Meet Kourtni G | Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist

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

Hi Kourtni, how does your business help the community?
With the rapid change of times, dogs have become so much more than pets. They are deeply interwoven into our lives. We look to them for comfort, as surrogates for children, as entertainment…but the education on how to handle these new stressors is lagging; I’m constantly coming up with ways to close that gap. I teach a class at the local baby store, Colorado Baby, on how to prepare your dog for the new baby and managing postpartum interactions.
I created a clinic for those who have rescued a dog to receive behavioral after-care.
I started a Facebook group, Grand Junction Kids and Canines, for parents who want to adventure without leaving their dogs behind. I host local hikes, along with training meetups and other kid and dog-friendly events.
Giving back is a core tenet of my business, and specifically to this community, as I have gained so much support from them over this past year.

What should our readers know about your business?
It’s been a long time coming. I had been working as a project manager and estimator in the construction industry for several years. During those years, my passion for training dogs grew. At one point, I even went to a 3-month long, intensive, dog training school to hone my craft and received my Certification as a Canine Training and Behavior Specialist.
This past winter I decided to put more time into starting my own business, with the intention of making it full-time in a few years down the line. I decided to throw all my savings into turning my garage into more living space, so I could take more clients. By sheer chance, the day my garage was finished I was unexpectedly laid off. It was the ‘now or never’ push I needed.
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Branding is important. Brands without a purpose, fall flat. If you have ever heard of Simon Sinek, he talks about how many businesses focus on the ‘how’, the ‘what’, etc., but the most important question is ‘why’.
Knowing I wanted to start a dog training business was the easy part; but what was my ‘why’?
I took a discerning eye, but kept an open-mind and looked at where I felt the current dogmatic (no pun intended) paradigms in training and behavioral methodologies could be shifted or improved upon; what if there were holes in what we currently think we know?
I drew upon years of studying psychology and self-development, along with having a background in coaching nutrition, because not only does dog and human behavior research inform each other, but the majority of success in dog training comes from effectively communicating with the owner.
I created my own unique methodology that is a summation of the current research, while having a flexible framework to continue assimilating all the ongoing research.
It’s clean. It’s fresh. It’s easily conveyed to owners. It’s a proven approach to dog training that I truly believe in. It won’t appeal to the masses, but it certainly speaks to the owners I have the most interest in working with – inquisitive owners, that, despite their circumstances (young parents, busy professionals) – want to find a way to give their dog the best life possible and bring back harmony to their home.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always take all my friends into Colorado Baby so they can spoil the young kiddos in their life and then walk down Main Street; Hog and Hen is also a hit. Most of my friends have dogs (go figure) so we either take the Fruit and Wine Byway over to Riverbend Park or do a dog-friendly hike like Pali Rim. Clark and Co. is just down the road from Pali Rim trailhead and has great drinks and food and an amazing view of Mt. Garfield and the Book Cliffs.
If my friends aren’t staying with me, I suggest Camp Eddy. It’s a series of reservable tiny homes right along the River and another nice spot to walk the dogs.
Driving the Monument and up the Mesa are also a must!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Megan Alfaro, owner of Colorado Baby She fills so many roles in my life, from birth sherpa to business mentor to overall damage controller.
I will never be able to thank her enough for all she does for me.

Website: theactualizedcanine.com

Instagram: @theactualizedcanine

Facebook: The Actualized Canine

Image Credits
Melissa Statler, Depth of Fiction Photography (the main photo only; all others are mine)