This was actually my first book of the series. Honestly, what 10 year old even knows what a Saluki is?
Every once in a while I like to introduce myself to you all. You may be a new readers so I thought that I would say hi and tell you a bit about myself. Give you a little insight as to who is behind Just Dogs with... I love everything about dogs and spend most of my time either writing about, training, walking, photographing, cooking for or simply hanging out with them.
Coming from a non dog family, I dreamed of spending time around any canine very early on. As young as 10 years old I acquired “How to raise and train your…” dog books whenever I could. You know those little breed books that were all the same except for the different breeds in the 70s? My life with dogs didn’t start until the young age of 13, which was a verrrry long time ago.
I was handed a leash and stepped into the show ring with a Doberman that I had just met, and the rest is history. My show handling was mostly self taught through trial and error; although I did have the privilege of attending handling classes with the renowned Martha Covington Thorne back in Canada. I clearly remember the day Martha said to me "young lady, never stop handling; the show world needs handlers like you," as she handed me my huge trophy. I started out in the conformation ring as a Junior handler and moved to the conformation ring handling breeds of all kinds; Dobermans, Airedales, Irish Deerhounds, Irish Terriers, Mastiffs, Bull Terriers, Great Pyrenees and of course Standard Poodles.
During my show years I also started in obedience training. This was where I learned the old conventional choke collar methods of training. Looking back at who I learned much of my training from; she was a very harsh and aversive trainer. I am not proud of training dogs like this but when I was 13, way back then; there was no other way. I never enjoyed training dogs with that method and as soon as I learned about positive reinforcement training everything changed. I never looked back, but I am happy that I have the conventional experiences. Fully understanding aversive training gives me insight into that type of training. Being a crossover trainer gives me experience that is priceless in positive training. It is was all a part of my evolution; one of the pieces of who I am today.
Mid 80s I gave up the conformation ring shortly after the birth of my first daughter; putting all my energy into being a Mom in a small town. As my children grew into their pre-teen years I became a well known baker in the area. I attended a weekly farmers market where I was quickly dubbed the "cookie lady." I also supplied a local restaurant with an array of cheesecakes.
From baking I went back to the dogs as a Pet sitter. I loved spending the time while my children were in school just chill'n with lots of dogs. It is very rewarding walking and playing with dogs who would otherwise spend their long days alone because their guardians worked all day. This was not a long gig as we soon moved to California; so I gave up the dog walking and focused on the move. Once in California I met and worked with a positive dog trainer and not long after that I set off on my own, becoming a private in-home dog trainer. Having 23 years of working with dogs behind me, I then learned how to teach others. I love helping k9 guardians with training and learning to live happily with their dog. Now having 47 years experience with dogs allows me a lot of experience to draw on.
Canine behavior is fascinating and being able to educate k9 guardians through positive reinforcement is so rewarding to me. My work encompasses a focus on living with our dogs in the best way possible. I have worked with everything from the tiniest little pocket pooches up to the giant Irish Wolfhounds and Great Danes. Each one an individual, but all of the same species with the mind of a dog.
Midway in my training career I took a break and started dabbling in photography. I very quickly discovered that this was yet another dog branch about to evolve. I became a freelance photographer with a preference for dogs. I do love photography in general but my camera is never far from a dog. I shot for many of the big dog magazines as well as private work. I loved it all, capturing the very essence of a dog brought me great satisfaction. Having the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and amazing dogs was yet another dream come true.
Then came a passion for writing about dogs. Being able to talk to so many more people by blogging, books and now podcasts allows me to reach more guardians. Coffee table, children’s, training, loss and notebooks are among the books I’ve published. Writing is something I really enjoy and am continually working on a new project. Stay tuned for new books coming.
One of my favorite “jobs” within all of my dog jobs is temperament testing. Testing puppies to see where they would best thrive in life is very rewarding. Meeting 7 week old puppies of any breed or mix is honestly a privilege that I do not take for granted. I often think of the “just pinch me” phrase when I get to meet a new litter of baby dogs. It truly is fascinating how different each puppy is.
My website is where you can find my books, blogs, podcasts, online courses, online training consults (love helping guardians in other countries) and in home private training. I have several Facebook pages which are listed on my website and an IG page. Hope to see you and talk to you somewhere. Love dogs? Me too.
So, that’s my dog work in a nutshell. My current dogs are - Elsa who turned 10 a few weeks ago and Riggs who will be 3 years old in October. I spend a great deal of time trying to give them a great life. Life with dogs can be wonderful, but it sometimes take a lot of work to get there.
That’s me…Sherri
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