Let me introduce myself!
Hi, I’m Jeni. Dietitian turned dog trainer after finally deciding to quit my unfulfilling job, and follow the lifelong calling I believe God has on my life.
I’m an only child that grew up with dogs, cats, and horses to talk to instead of siblings. Since childhood I have felt I was put on this planet to care for animals, advocate for them, and help them in any way I can.
My heart bleeds for the dogs that aren’t the lucky ones. The ones that weren’t lucky enough to end up in a loving home with an owner that wants to be the best owner they can be.
My goal with Project HappyDog is to not only teach loving owners and their dogs how to live harmoniously together, but to train and re-home as many unwanted dogs as I possibly can in my lifetime. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do!
My training philosophy
At Project HappyDog, I teach you how to be the leader your dog needs, and is happy to follow!
Dogs love us…and we love them, but we have to remember dogs communicate differently than humans.
Every breed was created with a specific purpose in mind. Understanding your dog’s specific breed characteristics and tendencies can help you better understand them and how best to communicate with them.
By design, dogs are happiest when they have consistency, leadership, and understand what’s being asked of them. If you don’t lead, they will!
Establishing clear boundaries and communication between you and your dog is the foundation of my training here at Project HappyDog.
My Training Methodology
Here at Project HappyDog, dogs 6 months and older are trained using the language of the E-Collar, so we can create the clear, non-negotiable communication that dogs understand and crave.
My approach to dog training is often referred to as ‘balanced’ training. Balanced training means a training method that incorporates both reward based techniques as well as fair corrections, depending on the individual dog, and their needs.
There is no one size fits all! Every dog has a different personality and background, and needs a slightly different approach. By communicating using reward based and corrective communication together (instead of just bribing with food), we can communicate more clearly, and in a way that more closely mimics the communication style that dogs innately understand, and use with each other.
Dogs do not only use positive reenforcement to communicate with each other! Unwanted behaviors elicit a negative response from fellow dogs. Dogs understand corrective feedback very well. Unwanted behaviors between dogs are met with an uncomfortable response, and the dog quickly learns not to repeat that behavior. Female dogs begin teaching their pups this concept from a very young age!
What’s an E-Collar?
Are you not sure what an E-Collar is, or if it’s the right thing for you and your dog? Click below to learn about the benefits of this amazing tool.