Sami Clark
Head Certified Dog Trainer
I started dog training in 2005 when I was 10 years old. My Grandfather trained police dogs and competed in many sporting events. I would spend my summers helping him at the kennel learning as much as I could from him, helping him with obedience and scent detection training at his business. Those summers really sparked my passion for dog training. Seeing the lightbulb go off in the dog's head, when they finally understand what is being asked of them, is still my favorite part of training today!
When I left for college I decided to pursue a different direction with dogs and I stepped into the world of rescue dogs. I had to completely change my entire style of training as I was no longer dealing with self-confident bullheaded dogs. With rescues, I found myself working to rehabilitate many reactive, aggressive, and fearful dogs. I had to learn to build their confidence, understand dogs' body language, and their psychology to help them overcome their issues so they could be available for adoption. Common behaviors I worked with were resource guarding, people reactivity, dog reactivity, and fear-based aggression. With some dogs I had to be aware of the smallest change in behavior or an accident could happen. Now although I can never promise that a dog would be 100% friendly, that doesn't mean that pup can’t calmly walk past its triggers and ignore them.
In 2018 I took a step back from the rescue world to focus on my rescue dog, Louie, who was having some health problems. When it was time for me to get a second dog, I knew that I wanted to step back into the dog sports world again! I am currently an active competitor in multiple UKC, ADBA, AADRI, and CPE sports. So far I have titled my young dog, Ari, in rally obedience, weight pull, conformation, barn hunt, trick dog, and lure coursing! I have also trained him as a diabetic alert dog and in our free time, we enjoy urban mushing! Our current training goals are to achieve titles in nose work, agility, competitive obedience, dock diving, and freestyle. Ari is also my little helper dog in class so that we can help teach your pup how to calmly walk by another dog before throwing you directly into a group class.
Each dog whom I have worked with has taught me something new. When we train together, I will teach you and your dog how to relax, build a partnership, and communicate with each other while still giving your dog clear boundaries. My goal is for the two of you to enjoy life together and reach your goals!
I am also a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen, AKC Community Canine, and an AKC Trick Dog Evaluator.
When I left for college I decided to pursue a different direction with dogs and I stepped into the world of rescue dogs. I had to completely change my entire style of training as I was no longer dealing with self-confident bullheaded dogs. With rescues, I found myself working to rehabilitate many reactive, aggressive, and fearful dogs. I had to learn to build their confidence, understand dogs' body language, and their psychology to help them overcome their issues so they could be available for adoption. Common behaviors I worked with were resource guarding, people reactivity, dog reactivity, and fear-based aggression. With some dogs I had to be aware of the smallest change in behavior or an accident could happen. Now although I can never promise that a dog would be 100% friendly, that doesn't mean that pup can’t calmly walk past its triggers and ignore them.
In 2018 I took a step back from the rescue world to focus on my rescue dog, Louie, who was having some health problems. When it was time for me to get a second dog, I knew that I wanted to step back into the dog sports world again! I am currently an active competitor in multiple UKC, ADBA, AADRI, and CPE sports. So far I have titled my young dog, Ari, in rally obedience, weight pull, conformation, barn hunt, trick dog, and lure coursing! I have also trained him as a diabetic alert dog and in our free time, we enjoy urban mushing! Our current training goals are to achieve titles in nose work, agility, competitive obedience, dock diving, and freestyle. Ari is also my little helper dog in class so that we can help teach your pup how to calmly walk by another dog before throwing you directly into a group class.
Each dog whom I have worked with has taught me something new. When we train together, I will teach you and your dog how to relax, build a partnership, and communicate with each other while still giving your dog clear boundaries. My goal is for the two of you to enjoy life together and reach your goals!
I am also a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen, AKC Community Canine, and an AKC Trick Dog Evaluator.
