Samantha Garza – Owner & Head Trainer
From a very early age, I have always loved animals. Animal Planet was my favorite channel to watch, my library history was mostly books about animals or dogs and cats, I even drafted up a business plan to start a doggy daycare in my backyard when I was 10 years old, with homemade flyers and business cards, the whole works!
My family has owned dogs before, but they were too busy with their law enforcement jobs to care for one while I was growing up… Until the year my dad was deployed to Afghanistan, when my mom brought home a West Highland White Terrier puppy. I named him Jack (School of Rock had just come out and Jack Black was my favorite at the time), and I immediately got to work training and working with him. Mind you, I was only 9 years old at the time. Jack was my best friend all through middle school, junior high, and high school, and even into my 20’s as I finished school and moved to the big city of Seattle. While living in Seattle, I worked various jobs from the manager of the gift shop at the zoo too running a busy bar in bustlin’ Fremont. I even spent some time as a dog wrangler at one of Seattle’s most popular doggy daycares.
I didn’t get an itch for canine behavior and training until I was much older. When the pandemic hit, I lost my job as a bartender and did some massive soul searching on what made me happiest, especially during such a stressful time. There was one thing that had been missing from my life that I had dreamt about for the longest time. Something I had a lot of passion for but at the time didn’t know much about owning one.
A dog.
I didn’t have one at the time… So instead, I started walking other people’s dogs on Rover after the world shut down. After my first few walks, I noticed a lot of these dogs just pulled me around. My shoulders and back hurt after just a few walks with these pups! So I hit the books and started researching how I could help teach these dogs to walk a little more nicely on leash, mostly for my own sake. That’s when I fell down the rabbit hole. I started following more dog trainers on Instagram and Youtube, I discovered some of my favorite trainers who inspire the work I do today, such as Tom Davis (Upstate Canine Academy in New York), Michael Ellis, Almost Heaven K9 in West V, and TEAM K9 Training in North Carolina. I started diving deep into podcasts and educational seminars provided online by Leerburg. I spent a LOT of time during the initial COVID shutdown just reading and studying videos from all the trainers I could find that were willing to show their work.
From there, I enrolled in Animal Behavior College’s Certified Dog Trainer’s course in 2020 and spent close to 9 months studying online and learning about dog behavior, then spent another 4 months shadowing a positive reinforcement trainer in the Seattle area. While in the ABC program, I spent a majority of 2021 working with and shadowing local trainers in the area who specialize in rehabilitating reactive and aggressive dogs. This is where my passion for behavioral modification began.
I graduated with honors in 2021 and have been working full-time as an in-home dog trainer since then. After completing the ABC program, I’ve attended numerous seminars and workshops to continuously improve my skills. My mission is to help owners better understand their dogs, reducing the chances of rehoming or euthanasia.
In late 2021, I worked as a kennel technician at a behavioral rehabilitation facility specializing in reactive and aggressive dogs, where I gained experience in defensive handling, safety protocols, and working with dogs with bite histories. I’ve also shadowed expert trainers, including Tom Davis of Upstate Canine Academy. My goal is to empower owners to confidently manage their reactive dogs.
In my spare time, you can find me spending time with my personal dogs, mountain biking, singing karaoke, or cuddled up on the couch watching Grey’s Anatomy. We love going out at a dock diving event, hiking, or just finding new spots to train and work on our relationship together! I also love to foster and volunteer for local rescue organizations, donating my resources to help pets find new homes or stay in their current ones. I am a preferred trainer and foster for Dog Gone Seattle and frequently take in difficult cases for them.
You can find me online in the links below or just send me a message to say hi.
