Hi, I’m Andy!

I grew up outside DC with a reactive German Shorthaired Pointer mix. I trained him in 4H for 6 years and competed in obedience, showmanship, agility, and rally trials at both the regional and state level. In our off time we hiked every acre of the local state parks.

In 2018 while nearing graduation for my B.S. in Computer Science, I adopted a severely anxious and reactive street dog who is the love of my life – my Vizsla mix, Keena. I dove headfirst into training research to help her and became inspired by trainers across a broad range of philosophies notably Your Dog’s Friend, Kelsey Lyn from Grassroots K9, Tom Davis, and Beckman’s Dog Training. I rehabilitated her from bird/truck/dog reactivity and resource guarding to a companion I could bring to coffee shops and climb the Adirondack mountains with.

For the next 4 years and during the pandemic, I volunteered at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Facility where I earned my Level 3 cert in advanced handling and worked with the behavioral team. I became known for helping reactive dogs get adopted and was able to get close to and handle fearful dogs the staff couldn’t touch.

In 2021, I adopted my European German Shepherd Raven. Tasked with raising two dogs and burnt out on rescue work, I quit and helped start a community pack walk in Baltimore to work on their exposure. That was my light bulb moment. Talking, walking with people and hearing their stores… lit a fire in my soul. I wanted to help reactive owners who felt isolated and alone.

In Fall 2023, I moved out to Colorado with both dogs and founded Denver South Central Pack Walk as a free public space for reactive dog owners. In 2024, after a tech layoff I founded Krag Dog Training and the rest is history.