About Barks and Rec
Meet "The Treat Lady"
Hi! I'm Sarah, an Accredited, Force-Free dog trainer through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a Licensed Family Paws Parent Educator, and a graduate of CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. I have a soft spot for working with fearful and aggressive dogs - this is where my passion lies. It has been a wild ride to get to this point in my life! My dog training journey began with Duke (the little cutie pictured below on the left) in 2015. I originally founded Barks and Rec in September 2018 as a dog walking and pet-sitting business, and as time went on, I began to gravitate solely towards training. I had begun attending CATCH Canine Trainers Academy in August 2018 and graduated in March 2020. I am very open about the fact that I did not start out as a "force-free" trainer. It took a lot of education and experiences to lead me to this point in my career. I can testify to the effectiveness and power of positive reinforcement because I have been on both sides of the fence. I am dedicated to always continuing my education to ensure that I am always providing my clients with the most ethical, effective, and up-to-date training practices. In July 2023, I earned my Family Paws Parent Educator license. Currently, I am attending college to pursue a Psychology degree, and I'm also enrolled in Michael Shikashio's Aggression in Dogs Mastercourse to further my expertise in all-things-aggression!
.png/:/cr=t:29.64%25,l:17.01%25,w:79.03%25,h:44.45%25/rs=w:720,h:720,cg:true,m)
Dog Training Mission
The mission of Barks and Rec, Inc. is to help strengthen the relationships of dogs and their humans through ethical, science-backed training practices.
My goal is to bridge the communication gap between dogs and their humans, in order to foster an environment of mutual understanding and respect.
The Evolution of Barks and Rec, Inc.
Here's the long version of my story, if you're interested in the details!
"Sarah Connor initially founded Barks and Rec in September of 2018 as a dog walking and pet-sitting business. In August 2018, she had begun attending CATCH Canine Trainer's Academy in pursuit of a dog training certification. For several months, she attended both Regent University (for film & theatre) and CATCH as a full-time student for both schools. In January 2019, after feeling dissatisfied with how dogs were being handled at the establishment she worked at, she decided to hit "pause" on her education at Regent University, and dedicate all of her focus to completing her program with CATCH.
In August 2019, she took a leap and quit her part-time job to pursue running Barks and Rec full-time. She graduated from CATCH Canine Trainer's Academy in March 2020, with a Certificate in Dog Training and Behavior.
She quickly fell in love with the art and science of training dogs, but soon realized that her education did not equip her to work with more severe behavioral issues. With a strong desire to help the dogs that seemed "hopeless," Sarah set out looking for another avenue of education to give her the tools she needed to address more complex behavior cases.
In July 2020, she joined the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and dove headfirst into the wealth of material that was provided to supporting members. Still, Sarah wanted to learn more. She wanted to test her skills and further her knowledge in the field. So she decided to get accredited. After paying a fee and spending a grueling 60 days working on the extensive test, she passed with a score of 98 out of 100. She
received her Accredited Dog Trainer (ADT) standing through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) on January 21, 2021.
Now, Sarah continues to further her education and knowledge in the field every day through seminars, conferences, the most up-to-date, science-backed materials, and more. Dog training is her passion, and she owes all of it to her boy, Duke.
Duke is the reason Sarah decided to pursue dog training as a career. Duke was six months old when Sarah's family adopted him on December 31, 2014. Duke was terrified of everything, and despite his emaciated frame, he was so shut down that he didn't even want the hot dogs that were offered to him during the shelter visit. Sarah promised Duke that she would do whatever it took to help him learn to love life again. This spurred her journey into researching canine psychology and behavior, and unknown to her at the time, opened the door to a whole new career. It is because of Duke that Barks and Rec exists today.
On December 16, 2020, Duke crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He began having complications with his prostate in October, and despite all the effort to save him, his health continued to decline. He's missed more than words can possibly express, but his legacy will live on forever through Barks and Rec. Because of Duke, Sarah has dedicated her life to helping dogs like him."