Meet Sarah & Wyatt

A woman with short brown hair, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, kneeling beside a medium-sized dog with a golden and white coat, on a wooden deck outside a home. There is a blackboard sign next to them that reads 'Welcome Sarah & Wyatt' in yellow chalk, welcoming Sarah and her dog Wyatt.
A woman with short brown hair, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, kneeling beside a medium-sized dog with a golden and white coat, on a wooden deck outside a home. There is a blackboard sign next to them that reads 'Welcome Sarah & Wyatt' in yellow chalk, welcoming Sarah and her dog Wyatt.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a white shirt kneels next to a brown and white dog beside a rocky riverbank with a cliff and trees in the background.
A woman and a brown and white dog sitting on a kayak in a river surrounded by lush green trees.
A woman crouching on dirt ground smiling while holding a large brown and white dog, outdoors with a fence, trees, and rocky cliffs in the background.
A person hugging a happy brown and white dog in an outdoor setting.

Hello!  Thank you for visiting The D.O.G. Method!

I am a lifelong dog lover and like a lot of kids, I wanted to work with animals when I grew up.  Boy, how dreams fly us by!

I put that dream on hold when I turned 18 and joined the United States Marine Corps where I honorably served for 16 years as an aircraft electrician before retiring.  In my 10th year in the military, I was volunteering at the local animal shelter when Wyatt was put up for adoption.  To be honest, he immediately melted my heart and I made the impromptu decision to adopt him then and there.  

At that point in my life, the most experience I had with dogs was family pets I had growing up, but let's be honest, my parents were the ones who cared for and trained them primarily.  I had absolutely no clue where to start but I knew I had to start somewhere!  With the power of the internet and video tutorials, online training seminars and local training courses, I was able to get Wyatt to the status of a "good boy" who had manners and proper social etiquette.  However, I still had much to learn.

During my last few years in the military, I met a wonderful gentleman and his wife who opened my world to training service dogs.  And just like that, the rest is history!  Greg and Nancy Sporer worked with me to fine tune my training skills and with their guidance, I became confident and Wyatt became an upstanding canine citizen worthy of a gold medal!

Throughout my years with Wyatt, I experimented with different training techniques, learned some hard lessons of what not to do, and like a trooper, Wyatt was there with me the whole way through.  Because of him, I made it through some of the toughest times in my life and emerged a better person.  Wyatt is now my retired service dog, living out the rest of his life as my best friend, eating all the treats he could ever dream of... and he absolutely deserves it!

After retiring and returning home to East Tennessee, I wanted to continue my journey of training dogs and providing help to those who need it.  After all the ups and downs I went through while training Wyatt, I believe that dog training is never one-size-fits-all.  Every dog has a unique personality, and every owner has different goals. That is why my training style is tailored entirely to the specific needs of you and your pup.

My training philosophy is built around three main concepts: 

  • Direction: Showing your dog exactly what you want them to do, clearly and calmly.

  • Obedience: Building reliable habits so your dog listens when it matters most.

  • Groundwork: Creating a strong, stable foundation of trust and understanding from day one.

Together, we will focus on practical solutions that make training stress-free, simple, and a seamless part of your daily routine. Training should not feel like a chore—it should be a fun experience for both you and your pup that brings you both closer together.

When I am not helping East Tennessee pups and their owners, you can usually find me out on a local hiking trail, working on a new crochet project, or simply enjoying life.

I cannot wait to meet you and your four-legged best friend!

My AKC Evaluator Number: 113438