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I'm Miranda
I build confident, capable dogs and specialize in the ones other trainers won't take.
I've been working with dogs for over a decade. My background is in behavior modification and balanced training - which means I work with the full picture of who your dog is, not just the behaviors you want to change.
I'm a balanced trainer. I use reward based methods and appropriate corrections depending on what the dog needs. I don't believe in one size fits all training and I don't believe in writing off a dog because of their breed, their drive, or their history.
I own two Malinois. High drive, complex, intense dogs are not something I tolerate - they're something I genuinely love working with. If your dog has been called too much, too reactive, too intense, or too difficult - that's not a red flag to me. That's a dog worth building properly.
My background in nursing isn't separate from my dog work. It directly informs how I read behavior, assess stress and threshold, and approach complex cases. I think clinically about what's driving a behavior before I ever address the behavior itself. That's not common in this industry and it makes a significant difference in outcomes.
I've trained dogs to full public access standard including dogs capable of flying. I work with behavior modification cases that other trainers refer out. I'm developing a breeding program focused on stable temperament for therapy and psychiatric service dog work.
Confidence comes before obedience. Always. A dog that hasn't been built from the ground up with genuine confidence and clear communication will always have a ceiling on what they can learn and how they can live. Everything I do at Birch and Sage is designed to remove that ceiling.
If you have a high drive dog, a complex breed, or a dog that has been failed by someone else - you're in the right place.
If you have a high drive dog, a complex breed, or a dog that has been failed by someone else - you're in the right place.
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