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 when I discovered the world of dog psychology pet training. There I learned the value of connection and neutrality along with training the three zen zones: on the leash, in the crate, and on place. Then in 2023, my interest expanded to the world of sports. Sports taught me the value of play, engagement, and drive in learning and reinforcing behaviors. I’ve been privileged to shadow & manage Chris Sykes learning the ins and outs of working dogs, clear communication, and high level obedience. Also through my work with Chris I expanded my own business to include coaching, event planning, course development, website design, and other business needs for trainers in the dog industry.
For me, bridging the world of pet and sport training allows me to bring a variety of 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 and clear communication.
Continued Education:
In the world of Pet Training I have studied with: Samantha Johnson of @PacklifeLA, Cheri Lucas, Oregon Tails, Petes Adventure Pack, Fenzi Academy, and Brian Agnew.
In the world of Sports Training I have studied and/or attended workshops with: Chris Sykes, Oscar Mora, Forrest Micke, Michael Ellis, Mia Skogster’s Certified Program, Gina of @PacwestK9, and several other protection trainers and detection seminars.
Meet the Pack
Remy
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.
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 boy.
Our sports focus is protection & herding, jorring, but we have dabbled in detection, 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. He is my active companion hybrid working dog & pet.
Xena
After trying nearly every sport in existence with Vaquero and learning all about play, drive, and high level obedience training, it was clear I had deeply fallen in love with protections sports. With the support of my mentors, I decided it was time to add a high drive focused purpose working line dog to the pack. Intro Xena de Loucyn.
This lil mama will be my spicy high drive working line Malinois who I plan to trial in PSA. Even though she is a working dog, social stability and being a part of my household remains important to me. Stay tuned for our journey its gonna be a fun one!
@PackPatootie
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