About Me

 When I was thirteen, I bought my first book, The Encyclopedia of Mammals. That was the beginning of my life-long fascination and study of the psychology behind the motivation of human, canine and equine behavior.

My teens and early adulthood were dedicated to training and showing horses in riding events throughout the country. I aligned myself with world-class trainers to learn how to develop trust and partnership with my horses, thus I won championship titles in riding competitions on the American Quarter Horse show circuit for ten years. With a solid foundation in animal training, I transitioned into management training and executive coaching in a corporate environment, where I applied similar principles to develop successful leaders in the workplace. 

Becoming a professional dog trainer has been an organic process for me.  I began volunteering at the Atlanta Humane Society in 2013 which rekindled my love for animal training. Shortly thereafter, I obtained a contract trainer position with a prominent dog training organization in Atlanta where I provided private lessons, group instruction, and board-trained pet dogs. I also trained service dogs to assist people with diverse needs, including mobility assistance, seizure response, psychiatric conditions, and support for children with autism.

In 2021 my husband Don and I relocated to Canton, Georgia and my client base rapidly evolved through referrals. This growth enabled me to establish Birklandshire K9 Dog Training. I take great pride in managing my business and delivering personalized attention to each client.

My Credentials include:

Certified Service Dog Coach (SDC): Cooperative Paws

Certified Dog Trainer (CCPDT – KA): Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers

Certification - Living and Learning with Animals Professional Course, The Science of Behavior Change: Applied Behavior Analysis (60-hours) Professor: Susan Friedman, PHD

Certification - Dog Emotion & Cognition: Duke University, Durham, NC

Canine Good Citizen Evaluator: American Kennel Club

Service Dog Consultant/Trainer: Patient Paws Service Dogs, Inc. (non-profit)

Member, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants