All About Nikki
I am a mom of four, a former elementary teacher, a former executive manager of a non-profit alternative special education school, and a long time dog sitter turned behaviorist and trainer. I have connected with animals my entire life, especially dogs and horses.
At 7 years old I was bitten across the face by an unstable dog at a family gathering. Despite that experience, I have never feared dogs. I ran a dog sitting business for years and it was one of my own dogs who became unbalanced and attacked other dogs. This led me to seek out the help of a dog behaviorist. After a few hours of work with my canine, the behaviorist told me I should consider becoming a behaviorist as well. I declined due to life circumstances. A year later he and I met again to help a family member with her unstable dogs. After the session, he said, "I know I've said it before, but you should go into this business, you have a gift." I gave it some thought and decided to go ahead and dedicate and educate myself to empowering people and their dogs.
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The greatest joy I receive in this field is seeing the transformation of an owner and his or her dog when the two of them understand what is expected of each other and are communicating in the way a dog understands. I love the successful moments owners tell me about and seeing the relationship between the owner and canine grow. I especially love owners who take accountability for the responsibility of their beloved canine.
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My Methods
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My varying methods come from experience with multiple programs. I have studied and participated in a variety of programs to gain as much knowledge as possible. Currently, I am under the guidance of master trainer Mike Herstik, a world renowned dog trainer (https://detectiondogs.com/). I use the science of classical conditioning and operant conditioning methods to create consistency and reliability in a dog.
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I do not subscribe solely to one method and have built an eclectic style of work based on the best parts of a range of practices combining practicality, science, and creativity. While there are many buzz words regarding dog training, such as, positive only vs. punishment training (and a gargantuan amount of opinions regarding TV dog training shows, labels, and philosophies), I do not follow only one school of thought. Each dog and situation require thorough analysis and often creative solutions. I continue to study and build a toolbox of the most useful interventions from a wide variety of practices. I do, however, adhere to LIMA (least invasive, minimally aversive) and do not condone the use of cruelty or aversive punishment tactics. I educate my clients on the different types of reinforcers and punishments.
Just like humans, dogs most certainly come with their own personalities and characteristics. Dogs, however, are not humans nor do they possess the same psychology. There are some basic genetic and psychological fundamentals that define the canine species. When we humanize dogs we create confusion and frustration for both the dog and the human. When we "speak" canine we create a relationship of trust, respect, and love between the human and dog species.
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When it comes to family chaos and tension created by a dog, I use a collaborative approach focused on problem-solving skills that meets the needs of each individual involved. I believe that kids and dogs play very important roles in the contribution to family success and I find joy in working with children to solve problems related to their family fur-baby.
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