Meet Gina: Science, Empathy, and the Legacy Behind the Name

Clarksville’s Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) & Family Dog Mediator (FDM)

When you are living with a dog whose fear or reactivity has taken over your household, you don't just need clinical theory. You need someone who has sat on the floor with that same heavy, gut-wrenching feeling of not knowing how to help the animal you love.

I didn’t become a behavior consultant because every dog I raised was effortless. I became one because of Lakota.

How Lakota Lit the Way

Lakota was the dog who changed the entire trajectory of my life.

When she began struggling in our human world, I was met with the same outdated advice so many of my clients hear today: "show her who's boss," "use a heavier hand," or "correct her when she reacts." I watched firsthand how intimidation, dominance theories, and aversive tools only heightened stress, eroded trust, and masked critical emotional warning signs.

Refusing to break her spirit to win compliance, I took a different path. I immersed myself in real behavioral science, applied ethology, neurobiology, and trauma-informed animal care.

Lakota taught me that dogs aren’t "bad," stubborn, or broken—they are individuals experiencing immense friction between their instinctual wiring and the modern human environments we place them in. She is the reason Lakota’s Legacy exists, and her memory is present in every home I enter and with every troubled dog I evaluate.

Why Clinical Credentials Matter

The dog training industry remains completely unregulated. Anyone can buy a website domain, put on a shock collar, and market themselves as a "behavior expert."

Modifying complex emotional pathologies—like severe leash reactivity, resource guarding, intra-household fighting, and fear biting—requires advanced clinical training. As an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), my credentials represent rigorous, peer-reviewed board examination in learning theory, species-specific ethology, behavioral pharmacology, and biological risk assessment.

I treat the underlying emotional panic driving your dog’s reactions, rather than punishing their distress.

Professional Credentials & Specialized Education:

• Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC): Accredited by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).

• Certified Family Dog Mediator (FDM): Specialized in Kim Brophey’s L.E.G.S.® model of Applied Ethology (Learning, Environment, Genetics, Self).

• Aggression in Dogs Master Course Graduate: Mentored under Michael Shikashio, the leading global authority on canine aggression cases.

• Trauma-Informed Pet Professional: Certified through the Brain & Behavior Academy.

• Professional Concept Trainer: Advanced training through Dr. Tom Mitchell, BVSc, BSc, MRCVS.

• Veterinarian-Recommended: Trusted and referred by veterinary clinics across Montgomery County for severe behavioral intervention.

• Shock-Free Coalition Member: Committed to zero pain, zero force, and zero fear

My Philosophy: Advocating for Both Ends of the Leash

Most behavioral crises stem from a simple misunderstanding: owners are taught to focus on stopping the outward behavior, while the dog is desperately trying to survive their internal state.

• No Dominance or Punishment: Inflicting physical discomfort or intimidation damages the human-canine bond and increases the risk of unheralded bites.

• Honoring Breed & Biology: A guardian breed barking at boundary lines or a herding dog nipping heels isn't being malicious; they are acting on centuries of genetic design. We align their biological drives with real-world management.

• Realistic Solutions for Real Families: You should not have to spend two hours every day drilling obedience cues. We build sustainable management plans and desensitization protocols that fit into actual household routines.

You Don't Have to Navigate This Alone

If you are feeling defeated, isolated, or anxious every time you take your dog outside, know this: there is a humane, effective path forward.

Whether we work together in-person in Clarksville and Fort Campbell, or via private virtual consulting anywhere in the country, I am here to give you back clarity, peace, and safety in your home.