Owner & Head Trainer
How it Began
I grew up with family dogs and had a deep affection for their livelihood and well-being. We always had well behaved dogs who lived calmly inside our home, and they were part of our family unit. I loved dogs, and I knew that I always wanted to have a dog in my life; but I did not begin my career in dog training. As a young girl, I felt that I wanted to work with people who have special needs and challenges, and of course at that time, I had no idea where that teaching path of my life’s journey would later lead me. When I was older, I studied in college and got my Master’s Degree in special education, having a career in cognitive therapy and teaching people with many types of disabilities. I worked with children and adults having mild to profound intellectual disabilities, attention deficits, on the autism spectrum, traumatic brain injury, strokes, spinal cord injuries, severe physical impairments, and mobility limitations.
When I was in college and living on my own, I adopted a mixed terrier from the local humane society. Her name was Munchkin, and she lived by my side for almost 13 years. We were very bonded to each other; we traveled together; she was always at my side and off leash trained; she was attentive, calm, and knew she could rely on me to get all her needs met. We had a special communication with each other that I cannot explain, and the relationship between us was immeasurable. She was my heart dog and soul mate. I had no idea during our time together that she would later be the catalyst to creating Peaceful Paws.
Throughout my teaching career, I had always felt that there was something missing or something more that I needed to do, and in 2014, some circumstances occurred that gave me the chance to start Denise’s Doggie Do’s, offering services for pet sitting and dog walking that would later lead to Peaceful Paws. During this time, I had the opportunity to learn from some amazing dog trainers who mentored me and gave me the foundation skills to begin my dog training career. Added to that, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Mary S Roberts Pet Adoption Center. I was there for one year, doing behavior modification and taking therapy dogs out to assisted living facilities. I volunteered with two service dog training organizations. I was the master trainer at 4 Paws 4 Patriots for 6 years, until I moved away from California. I worked with Veterans to train their own service dogs that assisted them with their disabilities. I also volunteered with Mobility Service Dogs West Coast Project, assisting the puppy raisers and training standard Poodles as mobility service dogs. I am presently an AKC Canine Good Citizen certified dog evaluator and have a certification in Syn Alia Training System (SATS) for Perception Modification.
I continue to learn from other dog trainers, my mentors, and workshops that I attend annually. I read countless books about dog training, animal behavior, dog language, and so much more. I especially learn from training a variety of breeds from puppies to senior dogs, and no two dogs are alike; they all have their own temperament and learning style and deserve individualized training for their specific needs. My love of learning is ongoing, and I grow as a dog trainer every time I take hold of a dog’s leash. My two dogs, Sparky and Amber, help me with training other dogs. Peaceful Paws came about in 2014. It is the melding of my compassion to help people and my love to be with dogs.
