Journey of Misfits

Angela's amazing training made it possible for me and my service dog to go to college. I needed a mobility service dog to help me walk because of a severe leg injury. I couldn't go to college or live on my own until I had a service animal to help me be independent. After bad experiences with previous trainers, I needed someone who Franklin (my Great Dane) and I could BOTH learn from. We needed a hero, and her name was Angela. I needed a very large breed to be able to pull me around to help me walk. Franklin, my sweet yet stubborn Dane, was perfect for me. We had one major barrier though: Franklin was not food or toy motivated AT ALL! Not even cheese or steak could tempt this gentle giant to listen to me. He was purely people motivated, so he needed very different training than any other dog. Angela took the situation in stride and taught me to bond and communicate to him in a way that meant my love, affection, and respect was my payment for his service, not food and playtime. Her problem solving and keen eye to understand Franklin's specific needs made my pairing with Franklin work! After Angela helped us get paired, she got us all the way through teaching Franklin to sit, to pull me, and even to be a good passenger on an airplane! She helped us train out in the real world to help Franklin understand how to deal with distractions, not pull on the leash, allow other dogs and people to walk by without losing attention on me, and never counter surf even at restaurants where he was as tall as the table, all while doing half a dozen other tricks to help me walk. I needed to be trained as much as Franklin did, and Angela taught me well, too. I learned to understand my dogs needs, what his body language meant, and how to communicate with him. Angela was always so patient and kind with me and my dog. We worked with her multiple times a week for months, and kept up with her years after. Over 9 years later, after my sweet Franklin is gone, and I've healed from my injury, I still go to Angela for my pet dogs. No one understands dogs, and their owners, better than her. If you are looking for someone who can work with even the most difficult situations and do it with grace, knowledge, and strategy, you've come to the right place.

I met Angela several years ago when my than 10 month old American Bulldog was attacked at a dog park. After the attack Loki became fear aggressive especially toward other dogs. Angela was a miracle worker that taught me not only how to handle him, but also showed Loki that new people and dogs weren't scary. No one can surpass Angela's commitment to dogs. I love her training methods and the fact that she isn't afraid to tackle hard issues. I highly recommend Angela at Journey of Misfits Dog Training.

Jarrod and Angela are the absolute BEST! We got ourselves into a big old load of trouble when we decided as a family to get our 3rd dog which happened to be a Great Dane… it was the best decision ever and we can thank Jarrod and Angela for that. They helped us not only socialize Gus but help us understand better how to train at home. Most puppy schools and classes teach in class but they focused on fun for the puppies, socialize to their surroundings and unique experiences to help with their confidence. Gus came in quite timid and fearful and Jarrod and Angela pinpointed exactly what it was that over time will help him turn into the fun, loving, sociable Great Dane he is today. We couldn’t be more happy with our experience and if we could give a 10 star review it would be for them.

Angela was fantastic. From the moment we stepped through the doors telling her we were about to bring home a 2 year old coonhound she walked with us (and continues to text with us). Our dog Amos came with a lot of energy and reactivity and she helped him, and us, put it to work. The 6 months or so that we were able to do lessons together were the best ever and have made life with Amos so much more understood. We can't say enough positive things about Angela's work, the recommended activities and trainings, and her support of us along the way as well. Now, just about every store in town that allows dogs knows Amos, and in a positive light!