TRUE LOYALTY'S
STORY

My interest in dogs started when I was very young. By the time I was in elementary school, I had memorized three dog encyclopedias; I knew every breed and what each breed had been bred for. Since then, my passion and interest has grown, and developed in to a greater interest to understand and articulate the connection between dogs and humans.

 

In middle school I started volunteering to walk dogs at the Goodhue County Humane Society, and in my senior year of high school I began fostering dogs through Twin Cities Pet Rescue.

 

After high school I attended The Art Institute International (AI) of Minnesota in Minneapolis. During my time at AI I worked at the Golden Valley Humane Society; this is where I started to learn even more about different dog breeds and how to best handle each individual dog in a variety of situations. In addition to full time studies and job at the Human Society, I was a hired dog walker. I would handle a group of 10-15 dogs at a time. This season really put my novice dog-training skills to the test – especially when I officially adopted Iver, my Australian Cattle Dog.

​

Not too long after I had adopted, Iver, we began to compete in disc dog competitions. This was yet another way for me to submerge myself further into the Twin Cities dog-world. In 2013, I was introduced to the sport Mondioring: the true dog trainer’s sport. This sport tests the dog’s obedience, agility and protection. It wasn’t long after I was introduced to the sport that I started decoying. Now, I have my Level-2 Decoy Certification, decoyed over 25 trials around the U.S,  and decoyed for the Mondioring National Championship 2019.
 

Aside from sole passion, dog walking and decoy work, I began my dog-training career in 2014 as a Professional Dog Trainer at The Canine Coach. I first taught classes part-time, then once I finished at AI in 2015, I became a full-time boot camp trainer, taught various classes, conducted in-homes, and managed the overall boot camp program. Since my last day at The Canine Coach in 2019, I have been building the inner-workings of True Loyalty, company that represents myself and values. 

 

- Jake