Best Dog Training in Fort Collins

Adam’s wife, Tess and their two children, Nathaniel and Jessa, together with their dogs Half Pint and Skye (Toy Australian Shepherds), Lemon (Golden Retriever), and Journey (Black Lab), along with some cattle dogs for their ranch and several horses make up their immediate family. He is a pro at working with animals, focusing on being in tune with your dog’s individual personalities, and training even the most timid or assertive.

I have worked in dog rescue for over fifteen years, starting back home in Nebraska and continuing out here in Colorado. I love all dogs, but rescue dogs definitely have my heart, especially pitties! Every time I see a big head and chunky body, my heart melts! Having been in the rescue world so long, seeing dogs with various behavioral backgrounds has given me a passion for those issues and is why I love seeing our dogs in training blossom and overcome their individual hurdles.

Outside of work, I enjoy cycling classes, concerts, hiking, ping pong, thrift stores and volunteer work within our community. My favorite thing is spending time outdoors with my own two rescue gals, Gertrude and Finnegan, a.k.a Big Girl.

I originally started working with dogs with the intention of becoming a veterinarian but quickly figured out that was not the right path for me. After moving to Colorado in 2017 to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Zoology at Colorado State University, I started to work as a kennel tech in different daycares. I quickly started to fall in love with the behavior of dogs and what made each dog tick. Taking a dog psychology and behavior course to finish my degree only further piqued my interest which is when I really dove into the world of dog training. After starting with Sit Means Sit, I learned more every day and was fascinated by the results and quick turnarounds that I was seeing. It made me really happy to see owners reach their goals with their own dogs and be a successful team out in public.

Because I knew dogs were always going to be a part of my life, as soon as I was able, I adopted my first dog Boots. He is my cattle dog/border collie mix who jumped me right into the deep end of training and eventually dog sports. When I first got him, he had zero obedience, was reactive to both dogs and people, and had very low confidence. He has since done a complete turnaround and is now my right-hand companion, demo dog and my go to dog while working with our training dogs. Once our obedience and relationship had a strong foundation, we started getting into the world of dog sports. Trick Dog, Agility, and Dock Diving are sports we are working on further titling and competing in. To help further my journey in training, I got my second dog, Vega, a rough collie who I am training in rally and obedience and hopefully agility soon. I am working on achieving a therapy dog certification for her as well.

I may not a Colorado native, I sure wish I were! I was born and raised in (upstate) New York where I completed my Bachelor of Science through studying Natural Resources. I then moved to Washington state after undergrad to study rattlesnakes and the potential effects of wildfires on them for my Master of Science thesis. So, whether they have no legs and scales or four legs and fur, they are beloved to me!