Personal Story:

I wish I had the stereotypical story of always having a deep love and connection with dogs and working with them since childhood. But in reality, dogs didn’t become a major part of my life until adulthood.

My first truly meaningful relationship with a dog came in 2016 when I started fostering dogs. At first, I had a couple of short-term fosters—one for about two weeks, another for a month. Then I met Barry, a 70-pound, absolute meathead of a Pit Bull, and everything changed.

Barry was the quintessential “bad dog.” He was aggressive to dogs, reactive to people, and just a general menace. After he jumped the fence to attack my neighbors dog, I quickly realized I wasn’t equipped to give him what he needed. I took him to a local dog trainer, signed him up for a ten lesson package, and watched as he transformed. Barry went from lunging at every dog on the street to calmly hanging out in our front yard with such a solid recall that I no longer had to worry.

Seeing his massive turnaround was inspiring—it showed me the power of patience, the importance of structure, and that meaningful change, while difficult, is always possible. More than that, Barry’s journey helped me realize that dogs, like people, thrive when given clear guidance, consistency, and the right balance of leadership and trust.

A few years later, I found myself at a crossroads. I had been working construction in New York but moved to Vermont for a short time. When construction work didn’t pan out, I turned to Indeed and applied for a kennel attendant job at a dog daycare. Spending hours with large groups of dogs was both fascinating and therapeutic. I became obsessed with learning to read their body language and communication. After about a year at the daycare, I moved back to New York with a new sense of purpose.

Once back, I was ready to fully commit to a career in dog training. I earned my Master Dog Trainer Certificate from Anthony Jerone’s School of Dog Training. I then started working as a kennel attendant for the same company where Barry had trained. This gave me the opportunity to apprentice with the trainer who made such a profound impact on my life and allowed me to fully immerse myself in the balanced training approach. From there, I went on to work for two other dog training companies, honing my skills, expanding my expertise, and deepening my love for the process.

In the past 5 years, I have been training dogs up and down Long Island and beyond. From Montauk to Manhattan, I have seen it all. Through my years of hands-on experience, I’ve come to believe and trust in a balanced training approach—one that provides structure, clear communication, and positivity to help dogs thrive.

With True Balance K9, my goal is to give to others what was given to me with Barry. To go from frustration and stress to confidence and ease when handling him. Bringing clear, practical education to dog owners so they can better understand their dogs and live in harmony with them. The skills I’ve learned as a trainer have not only helped me transform countless dogs but have also given me a deeper understanding of my own dog and her needs. Now, I’m dedicated to helping others experience that same transformation.

True Balance K9 is about more than just training—it’s about giving dogs and their owners the tools to build a lifelong partnership, one rooted in understanding, confidence, and balance.