When I was a little girl, I loved dogs more than anything else in the world. I didn’t have the blessing of growing up with a dog, but I managed to successfully convince my parents to get me one.

On my 12th birthday, Tuffy, a miniature poodle puppy, was the greatest gift I have ever received. Unfortunately, this little dog came with a host of health and behavioral issues. After the first year, his behavioural issues became so unmanageable, that my parents were going to give him away.

I was determined to help my little dog get better, so I asked my parents to enroll Tuffy and I in obedience classes. At the age of 13, I started working with a handful of different trainers to help with Tuffy’s behavioural issues. This was during a time when there were no real “dog behaviourists”, and only regular obedience classes.