Let’s meet Sharon! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am happily married with a blended family of 6 grown kids. Currently during the day I am the CFO of a high end precision machine manufacturing company. I Love what I do yet my passion has always been with dogs especially Police K9’s. One of my goals was to be able to work with a police K9 unit. I was able to achieve that goal through training civilians and helping a local police unit with volunteering with their dogs. My journey started with my first basic obedience class with my German Shepherd. This was about 15 years ago. I fell in love with dog obedience training and did not want to stop. I saw what a difference it made with my dog and I wanted to further my experience. I have been very fortunate to work with local police dogs and find new techniques and styles from various trainers to help improve my skills. For 10+ years I worked with another trainer and wanted to build my own business. In 2018 I took the next step and opened Paws & Beyond. My mission is to educate people as well as creating a well behaved dog that owners will cherish. Too many dogs go to the shelter just because the owner is not educated and or willing to put the time in. Many times I can be instrumental in the change of the dynamic of the owner/pet relationship. 

How did you benefit from your experience at ABI?

ABI brought many skills that I have to a greater level. K9 training is second nature to me. ABI was thorough with their classes. Each one has group assignments with discussions which I loved. The reading assignments and books are wonderful and many of them I keep near me to reference when I have a dog that is challenging. There is so much knowledge with the instructors and they were very instrumental in helping us to succeed. 

What was your favorite course?

I do not have just one favorite course. I loved Canine Aggression, Canine Health & Nutrition, and Canine Behavior & Enrichment. What I learned from ABI, I have brought to each of my classes as well as with private lessons. Education is key when you have a dog.

How did you complete your field experience?

Since I have my own business, I was able to use my classes and private lessons as field work. 

What have you been doing since you graduated from ABI?

Since I graduated from ABI my business is growing and I am looking to retire from CFO/Dog Trainer to Dog Trainer full time. Training dogs and watching people as well as their dogs grow bring so much satisfaction to me. It never feels like work.

Would you recommend ABI to others?

Whenever I hear someone that wants to become a dog trainer, I always recommend ABI. There is so much that they will learn that will benefit their journey.