How did you meet Cynthia?
Cyn’s training program was recommended to us by a few coworkers of mine. I met her when we began training Jethro as a puppy during the summer of 2018.
How long have you had dogs and what do you love most them?
My family had various dogs throughout most of my childhood and early adulthood. My first experience as a dog handler/owner as an adult started in May of 2018 when Jethro made us a family of three. The first experience of having more than one dog in our home started in June of 2023 when Rogue became part of our family. It is hard to narrow down to one thing that I love most about dogs, but their ability to recognize and understand human emotions and then their ability to act upon those emotions is remarkable. They have a way of knowing just what their human needs at just the right time.
How long have you been helping with training and what do you love most about it?
I started assisting with training during the fall of 2020. The most rewarding part of helping with training is seeing the success of the dog/handler partnership as they grow from puppies into adult dogs. It is very special to see a handler get just as excited as the puppy when they both learn a command together.
What other dog related activities do you do?
In addition to training our dogs both in class and at home, I go on daily walks with them. We spend a lot of time outside playing in the yard with Jethro’s frisbee and Rogue’s ball. We will set up obstacle courses in the yard with tunnels and jumps for them. I am Jethro’s registered handler for Therapy Dogs International, so when time permits, I will bring him to my husband’s lectures on animal assisted therapy to demonstrate proper behavior of a therapy dog and some basic obedience.