About

When I first met Ingrid, I was completely out of options. I had adopted a dog, and as a first-time dog guardian, I found myself with a fear-reactive dog. I was following outdated dog-training advice that had no real validity, and I eventually found myself crying because I knew giving up on JoJo was never an option, but I was terrified almost every time I had to take her out. Like many first-time dog guardians, we were training too much and moving too fast. We also weren’t taking into consideration the impact of trauma, pain, and the importance of sleep and rest. When JoJo bit Dog Dad twice, with the second bite involving blood, I knew it was time to seek professional help. From the very beginning, Ingrid was kind, understanding, and compassionate. She allowed me to cry and, more importantly, she made me feel like it was okay that I had made mistakes. Instead of making me feel guilty, she gave us a game plan and showed me how we could move forward. One of the first things Ingrid brought up that I had never considered was pain. JoJo had a bad leg that would swell, and Ingrid helped me understand how much pain can affect a dog’s behavior and anxiety. She began talking to me about pain and anxiety management and even provided me with a letter to give to our veterinarian, along with resources for finding Fear Free veterinary care. JoJo was eventually placed on medication, and after about a month, I started to see a change. She was sleeping more, as recommended in our training plan, and she even started doing things I had never imagined—like rolling around in the grass while dogs were at a safe distance. Ingrid gave us wonderful tools for managing reactivity, decompression, and separation anxiety. But more than anything, she gave us hope. She helped me understand that JoJo wasn’t a “bad dog,” and that I wasn’t a failure as her guardian. She taught me how to listen to JoJo, respect her boundaries, and give her the support she needed to feel safe. I truly cannot express how thankful I am for Ingrid and all the help she provided us. JoJo has made SO many strides because of the training, patience, and compassion Ingrid showed us. I never would have considered medication if it weren’t for Ingrid advocating for JoJo and helping me understand that behavioral challenges can have medical and emotional components. Today, JoJo still has her quirks—and she always will—but we are now able to manage them with the right combination of pain management, sleep, training, decompression, and compassionate care. We also found a new Fear Free veterinarian who understands the importance of providing the right kind of care for a sensitive dog. Looking back, I am so grateful that I found Ingrid when I did. She didn’t just help train my dog—she helped me become a better dog guardian. Most importantly, she helped me see that there was hope for JoJo when I felt like there wasn’t. For that, I will always be incredibly grateful.