I have always had an interest in training dogs. This began in childhood, raising Border Collie puppies on my family’s cattle farm. I pursued a professional career in dog training when I moved to Asheville and acquired my second cattle dog, Sage. I thought I knew how to raise cattle dogs, but Sage was different from any of my other puppies and I was struggling with her high drive/arousal, prey drive, and assertiveness.

Whether you are adopting a new dog, fostering, or watching a dog temporarily in your home, this guide is with you, your current pets, and your new dog’s peace and happiness in mind. This guide is built based on what I’ve learned over the years through pet sitting and dog walking, as well as, from my experiences fostering a dog for the first time.