Call 505-310-5438
Gaia Richards
Dog Skills Trainer for folks with Difficult Dogs
Not all dogs come ready-made
Many people adopt a dog from the shelter and want to go on long, energetic off-leash hikes and have their dogs ready-made. (And this can happen!)
But for many people, their dogs may exhibit disruptive, outlandish, and even dangerous behaviors. This is when they come to me. I teach people how to help their dogs feel safe in the environment, how to have some say in the matter without running the show, and how to "self-calm" in appropriate ways.
My Dog Story
I began learning how to train dogs in Santa Fe, New Mexico in February 2017. I had arrived at the park with two dogs: Spirit, my cattle dog mix, and Dulce, my Terrier mix. I had them piled in the back of my little 1980 Datsun where they barked and barked and barked and barked.
I was at my wit's end. I had never thought of going to a trainer. I figured I should just KNOW how to handle dogs. I thought if I love them they will love me back and do what they are supposed to do.
But not.
Spirit had been found on Cerrillos Road and she was somewhat feral: She attacked busses and little dogs, and even her shadow. She also was a cute wiggle-butt darling (see photo on right).
Dulce was calmer and potentially a sweet dog but he was reactive and clever and totally self-willed.
Inagine this: After our first session, David said he couldn't work with me! He said my dogs were too fat, self-rewarding, and neither needed nor wanted anything from me.
But when David saw how genuinely distraught I was, he had a softening of his heart and said, "If you go home and feed your dogs by hand with a 'Watch Me' command before each bite, and you come back in a week, perhaps we can work together."
I did as he instructed and returned the next week with more manageable and agreeable dogs and we began laying the foundation for training.
I learned that training is ALWAYS happening, and it also doesn't start till the foundation is laid. This was one of many paradoxes in the life of a human/dog relationship.
I began apprenticing with David and two and a half years later set up my own shingle as a dog trainer. We had done a lot: About 300 hours of training, hours of Search & Rescue, and more hours of community presentations and mentoring of high school kids. I had trained about 40 dogs with him and have been working one-on-one with Santa Feans who are ready to do what it takes to have a stable, healthy & happy dog!
CALL NOW: 505-310-5438
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the sanctuary for extraordinary dogs
In addition to training pet dogs, we have a vision for The Sanctuary for Extraordinary Dogs.
During covid shutdown, some of my clients passed away and I took in their dogs.
(Left, Hannah, age 16 whose human went into assisted living). It gave me a vision for a destination Sanctuary for dogs whose humans had passed and not made arrangements for them. For now I have three remaining, plus my own dogs. All donations will help The Sanctuary for Extraordinary Dogs. Each dollar goes to get their veterinary visits, shots, medicines, good food, and help us maintain safe and loving accommodations.
