Who created IA?

Hi there! I’m Emma and I was born into an animal kingdom. Sounds crazy, right?!

I was born in Nanyuki, Kenya, where my father worked with exotic animals (primarily elephants). He passed his passion and abilities of animalship to me the day I was born (I kinda had no choice, I had a leopard living in my house). Growing up, my father mentored me throughout all of my animal endeavors - horseback riding, (trying) to train our house cats, and with my first animal…a gerbil.

Throughout middle school, I spent my summers working & living with dogs, ponies, horses, mules, camels & elephants. Yes, I was in a circus and let me tell you - the animals lived better than me! I began to see the importance of inter-species relationships, especially when it comes to training.

Soon after, I adopted my first dog, Bentley (who I still have). I spent my adolescence understanding her behavior & how to best communicate with her. We even experienced living in Abu Dhabi together!

While attending the University of Vermont, I worked as a dog handler at a local doggie daycare. I learned about training techniques and how to navigate unique dog behaviors at high volumes. Of course, I hung out with cute puppies but I also worked with very reactive dogs. I found a greater respect for the dogs who made you work for their trust. The relationships felt more valuable.

I have also worked with horses and taught Therapeutic Horsemanship. Horses help humans so much but they can also help other species. Working with horses made me remember the importance of inter-species relationships, something I hope to incorporate in dog training (hence ANIMALship).

Now, I use a range of techniques to help owners support their dog and to strengthen their relationship. I use educated balanced training techniques to not only train dogs but to teach owners how to understand dog behavior & communication so they can sustainably help their dog. I think of it like this, ‘you could catch someone a fish, they’ll eat for a day OR you could teach someone to fish and they will eat for the rest of their life’.

Animalship is a beautiful thing, we just need to learn how to be more intentional.