When I was thirteen, I bought my first book, The Encyclopedia of Mammals – 895 pages of fascination!  This was the beginning of my life-long 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. After my horse training years, I was an executive coach and management trainer where I applied my understanding of animal psychology 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. I obtained a contract trainer position with a prominent dog training organization in Atlanta where I provided private lessons, group instruction, board trained pet dogs, and trained service dogs for mobility assistance, seizure response, psychiatric conditions, children with autism, and other disabilities.

In 2021 my husband Don and I moved to our current home in Canton, Georgia and my client base rapidly evolved through referrals, leading me to establish Birklandshire K9 Dog Training. I enjoy the responsibility of operating my own business and the ability to provide personalized attention to my clients.