Sammy's love of dogs started at a young age, but it wasn't until bringing home her first personal dog, Bowie, in her early 20s that she became immersed in dog training, nutrition, development and behavior while seeking to give Bowie the best and healthiest lifestyle possible. Before working with dogs professionally, Sammy studied Neuropsychology at the University of California, Berkeley, an educational background that lent itself to a comprehensive theoretical understanding of behavior and learning theory. She worked in youth development and the non-profit sector for several years before making the decision to follow her passion and work with dogs as her career. She began her work with dogs in the canine nutrition space, working for the top raw feeding co-operative in the nation, becoming certified as a Raw Dog Food Nutrition Specialist, and helping hundreds of dog owners transform their best friend's health through diet change. During this time, she immersed herself in training and behavior with her personal dogs. She developed a passion for behavior modification while working through severe genetic food aggression in her young Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppy, Everly. Eventually, she sought out to embark on a career in professional dog training.  While theoretical knowledge is an important foundation for understanding behavior, hands-on experience is imperative to developing the skillset, timing, safety and nuanced approach it takes to successfully work with a wide range of dogs. When Sammy began training dogs professionally, she worked her way from entry level kennel jobs to client facing roles in various capacities. Sammy spent time shadowing and working for other trainers who specialize in behavior modification, advanced off leash training, rescue rehabilitation, puppy raising, sport training and more. She worked at both large-scale board and train facilities and small-scale personalized training programs where she was involved with training hundreds of dogs of various breeds, backgrounds and behavioral challenges. Sammy also pursued an Advanced Canine Training certification, and continues to pursue educational development via seminars, workshops and online programs, always advancing her knowledge and understanding of behavior.  In 2021, after working out of state, Sammy moved back to Northern California where she opened her own dog training company specializing in board & train and private lesson programs. A year later, she and Chelsea met, and became partners in life. It was not long after that they merged their individual companies into what is now Rockem Dog Training, providing expanded services to the dogs of Northern California.  Sammy believes that we never stop learning and growing. When she's not working with your dogs, you can find her mountain biking through the East Bay hills with four of her personal dogs, tunnel visioned into some scientific research article learning about something new, dabbling in photography, or eating good snacks with even greater friends & family.