In this series, we’ll be chatting with every member of the KeenDog team. We’ll dive into their origin stories, their passions, and the experiences that have shaped them into the trainers you know and love. And maybe we’ll discover a few quirks, too!

Next up, KeenDog office manager, Emily…

Tell us about your first dog!

I spent my whole childhood dreaming of having a dog of my own. I had small pets like hamsters and did lots of pet sitting, but it wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I got my first dog, Samson. He is a five-year-old Rottweiler x American Bully mix. While he has a tough exterior, he’s incredibly sweet and cuddly once you make it inside his close-knit circle. He has three modes - drivey sport dog, laidback adventure dog, and couch potato. He got me into dog sports like scent work, tracking, barn hunt, and dock diving. To this day, he’s like my security blanket and I love taking him anywhere companion dogs are allowed.

What inspired you to become a dog trainer?

When my husband and I adopted Samson at 4-5 months of age, we were told that he would likely be over 100lbs. That estimate ended up being way off (he's a lean 60lbs fully grown), but it lit a fire under us to ensure he was well trained. When he exhibited [very normal] puppy behaviors like play biting, chasing prey, and leash pulling, we worried about the scary possibility of owning a 100lb menace to society. We immediately signed up for training with KeenDog and began working with Rachel. I quickly fell in love with dog training. At the time, I was in the corporate world, working in market research and branding. I’ve always been interested in human behavior, and I found dog behavior equally fascinating. I like to think I was an ideal client - I practiced every day, showed up to group class every week, started exploring dog sports… Eventually an opportunity came about for me to quit my corporate job and do an internship with KeenDog and the rest is history!

What is your favorite thing (behavior, sport, etc.) to train and why?

I love training dogs (and people) in the basics of scent work! Not every dog has the aptitude to be an explosives detection dog, but nearly every dog can benefit from scent work games. I love seeing dogs and owners alike light up when they learn something new, especially when it’s something that isn’t strictly obedience related.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new dog owners?

Be patient, especially if your new dog is a puppy. The first 6 months to a year are about keeping your dog alive, preventing bad habits from forming, and exposing your dog to the world. Allowing too much freedom too soon will backfire and cause lifelong problems. If you can control and manage your puppy’s behavior until they’re old enough to understand cause and effect, and that their actions have consequences (both good and bad), you’ll be in a much better position to cultivate the behavior that you desire.

What is one thing you wish dog owners knew or understood?

Freedom is achieved through obedience, management, and boundaries. We all want our dogs to live their best life possible and enjoy all that life has to offer them. Most dogs aren’t able to know real freedom, though, because they won’t recall if they’re distracted, they’ll chase a squirrel into the road, they’ll be destructive and give themselves a bowel obstruction, etc. People don’t want to establish rules or hold their dogs accountable because it feels aversive or restrictive. For example, some people think it’s cruel to train an off-leash recall using an e-collar. So rather than enjoying off leash frolics in fields, woods, and creeks, those same dogs will spend their entire life on a leash or in a fenced yard. By establishing a clear way of communicating what behaviors are and are not acceptable, and setting and enforcing boundaries, your dog can earn and enjoy ultimate freedom.

If you were a dog, what breed would you be and why?

He’s not purebred, but I would be my dog Samson (Rottweiler x American Bully). He and I are so alike. He can turn up the energy and enthusiasm for activities he really enjoys, but he also enjoys staying home and cuddling on the couch. He isn’t a social butterfly, but he loves being close to his people. He’s loyal, obedient, and has just enough sass to keep things interesting.

If you could only have one dog breed for the rest of your life, what breed would you choose and why?

This is a hard question because I want to experience owning a lot of different breeds, but probably Rottweilers. I love their size,  temperament, and big, beautiful heads.

If you could train any famous dog from movies or TV, who would it be and why?

Beethoven! I’m not sure I could deal with the slobber and hair in real life, but I’ve always loved St. Bernards. I think they would be a challenging, but endearing breed to work with.

Anything else you want the people to know about you? Your training style?

I love the fact that I got my start as a KeenDog client. I think it helps me relate to clients and understand how they’re feeling going into training. It can be overwhelming learning the verbiage, testing your coordination, implementing new types of structure within the home… I know firsthand that signing up for dog training is rarely just about training your dog. It’s about family dynamics, marriage disputes, fitness goals, work life balance, mental health, parenting, establishing boundaries, advocating for your dog, etc. It’s layered and nuanced. No matter my role within KeenDog, I always try to keep empathy and understanding at the forefront of our approach.

Tell us about your teammates!

One of my favorite things about dog training is that it attracts people from all backgrounds. Our team is like a melting pot of life experiences. Everyone brings something different to the table and it makes the team stronger as whole.