Hello Buck,

 Hello,

Welcome Buck so excited to have you in the program. My name is Trina Swalberg. I live in Central Valley, just down the street from Roxanne . I grew up in Gunnison and lived there until I graduated. I moved to Cedar City to pursue a career in education. It was there I met my husband of 30 years now. We have two kids.  My daughter is 26 and currently lives in the UK with her husband who is in the Airforce. My son is 24 and lives in Las Vegas with his wife. No grandkids yet. My husband and I both work in Marysvale at a private school for teens that have behavioral and mental health issues. My role in the school is the principal / teacher, and my husband is the owner / director. We also have a farm that keeps us busy in the summer. We don’t get a lot of time off due to either working at our program or working on the farm, but when we do get a day off, we love to go to Lake Powell, go camping, or go out riding our side by side. 

In October of ’23, I decided my husband and I needed a small dog for companionship. After looking online, I found a toy poodle that I fell in love with. I made arrangements, went and picked her (Zoey) up, and the process began. I knew that I wanted to train her so that she was obedient and well-mannered I just didn’t know how. I searched online looking at many different curriculums, but none of them felt right. They all seemed like a “one program fits all”. I didn’t like that because I knew each dog has their own set of behavior problems, and having a small dog was different than a large dog.  One day I was driving by Roxanne’s house and decided to give her a call.  After talking to her, I felt like it was the right way to go. Best decision I have ever made in terms of dog training. Roxanne started us immediately in the puppy course. After completing the puppy course, I thought I would be done. However, Roxanne encouraged me to enroll in the Foundation course to better help Zoey be successful in real life situations.  After seeing how obedient her dogs were, I decided to continue with my dog training journey.  This course kept me busy and even some weeks I asked myself what I had gotten into. I am not a person who quits so I sucked it up and worked hard every day to be as successful as I could. My husband was so much support during this process. Often making dinner while I trained. 

Working with Zoey became part of my daily routine, (work, home, train, sleep, repeat). Any down time I had I watched the awesome videos that Roxanne posted on the blog. I would study, take notes, and practice, practice, practice. For me the videos were a life saver. I learned so much by watching them over and over. Each time I watched, I learned something new. I loved how the videos didn’t just show the perfect dog, but dogs that struggled and how to correct. Roxanne and Jessi were so much help and support through the process. They were always there to answer questions, watch what was specifically going on with me and Zoey, and guiding me to become successful. Anytime I became frustrated they would remind me to relax and breath, it would all work out in time. They both kept me grounded and focused. 

I finished the foundation course the end of March.  Throughout this course Zoey and I have really bonded.  We have gained a deeper understanding and respect for each other. We are not perfect by any means and still have a long way to go, but for a 9-month-old dog she is doing pretty good. She is gaining more confidence in the world around her and not so scared of everything like she was when we began. The foundation course has not only made Zoey a better dog, but it has made me a better owner. I would never be to the spot I am today without Roxanne and her program.  

Some of the things that I learned during the Foundation course that I loved the most was the sit stay, the recall, and place. Wow, those three things have made so much of a difference. It has given me peace of mind knowing that I can put Zoey on a stay while I move a vehicle around and she is safe. Or being able to recall her from a situation and knowing she will respond. 

I am currently planning on joining the retrieve course in June. I am eager to continue learning and bonding with Zoey. 

I hope that you enjoy and learn as much from this class as I have. You will find, as I did, that you will build friendships and gain a support system that will cheer you on as you and your dog learn together.  

I’m excited to get to know you and Riley and watch you two learn and grow together.