About Me

My interest in dog training began the typical way- I brought home a “problem dog”. With no manners to speak of and a proclivity for lunging at passing dogs, it quickly became apparent that I had my work cut out for me. So, we enrolled in our first obedience class and never looked back.

Before my eyes, my “wild child” transformed into my canine soul mate. We went on to earn his Canine Good Citizen, Canine Life and Social Skills (C.L.A.S.S.) Bachelor's Title w/ Honors, Novice Trick Dog Title, Herding Capacity Title, and even became a registered therapy dog team!

Vicki Thacker (CTDI, CCFC, SDJ, AACE and CGC Evaluator) and Casey

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Through our training journey, I quickly realized that there were a lot of fun opportunities beyond basic obedience. In addition to taking training classes with my own dogs, I further improved my knowledge by attending seminars and conferences, earning a Certificate of Completion for Dog Trainer Foundations from Karen Pryor Academy, and amassing a library of books and DVD's on behavior and training.

To say I was hooked is an understatement.

I also started fostering rescue dogs, working on improving “adoption busting” behaviors and putting my new found knowledge into practice. I began helping others hone their training skills using reward-based training techniques. I became a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI) with Do More With Your Dog!, as well as an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator/ S.T.A.R. Puppy Instructor.

Do More With Your Dog Triple Crown Trainer

I was also active in animal-assisted activities for almost ten years, visiting nursing facilities and children’s hospitals. Most recently, I graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy's Puppy Start Right for Instructors, the American Kennel Club's Level 1, 2, and 3 AKC Fit Dog Instructor courses, and became an AKC Fetch judge. In addition to being a CTDI with Do More With Your Dog, I am also a Stunt Dog Judge (SDJ), Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach (CCFC), and Animal Actor Certified Evaluator (AACE).

My dogs and I enjoy training agility, rally obedience, Rally-FrEe, nosework, musical freestyle, herding, treibball, dog parkour, therapy dog, and of course, tricks...