My love for dogs (and all other animals) started at a young age, but my journey into dog training began in the year 2000 at the age of 12. After years of pleading, I had finally convinced my parents that I was ready for a dog of my own. I had spent countless hours reading up on every breed and had read every training book I could get my hands on. After narrowing down the best potential breeds to fit our family and promising my parents I’d do all the work, I settled on a Springer Spaniel. Soon after, an ad in the newspaper for Springer puppies led me to the love of my life, my best friend, my “heart dog.” Lanny came home with us that day, and I was so excited about starting this new journey with this sweet puppy. I wanted to learn everything I could about training; I wanted to do everything right.
Meet Owner & Trainer: Kolleen Raitz
The dog that started my journey!
She taught me that all the obedience in the world doesn't matter if there is not trust and leadership built into the relationship, and this lesson is one that I have carried with me as I have helped hundreds of dogs and their owners on their respective journeys.
So began a lifelong obsession with understanding dog behavior and training. I joined the local 4H dog training club where I was introduced to my first dog training mentors. They taught me all about obedience, agility, junior showmanship, canine good citizen and therapy dog training. I began competing in county and state fairs against other 4H participants and caught the competition bug. I quickly progressed to showing against adults in AKC obedience and agility trials. My confidence grew with each successful competition as Lanny and I became a team. I was completely hooked, and as I learned more about the art of training dogs, this passion consumed me.
As Lanny got older, however, she developed some fear based aggression after a few bad experiences with other dogs. This became a road block for our competition goals, so I started researching different ways to work past the aggression. I was stumped for a long time - why didn’t the behavior-specific training techniques I had learned automatically work to fix the aggressive and fearful outbursts Lanny was exhibiting? As I tackled these behavioral challenges through trial and error, my passion started to take a new direction. My focus shifted from winning competitions to trouble-shooting behavior problems, and I believe that this was the greatest lesson that Lanny had in store for me.
After graduating, I decided that my love for dogs far outweighed my love for horses, so I set off for Austin, Texas to attend the world renowned Triple Crown Academy (Now Starmark Academy) for Professional Dog Trainers. This incredible experience broadened my understanding of all things related to dog behavior. I learned the science of dog training, canine learning theory, and how to work with all kinds of behavior issues using the full spectrum of training techniques and philosophies. After 6 months I returned home, diploma in hand, eager to put my new knowledge and skills to use. I feel honored to have spent the next 3 years working at the prestigious Olde Towne School For Dogs, training over 300 dogs and their owners in the Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia areas. My time here gifted me an incredible amount of experience working with a wide variety of dog behavior problems, including separation anxiety, fear, and aggression. It also gave me my first hands on exposure to remote collar training, something that was a game changer and took my training results to the next level.
In 2006, I moved to Westerville, Ohio to study Equine Science at Otterbein University, thinking that I wanted to pursue a career in the horse industry. During my freshman year, I had my first real exposure to working as a professional dog trainer at the K9 Ponderosa in Delaware, Ohio. Working there confirmed the depth of my passion and planted the seed that training dogs could be more than just a hobby.
In 2014, after losing my heart dog, Lanny, I finally answered the call to be near the mountains and moved to Colorado. I packed up my Subaru and my pup, Reagan, and we began our next big adventure. The Rocky Mountains brought me a sense of peace I had never known on the East Coast, helped to heal my broken heart, and reignited a fire inside me. Colorado revealed my sense of adventure; I loved exploring the mountains with my dog by my side. This also presented a pivotal moment for me in my training journey. After Reagan disappeared on a 14er while chasing wildlife, my belief in remote collar training was reaffirmed and solidified. I never again wanted to experience the panic that comes with watching your dog run away from you, potentially towards danger, and feeling completely powerless to get them back to you. (Don’t worry, she did come back, but we never hiked without an e-collar again!)
My current pack of Journey K9s - Reagan, Luna, Willow, Logan, & Rookie
Since moving to Colorado, I have worked for several successful dog training companies around the Denver area, continuing to expand my knowledge and application of all training techniques. It has been two decades since Lanny started me on my journey and I have now been professionally training dogs and their humans for the last 15 years. I believe that dogs have the ability to profoundly impact our lives and take us on a journey that we would never embark on without them. My journey has been shaped by the dogs I have loved over the years, and I feel honored and humbled to help dog owners on their own journey with the dogs they love.
My goal is to educate and empower owners who are looking to create a strong relationship built on leadership and trust with their dogs. If you have found your way here because you are frustrated and struggling with your dog, I want to give you hope that there is a better way, and that you can have the relationship with your dog that you've always wanted. I look forward to the privilege of helping you on your journey!