About Adrienne, our trainer

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Born and raised in metro Detroit, Adrienne had always wanted to be a veterinarian. By 2000, Adrienne had been working as a veterinary assistant and attended the University of Michigan in a biochemistry undergraduate program. On a whim, she moved with her then-boyfriend and a group of friends to Portland, Oregon. In Portland, Adrienne started working for Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital and sat for her national vet tech exam, becoming a certified veterinary technician (CVT). It was here that Adrienne realized that everything she thought being a veterinarian was, from advocating for her patients to comforting family members, she already did as a technician and without the gajillion dollars in student loans. This is when she joined her first search and rescue team, a move that would change the trajectory of her life. 

Adrienne began training with Search One K9 in wilderness airscent search and rescue as a dog handler and immediately fell in love with the partnership that developed between her and her dog. She went on to train with teams wherever she lived. Watching the dog she trained to love the search and find joy in finding people and then the wonderful games that ensued as a reward afterward were like the proverbial chicken soup for the soul. The working dog bond was powerful, but it was difficult to watch so many dogs trained using harsh, coercive methods. So many SAR handlers didn't want their dogs to be pet, loved, or played with because they "had a job" and couldn't be distracted. She knew in her heart that this was wrong and there had to be a better way, so she was determined to find it. Not just for her and her dog, but for all the other working dogs and handlers. 

Over the course of years of meeting trainers, training with different SAR groups, reading books, and eventually enrolling in the Karen Pryor academy for dog trainers, Adrienne found what she was looking for. The way to teach dogs anything and have it be fun for everyone. The way to see past the snarling, barking, lunging dog and find the sweet and scared soul beneath. In further pursuit of the working dog bond, Adrienne completed a master's degree in service dog training from Bergin University and worked as a guide dog mobility instructor for Leader Dogs for the Blind. After graduation, Adrienne was the interim Dean for Bergin University and found a love for teaching other trainers. While completing her master's degree, Adrienne became friends with David, a team lead from the Mexico City UNAM search and rescue team, and now her husband. She also became close friends with Rob Hewings, who went on to form the UK College of Scent Dogs. Adrienne was lucky enough to present on search and rescue at the first UKCSD conference. 

Adrienne now loves taking the skills, methods, and tricks she learned from all of those working and service dog training programs and bringing them to bear upon our furry house companions. She continues to find joy in creating happy teams, increasing compassion towards dogs, and being a crazy cat lady with only one cat. 

Adrienne is the manager of the College of Scent Dogs in the USA and will be bringing College programs to metro Detroit starting in late 2024. Stay tuned!