Meet Susy Sobel

My name is Susy Sobel and I am the trainer behind PackPatootie. My intro to dog training is a tale as old as time: white woman adopts Pitbull, dog develops leash reactivity, and she becomes obsessed with training to remedy the issues.

My passion for dog training started in 2019 entering the world of pets. I was mentored by Sam of PacklifeLA and am forever grateful for all I’ve learned and continue to learn from her. In 2023, my interest expanded to the world of sports. I’ve been privileged to have the opportunity to shadow Chris Sykes learning all about the world of high drive dogs.

For me, bridging the world of pet and sport training allows me to bring a variety tools to work the dog in front of me. I think the best training is individualized, honors the genetics & drives of the dogs, and considers the lifestyle goals of the family. Dog training should be fun, practical, effective, and rooted in relationship.

Continued Education:

In the world of Pet Training I have studied with: Samantha Johnson, Cheri Lucas, Oregon Tails, Petes Adventure Pack, Fenzi Academy, and Brian Agnew.

In the world of Sports Training I have studied and/or trained with: Chris Sykes, PacwestK9, Forrest Micke, Michael Ellis, Debbie Zappia, Oscar Mora, Christian Gomez, Dave Santiago and Beacon K9.

Meet the Pack

Kuma

I first adopted Kuma in 2017, she was a rescue from Texas. I had never owned a dog before and truly had no clue what I was doing. In true pitty fashion, in part due to my lack of structure and knowledge, she developed leash reactivity issues. This is what sparked my interest in training. I learned everything I could to rehab her behavior and our relationship.

Fast forward, we have the best zen loose leash walk and I get to use her as a demo dog in lessons. Kuma was my teacher in understanding the role of genetics, the power of management, and the benefits of relationship & structure to get the behaviors you want.

Remy

After doing it mostly wrong in raising Kuma, I became interested in adopted another pitty as a puppy and doing things completely differently. Remy was my chance for this - I adopted her at 8 weeks old. I focused on appropriate socialization, structure, and confidence building. We started young with our communication system and I had hopes of getting into sports with her.

Unfortunately, she developed discospondlytus and had an incurable infection so I had to put her down two days after her first birthday. Remy was my inspiration to launch my business and truly my gaurdian angel puppy.

Vaquero

After the trauma of what happened with Remy, I knew I wanted an ethically bred, health tested, and temperment tested dog to join my pack. By 2024 I had also developed a strong interest in the world of dog sports. Introducing… Vaquero du Joie De Vie my harlequin Beauceron.

Thus far have started training for protection sports, herding, and detection. We’ve also dabbled in barn hunt, tracking, & dock diving. Needless to say I am obsessed with the versatility of this breed. I love Vaquero’s ability to work and the drive I’ve built, but also his calm confident demeanor. He’s the dog that can train like a working dog or comes to the office at my 9-5 with me and be a perfect calm gentleman.