Hi, I’m Jess.

Dog trainer, former nurse, and founder of Space City Canine. I help dogs and their people build trust and find their flow together using thoughtful training rooted in biology, relationship, and play.

Not a Protocol. A Partnership.

I don’t believe in quick fixes or one-size-fits-all methods. There are dozens of training approaches and methodologies, and each has its benefits and limitations. I believe in holistic training that respects the nervous system and meets both dog and human where they are.

My work is thoughtful, relational, and rooted in the knowledge that learning happens best when where trust and clarity are present. I specialize in high-energy, sensitive, or reactive dogs, and I love working with clients who are curious, reflective, and ready to do things differently.

If you’ve tried traditional training and it didn’t click, or if you’re just looking for a more collaborative, personalized way forward, you’re in the right place.

From Observation to Connection

I didn’t set out to become a dog trainer, I just kept following what interested me. First it was fostering dogs who needed decompression, structure, or simply someone to meet them where they were. Then came the pattern I couldn’t unsee: most of these dogs weren’t “stubborn”. They were dysregulated. Misunderstood. Often trying so hard before they simply shut down.

At the time, I was working as a critical care nurse. Every day I was reading bodies, tracking subtle shifts, holding space in moments of intense uncertainty. That experience gave me a deep respect for nervous systems under stress, and it slowly began to influence how I understood dogs. Not as robots to fix when the input and output didn’t line up as expected, but as partners trying to communicate through their behavior.

That insight grew into a year of personal study, then lots of practice, and now Space City Canine, where dogs and humans can learn together with clarity and compassion.