Meet Ashley Foster | Canine Behavior Consultant and Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Foster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The field of dog training and behavior is unregulated. Anyone can identify as a trainer or behavior consultant regardless of their education, professional training, or training practices. Three leading professional training and behavior organizations have developed joint standards of practice; at this time, they are recommendations, and professionals can choose to follow these guidelines or choose not to.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a Certified Behavior Consultant (CBCC-KA) and dog trainer with nearly 3 decades of professional experience. My lifelong passion that started as an 8-year-old kiddo, a seekers mind, my education, and my professional experiences have allowed me to create a business and service that focuses on fostering the human-dog relationship – and even after almost 30 years, I am excited with my client’s success and improved experience with their dogs.

I started in 2002 under my original company, Complete K-9, and rebranded in 2021 to Dogs by Foster: Behavior and Training. My company provides innovative, effective, compassionate behavior and training solutions for dogs and their people through private consulting (in-person and virtually) and group classes. When I started training dogs as an 8-year-old in 4H, up through my apprenticeship in 1995, all the methods implemented were punishment-based and did not factor in the dog’s experience. I knew that I needed to find a different way, and 17 years ago, I made a commitment that my company and consultants would adhere to implementing science-based, ethical, and humane methods to commit to helping dogs and their people without using fear, discomfort, or intimidation. I am proud that while making this transition to new methods that were not the known, popular, or mainstream approach to working with dogs, I stayed my course and have helped thousands of people learn that they can change their dog’s behavior and teach their dog great skills without harming them physically or emotionally.

I am where I am today with my business through good old perseverance. The journey has been simple but not easy. Simple in that I knew as a child that working with dogs was my mission. That lifelong clarity, that inner knowing, creates a clear simplicity fueled by utter passion—a simplicity in knowing that I have always been on the right path. Navigating the path has not always been easy, and I have been able to endure the hard parts by putting one foot in front of the other, putting my head down, and pushing through when necessary while making sure that I stayed true to myself and my company’s ethics and mission.

The most helpful lesson that I have learned along this path is the acceptance that uncertainty and change are guaranteed. While these things may pull some fear to the surface occasionally, if you can accept them, they create a drive and a willingness to make pivots and adjustments to create a company that stays true to the passion that put you on your path in the first place.

In the words of Maya Angelou, “When you know better, you do better.” I have long used this as my mantra to ensure that I always stay open to learning new and improved ways to implement my craft to help clients learn new and different ways to improve their life with their dogs. Always, always keep a learner’s mind!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this to my family for inspiring me, Bubba for holding me up and cheering me on, RP for letting me be me, and all of the dogs and their humans that drive me to continue to learn, grow and be the best at my craft that I can be.

Website: dogsbyfoster.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogsbyfoster/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogsbyFoster

Image Credits
they are all my photos.