Bio – Rachael Britt
By: David Codr
Published Date: April 19, 2023
Rachael works with a pair of high energy dogs
Dog Gone Problems’ Dog Behavior Consultant Jenna Horton is now available for in home Omaha dog behavior modification appointments.
Rachael Britt Biography
CPDT-KA Dog Behavior Specialist Rachael Britt’s inspiration to help animals in need started with a special encounter at a young age. “I met Jane Goodall twice as a kid,” Rachel explained.
“My school had a Roots and Shoots program and she came to speak to our classes,” Rachael recalled. “Hearing her stories and meeting her was really cool. It was definitely a contributing factor when it comes to my passion to help animals in need.”
Rachael’s first dog contributed too; a Carin Terrier rescue dog named Harry. “He taught me that it’s important to let dogs warm up at their own pace. He also showed me the importance of understanding where dogs are coming from. The need to take into consideration their background and backstory.” In Harry’s case, he was avoidant, fearful of men and came from a bad situation prior to Rachael’s family adopting him.
Although Rachael didnt have any formal training at the time, she was able to help Harry learn to relax and adapt successfully to his new home. “He had real issues with men which transferred to my dad. But after a lot of time, work and patience, Harry become a cherished member of our family.” That included her Dad too.
Rachael started her organized dog behavior journey by volunteering at the Nebraska Humane Society. Her volunteering led to a more official job capacity. In fact, she apprenticed under DGP’s own Christina Ferency. That’s where Rachael discovered her passion for helping reactive dogs.
Rachael works with a Wolf Hybrid at NHS
“At NHS we were flooded with dogs who had severe behavior problems,” Rachael explained. “That really helped me learn how to work in a high stress environment. Most of the dogs were reactive to dogs or people, and I learned so much from watching the other Behavior Specialists.” In time, Rachael was the one crafting and implementing those dog’s behavior modification plan.
Rachael found inspiration in helping those dogs many people label as “aggressive,” but are more accurately described as “reactive” due to fear and anxiety. Her favorite part of working with these troubled dogs? The moment you see they realize they can trust you.” Seeing all her hard work and efforts made a difference provided Rachael with the motivation to work with new dogs whose issues seemed insurmountable at first.
Changes at NHS led Rachael to leave her position there and Dog Gone Problems jumped at the opportunity to hire such an amazingly talented person. “We feel very fortunate to add Rachael to the team,” said DGP founder David Codr. “In fact she is taking the lead in rehabilitating a German Shepherd that was surrendered to us a year ago. She is making such amazing progress, he is now looking for a new home.”
Rachael has amassed an impressive amount of hands-on dog behavior modification experience in addition to her BA in Psychology. She has a Fear Free Accreditation as well as a CPDT-KA certification. Rachael has packed a lot of knowledge, experience and canine wisdom into the last 5 years of working with animals.
When she isn’t working, Rachael enjoys hanging with her 10 year-old Chihuahua dog Arlo and keeping busy. “I always need something to do,” Rachael confessed. Probably one of the reason why she is so dedicated and driven to helping people with their dogs.
Although she loves working with dogs who have reactivity issues (human and dog), she has a wealth of experience with all facets of dog behavior. If you are interested in scheduling an in home session with Rachael or any of the Dog Behavior experts at DGP, click this link to request more info.
Categorized in: Dog Behavior