My Story

I often hear stories of people becoming dog trainers because of the experience they had with their ill-behaved dog and having learned through their mistakes as a first-time dog owner. Not so for me. I trained my first dog right and it wasn't by chance. I am a self proclaimed dog geek, through and through. Watching dogs behave has been an obsession of mine my whole life.

My name is Cheryl and I am the owner and head trainer at Lead Off Leash K9 Training.  Ever since I was a small girl I have loved dogs.  I can't remember a time growing up when we didn't have pet dogs in our house.  In elementary school I spent hours researching dog breeds, drawing dog cartoons, and being with our family dogs.  My first dog as an adult was a headstrong Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy named Logan. Every day I had "doggy school", teaching him different lessons from basic obedience to proper socialization and beyond.  I did this all through my own ideas and methods which to me seemed like common sense.  I used the leash and my body language to communicate with him.  I instilled boundaries and structure for him.  I gave him lots of physical and mental exercise.  I loved watching Logan react to and interact with other dogs.  I focused in on the subtle cues in his communication with other dogs, people, and environments.  I was fascinated and I learned a ton.

Looking back I now realize my ability to read dogs and understand basic dog language is unusual.  Over the past 20 years I have helped countless friends with their dogs, mainly with behavior issues because I could "see" a problem my friends were unaware of.  One friend needed her dog to become socialized with a dog-aggressive dog that was moving into her house.  After she watched me handle the two dogs she said, "You are a dog whisperer and this is your true calling!"  Those words have stuck with me ever since and are fueling a dream of mine.

Before becoming a professional dog trainer I worked as an outdoor adventure educator for over 12 years with many different schools and organizations, but primarily with Outward Bound.  I taught people of all ages backpacking, rock climbing, sea kayaking and mountaineering.  Whether one week or three months, within these challenging environments I helped folks realize their potential, become better leaders, and increase their confidence in life.  Now I am combining my experiential teaching skills with my love for dog training.  My dream is for better harmony and understanding between humans and their canines.  I am super excited to work with you and your dog or to share my knowledge via my videos.  If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.  I'd love to hear from you!