Joanna Buckheit

Dog Trainer & Behaviorist

A young woman with long wavy red hair standing on a modern bridge with a German Shepherd dog, both looking at the camera, during daytime.

I developed my passion for dog training during my time as a Wildlife Biologist conducting Spotted Owl Surveys across Northern California.

I experienced firsthand the incredible benefits of having a well-trained dog at my side every day at work. This deepened my appreciation for the bond that comes from literally working with a working dog. That journey inspired me to change careers entirely and dedicate myself to helping others experience the same joy.

As a professional trainer, I love to help people strengthen their relationships with their dogs through training. I believe dogs should enrich our lives, and with the right guidance, everyone can enjoy their furry friendships even more. A dog’s job is to be a good dog, and I’m here to help you achieve that.

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a blue baseball cap, a purple bandana, and outdoor clothing, holding a German Shepherd dog on a walk in a forested area with dry leaves and plants.

Working solo in the woods inspired me to pursue my lifelong dream of having a working dog.

That dream became a reality with Gaara, who quickly became my right-hand and faithful companion. He has saved my life many times as my personal protection dog when we were deep in the Redwood Forests.

A large dog lying on a person's lap inside a vehicle, with rain visible on the windshield.
A person wearing a motorcycle helmet and a yellow jacket, taking a selfie with a dog outdoors in a wooded area.
A curious German shepherd dog standing on the cargo box of an all-terrain vehicle in a forested area.
A person wearing a black motorcycle helmet with a clear face shield, a black Marmot jacket, and gray gloves, sitting outdoors with a dog wearing goggles, surrounded by trees and sunlight.
A German Shepherd dog lying on the forest floor with ferns and trees around, looking up with its mouth open, and a white flower with green leaves in the foreground.
A German Shepherd sitting on top of a cut tree trunk in a forest clearing surrounded by green foliage and grass.
A German Shepherd puppy with a red collar and a dog tag resting on the ground in front of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in a wooded area.
In a forest, a cluster of white mushrooms with slender stems and wide caps on the ground, with a Belgian Malinois dog in the background among trees and greenery.
A forest fire with smoke and flames, ATV with a yellow jerry can on it, and a police dog with a harness sitting beside the ATV.
A woman training a herding dog to gather a group of goats and sheep in an outdoor pen with fenced areas and trees in the background.

Together, Gaara and I pursued many things including protection work, scent detection for endangered species surveys, herding, and hunting anything from bullfrogs to pest control in a ranch environment.

A woman kneeling beside a German Shepherd dog in a vineyard with rolling hills in the background.
Two people, one with long hair, a black cap, and an orange shirt, and the other with short hair and a black shirt, are handling a German Shepherd puppy near hay bales in an outdoor area. A person is sitting on a bench in the background decorated with colorful flags.
A playful scene with two dogs, one resting on the ground and the other standing behind. The standing dog has a wolf-like appearance with a gray coat and erect ears, while the dog lying down has a white and black coat with a pink tongue. They are outdoors on dirt ground near a vehicle.
A dog appears to be sniffing or approaching a small group of sheep in an outdoor pen with a wire fence and dirt ground.

Now, Gaara holds multiple Titles in protection & Obedience as well as Conservation Detection Dog and Psychiactric Service Dog.

Gaara

FO, OB1, OB2, PD1, CDD, PSD

A German Shepherd dog sitting on grass with two gold trophies in front of it, smiling with its tongue out. There is a large gray object and part of a person's leg in the background.
Person wearing a hat and green jacket holding a German Shepherd puppy outdoors in a park setting.
A German Shepherd dog jumping up towards a trainer holding a stick, with three people watching, in an outdoor grassy area with trees and a fence.
Two people training a German Shepherd dog in an outdoor grassy area, with a metal fence, trees, a blue barrel, and poles in the background. One person is holding a leash and the dog is pulling towards an object on the ground.
A man in protective padded clothing training a German Shepherd dog outdoors in a fenced grassy area.
A German Shepherd puppy sitting in grass next to a trophy with an 'ALL DUTY K9' logo on top, outdoors during autumn with a colorful fallen leaf background.