Meet Your Trainer

Monica is a native Oregonian who has had a lifelong passion for animals, particularly dogs. We will spare you the childhood details like reading dog breed encyclopedias for fun, but suffice to say it was clear from a young age that Monica was destined for a career working with animals.

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Monica grew up in the Willamette Valley, where after graduating from high school she attended Oregon State University, earning both her Bachelor of Science in General Science with a minor in Chemistry and her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. She went on to earn her Doctorate of Pharmacy through the OSU/OHSU College of Pharmacy and practiced as a pharmacist until it became clear that her passion was elsewhere.

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In 2017, Monica began her career as a dog trainer at PetSmart while working toward a dog trainer certification through Animal Behavior College. During her time at PetSmart, Monica gained valuable experience working with clients of various backgrounds and dogs of all breeds, ages, and skill levels with a wide range of behavioral issues. She also worked under her Animal Behavior College mentor with dogs living in a shelter environment, emphasizing learning positive reinforcement training techniques for reactivity and aggression.

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After earning her credentials through Animal Behavior College and gaining the hours of professional experience required, Monica applied to take and successfully passed the examination to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She maintains this credential through regularly earning continuing education units by attending dog training seminars and taking online courses. She continues to seek opportunities to learn from industry leaders whether in person, online, or through the many books written by training and behavior experts (a good number of which live on her bookshelf).

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She also became an American Kennel Club approved Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and has earned her certification as a Fear Free Certified Professional through Fear Free Pets. 

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In 2021, Monica was promoted to the role of Area Trainer for PetSmart stores within the state of Oregon, where she was responsible for training and mentoring new trainers to the company. By 2023, Monica felt she had outgrown the level of training able to be offered in a retail environment. She subsequently made the decision to start Dog Dialect LLC in order to work with dogs and clients in the locations where they need help the most, as well as take on more complex behavioral cases not appropriate for training in a busy store.

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Since embarking on the path to become a dog trainer, Monica has strived to bring the same level of professionalism and compassion of her former career in healthcare to working with people and their pets. She loves nothing more than seeing the initial spark of a deeper connection between a client and their dog, and witnessing their continued growth as a team. Working as a dog trainer has only further emphasized to Monica the importance of patience, empathy and understanding, kindness, and clear communication in relationships with both dogs and people; truly a gift that keeps on giving.

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With Monica on your team, you can rest assured that you will always be supported in your journey toward a more meaningful connection with your dog. Take the first step toward a better understanding of dog behavior, transforming communication with your beloved canine, and overall better behavior by contacting us to schedule a New Client Consultation today.