Meet Sam Pierce

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam Pierce. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.

Sam, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I have truly learned the most about resilience from my clients — human and dog alike. A large part of the work that I do with companion animals is building resilience by teaching them skills to help cope and regulate in stressful situations: I see dogs who struggle with their environment, new people or other animals, changes to their routine, etc., and I see people who struggle with all of those same things. Watching them learn how to advocate for themselves, shake it off, and bounce back is so rewarding, and has taught me more and more about how to do the same thing myself.

I have a client dog named Snoopy who has some pretty big feelings about the world. He can be reactive, especially when he’s on his porch watching over the neighborhood. Over the last few months of working with him, I have watched Snoopy go from being at times inconsolable when barking past the fence at a passerby to being a pro at saying, “hey, there’s someone out there” and then returning to his afternoon sunbathing. His mom too has gotten so much more comfortable taking a breath, letting Snoopy feel his feelings, supporting him if needed, and then going back to enjoying her own afternoon. The progress they’ve made together in becoming more resilient has been so cool to see, and I definitely take a page out of their book often. That’s just one of my clients that has strengthened this skill for me, but I really do learn so much from everyone I work with — it’s all symbiotic.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I own and operate Dognitive Behavior and Training! We specialize in behavior modification for companion dogs struggling with anxiety, fear, aggression, and emotional dysregulation. I could bore you with talking about my qualifications (and I will, a little — I’m a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Counsel for Professional Dog Trainers, a Fear Free Certified Professional (Trainer), a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program, and a supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), but what’s really important about the work that I do is that it’s rooted in compassion and science.

I train with what’s commonly called positive reinforcement (R+) or force-free methods, which means that I don’t rely on the use of things like force, fear, pain, discomfort, or intimidation to make another animal “compliant” or “obedient.” I teach dogs and their people effective ways of communication that allow them to really have a dialogue and be on the same page. I think a lot of the dog training industry, which isn’t regulated at all, is incredibly human-centered: it’s about our dogs doing what we want, when we want them to, with very little regard for their own wants and needs — I don’t believe that’s a way to have a good relationship with any other living being. On the flip side of that, we have put dogs into an environment that is not built for them, and have taken on the responsibility of keeping them safe as their guardians, so it does make sense for there to be boundaries in place. That’s where the dialogue comes in: I want my dog and human clients to have a way to let each other know what their needs are while allowing for space to say “I can’t do that right now — what about this?” It is commonly said that communication is key in all relationships, and that absolutely extends across species.

Right now, I see clients in-person in Richmond, VA and virtually anywhere. I’m getting ready to launch an exclusive platform for members around the world to have access to blog posts, webinars, courses, Q&A’s, training videos, and more. I’m so excited to offer this as I think resources on animal behavior can benefit everyone; even if you’re not necessarily looking for 1-on-1 lessons, learning more about our companion animals is always a positive. This platform will be available to access on my website (www.dognitive.training) very soon!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Compassion, voice, and a strong sense of self.

I think it’s safe to say that most people in my industry got here because they really love dogs — and I do, but I love people too. I’m a person with some pretty big feelings and I happen to have a dog with big feelings as well. That firsthand experience has strengthened the deep love that I have for the work that I do, and the understanding I have for how difficult the client side of this work can be. You run into dog trainers sometimes that will tell you you’re the problem, and you just need to do better. It’s almost never that black and white, and I think it’s so important to remember that and meet your clients where they’re at. My goal is always to work as a team and for everyone involved to feel supported, so I try to lead every client interaction with compassion for all parties.

One thing that anyone who knows me will tell you is that I am loud; that is, I am not afraid to communicate about things that are important to me. Part of being compassionate is advocating for those who can’t advocate for themselves. This is often said in regards to non-human animals, but there are so many reasons that people might not be able to advocate for themselves, and I will always be in the corner of people who feel that way. I made a fairly quick name for myself because of this skill. It’s been a journey to be mindful of how I communicate, and how it might be interpreted, but I’m definitely not afraid to question things or suggest alternatives if I believe in something strongly.

The side of the dog training industry I’m on, the force-free side, is primarily affluent white women — so I stand out. I am white, but I am also queer, disabled, and present a bit outside of the norm. There aren’t a lot of dog trainers that look like me, especially not in my area, and at first that was really scary. I absolutely worried that my appearance would turn people away from inquiring about services. I’m not sure if it has or not, but I learned pretty quickly that those potential clients didn’t matter. Ultimately, I want to work with people who want to work with me, edge and all, so I really leaned into it with my branding. I’m open about my identity, do not try to dial down my appearance, and I’m also really good at what I do. I think anyone who’s listened to me talk about dogs for a minute has realized that none of those “quirks” affect my ability to do my job in any negative way.

My advice to people just developing these skills is start from the bottom: figure out who you are, be loud about it, and be thoughtful. It’s so important to genuinely care about the people you work with, but it’s equally important to care about yourself.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Absolutely, 100%, always. I would obviously love to collaborate with other businesses in the companion animal industry — rescues, supply shops, vet clinics, other trainers, etc — but I think it would be so cool to think outside of the box too. I would love to work with designers to create products for dog people, or community centered organizations to provide accessible resources. If anyone thinks what I’m doing is cool and has an idea for how we can work together, I am all ears. The best way to reach me is via email, which is [email protected].

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dognitive.training
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dognitivebehavior

Image Credits

Alexandra Lloyd