Est. 2020
About
My name is Jey, I use They/ Them and She/Her pronouns, thank you very much for visiting my little corner of the interwebs. I am a balanced dog trainer, which means I use a balanced mix of negative and positive reinforcement and correction, depending on the needs of each particular dog. (Negative and positive in this context refers to adding or removing something pleasant / unpleasant to motivate a dog to continue or discontinue a behavior). When developing training plans for my clients, I focus on motivation, timing, and consistency. I use what motivates each particular dog (treats, toys, affection, etc.) to stay engaged and encourage them to work for their reward. I use the timing of rewards and corrections to ensure clear and effective communication with the dog. And finally, consistency is the glue that holds a dog's new education together to create long-lasting/permanent gains.
My primary goal is setting up my clients and their dogs for success. I do this by generalizing obedience across a mix of different real life environments. I start with low-distraction, low-stimulation settings and gradually build on the dog's and the handler's successes toward higher-stimulus settings. Generalization is critical to both the dog and the handler's success and will raise your confidence in working your dog around new people, places, and things. After working with me, I want my clients to have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to train their dogs whenever and wherever new challenges arise. Of course I am always available via email, phone, or text to give my clients additional support.
The tools I utilize in my training, but not limited to, are: clicker, treats, praise, toys, slip lead, prong collar, e-collar, and martingale.
As a non-native who recognizes the privilege of getting to live on and have a thriving small business on the Duwamish People's land (who still await for Government recognition), this business pays rent through Real Rent Duwamish.
Jey's Story
It began with a Golden Retriever name Dazie, who laid down the foundation for Jey’s passion for dogs. Jey was always known as a lover of all creatures great and small, being out in Nature, and have a keen interest in animal behavior. Dazie showed Jey the thrilling world of exploring the PNW outdoors and its wildlife with a canine companion.
In 2011, Jey found their calling in dog training when they set out to help their brother's Doberman, Jixxer, overcome his fear-aggression. In 2012, Jey set off for Starmark Academy in Texas and graduated from their 16-week program, which included behavior modification, scent detection, search and rescue, agility, and service dog training. During the program, Jey was assigned to work with a rescue Doberman named Baloo. It was love at first sight. Jey adopted Baloo and he hasn't left their side since.
After returning to Seattle, Jey began working for Kelly for Puget Pets as a dog walker. There, Jey experienced a range of temperaments, ages, and breeds of dogs. In their spare time, Jey continued to train Baloo and work with the dogs of friends and family on behavioral issues.
In 2019, kismet led Jey to their next mentor, when they bumped into them at a farmer's market. There they began talking about balance dog training. After shadowing some lessons, Jey became ready to venture into the entrepreneur world of dog training and share their unique style in teaching their community members how to train their dogs, so they too can explore from the misty mountains of the Cascades, to the science beaches of the Salish Sea with their dogs.
In July of 2020, Jey adopted their foster dog Dahlia from a local rescue. Jey and Dahlia are learning how to do NASDA, Mondio sport work, and psychiatric and mobility service dog training.
Jey is a member in good standing with International Association of Canine Professionals.
