Hi, I’m Julie!
For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed with animals, especially dogs, even wishing for one on every birthday. As soon as I was living on my own, I got my first dog, Kody!
…and that’s how my life completely changed.
I trained Kody to the best of my ability, but soon ran into challenges I wasn’t sure how to address and didn’t expect to be facing. No matter how many YouTube videos I watched or different treats I tried, I felt stuck.
After crossing paths with a balanced dog trainer (who later became my mentor and is now one of my closest friends), I began to understand that no amount of Youtube videos or treats would help me until I shifted my perspective on dogs and humans, our relationship, and how we navigate this world together.
With the proper knowledge and tools, Kody’s behavior changed and our relationship was flourishing. I was no longer being dragged around on walks and she wasn’t ignoring me as soon as we stepped outside of our front door.
My mission with Kody’s K9 Academy is simple:
I aim to train dogs and their humans to ultimately acheive freedom together through effective training.
And I'm here to support you and your furry friend every step of the way.
In 2016 I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Queens College, where I studied behavior and learning theories, which turned out to be extremely applicable in dog training and understanding dog behavior. I adopted Kody in 2018, and heavily immersed myself in the dog world. I shadowed my awesome trainer of The Elite Pack and worked hands on with all the dogs he trained in his programs. I began dedicating my time to helping dogs any way I could, so I fostered dogs, through which I gained an immense amount of understanding of dog behavior and body language, especially with dogs from the shelter environment. In my spare time outside of work, I helped people who were struggling with their dogs the same way I had, to overcome their respective challenges. I started boarding dogs for people I knew when they’d go on vacation, which added even more insight into dog interactions and behavior. Owners were often impressed that their dogs seemed to come back home more obedient than when they were dropped off. That’s when I realized that doggy daycares, kennels, and dog hotels were not providing the same structure, routine, boundaries, and clarity as I was, and that made all the difference. And thus, my Structured Boarding program was born. Soon it had become difficult to make time for one on one training sessions so I left my job to pursue dog training full time. I took a course in Florida with the amazing trainers at Solid K9 Training and subsequently launched Kody’s K9 Academy officially. The following year I took time to shadow the wonderful trainer of Lock It Down Dog Training, after which I added my Board and Train programs to the list of services I offer. I am committed to staying at the forefront of the dog training field by constantly continuing my research, learning, and participation in ongoing education to ensure that I am providing the best possible training for the dogs I work with and the people who trust me with their care. My passion for rescue remains and I continue to foster dogs regularly. A huge part of why I am so passionate about training stems from a desire to ensure that people and their dogs can live together happily and symbiotically, consequently reducing the number of dogs surrendered to shelters and euthanized due to behavior problems.