As a child, Wendy's happy place was on the dairy farm where she grew up playing with animals that accepted her unconditionally. When she went to elementary school, there was this one moment – this defining moment – that went all wrong and left her feeling isolated, like she couldn’t let anyone know the real person inside for fear of being rejected.

As a teenager, Wendy had the opportunity to raise two litters of Irish Setter puppies. She kept one pup from each litter to train and show in obedience, and excelled in doing so. Despite all the commotion of the working farm on which she lived, she could get her two dogs to focus on training and respond to her cues. They’d even spend an entire five minutes in “sit” and “down/stays” without breaking with all the hustle and bustle of the farm! Doing well with them at home and in the show-ring gave Wendy a great sense of purpose, so she decided that somehow, she wanted to work with dogs for a living.

Determined to pursue her passion, she majored in Animal Science in college, fully intending to pursue her dream to become a dog trainer.

Well, she got side-tracked. Naysayers, negative thoughts, and logistics made her think that working with animals for a living was an absolute pipe-dream. But, for the next thirty years, she still held onto this belief that one day she would find a way to pursue her dream of working with dogs. It never left her mind.

In her 40's she started volunteering at a local animal shelter and couldn’t believe how many amazing dogs and cats ended up there. She learned that often pets end up in shelters because people don’t know how to solve behaviour issues, so they give up hope for a happy life with their pet. And that got her thinking, what if people had hope? What if they could learn how to communicate with their pets more successfully?

These thoughts took her back to that defining moment in elementary school. It occurred to her that the same thing can happen to dogs when they have a negative experience. They Shut Down.

That’s when Wendy realized it was time for her to follow her passion and pursue her childhood dream, because she knew she could help people and their dogs live happier lives together.

Wendy became certified as a dog trainer through Victoria Stilwell Academy and has since continued learning, adding to her expertise with credentials as a Certified Behavior Consultant for Canines (CBCC-KA), Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), Certified Fear Free Professional (Trainer), Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT), and Family Dog Mediator (FDM). Now she gets to do what she has always loved. She helps improve relationships and the quality of life for dogs and their people. She educates people on how dogs think, act and feel, and why they do what they do. She shows clients how to develop mutual respect between themselves and their dogs, and how to have fun while they work together. She also helps people who are experiencing behavior issues with their cats.

Wendy's mission is to give people and pets confidence to live the life they’ve dreamed of, together. That unbreakable bond and freedom to go places together, that’s The Life of Riley. 

The name of Wendy's company is in commemoration of her past dog, Riley, the Rottweiler she got from the shelter she volunteered at. Riley was an amazing dog and lived with Wendy for nearly 7 years. The term "Life of Riley" means to have a care-free, happy life. And, doesn't every dog and cat deserve to have The Life of Riley?