Daily Inspiration: Meet Caitlin Tinney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Tinney.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up around animals, dogs, horses, and just about everything in between, but I was always most drawn to dogs and horses. I spent years showing horses in events ranging from cutting and barrel racing to cross-country jumping. Being with my animals was always where I felt the most peaceful and grounded.

As a young girl, I used to walk around my neighborhood looking for houses with dogs and offer to walk them for whatever price people thought was fair. Before long, I had built a pretty solid little dog walking business at a young age.

After graduating from Oregon State University with a business degree, I tried a variety of jobs while figuring out what I really wanted to do. In 2012, I decided to leave my corporate job. I was tired of staring at a computer screen in a cubicle and knew I wanted to work with dogs.

At the time, I was living in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon. It was a dense neighborhood full of dogs and busy people who needed help getting them out for walks. I made some business cards, built a website, and got started.

Not long after, I met a puppy who I immediately knew would be my soul dog. He was a perfect 12-week-old yellow lab, and I named him King. King and I would roam the city together, sitting at coffee shops, visiting the dog park, and walking around handing out cards. Before long, business picked up and I found myself living the life I had always imagined, working with dogs every day.

About a year later, my family began investing in a mobile dog grooming company. I wanted to be part of it, so I enrolled in a 300-hour dog grooming program. After graduating, I added grooming to the services I offered.

Around that time, a friend of mine who runs a puppy boot camp in Santa Maria, California needed a groomer on site. In 2014 she invited me to come live on the property and groom the dogs in her care. Within a week I was completely captivated by dog psychology and the training and rehabilitation side of working with dogs. I spent a couple of months there soaking up as much knowledge and experience as I could.

When I returned home to Oregon, I was grooming, training, and walking dogs. I also spent a few hours each week working at a dog daycare to gain experience managing groups of dogs. Over time, I realized how much I loved working with people and helping them build better relationships with their dogs. In 2020 I decided to focus solely on training.

In the spring of 2023, I moved to the South Bay to be closer to the ocean, family, and friends in the dog world. I love it here, and the clients I work with often become friends and feel like family. I still find myself pinching myself sometimes. This life, working with dogs and the people who love them, is something I am incredibly grateful for.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Running a business on your own comes with its share of challenges. I’ve had to wear many different hats along the way, from marketing and creating content to handling the accounting and everything in between. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that asking for help is far better than trying to gut it out and do everything myself.

Moving to the South Bay from Oregon and starting a new business from scratch was not easy. It took time, hard work, support, and a lot of trust in myself. There were periods when business was slow and others when it was very busy. I had to learn to get comfortable riding that wave while I established myself in a new community. Having friends and family in my corner, cheering me on and believing in me, made a tremendous difference.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
This work is really about people. When people hear “dog trainer,” they often imagine someone who spends all day playing with puppies. The reality is that there is much more to it, and my clients are at the center of everything I do.

I often hear people say, “You’re so lucky, you don’t have to deal with people, you just play with dogs.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. In this line of work, my clients are the main focus. I only work with people who are willing to understand that they are a huge part of the puzzle when it comes to their dog’s behavior.

My job is to get to know my clients and understand where they’re coming from. That helps me understand what motivates them and how they live their lives with their dogs. I assess the dog, and from there I determine the best way to move forward so we can build the trust and respect that may be missing in the relationship.

Dog training is really about lifestyle. It’s about what we do day in and day out with our dogs. They are constantly learning or unlearning behavior every second of the day, whether we are actively training or not. The relationship we have with ourselves and the relationship we build with our dogs are what ultimately shape their behavior.

I help people understand their dogs from an instinctual point of view. I help them recognize what their dogs need in order to move through the world in a balanced, confident, and natural way. Just like us, dogs need certain things in order to feel good and be truly balanced.

We bring dogs into our human world and sometimes forget that they need direction and clarity. Dogs are a migratory species that need to walk and move through the world. A backyard alone is never enough to meet those needs. As the stewards of the animals we invite into our homes, it’s our responsibility to provide the leadership and guidance that allows them to succeed and be truly fulfilled.

I work with my clients one-on-one in their homes. I teach them how to build a life with their dog that creates the most enjoyable relationship possible through proper exercise, structure, nutrition, breed fulfillment, and more.

I offer immersive day trains, where I work with the dog in the home, at the park, and in public for a few hours at a time. At the end of each session, I always integrate the client and show them how to continue the work we’ve done so they feel confident moving forward.

I also offer what I call a “stay and train.” When clients leave town, I stay in their home and work with their dog while they’re away. When they return, we have a session where I walk them through everything I’ve taught so they know exactly how to continue the work.

What I’m most proud of is my ability to connect with both my clients and their dogs, and to create a space that is free of judgment and focused on learning and growth. There are few things in life that make me happier than knowing I’ve helped bring positive change into someone’s home and created harmony where there once was chaos.

I’m incredibly grateful that I get to help people truly understand and enjoy their furry family members.

I consider myself a lifelong student when it comes to understanding dogs. I believe learning never truly ends, which is why I regularly invest in workshops and study under world-renowned trainers to continue refining my skills. I’m especially grateful for my own dogs, Lucca and Winnie. They teach me something new every day.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a bit of a spitfire growing up and never liked being told what to do. I had a strong, independent spirit and a mind of my own. I spent a lot of my childhood with my brothers building forts, putting on little magic shows, rollerblading, and exploring outside.

At the same time, I had a very feminine side and loved doing hair and makeup with my friends.

I also spent plenty of time on my own, riding horses or hanging out with my dogs.

At a young age I discovered a deep love for dance. In high school I danced on a performing company, and in college I joined the Oregon State dance team. That eventually led me to dancing for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA for four seasons. That experience was truly life changing, and taught me so many skills that I still carry with me in my work with dogs today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://trainingwithcait.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trainingwithcait/
• Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=trainingwithcait.com

Image Credits
Blazer Dancer picture- Sports Illustrated online
Black and white checkered shirt- Jairo Gonzalez
All black with Lucca kissing cheek- Kristin Gabrielle photo
Me walking three dogs in forrest scene- Kristin Gabrielle photo
Kneeling with Lucca on greenbelt- Anna Wildery Burns photography