Dogs have been a part of my life since birth, there have been very few years of my life where my family didn't include a kitchen tripping hazard. While away from home in college I studied animal behavior, leaning, and cognition, and eventually adopted my own dog Thad. He was as stubborn as huskies get and had some awful habits that I worked on with help from school and my own personal research. Now he's St. Thaddeus, patron saint of good boys, and my best friend. Since then I've applied what I learned from him in several situations with dogs of friends and family. My biggest motivation and most useful tool is the knowledge that every thinking creature is capable of learning and adjusting their behavior if given enough time and proper instruction.