own issues. People in positions of authority who tell me to “just try harder”. I am sure that you may have had similar experiences, too. If we could, we would. Right?
I also come from a place of understanding that we all have so much we are dealing with in our daily lives.
What is my training approach?
My approach is with kindness first. I would like to understand how you are doing, how your animal is doing, and how you hope the future will look like.
From this place, we can then look at the present and the past. With this foundation - we can build a plan to support the growth of your dog towards a place where you and them are both comfortable and supported.
There is no space in this approach for shame. Only understanding and compassion.
What is a KPA CTP?
Being a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner is a really cool thing actually. Even if I end up not being the trainer you go with, it means that I (and the other trainers who have this certification) have not only demonstrated technical skills of teaching dogs and people, but also knowledge about dogs, behavior, and teaching. It is absolutely worth using the Find a Trainer search function on the Karen Pryor Academy website to see who else could be a good fit!