Brett Reynolds is a Fear Free Animal Trainer. Brett’s dog training career began in 2005 and he has held every job in the pet care industry except for a groomer.
He is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), Certified Fear Free Animal Trainer, and has completed Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs Master Course.
In addition to helping countless dogs and their guardians achieve harmony, Brett has earned competitive training titles, worked as a private trainer for celebrities, and trained and handled dogs for multiple film productions.
Brett resides in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife, two children, and German Shepherd, Olive. Brett is the Director of Dog Care & Training at The Dog Stop, where he now creates educational curriculum and support for franchisees nationwide.
Brett caught up with K9 Magazine to talk about his dogs, work, and life.
Tell us all about all the dogs you've loved in your life. (this is your chance to tell us everything about your dogs, past or present. Names, ages, breeds - we want to know everything!)
My earliest memory of a family dog is Heidi, a keeshond mix we rescued from the pound when I was about 4 years old. She was sweet, but my family was untrained, and sadly Heidi escaped one day and was struck by a car.
Our next dog was my family’s first (and only) purebred dog, an American Eskimo Dog named Kaia. Kaia really brought out my affinity for dogs. She was silly, barked a lot, and chased my brother and me constantly.
Before being spayed, Kaia went through a false pregnancy in which she selected a Troll doll (am I aging myself??) with magenta hair as her “puppy”. She would hide behind furniture and groom this doll all day long for about a week.
Next was Lexi, a big, wild black Labrador mix. Lexi was the impetus for my family to seek professional training help! She had a booming bark and would jump on or body-slam anyone in her orbit.
She escaped almost daily (an unfortunate trend with our family’s dogs!) and would run through the woods behind our house for hours, often finding deceased animals to roll in!
I remember that we would open the back door and listen for her on dark nights, knowing that if we heard crashing noises and breaking tree limbs, Lexi was nearby! During Lexi’s reign of terror, we thought it was a good idea to adopt a second dog.
By this time, I was in high school and volunteering as a dog walker at a local shelter. I convinced my parents that an un-named pit bull puppy needed a “cage break” one weekend. That weekend lasted a lifetime!
Gage was a hyper-sensitive soul that would hide if someone coughed. He liked to sleep under the covers in my bed and was my constant companion. Several years into life as a two-dog household, another pit bull mix puppy entered our lives.
Reyna had a gorgeous brindle coat and purple spots on her tongue.
She was the first and only dog we ever lived with that would “smile” when greeting familiar people, which is an appeasement gesture, but to people not tuned into canine body language, she appeared to be snarling!
Reyna attended dog training school with me in Texas, but her training career was cut short due to an injury that required knee surgery. Lexi, Gage, and Reyna all lived past 12 years of age and were very impactful on my formative years.
During my time at dog training school, I was assigned a German Shepherd named Toren as one of my practical assessments. Up to that point in my life, I hadn’t had any contact with the breed and wasn’t exactly thrilled to be paired with this dog.
Anyone familiar with GSDs knows that they can be particular about who they choose to align with. It was a challenging start to our relationship; I wasn’t his person, but I was determined to earn his regard. Once Toren trusted me, we made a great team.
Toren belonged to a person who was deployed overseas in the military, and he had been selected for protection sports. Over the first few weeks of school, my love affair with German Shepherds began (and is still going on today)!
I was enchanted by Toren’s beauty, intelligence, devotion, and intuition. It was heartbreaking to me that Toren could not be my dog, but fate brought another German Shepherd into my life.
Yager (spelled that way because of the road near where he was born) was my first personal dog as an adult and my first personal German Shepherd. He was a high-octane working-line dog that I probably had no business taking on as a fledging dog trainer!
He taught me more than any school could have. Yager pushed me to my limits of ability and beyond. He was the most challenging dog I have owned, and the best dog I’ve ever had the privilege of caring for.
I wouldn’t be the empathic, compassionate trainer I am today if he hadn’t been in my life. Training with Yager brought me to competitive obedience, protection sports, tracking, nose work, rally obedience, and more.
He was with me from life as a single guy, becoming a married man, having children, and moving three times. When Yager was 8 years old, we inherited a second 8-year-old German Shepherd from a client-turned-dear friend who passed away suddenly.
Sophie was a wonderful companion for Yager and our family during the final year of her life. When my wife and I were expecting our first child, we brought home Olive, who is staring at me as I write this! Olive is everything I could want in a well-rounded dog.
She loves to train and learn new things, but she is also content to sleep on the couch or bask in the sun. She is patient and kind with my kids and watches over my family always.
Olive and I had the opportunity to work together on the film “Dear Zoe”, starring Sadie Sink and Theo Rossi. She is now 9 years old and beginning to slow down. My wife made a pact with Olive that she would be with us forever.
I’d like to believe that is so! This is but a summary of the dogs that I have shared a home with throughout my life. Each was unique and special and enriched my life in big ways. I am forever grateful for the experience.
You're obviously a huge dog lover. How long have dogs been a major part of your life and how would you explain the importance of dogs to someone who hadn't ever experienced the joy of a canine/human relationship in their life?
My career working with dogs began in 2005, but dogs have always been a major part of my life. As annoying as cliches can be, most of the ones about having a pet are true! Dogs never judge you; they offer unconditional love and devotion and make us better humans.
At the risk of quoting a bumper sticker or coffee mug, I strive to be the person that my dog thinks I am! Something personal to me is how much trust comes into play when working with unfamiliar dogs.
Trust must be earned and nurtured, just like in relationships with humans. You won’t get very far with a dog that doesn’t trust you, regardless of your skill or experience.
There is no reward greater than when a dog starts to realize they can trust you; that is where the relationship truly begins.
What are your favorite things to do with your dog(s)?
I love taking Olive swimming and hiking; she will fetch a ball or a stick until my arm is sore! She really enjoys scent training, which is excellent enrichment for a senior dog. Another recent discovery for us is the “Do As I Do” training protocol, which is the title of a book by Claudia Fuggazza.
This book outlines how dogs can learn socially by imitation! As much fun as these activities are, I just value Olive’s companionship. I cannot use the toilet in peace, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
There are many days after hours of working through issues with training clients, all I want is to be near my dog.
You have a really interesting career... What advice would you give to the many people who wanted to follow your path in career terms? What are the absolute best (and worst) things about your work?
One of the best things about my career is getting to build lasting relationships with many dogs and people. I also enjoy being creative and thinking outside of the box, while still maintaining a considerate, science-based approach to training.
I could go on and on about the great things, but there are plenty of challenges, too. I think a common misconception is that people who choose careers working with animals do so because they lack people skills.
For me, this is completely untrue. I obviously have a deep love and passion for working with dogs, but dog parents are those whom I am truly helping.
When a session is over, my ability to teach people how to better understand and communicate with their dog is what determines ultimate success.
That and human participation. Nothing is more gratifying for me than seeing the metaphorical light bulb turn on for pet parents; that “ah-ha” moment when the understanding happens.
Like many talented dog trainers, I can teach skills to dogs with my eyes closed, but coaching humans is the real challenge. You have to be an interpreter, mediator, and counselor, and most importantly, you have to actively listen to people.
Some dog trainers get carried away with the excitement of the physical act of teaching skills to the dog and forget to listen to their human clients. When you actively listen you will gain valuable insight into how a person views their dog.
I always remind apprentice trainers to beware of compassion fatigue and don’t neglect time for themselves.
Dog trainers often feel the pressure of client expectations and it can be a real burden, especially when pet parents say things like “You’re my last hope” or “If we can’t fix this, we will need to get rid of our dog”.
My advice is to make peace with the fact that not every issue is “fixable”, and sometimes management is the only viable option. There are also times when you will need to say “no” to a client, and that is okay too. Dog trainers are humans!
Here are our quick-fire questions, are you ready?
Which do you prefer and why?
Big dogs or little dogs?
All dogs!
Calm, relaxed dogs or dogs who live at 100mph?
Balanced dogs. I love having a dog with an on/off switch!
Dogs who do as they're asked most of the time or dogs who do pretty much whatever they like whenever they like?
Over the years, I have gained an appreciation for dogs being dogs and doing what they prefer most of the time, but cooperation is also important to me.
Dogs who love to walk by your side or dogs who like to race off and cover ten thousand yards in 3 seconds?
I am not very fond of taking leashed walks in the neighborhood, so I would have to say the latter!
Days off or days at work?
What are days off??? Dog guardians and parents don’t get days off! I love my work, actually. Every day, I look forward to what the day will teach me. I also really love time off with my family.
The fastest route or the scenic route?
If it is somewhere I go all the time, then definitely the fastest route. If I am visiting somewhere new, I’ll take the scenic route.
Nighttime or early morning?
Early morning. I get my solitary time to collect my thoughts and prepare for the day. When my kids were much younger I started getting up early to go to the gym and the habit stuck. Now, I actually enjoy early mornings!
Describe the last time you laughed out loud because of something you saw a dog do.
Five minutes ago she heard a novel sound and tilted her head back and forth 3 times, something that is endearing in any dog, but German Shepherds do it best. Just now she flipped her bed over twice because I tossed her treats that she didn’t catch!
What do you like to do in your downtime?
Exercise, read, and listen to music/podcasts. My kids are in sports and I really enjoy just being a Dad on the sidelines.
Let us in on a secret that very few people know about you.
I speak Norwegian! Well, I used to speak Norwegian almost fluently, but I can still understand most of it. My grandmother was a native of Norway and my Mom is fluent.
What is your current favorite…?
TV show?
I love Ted Lasso, Ozark, and Only Murders in the Building. I’m also a sucker for almost any documentary out there.
Album?
That one is impossible. You can find anything on my playlist ranging from Folk music to hardcore ‘90s Rap.
Film?
Also almost impossible. The Rocky series, Jurassic Park series, and almost any mindless comedy. I really enjoy Jason Bateman, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell.
As much as I love a good dog film, they always manage to make me cry! Milo and Otis and Homeward Bound are some classics from when I was a kid.
Animal charity(s)?
Tough to pick just one, but my friend has a non-profit called Joey’s Paw that helps fund mobility devices (wheelchairs, etc.) for dogs that are missing limbs or have other motor challenges.
If you had to choose just one, what product or service would you say has most changed your life do you think and why? (can be technology, beauty, food, pet-related, book - anything)
Amazon Prime: no explanation needed.
Tell us about some of the most memorable moments from your work.
There are too many memorable experiences to list, but I can share some of the highlight reels! A few years ago I got an email from an actor who was living in Pittsburgh while filming a TV show. He rented a house for himself, his wife, and his 9(!) dogs!
I was hired to go to their house twice a week and train the entire crew. This will stand out in my mind as a unique challenge, as each dog responded differently to training and had different preferences.
I needed to be extremely flexible and creative to keep our sessions fun and successful. Usually, I have time between appointments to gather my thoughts and outline a plan for a specific case, but I needed to improvise a lot.
In that same year, I was sought out for my first experience on a film set. I was charged with locating, training, and handling a dog that matched the dog from the script.
It was a steep learning curve and I gained tons of respect for professionals that have entire careers built around animals in film productions. My next film experience will likely go down in history as the most special, as I was hired alongside my own dog, Olive!
“Dear Zoe” is a film based on a book and the story is set in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. I will forever cherish the memory and am eternally grateful to have had this opportunity!
I should point out that dog training is rarely glamorous, and the thousands of “routine” training scenarios have kept me grounded and humble.
Finish the following sentence, "Dogs are..."...
Dogs are everything I strive to be: forgiving, loyal, non-judgmental, joyful.
And finally, this is always a tough question and often requires some serious thought… If dogs had the ability to speak and you could ask your dog just one question and one question only, what would you ask them and what do you think that they'd say?
Are you happy? I mean, I know that you enjoy our time together and your days are filled with happy feelings, but is there somewhere you would rather be or something you would rather be doing?
Thanks, Brett!
