Hello

Hi! My name is Joelle, but most people call me Jo.

 

My journey into dog training began with my heart dog, Kobi. At the time, I was searching for a service dog to help manage my medical conditions. Like many people, I quickly realized that professionally trained service dogs were financially out of reach, but my need for one didn’t disappear just because of the price tag.

 

I was already a lifelong dog lover and had my personal dog, Max, whom I adored. Unfortunately, Max didn’t have the temperament needed for service work. That’s when Kobi came into my life. I had some basic dog training knowledge, but training a service dog required me to step far beyond what I already knew.

 

I dove in headfirst watching training videos, reading books and articles, and connecting with other trainers to better understand how dogs learn, think, and communicate. Through dedication, patience, and a lot of trial and error, I successfully trained Kobi as my medical alert, response, and mobility service dog.

 

Kobi has accomplished more than I ever imagined. He has attended college with me, flown on airplanes, gone to arcades, and most importantly, learned to alert to my medical episodes up to 15 minutes before they occur. He didn’t just change my daily life; he changed my future.

 

While Kobi was an incredible teacher, the dog who taught me the most was my project dog, Puzzle.

 

Kobi was relatively straightforward to train, but Puzzle came to me with significant behavioral challenges, including severe crate anxiety, resource guarding, and major environmental sensitivities. Working with Puzzle forced me to slow down, adapt, and truly individualize my training approach. He taught me that no two dogs are the same, and that successful training means meeting the dog in front of you, not forcing them into a one-size-fits-all method.

 

Puzzle made me fall completely in love with dog training and pushed me into the dog sport world. While we didn’t compete extensively, we trained in dock diving, trick titles, AKC obedience, and rally. He was my “everywhere, everything” dog, and the one who solidified my passion for helping dogs and their people work through challenges together.

 

Today, my training philosophy is rooted in compassion, adaptability, and education. Every dog has potential, and every handler deserves support. My goal is to help teams build trust, confidence, and real-world skills, whether that’s for pet dogs or service dogs.