Jan has been dedicated to dogs her entire life. She has owned German Shepherds for over 40 years and has been rescuing German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois since 2007. She served as the NC Adoptions Coordinator for Southeast German Shepherd Rescue placing thousands of dogs in forever homes and fostering more than 150 German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois in her home. Somehow, Jan still finds time today to assist GSD’s in need of rescue.Jan traveled the world as the daughter of a retired Air Force LTC, so she fully understands structure and consistency. Jan lives in Wilmington with her 2 boys.Jan holds a Master’s Degree in Education with National Board Certification and taught in the NC public school system for 20 years, specializing in the education of children with severe disabilities and behavioral challenges. Jan incorporates her professional teaching expertise and techniques to equip her clients in achieving a confident, obedient dog! She structures the environment through confidence building, trust, and shaping which are the core to developing the success of dogs and children alike so they can navigate everyday life.Jan’s tripaw GSD, Timber, passed in May 2021 and his memory thrives through his work in the community as a therapy dog. Her Belgian Malinois, Bear, is trained in detection and demos advanced commands for eager clients and assists in training sessions.As a trainer with Off Leash, Jan is the person potential clients speak to initially via phone conversation. During training she often takes on more advanced and challenging training work – including Foundations for Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, and dogs with anxiety and reactive behaviors! Jan has a serious following, over the years and earned her the go-to trainer for all dogs especially GSD’s and clients that really need a “specialized” approach.
