Western States K-9 College
Ph 801-703-3870
Joe has been working with and training animals for nearly 20 years, she affectionately likes to say that she trains owners more so than the animal. Starting as a young girl, Joe and her border collie, Sam, were involved in sheep herding trials where she quickly learned the ropes from some of the most senior and seasoned herders.
Currently, Joe is the business owner of Western States K-9 College and also serves as Lead Trainer for Salt Lake County Animal Services and is also Utah's Regional Representative for PAWS with a Cause; a national non-profit organization that provides and trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities.
Joe has been training dogs professionally since 1996 and has established and owned two dog training businesses in this time. While also a small business owner, Joe spent much of her time with a well respected veterinary clinic within the Salt Lake valley where she had progressive responsibly in the roles she earned. From Vet Tech to Office Manager, Vendor, and Client Relations, Joe had oversight and responsibility for nearly all of the office's on-going operations and programs. Joe also established this clinic's private and competitive training programs.
Not only has Joe spent time in the Veterinary world she's also helped one of the worlds largest companies (GE) develop and implement process workflows for a new division within the company. While at GE, Joe studied and earned her green belt in Six Sigma, which is a process improvement strategy that seeks to improve the quality of the process by identifying and removing the causes of defects. Joe has been able to use this valuable experience in all aspects of her own business, from comprehensive written consultations to step-by-step training programs that quantify and measure the training progress to ensure that each dog and their owner(s) are receiving the best quality training.
Joe's training philosophy is not one of a single "method" or training "tool". Training tools in and of themselves are not good or bad, it is how they are used that makes them effective in training. Joe's priority is to educate her clients on their dog's behavior. Each dog is an individual and must be approached in this way. We should let the dog show us how to train based on the dog’s personality, social development, past and present behavior, aptitude for learning, and the client's goals. In most situations, there is often more than one possible approach or method to training. We should not try to make the dog fit into a singular "method" of training.
About WSK9CO
Western States K-9 College is locally-owned and operated right here in Salt Lake City. Other companies may offer similar services, but I believe our services are the best, and come with a personal touch.
WSK9CO is based on the belief that our customers and their dog's needs are of the utmost importance. I am committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of my business is from repeat customers and referrals.
I welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver the best service in the industry.
Committed to helping each customer (human and dogs alike) achieve their goals!
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I have always loved animals; my family has called me Dr. Doolittle for as long as I can remember. My very first dog was an 8-month-old Shi-Tzu mix. I thought she was the smartest thing on four legs!
I trained her to do many tricks like playing patty-cake, playing dead, and army crawling all the way down the hall. When she passed away, I began fostering dogs for Heaven's Gate Animal Sanctuary. I would teach the dogs basic obedience in an effort to increase the adoption rate. When I adopted one of my own, Madison, I couldn't believe her capacity for learning. Madison knows countless commands now, from turning off lights and shutting doors, to getting me a tissue when I sneeze.
I like to think she trained me; as a result, I have such an incredible passion for training. She has taught me that patience, hard work, trust, and respect will take me farther in life than anything else. However, it is not so much about training the dog, as it is training the person. Madison taught me that. I not only love the animals, but also the people.
I believe that a meaningful relationship is based on trust and communication. Your dog can love you and not respect you. Respect is gained through hard work, education, and trust. Pack leaders control the pack members in fair, firm, and consistent ways. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to training your dog.
Based on individual personalities of the dog, and needs of the client, dog training is a process that we go through with our dogs, it’s not something we do to our dogs.
Trainers
