Tara aka Spook has been working with dogs professionally since 2011 and personally since 1997. In spring of 2011 Tara was certified as a professional pet dog trainer through the Dog Stars Training Academy which included a Walks n Wags pet first aid certification. Most recently she has Earned her Certification As a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed in part through her year long Apprenticeship with DogWorks in Burnaby.

Always eager to learn more, she has since then attended Chicken Camp w/ Terry Ryan(training chickens!), completed the Canine Good Neighbor Test with her dog Chevy as well as attended various dog training webinars, seminars and Pet Expos; including Debbie Jacob’s Fearful Dogs presentation, Grisha Stewart’s Leash Handling webinar and Dog Stars Dog Body Language Seminar.

She has experience with supervising in a dog daycare & over nights in a dog hotel. Tara has extensive experience walking and hiking with groups of dogs and in particular, in private walks for special cases who may need individual attention or space to ensure a happy outing.

Along with her work in dog daycares and hotels, Tara has boarded many elderly pets with special needs in her home. She has experience administering medications and ensuring the comfort of the senior canine. She has also trained many an exuberant puppy, fearful rescue, ‘velcro dog’ and ‘yellow ribbon’ fur babies.

Tara became a trainer because she loves seeing dogs learn and helping to facilitate better communication between a dog and their human. She feels that watching a dog and their person become bonded through learning is amazing to see. What she loves the most about working with dogs is their capacity to learn, their joy in spending time with humans and their complete lack of judgment in life.

Her influences in the dog training sphere include Nicole Wilde, Jean Donaldson, Denise Fenzi, Grisha Stewart, Emily Larlham, Ian Dunbar, Terry Ryan, The Littlest Hobo and Benji too.