Terri’s Tale

Hi, I’m Terri and let me tell you,
I was born to love your dog.

I grew up in a bustling house with 4 brothers, 2 sisters, 7 dogs, 4 horses, and 3 cats. You could say my mom was a real-life Mrs. Doolittle, and she passed that magic straight down to me.​

After leaving the corporate world in 1996, I knew I had to follow my heart and paw prints. A 1997 Dog Fancy article, “How to Turn Your Love of Dogs into a Career,” sealed the dea

I trained with Nancy Baer in Snohomish on How to Become a Professional Dog Trainer.

Dog walking led to house sitting, then to off-leash park adventures, and eventually, a full-time dog boarding & daycare business.

Along the way, I helped lead the Marymoor Dog Walkers Association, earning recognition from SODA (Serve Our Dog Area) for my work.

Built a thriving, an open-environment dog boarding and daycare business where dogs can truly be dogs.

This is perhaps one of my proudest milestones: In 2008, with the support of my amazing clients, and after four years of determination, I passed a law in King County that made open-environment dog boarding and daycare facilities legal. This did not just make existing businesses legitimate, it created opportunities for new ones to open and thrive, giving more people the chance to follow their passion for dogs.

I have spent decades capturing lost and stray dogs, reuniting them with families, and fostering or rehabilitating, that others might have given up on. Many of those “unadoptable” dogs now live full, happy lives thanks to patience and persistence.​ I trained with and worked with some of the best in the lost-dog world, including James Branson of Useless Bay Sanctuary and Kat Albrecht-Thiessen of the Missing Animal Response Network. By 2017 I joined the Useless Bay Sanctuary board and continue to work tirelessly for dogs in need.

My nose work journey began with my dog, Bogey. After some scary health concerns, I knew he needed a job that would challenge him in a positive way and Nose work was the answer. What started out as a hobby, turned into a passion, one odor recognition test (ORT) at a time.

Fast-forward: Through years of dedication and teamwork, Bogey and I earned our Elite Champion title and advanced to the Summit level and titled which is the highest achievement in nose work. We call that journey Summit Strong, a reflection of resilience, trust, and partnership at the highest level.

Along the way, I trapped a dog named Gunner, so shut down that no one wanted him. With patience and nose work, he went from being frozen to flourishing. After two years on Primary, Gunner is now competing in Elite and finally living like a healthy and happy pup.

Then came Noam, a dog I inherited because of his aggression issues. Together we’ve put in the work, and today he’s thriving and proudly competing in NW3.

Dogs like Bogey, Gunner and Noam remind me every single day about the why in what I do. They are proof that with patience, purpose, and the right outlet, transformation is possible.

With all these experiences, I knew the next step had to be becoming a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) through NACSW and teach classes, not just to teach a sport, but to guide others on a journey of trust, teamwork, and transformation with their dogs.

I do not just stop at training, behavioral and deep caring, I also dive deep into holistic wellness, helping dogs heal, strengthen their immune systems, and thrive.