Communication
Communication is a foundational competency that I have developed through educational, professional, and interpersonal experiences. My education through the Academy for Dog Trainers provided a foundation in canine communication, client counselling, and instructional methods, which I later strengthened through Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care education emphasizing empathy, emotional safety, and nonjudgmental communication. I have adapted and refined these principles across my work with clients, children, and interpersonal relationships, and I have continually analyzed and evaluated my communication strategies to meet individual needs and goals.
Throughout my decade-long career in dog training, I have developed fluency in reading and interpreting canine communication and recognizing its relationship to behaviour and learning. The Academy for Dog Trainers provided my initial education through in-depth information about dog behaviour and body language, incorporating photo and video examples into these learning modules. The videos included both prosocial and conflictual canine interactions, providing slow-motion playback and verbal narration of the body language that occurred prior to, during, and after each interaction. When I applied this learning to managing multidog interactions in daycare and boarding settings, my ability to read social cues improved, allowing me to respond proactively to subtle stress behaviours and reduce conflict. This knowledge also allowed me to analytically reassess the behavioural antecedents of past canine altercations, such as a daycare incident between two dogs which initially appeared to occur without warning as the dogs calmly crossed paths. After completing the body language modules through the Academy, I reflected on the interaction and recognized stress cues I had previously missed, such as clenched jaws, stiff tail wags, and hard stares, realizing that what I had interpreted as neutral body language was actually tension that escalated as the dogs neared one another. This reflection of past observations combined with my new interpretation skills improved my future practice of supervising canine interactions and eventually led to my specialization in supporting the development of socialization skills for dogs with play skill deficits.
Understanding canine body language not only improved my ability to manage social groups; it also provided me with a valuable foundation for developing and implementing effective dog training plans. A significant component of my Academy experience involved creating customized training plans for assigned case studies. Recognizing a dog’s emotional response to a stimulus was necessary to determine the appropriate training approach. Evidence 1.4 provides an example of these different methods, with an operant conditioning plan focused on the inclusion and order of parameters to install a new behaviour, and a classical conditioning plan that emphasized the sequence of events and maintenance of desired contingencies to build a positive emotional response to a novel experience. I was required to submit a revision to my first plan to resolve unmet criteria, which strengthened my attention to detail. Designing structured training plans taught me to organize the sequence, timing, and purpose of my communication in advance. The underlying process of identifying a terminal goal and developing incremental steps toward that goal has since become a framework I apply when communicating with dog training clients, supporting children, and navigating situations in my personal life. Rather than communicating every expectation associated with an end goal at once, I identify the current incremental step and communicate the information needed to successfully progress toward the next.
Through the Academy, I learned to identify the underlying function of behaviour through continuous observation and interpretation, improving my ability to adapt to a dog’s needs in real time. Evidence 1.1 illustrates this adaptability as I demonstrated training skills on a nervous puppy. To build a positive emotional response to body handling, I adjusted my actions based on the puppy’s response to each trial, progressing in the plan when the puppy’s body language was relaxed and regressing when the puppy signalled discomfort. Later, when I was preparing for a recall training demonstration and the puppy reacted to a passing stranger, I assessed the puppy’s altered focus and emotional state and adjusted my plan in the moment by implementing an impromptu counter-conditioning session. Providing these video demonstrations to clients has helped me communicate responsive training approaches by narrating my observations and decision-making, answering questions, and providing proactive coaching to prepare clients to comfortably and skillfully respond to challenging behaviours on their own.
My education through the Academy extended beyond training instruction into broader consultation and counselling work. I learned how to implement a nonjudgmental approach by acknowledging the client’s underlying observations and identifying constructive aspects to positively reinforce, while gently reframing their interpretation using accessible, memorable language. Examples of my client reframing language are included in Evidence 1.2. My skills for developing trust with clients were strengthened through my education in UBC’s Trauma- and Violence-Informed course, where I learned to communicate clear expectations, respond respectfully to inaccurate interpretations or past actions, and include client collaboration in the training process. When consulting with clients, I implement these principles as I assess concerns, clarify goals, and establish realistic expectations. Drawing from my personal counselling experiences, I use active listening strategies such as listening without interruption, repeating information for clarification, and asking follow-up questions before providing a thoughtful response. As I coach clients, I implement the Academy’s progressive approach by explaining a skill verbally, demonstrating it as a visual model, and then supporting clients as they practice, reinforcing their successes while offering gentle guidance and constructive feedback. When clients struggle to follow directions, I reflect on and evaluate my instruction processes. I alter my language, demonstrations, and coaching strategies to adapt to different learning styles, including breaking down steps, slowing demonstrations, and building dogs’ skills before client practice. These adaptations strengthen rapport by helping clients trust that I will recognize and respond to their individual learning needs, as reflected in my client’s reference letter in Evidence 1.3.
The communication principles that guided my work in dog training provided a strong foundation for supporting children with high support needs. An important early learning experience occurred when I observed my child’s distress in response to a rewards-based behavioural support plan implemented by a behaviour analyst. I reflected on my prior learning and realized that the program lacked support and prevention strategies for emotional dysregulation. Recognizing these limitations, I researched alternative approaches and identified occupational therapy as better suited to supporting emotional regulation, leading me to engage an OT to guide our program planning. The OT taught me to how to reduce my child’s perceived demands and increase autonomy by developing declarative language scripts to incorporate into daily interactions. To create these scripts, I reframed questions into observational statements, verbalized problem-solving processes, and implemented cognitive sentence starters. As an education assistant, I observed similar patterns of dysregulation with some students, including one child who regularly refused coursework, despite their teacher’s set consequences. To support this student, I applied these strategies through observational statements and cognitive sentence starters such as “I wonder,” while using collaborative language to position us as a team and pausing after statements to allow the student autonomy in responding. As they engaged, I incorporated humour and the student’s interests as I gradually redirected conversation toward the assignment until the student began writing independently. By allowing the student autonomy, avoiding direct demands, and integrating their personal interests, I established trust that allowed me to incrementally redirect their attention toward the intended goal. Overall, I have learned to critically evaluate behaviour support strategies, recognize underlying needs, and use low-pressure communication strategies to promote emotional safety.
Effective communication depends not only on understanding others but also on regulating my own responses during challenging interactions. To reduce interpersonal conflicts and improve outcomes, I have learned through counsellors and legal professionals how to regulate my breathing, compartmentalize my emotions, prioritize goals, and express concerns constructively. I applied these strategies during a recent parenting dispute in which I organized a mediation session to resolve the disagreement. To prepare for the session, I wrote down my preferred outcomes, clarified my priorities, and rehearsed responses to anticipated points of conflict. Additionally, I self-regulated beforehand through physical activity, guided meditation, and grounding exercises. These strategies supported me in communicating calmly while focusing on goals, leading to a cooperative outcome. Through continued reflection, I have developed the ability to analyze challenging interactions, evaluate and regulate my own responses, and communicate with intention, clarity, and composure.
I have developed communication skills across diverse settings and have come to recognize that successful communication requires adaptation to the individual, context, and intended goals. Maintaining a reflective practice grounded in observation, analysis, and evaluation has been central to my continued growth as an effective communicator. Across my work with clients, colleagues, children, and in challenging interpersonal situations, I have learned to use communication to build trust, facilitate learning, and foster mutual understanding.
Evidence Supporting Communication:
1.1 Dog Training Video
1.2 Client Counselling Assignment
1.3 Reference Letter – Client
1.4 Training Plan Assignments
Teamwork and Leadership
I have had extensive opportunities to develop and apply teamwork and leadership skills throughout my adult life through professional roles and continuing education. I have drawn learning from a variety of certificate and accreditation programs, including the Academy for Dog Trainers, UBC’s Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care, and the BCSPCA’s AnimalKind program. Some of my most significant teamwork and leadership roles include managing, training, and mentoring staff; leading teams through substantial ethical business changes and service restructuring; and initiating collaborative partnerships with businesses. The guiding principles I have developed and applied across these contexts are founded on trust, psychological safety, collaboration, and adaptation to individual and team needs. By focusing on these core principles, I have learned to lead through empowering individuals and promoting respect and cohesion within teams.
Since 2014, I have consistently maintained team leadership roles, first at K9HQ, and then within my own entrepreneurial business, Authentic Canine. My responsibilities have included training and supervising employees, supporting a team of independent contractors, and mentoring individuals as they advanced into management and dog training roles. My initial training as a team manager emphasized an exploitative, top-down approach that prioritized output over employee well-being. The strategies I learned at that time were rooted in micromanagement, performance criticism, and unrealistic expectations. Over time, I gradually recognized the harm these methods were causing to individuals’ job satisfaction, mutual respect between management and staff, and team morale. Staff turnover was high, employees pushed back on my expectations, and I ultimately took on additional hours to personally complete tasks that I did not trust others to complete to the standards set by the business owner. I reflected on how these strategies differed from the strategies I had learned through the Academy for Dog Trainers for supporting clients, which focused on building trust, employing empathy, and fostering growth and independence by progressing instruction and responsibility at the pace of the individual, reinforcing small successes along the way. Although I recognized that my role with clients was different from my role with employees, I wanted to replace my original management approach with these guiding principles, while still maintaining productivity in the workplace. To implement this change, I consulted with the business owner, reviewed daily and weekly SOPs and reduced the overall load by removing unnecessary tasks and simplifying time-consuming duties. I concluded that there were multiple ways to complete a task, and employees were given the freedom to modify and develop their own processes, provided they aligned with the organization’s general policies. Furthermore, I facilitated regular staff discussions to identify the primary challenges the staff experienced within their roles and engaged in collaborative brainstorming sessions to develop solutions to those challenges. This shift in management style led to a more positive work environment that not only improved my relationships with staff but also increased productivity as team motivation and morale increased. I have carried these principles with me in supporting independent contractors and mentoring aspiring dog trainers, which has resulted in long-term professional relationships.
One of my proudest accomplishments as a dog trainer was leading the K9HQ team through a fundamental change in our philosophy and procedures. After recognizing that the handling methods we used within the dog daycare did not align with the evidence-based practices I was learning through the Academy for Dog Trainers, I acquired permission from my boss to make substantial changes. I implemented these changes to improve our professional conduct, promote ethical treatment of dogs, and foster healthier social interactions within play groups. As I trained staff in these updated protocols, I learned that an effective way to support change was to model the new practices. I made a point of working regular shifts with all team members throughout the transition, demonstrating the new approaches in real time and answering questions along the way. Being physically present during this time helped staff feel supported and created opportunities for education, skill development, and shifts in perspective. The team successfully developed and implemented low-stress, evidence-based handling strategies, several staff members later advancing into leadership roles within the pet-care industry. They continue to advocate for the humane treatment of animals, carrying these principles into their subsequent professional work and extending the positive impact of the changes beyond K9HQ.
In 2023, shortly after rebranding under my new dog training business, Authentic Canine, I learned that the facility I had been training at would be closing. I had trained out of that facility for my entire career and had established my practice around it. However, although this closure threatened the continuity of my work, it led to a strong, collaborative teamwork initiative that helped sustain my business. At the time, two other trainers worked at the facility, including one of my independent contractors and another business owner, along with two dog daycare employees who were about to be out of work. We came together and collectively agreed that we wanted to continue our roles with dogs and developed a new service model that enabled us all to work without relying on a physical facility. As the owner of Authentic Canine, I took a significant role in developing and implementing this plan. I created a dog-walking service within the company to provide employment for a daycare employee, established a mentorship role with the other daycare employee who was eager to develop a career as a dog trainer, and restructured our training services to operate in clients’ homes. During this business restructuring, I strengthened my relationship with the other dog trainer business owner, and we developed a plan to move forward in a partnership, supporting each other with business growth, brand recognition, and navigating operational challenges, as detailed in the reference letter in Evidence 2.1. Since implementing this new model, our training team, now comprising four trainers within the partnership, has scheduled monthly meetings to maintain cohesion, discuss and implement business strategies, and continuously improve our services. Evidence 2.3 includes an agenda, notes, and action items from one of our recent meetings that I led. By recognizing that the strengths and expertise within our group were greater than what any one person could offer, I intentionally chose collaboration as the foundation for navigating the transition. By drawing on these complementary strengths, we were able to continue our respective work, retain valuable expertise within our team, and create new opportunities for professional development and business growth.
My education and experiences in teamwork and leadership have developed and refined my skills in empowering others, encouraging collaboration, and adapting to different individuals and situations. I have learned that leadership is not just about directing people, but involves active listening, participation, and contributing my expertise through respectful interactions. Additionally, I have recognized that developing effective teams requires leveraging individual strengths, skills, and perspectives, often producing stronger outcomes than working independently. Throughout my experiences across management, entrepreneurship, education, and advocacy, I have honed my teamwork and leadership skills to promote trust, facilitate team collaboration, lead change, and support others toward shared goals.
Evidence Supporting Teamwork and Leadership:
1.3 Reference Letter
2.1 Reference Letter
2.2 Email Correspondence
2.3 Staff Meeting Agenda
Information Gathering and Organizing
In my professional and personal life, I have developed skills in gathering, evaluating, organizing, and presenting information. At the Academy for dog trainers, I learned to research multiple sources, evaluate evidence, and formulate decisions based on the data. I strengthened these skills through experiential learning by synthesizing information, organizing findings, and comparing options. Through these experiences, I have developed processes to improve animal welfare, strengthen my professional practice, and foster informed child-related decisions.
As the dog training industry remains unregulated, The Academy taught me to systematically evaluate information. I learned to recognize credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, and analyze non-peer-reviewed sources and various training protocols using a learning theory framework that breaks down antecedents, behaviours, and consequences. This categorization allows me to evaluate the principles underlying these claims, their consistency with established evidence, and their potential risks. In my early years working in the dog daycare at K9HQ, I developed a bias in favour of the play group management methods I acquired through on-the-job training, which included the use of spray bottles, bark collars, and startling noises to suppress undesirable behaviours. These aversive strategies did not align with the evidence-based information I later learned about in the Academy, which identified risks associated with aversive training practices. While I learned how to train individual dogs with reward-based methods, The Academy did not provide information about applying these methods in group settings. To address this gap and challenge my existing biases, I conducted independent research to determine whether transitioning the daycare to reward-based group management was feasible. I gathered data from dog daycare, boarding, and walking businesses that had successfully incorporated reward-based methods into their group management protocols and organized my findings into a spreadsheet to compare their various service models with K9HQ’s. The spreadsheet included information about group size, facility type, staffing ratios, management procedures, equipment, and service structure. By questioning my prior on-the-job learning and gathering evidence of successful applications of reward-based group management methods, I learned to identify gaps in available information and conduct targeted research to determine how established evidence can be practically applied in circumstances not directly addressed by existing resources. Once my research was complete, I synthesized my findings into a formal proposal for a change in procedures, which I presented to the owner of K9HQ. The proposal was accepted, leading K9HQ to become the first dog daycare in the city to replace its aversive handling procedures with humane, evidence-based alternatives. This experience taught me to synthesize research findings into practical recommendations that could support a meaningful, positive changes to organizational practices.
Working with dog training clients, I have learned to effectively gather, organize, and interpret information to develop, implement, and modify training programs. The Academy provided me with foundational skills for these processes, including developing structured client intake forms, forming preliminary hypotheses by identifying relevant client information through a learning theory framework, investigating the function of behaviour through observation, and recording numerical data to evaluate training progress. My first-ever behaviour case highlighted weaknesses in my initial information gathering and organizing processes, leading me to select a training plan that was poorly suited to supporting the client and their dog. At the time, my intake form, consultation questions, and behavioural observations focused on outward behaviours while insufficiently considering a dog’s underlying emotional state. By combining my observations with this client’s expressed concerns, I wrongly concluded that her dog was experiencing barrier frustration rather than fear. As I worked through the selected training plan, gradually decreasing the distance between the dog and his triggers, he displayed stress signals, eventually responding with barking and lunging. Because I remained focused on my initial hypothesis of barrier frustration, I failed to recognize these behaviours as information indicating underlying fear and the need to reassess my plan. By formulating a plan using insufficient data, I caused the dog emotional distress and lost the client’s trust, leading them to seek help from another trainer. Through this experience, I learned that recognizing a familiar behavioural pattern does not eliminate the need to gather comprehensive information before creating a plan. Over time, I strengthened these skills through mentorships, continuing education, and experiential learning. I learned to develop more comprehensive intake forms with targeted questions an expand my behavioural observations to consider subtle body language and environmental contexts that may contribute to behaviour. I also improved my note-taking and data analysis by designing structured templates for consultations and session notes, allowing me to evaluate the efficacy of individualized training plans and recognize when adjustments are needed. Evidence 3.1 provides an example of a behaviour case I worked on using this updated process. The case includes a completed client intake form, consultation notes that organize and build on the client’s intake information, selected skills to work on as part of a multi-step training plan, and data from sessions to evaluate progress and guide subsequent decisions. Learning to thoroughly gather, strategically organize, and continually evaluate information has influenced how I approach dog training, and has extended into other areas of my life, including educational decision-making for my child.
As a parent of a neurodivergent child, I have gained experience researching, synthesizing, and presenting information related to evidence-based practices, alternative therapeutic approaches, and educational options to inform decision-making and influence outcomes. I developed these skills through years of advocacy, requiring independent research, documentation of events, and the presentation of structured comparisons and proposals. I strengthened these skills by recognizing advocacy strategies that contributed to positive outcomes, while reflecting on approaches that led to less favourable results. An example of this process occurred last year when I needed to reach an agreement with my co-parent about the educational path for our child for the upcoming school year. After previous unsuccessful school experiences, I sought an educational setting that could support our child’s social-emotional needs. To formulate criteria, I reflected on his past school-related challenges, including overstimulation in group settings, dysregulation during transitions, and heightened anxiety when relationships with staff were not established. I researched multiple schools and alternative programs, gathering information from websites, online reviews, and parent information sessions. Once I had narrowed the options down to three potential programs, I consolidated my findings and sought professional feedback from my child’s multidisciplinary support team. By consulting with this team, which included a pediatrician, occupational therapist, speech and language pathologist, neurodiversity consultant, and clinical counsellor, I determined that an effective way to evaluate the options was to organize the relevant information into a comparison chart. Once I completed the comparison chart that highlighted the relative strengths and limitations of each program, I compiled the information into an email to my co-parent, shown in Evidence 3.2, to collaborate on a decision. Through this experience, I learned how to effectively organize and present important information to facilitate joint decision-making that would best meet the needs of my child. By transferring my information-gathering and organizing skills from my professional life into complex interpersonal decision-making, I have learned to compare and present information in a clear, objective manner.
Across my personal and professional life, I have learned to gather, evaluate, organize, synthesize, and present information to support informed decision-making. I have come to recognize the importance of remaining responsive to new information and reconsidering initial conclusions when necessary. This includes recognizing gaps in available information and conducting targeted research to address them. I have also learned to organize and present information differently depending on its purpose and the outcome I am working toward. I have developed these skills through formal learning, experience, and reflection from situations where insufficient information and premature conclusions contributed to poor outcomes. Ultimately, I have learned that working with information effectively is about identifying what is relevant, questioning my assumptions, and using the information purposefully to guide decisions and actions.
Evidence Supporting Information Gathering and Organizing:
3.1 Client Intake Form & Session Notes