Hi, I’m Elizabeth!
Certified Dog Trainer
Pawsitive State of mind has been years (and a lifetime) in the making and I am so overjoyed that it is now a reality!! The thing about passion is… if you chase it far enough, it becomes your purpose ✨
The connection between human and animal is one like none other… though we don’t speak the same language or communicate in the same ways, dogs enrich our lives and are proven to make us happier, healthier, and even live longer!
My mission is to empower pet parents and their dogs with positive, compassionate, science-based, and effective training methods that instill confidence and trust in one another for whatever life may bring!
“Dogs are only with us for part of our lives, but to them… we are their whole lives.”
My experience:
✨ I grew up raising and training Border Collies at my grandparents small farm in San Antonio, Texas. At 13 years old, I had already competed in local rodeo/farm trials with my first herding dog, Gyp. I was involved in all stages of raising and starting many litters of puppies, temperament and working drive evaluations, and even trained working dogs for farms/ranches.
✨ I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M with a focus on Animal Science, then later my Master’s Degree in healthcare.
✨ I have achieved USDAA Agility Championship with my Border Collie, Fly, as well as trained and taught beginner dog agility classes for years while in college.
For over 5 years, my Border Collie, Rey, and I served the South Texas area Law Enforcement as a nationally-certified IPWDA Human Remains (Cadaver) K9 Handler and Search and Rescue SARTECHII ground personnel on deployments until 2020 when we moved to Washington and I made the difficult decision to retire Rey.
I cannot express the immense gratitute for the teammates two-and-four-legged, the years of mentorship with exceptional Task Force/USAR, Military and Department of Defense K9 trainers, and the experiences through the years.
Though we are not involved in SAR at this time, it is held incredibly near to our heart. So others may live.
KPA-CPT Dog Training Certification
Even though I had varied and extensive background in dog training, I wanted to commit to the strenuous and science-based Karen Pryor Certified Training Professional (KPA CTP) course which has been highly regarded by industry-leading veterinarians and behaviorists.
Completing this course has been such an exceptional way to better serve pet parents and their dogs.
Focus on the good.
“Focus on the good” is at the core of our training philosophies and our mission. Click to learn more!
Gyp, my border collie, and our small family farm in Texas
My retired Search and Rescue dog, Rey
Search and Rescue rubble trainings
Fly, PDCH Agility Championship
Fly, PDCH Championship
