Companionship, acceptance, joy and unconditional love are all gifts our pets give us, but the true gift we give ourselves is what we give to them in return.  Giving a loving and safe home to my dogs and my cat are what make me complete: they had me at "Hello".   Being able to have a career working with pets in a way that brings them joy and helps them to find friendships and their own meaning of adventure is something I wouldn't give up for the world.  But, this world has changed and we all need to find our own safe way to adapt to those changes so I am so pleased to have the privilege to restructure my business in a way that places the focus more on safety and the needs of the individual dog.
     I do not want to be a "pup"peteer.  I do not want to control the every aspect of every day of my dog's lives.  I love stepping back and letting the dogs make some of their own choices, from what path we are going to take down to how long they are going to stay and sniff in one spot.  There are some days, after they have run their zoomies out, when they just want to lay on the forest floor and chew sticks and that's ok.  Some days they want to swim their hearts out and not walk at all and that's ok too.  Because it's their life and their lives are so short compared to ours and they give us so much in exchange for the little they ask from us so what's the harm in letting them enjoy making a choice or two or three in their own day? 
I started my career in the dog world in the spring of 2002 at a local doggy daycare; I knew very quickly that being confined inside with 25+ dogs wasn't for me!  So I set off on my own adventure with my beloved dog, Chloe and started West Coast Tails Dog Walking.  By 2007 it was blindingly obvious to me that it wasn't enough to just love dogs if I wanted to have a successful business and keep everyone safe.  I knew I needed to learn about dog body language and their behaviors and social interactions and to be able to predict and prevent a fight long before it happened.  I wanted to let go of control of how the dogs spent their time and let them show me their own definition of adventure.  I wanted to let them decide who they wanted to travel and adventure with and not force them to be with other dogs whose personalities theirs didn't mesh with.  So I closed down West Coast Tails and said good-bye to some of the very best dog friends I have ever had.  In order to gain more knowledge and hands-on experience I found employment with two positive methods walk-and-train companies and apprenticed for a positive, reward-based trainer as well.  In 2012 I started up my own walking business in the Tri Cities again called Bark Mountain Dogs and have spent the past 10 years taking small groups of wonderful dog friends to secluded spaces where they could just be dogs and run their little hearts out.
In the past few years development and the pandemic have brought more and more people and dogs and bears and other dog walkers into our favorite secluded spots; They are no longer "our" forests or swimming holes or secret trails!  Safety is my top priority and trying to have control over multiple dogs off leash is no longer in line with my values.  So, in an attempt to adapt to the changing environment and in wanting to see a change in my industry that focuses more on safety and the emotional well-being of our dogs, I am saying goodbye to the name and business model of Bark Mountain Dogs and starting Good Scents Adventures!  I have a strong focus on meeting the needs of individual dogs by reducing the number of dogs per walk and implementing enrichment strategies and offering my services to dogs who have exceptional needs!  Because every dog is a good dog and every good dog deserves a safe, stress-free walk!

Credentials and Experience:
-Successfully completed the Karen Pryor Academy "Dog Trainer Foundations" course in clicker training
-Currently enrolled in the Dognostics "Canine Enrichment Technician" program
-Partook in a fun "Build Your Own Snuffle Garden" online workshop
-Worked at a local dog daycare where we took up to 25 dogs off leash at a time
-Have owned  2 successful dog walking businesses in the Tri Cities
-Worked for 2 walk-and-train, positive methods companies
-Was the Health Care Provider for one of the walk and train companies
-Apprenticed with a local positive, reward-based trainer, partaking in Puppy Classes, Level I, and Feisty Fido classes
-Attended reactive dog classes with my own dog, Lucy
-Worked as a seasonal helper at a local dog grooming shop
-Had my own dog cookie business (Deserving Dog Bakery) with cookies sold in local pet food stores
-Have worked for 3 separate local pet food and supplies companies, specializing in holistic diets and supplements
-Been "Mom" to 6 of my own dogs and Aunty to many many more!
-Have lived with 2 dogs with Degenerative Myelopathy who ended up in wheel chairs
-Have nursed 2 dogs with cancer to the end of their days
-Have worked with and fostered dogs who had Mega Esophagus, auto-immune diseases that effected their skin, dogs with food allergies and demodex mange
-Have fostered well over 30 adult dogs and puppies in my home over the years since 2004 with a not-so-secret favorite for puppies