Oscar’s Story
A Note From Our Founder
When I first took Oscar home, I had no idea what I was doing – just a girl fulfilling a lifelong dream in a time of emotional desperation. He was a cattle dog mix, just under a year old, and had spent the first half of his life being passed from one home to the next, the second half in a shelter. He had been returned four separate times and was a difficult case, classified as high energy, tenacious, and anxious. He was underweight, wide-eye, and unsure… and I loved him immediately.
He tended to nip when scared or overstimulated (which was often), react to cars to the point of chasing them into the street (usually with me at the end of the leash trying to stop him), pee on the floor, guard his bones, and did not want to be alone. Ever. I can’t count how many blankets I came home to, pulled through the wire bars of his kennel, shredded to bits. The corners of the crate were zip-tied and the bottom tray lock had to be secured or he would Houdini his way out of there. He was too smart for his own good, and he needed direction. Being a first-time dog mom with absolutely no dog experience, I was a little in over my head and starting to feel discouraged towards my new best friend. I didn’t know how to help him.
So, like all very smart people, I called a dog trainer. The first we did a lesson with told me to growl and throw Ziploc bags full of water at Oscar’s feet if he barked at a car. Knowing what I know now I am immensely glad I listened to my gut, deciding he was not the pick for us. The second trainer, who was actually one of my bigger inspirations for becoming a dog trainer, used positive reinforcement only; Oscar made a large amount of progress with him! …Until it was time to wean off the reinforcements. The third, fourth, and fifth trainers used a combination of both methods, but none of them seemed to truly take the time to understand the complexities of the Oscar I knew and loved. I only wanted my dog to feel like, well, himself. To not feel like he had to watch his back or every move someone around him made. To be a team. I wanted to speak his language and tell him everything was okay because he had me in his corner. I was starting to be able to convey pieces of that message, but it wasn’t enough. I was hungry for more. I knew in my heart Oscar was the best dog I had ever seen – I just had to learn how to communicate with him.
Is it a total cliché to say I have always been drawn to animals? Yeah, pretty much, but in this case it is absolutely true. In the years before I adopted Oscar, I worked with horses, cats, rodents of all kinds, and of course did some dog sitting/walking as a high school student. Working with Oscar did not have to be any different. I was obsessed with him from day one; it was time to take a deep dive.
I gathered all the knowledge I had learned and started to develop my own training plans for him. Seeing I had a natural aptitude for training, I started helping friends with their dogs, too! I went to Animal Behavior College, graduated with honors, and started my externship at the San Diego Humane Society, where I promptly fell in love with another cattle dog mix named Jack. He was home with Oscar and I by the weekend.
During my externship I began to learn how to handle a diverse range of behaviors, from basic to extreme. It was amazing to see the dogs come in broken down and unruly, leaving for their new homes with confidence, adopters better equipped to handle the ups and downs of shelter-to-home transitioning than I ever was. I was able to help people like I had been, from day one. It was surreal, and I knew I had found the right career.
My main goal has always been to empower people; to teach them how to properly communicate with their unique dog, and all of his unique behaviors, so the dog can become an active, loving member of the family. It is my personal belief that we always get the dog we need at the time. I found Oscar on a website but I really think he found me. He changed my life, and my perception of life in so many ways, and I am blessed to have ever known him. I want that feeling for everyone who has a dog walking into their home. Dogs are so powerful, and yes, they come with their own baggage and personalities, but ultimately they are our mirrors. If we allow them to, they can teach us to become the best versions of ourselves by learning how to give them what they need.
Looking back on everything, I cannot thank my boy enough. Oscar completely changed my course of life, and has since paved the way for many other dogs to change theirs. No dog is the same, and no one method will work for every single one. With Heel House, it is my goal to help change the face of canine training by meeting each dog with fresh eyes and building a specific treatment plan to fit the whole family’s needs.
Oscar and Jack have since both passed away – two of the hardest days of my life. They taught me more about empathy, discipline, and grace than any other person or situation in my life. They taught me how to love myself, and more importantly, how to love others. One scruffy little rescue dog inspired a cascade of saving lives for more than a decade – and we aren’t stopping any time soon. It is my greatest hope that we can continue to serve every family that comes across us the same bond that Oscar and I had. It is life-changing, to say the least.
