I've been fascinated by training animals for as long as I can remember.

As a kid, I was constantly creating agility courses, inventing tracking games, and finding new ways to teach and challenge our dogs. As I got older, that curiosity expanded to horses. Throughout my teenage years, I rode, trained, and worked across the equine industry. My experience included developing young horses, helping retrain off-the-track Thoroughbreds, and addressing a wide range of training and behavioral challenges. Those experiences taught me to observe carefully, think critically, and adapt my approach to the individual in front of me.

In 2011, I found myself facing a challenge I hadn't anticipated: I needed a service dog. When Mandi came into my life, I had to learn how to train one. That meant immersing myself in an entirely new level of obedience, public access, and task training. Drawing on the foundation I'd built working with horses, I immersed myself in learning everything I could. What began as a necessity quickly became a passion for understanding canine learning and behavior. That journey eventually led me to German Shorthaired Pointers, dog sports, and ultimately professional detection work, with each step building on the one before it while deepening my understanding of how dogs learn.

My approach to training has been shaped by experiences well beyond the dog world.

While studying sociology at St. Olaf College, I became deeply involved in research, leadership, and humanitarian work. My academic work took me to India, where I designed and conducted independent research examining HIV education, stigma, and misinformation among college students while partnering with local organizations and community leaders on education and fundraising initiatives. During that same period, I founded the St. Olaf Disaster Relief Effort following the Haiti earthquake, leading campus-wide fundraising, education, and humanitarian initiatives.

Together, those experiences reinforced the value of asking good questions, evaluating evidence, and communicating complex ideas clearly. They also taught me that good decisions come from understanding, not assumptions, and that lesson continues to shape the way I train, teach, and solve problems today.

As my passion for dogs became my profession, my role within it continued to evolve.

What began with training individual dogs expanded into building training programs, developing curriculum, and helping others develop a deeper understanding of canine learning and behavior. As Training Manager at Rotten Dog Sports Lodge, I built the training program from the ground up, helping shape both its direction and the education of the clients it serves. That experience reinforced my belief that successful programs don't just develop capable dogs — they develop knowledgeable handlers and thoughtful trainers. It also strengthened my commitment to continual learning and pursuing new challenges within the detection field.

Through the K9Sensus Foundation Detection Dog Trainer Academy, I've had the privilege of working alongside some of the most respected trainers in the detection industry, where I now serve as a Teaching Assistant. I also serve as an Endorsed Trainer & Educator with K9 Water Leak Detection University, where I'm helping advance the emerging field of K9 Water Leak Detection. Together, those opportunities have allowed me to contribute to the education, growth, and advancement of the professional detection community while continuing to learn from and collaborate with some of the most respected professionals in the field.

Today, Vickery K9 brings those experiences together through professional dog training, detection dog development, consulting, and K9 Water Leak Detection. Whether working with individual dog owners, trainers, organizations, or utility professionals, I remain committed to asking thoughtful questions, developing a deeper understanding, and creating practical solutions.