Thumbs Up believes training and education is an ongoing journey.
This means Emma's dog trainer duties don't stop when she goes home at the end of the day. Emma works diligently with her own beloved pups, helping them to continually grow and improve their skills and abilities.
Training Foundations in Action
See All of Emma's Credentials and Professional Experience
Oregon Tails Student of the Dog: 1 Day Workshop
Date: September 2024
Location: Scappoose, Oregon
Training Snippet: "This workshop is designed for handlers who have completed Foundations 1 and are ready to deepen their practice of the Jentle Method™. The session focuses on refining leadwork, building fluidity and responsiveness in a dog's physiology and psychology, and working through challenges such as fear, prey drive, reactivity, overexcitement, and stiffness from past trauma. Handlers also explore how to bring greater collectedness and connection to the relationship through leadwork, and practise applying the Jentle Method to everyday moments — including transitions, bathing, feeding, bed, recall, and leave it. The session also offers a guided opportunity to greet other dogs or people in a safe, supported environment."
Learn more about Oregon Tails workshops and the Jentle Method™.
Toothless at Oregon Tails
Perry's reward after Foundations 1
Oregon Tails Student of the Dog: Foundations 1
Date: September 2022
Location: Scappoose, Oregon
Training Snippet: "Foundations 1 is a hands‑on, 3‑day workshop focused on building understanding and skilled practical application of Steps 1–5 of the Jentle Method™. Topics include leash walking skills and etiquette, how to help release and dissolve preexisting stress within a dog's mind and body, building a neutral foundation, and guiding a dog through triggers — whether excitement, reactivity, or fear. The workshop also covers daily life matters such as how to allow two dogs to greet, how to guide a dog through distractions, and how to structure your home and day together."
Learn more about Oregon Tails Student of the Dog: Foundations 1.
Achieving Real World Obedience Seminar
Date: July 2019
Location: Maple Valley, Seattle
Training Snippet: "Achieving real world obedience is the perfect blend of understanding the science behind dog behavior, while maintaining a practical, common sense approach that allows people to realize that dog training is not rocket science. It covers everyday essentials that Blake feels is key to helping to prevent major behavior problems from occurring, while also putting us in a position to address behavior problems with success! This seminar will teach you how to study/train as a lifestyle (instead of extra time out of your day) in order to be ready to pass the test that everyday life throws at you and your dog."
Emma & Blake Rodriguez
Relationship Based Behaviour Modification Workshop with Nelson Hodges
Date: June 2019
Location: Canine – Human Relationship Institute (CHRI) Center, Blue Ridge Texas
Training Snippet: "This three(3) day workshop course is designed to introduce handlers to new concepts of relating to their dogs in the ways that dogs inherently understand... Introductions to canine history, language, senses, and the way dogs think and communicate are covered."
Emma & Nelson Hodges
Emma's Dog Toothless Attended
Shadow Training with Cheri Lucas
Location: Cheri Lucas' Second Chance Ranch, Templeton, California, USA
Training Snippet: "The Mentor program is by far the most intense and thorough training program that Cheri offers. This highly popular program is private and individualized. Cheri evaluates her student’s abilities at the start of the program, and then designs a training protocol based not only on what the student needs to know but where the student wants to go. Students are immersed in Cheri’s world, receiving hands-on training from day one with multiple dogs with a myriad of issues..."
Learn more about shadow training and mentorship programs on Cheri Lucas' website.
Emma Tucker and mentor Cheri Lucas
Lucas Agnew Workshop: Raw Intuitive Talent - The Missing Link
Date: March 31 - April 2, 2017
Location: Cheri Lucas' Second Chance Ranch, Templeton, California, USA
Workshop Snippet: "This is not your average workshop... Our goal is to teach you to view the dog’s issues through the dog’s eyes, so that training becomes second nature to you. Almost automatic. In other words, we enable and empower you to develop Raw Intuitive Talent... Any relationship, whether human or canine, has to have a solid and healthy foundation: one built on trust and communication."
Want to learn more about this workshop? Visit the Lucas Agnew website.
Training at the Second Chance Ranch
Emma with Brian Agnew & Cheri Lucas
K9 Lifeline 3D Workshop: Dealing with Difficult Dogs
Date: 2016
Location: K9 Lifeline in Draper, Utah, USA
Workshop Snippet: "... We will work on ways of improving the retrieve and how problems can be minimized and overcome. The aim is to teach and demonstrate the approaches to building a strong relationship and ‘want to’ in a dog by including retrieve training and exercises in the training program. Training, Exercise, Relationship, Reward and Fun – Retrieving. Make a training session pleasurable with retrieving and also develop the foundation for a working and competition dog..."
Read more about the K9 Lifeline 3D Workshop.
If you can handle a steer, you can handle a dog!
An unconventional pack walk
K9 Lifeline 3D Workshop Complete!
K9 Lifeline Shadow Program with Heather Beck
Date: 2016
Location: K9 Lifeline in Draper, Utah, USA
Program Snippet: "...K9 Lifeline is focused on teaching how to work with dogs with behavioral issues. You will watch K9 Lifeline throughout their daily activities, including consultations with clients and their dogs, working with dogs at K9 Lifeline for Board and Train, and working with their own pack of dogs. You will also spend a lot of hands on time with dogs learning how to work with problem dogs in a safe, but effective manner..."
Learn about what K9 Lifeline Shadow Program entails.
Training Cesar's Way: Fundamentals of Dog Behavior and Training
Date: February 2015
Location: Dog Psychology Center, Santa Clarita, California, USA
Program Snippet: "Fundamentals of Dog Behavior and Training I is a five-day, hands-on course designed and taught by Cesar Millan, based on his unique gifts and insights into dog behavior and psychology. You will learn what you need to know to have a balanced, fulfilled dog and to be the best Pack Leader you can be."
Read more about Training Cesar's Way.
Emma with renowned dog trainer Cesar Millan
Emma with Michelle of Connective Training
ADDITIONAL TRAINING & EDUCATION
2012
Certificate in Animal Training and Enrichment from the Animal Behavior Institute
Animal Communication Level 1 with Georgina Cyr
1-Year Apprenticeship with Connective Training