Meet Julie
...and Percy too.
Helping our dog overcome his crippling separation anxiety was life-changing.
So life-changing that I knew it was my purpose to bring this relief to the countless other people and pups who have the same struggles.
Because let’s keep it real here … separation anxiety can suck the life right out of you.
I too know what it’s like to be held prisoner in my own home by an adorable animal approximately one-fourth my size.
Here’s our story …
One day, my husband and I brought home the sweet treasure that is our dog, Percy. In my eyes, he has always been a perfect gem. There was just one problem: the poor boy had separation anxiety.
This threw quite a wrench in our lives. With a pup who couldn’t stand to be left alone, it was nearly impossible for us to commit to social engagements or even pop over to the grocery for milk. It broke our heart to see him struggling like this (and if you know me, you know I’m a cryer when it comes to dogs, so there were buckets of tears involved).
Like you, we tried it ALL. Crate training. Crying it out. Trying to be the “alpha.” None of it worked - and to be honest, none of it made me feel like a very good dog mum.
Disheartened, I turned to science and learned everything I possibly could about fear, learning science, dog behavior, and separation anxiety. Using evidence-based research, patience, and lots of trial and error, I eventually trained Percy to be okay while we were away using a method so simple, I’m not sure why we didn’t think of it sooner.
It was a miracle.
That may seem like an overstatement or an exaggeration … but if you have a dog with separation anxiety, you know that “miracle” is truly the right word.
Then I did something I’d been
wanting to do for years.
Then I did something I’d been wanting to do for years.
Training Percy to overcome his separation anxiety was life-changing. My husband and I felt more liberated than we had in a long time. The effect was so positive in fact, that I knew it was my purpose to bring this relief to the countless other people and pups who had the same struggles.
I always felt like I was a "make a difference" person trapped in a corporate lifer's body. So after years of thinking about it, I finally followed my heart, quit my corporate job of 20 years and began my journey as a dog trainer, which I’d been wanting to do forever.
I enrolled at the Academy for Dog Trainers (also known as The Harvard for dog trainers, if you will). Throughout the two-year program, I learned the evolutionary biology of dogs, the history of their behavior, classic conditioning (remember Pavlov?), critical thinking, and even some masters-level psychology.
The program was outstanding and helped me truly understand and become a lifelong student of dog learning and behavior-change. It added a new layer to my first-hand experience with separation anxiety.
Now I help other struggling dog owners make their own miracles happen.
I study the latest research and evidence to inform my methods, and always implement them in a kind, humane way. I will never use fear as a means to cure your dog’s fear. And frankly, I wouldn’t trust anyone that tells you otherwise.
Whether you’re a stressed-out pet parent
or an aspiring separation anxiety trainer, I’d love to help you learn how to ease separation anxiety in the kindest, gentlest, yet most effective way possible.
A Little More About Me
Helping dogs (and their owners) with separation anxiety is my life. On the rare occasion I’m not working on book updates, checking in with my students, or teaching fellow dog trainers my method, I’m truly a creature of habit (much like dogs, come to think of it!).
Writing inside my teardrop camping trailer
A cup of David’s tea at 5 a.m. (yep, I’m a total morning person)
Anything behavior science-related (with a little true crime mixed in here and there)
Hiking or mountain biking with my dogs in tow. To quote David Rose, “I could not be more at one with nature!”
Schitt’s Creek and Ted Lasso
India, Percy, and Tex
Is Rainbow an official color?
