OLIVE & COMPANY

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Thank you for checking out Bark Trek. 

We're a company built by a lifelong love of dogs, and one that runs on our clients' love for theirs.

My name is Olive, and I’m a professional dog trainer that grew up right here in Arlington, WA. Since I was a kid, I was set on learning everything there could be to learn about dogs. I've been researching and studying training methods, dog breeds, and dog sports since before I knew my times tables. Once, in my family's time living downtown, I brought home a backpack that weighed half as much as I did. When my mom opened it up, she found an arsenal of various dog reference books. It was certainly too many books to entrust an elementary student with, and I had to walk half of them back to the library.

Today, I’ve made a career out of professionally training dogs and handling group dynamics since 2019. In addition to years of experience, I continuously study dog training research and canine behavior through books, workshops, and podcasts. Back when I started working with dogs, my goal was to become an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. Now that I've accomplished that, my new goal is to earn even more certification through the esteemed Karen Pryor Academy. 

During my years managing a large-scale kennel that provided both daycare and boarding, I worked countless hours managing groups of no less than 15 dogs in a .15 acre gravel yard. Sometimes the facility would see up to 75 daycare dogs a day. It was my job to understand all those dogs' personalities, behavioral quirks, who they got along with, who they tolerated, who they didn't, how to read the subtleties of canine communication, and how to teach many new daycare attendants what I knew about keeping the dogs safe.

At the end of my time at that facility, I had learned so much about training, regulating group play, and how exercise helps so many dogs in their day-to-day.

Unfortunately, I also learned about how little the industry is regulated, how normalized aversive methods are to shut down normal dog behaviors in group play, how little people know about dogs before starting companies with them at the center, and saw severe lack of transparency and honesty with clientele.

I saw how desperately things needed to change, and how dog daycares could be exponentially better.

Since 2021, I've hiked over 2,000 hours with an amazing company called Galbraith Trail Hounds in Bellingham, WA. 

When I started with the company, it was intended to be a temporary job in the field on the way to my career as a dog trainer. What I didn't know was that this job would illuminate what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Off-leash group hikes are the best outlet I’ve ever seen for dogs who love to run and play in the company of fellow dog friends. Dogs who are nervous or indifferent to other dogs have room to decompress on their own without feeling swarmed by other young and gregarious dogs. There's lots of stuff to sniff, trees to run around and hide behind if the dogs need a break from an awesome game of chase (which typically isn't allowed in daycares), and so much room to spread out if needed. That's why we offer all group hikes and all of our daycare or day training playtimes on no less than 1 acre of forest.

At Bark Trek, I'm always utilizing positive reinforcement training whether its a group walk or all day play. Shaping recall, desirable play behaviors, and basic obedience throughout the service to teach dogs to be the best play partner they can be without hoses, spray bottles, shock collars or airhorns.

Thanks for checking out my story. I can't wait to meet your dog.

Photo credit: Range Design / Darcie Gray 2021