Certified Dog Behavior Consultant-aggressive behavior and nervous system dysregulation. Local to RVA and working with clients virtually worldwide.
Specializing in aggressive behaviors and anxiety disorders using a trauma informed approach.
20/01/2025
✨EXCITING NEWS!
We are now on Patreon! All of our content is free and available to the public. We’ve also added subscription tiers for those who want to contribute because they appreciate our work and its positive impact; who feel strongly about our mission and want to help amplify our efforts; and who want to play a bigger role in supporting our work’s continued success.
All proceeds from the Patreon subscriptions go to the Best Life Accessibility Fund, our mutual aid fund that supports community members in accessing behavior support, vet care, management and enrichment items, and more!
19/01/2025
✨Friends,
I’ve made a Patreon account! While I might play with tiers later, my focus right now will be moving content over to the free and public space. I hope to see you over there!
14/01/2025
✨Friends, we are leaving Instagram.
We’ve been thinking a lot about social media, with the upcoming potential ban on TikTok, and I’d rather take a break altogether from social media than shift my primary use back to FB and IG.
The communities are very different, and while I adore the micro-community that happens through this account, and all of you seeing this post, the larger community on IG is only slightly less terrible than FB (where my feed was constantly full of people abusing dogs and transphobia rhetoric 😅).
Additionally, Meta has recently updated their policies to blatantly and specifically allow hate speech against LGBTQIA+ folks, disbanded their DEI initiatives, and got rid of third party fact checking.
One of the biggest downsides is that IG is our biggest resource for raising funds for the BLAF. We hope to fulfill the outstanding request we have before leaving.
Our best hope is that TT isn’t banned. If that’s the case, we’ll continue to make content over there. Either way, you can also follow us on YouTube. That’s the best way to stay up to date on where to find our content as we continue producing it.
I anticipate our IG will be up a few more days. Hope to see you on TT and YT!
13/01/2025
Hi Facebook friends,
I’ve decided to delete my Facebook account due to recent policy changes from Meta, including the removal of third-party fact-checking, which risks increasing misinformation; relaxation of hate speech policies, including harmful language targeting LGBTQ+ individuals; the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; and the erasure of LGBTQ+ themes from platforms like Messenger.
As someone committed to creating safe, inclusive, and evidence-based spaces, I cannot continue to support a platform that undermines these values.
Can you help the Best Life Accessibility Fund raise $850 to cover the cost of an upcoming surgery for a local community member and pet pro? We are ALMOST half way there - $437 raised so far!
There are *many* ways to help!
❄️ Share this post! Share it, send it to friends, comment, like it, save it to favorites. Spreading the word is one of the most impactful ways to help. Not only does it help to raise funds but it also makes others aware that funds like this exist - which helps grow communities and increase access to basic needs!
❄️ Make a purchase in our Bonfire store! Grab yourself a mug or a hoodie - all proceeds from the store go directly into the BLAF and all funds from the BLAF go directly to the people who need them.
❄️ If your financial needs are met, consider making financial contribution.
As an aside - this is a phrase we use often “if your financial needs are met” - but we’ve been wavering on the appropriateness of using this phrase lately. Not because we don’t mean it, but because some of our most frequent contributors to the funds are folks whose financial needs are
*not* met but who are supremely generous with what they have. So we’re trying to think of a way to ask folks not to over-extend themselves while honoring the generosity of our community.
Financial contributions can be sent via Venmo
(), Cash App ($bestlifedogservices), or PayPal (bestlifedogservices .com
10/01/2025
✨Mutual Aid Request
Happy Friday, folks! We have a couple of new requests for support in our inbox!
Both requests for support are from community members who regularly work to make life better for other families and their pets. They give so much to our communities, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support them in return.
Can you help us raise $1300 to provide a senior dog with an emergent surgery, and an anxious pup with a VB consultation?
There are *many* ways to make an impact!
🌻Share this post! Share it, send it to friends, comment, like it, save it to favorites. Spreading the word is one of the most impactful ways to help. Not only does it help to raise funds but it also makes others aware that funds like this exist - which helps grow communities and increase access to basic needs!
🌻Make a purchase in our Bonfire store! Grab yourself a mug or a hoodie - all proceeds from the store go directly into the BLAF and all funds from the BLAF go directly to the people who need them.
🌻If your financial needs are met, consider making financial contribution. As an aside - this is a phrase we use often “if your financial needs are met” - but we’ve been wavering on the appropriateness of using this phrase lately. Not because we don’t mean it, but because some of our most frequent contributors to the funds are folks whose financial needs are *not* met but who are supremely generous with what they have. So we’re trying to think of a way to ask folks not to over-extend themselves while honoring the generosity of our community.
Financial contributions can be sent via Venmo (), Cash App ($bestlifedogservices), or PayPal (bestlifedogservices @ gmail. com) ✨❄️
Stay warm, friends ❤️
09/01/2025
❄️What a time. Richmond has been without water since Monday, and we’ve seen another strong example in real time of how it’s community that cares for community. We take care of each other, knowing we cannot rely on the systems in place that are meant to care for us.
We see similar patterns playing out on the West coast as LA burns, leaving it’s most vulnerable members - 70,000 houseless folks, disabled folks - reliant on community action to survive.
While we are checking in on our community members, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help - in RVA or LA or elsewhere. We’ll help connect you to any resources we’re aware of.
05/01/2025
Our first Best Life Support Group of the new year is coming up on January 12th at 3 PM ET!
This group is appropriate for pet parents who love a dog with big feelings. RSVP online!
28/12/2024
✨Over the holidays we received some very generous contributions to the BLAF, and today we used some of those funds to help a senior dog with some new medical symptoms access the bloodwork and urine analysis recommended by her vet!
If your financial needs are met, consider contributing to the BLAF via Venmo (), Cash App ($bestlifedogservices), or PayPal (bestlifedogservices @ gmail. com) or by making a purchase in our BonFire store!
22/12/2024
🎄We are out of the office until Saturday! We look forward to connecting again when we return. Have a safe week, friends ✨
18/12/2024
✨You DID it!!
You all raised $400 in just a few days to help a Best Life client access allergy testing for their dog!
And when they learned the total cost would actually be $600, a community member offered to loan them the additional $200!
The client has offered to re-share the funds once they are reimbursed by their pet insurance, so these funds will do DOUBLE the work!
A huge thank you to those who shared this post and advocated for this pup. Getting the word out helped us reach this goal quickly so the pup can get some much needed relief.
Allergies and GI issues play such a huge role in behavior cases, and while pet insurance is great, the vast majority of plans require pet parents to pay for the services up front and wait to be reimbursed, lowering the amount they actually have to pay out and keeping care inaccessible even when parents pay their premiums.
Once again we see that community cares for community.
17/12/2024
✨BLAF Update
We are only $20 away from our goal of raising $400 to help a Best Life client access allergy testing for their pup. You are AMAZING!
And as this client has pet insurance, they’ve offered to return the funds once they are reimbursed! A very generous and kind offer. So the contributed funds will be able to help EVEN MORE pets and their families.
When my client reached out to their vet to make the appointment, and learned the actual total cost would $600 - 400 for the test, and an additional 200 for a blood draw.
A very generous community member offered to loan the additional $200 to our client, ensuring that the process isn’t slowed down by this additional cost. Thank you!
So - $20 more to go! I believe we can hit that today!
The next need in our queue is for a former client living in an unsafe housing situation. They are seeking financial support to take a much-needed break at an Air BnB for the night. If you have ever felt unsafe in your home, you know how incredible a night of safety can feel.
All BLAF contributions can be made through Venmo (), Cash App ($bestlifedogservices), or PayPal (bestlifedogservices @ gmail . com) 🩵
Photo ID: Shadow, Spock, Cyan, and Amore having a lazy morning.
17/12/2024
✨I had so much fun recording with the folks at If you’re interested in nervous system dysregulation in dogs, this episode is for you!
16/12/2024
Good morning!
We’ve raised $157/400 for a pup who needs to access allergy testing so she can get some relief!
Allergies are a common comorbid issue with behavior concerns. How we feel in our bodies has a big impact on our behavior!
If your financial needs are met, consider contributing to the BLAF.
Venmo:
Cash App: $bestlifedogservices
PayPal: bestlifedogservices @ gmail . com
15/12/2024
Fosters and adopters needed!
Last week during some high winds, a tree fell on Headquarters. Thankfully, the tree did not come crashing through the roof and nobody was injured. 🙏
However.
There was damage to both the interior and exterior of the house, and the insurance company has given us a window of time to complete repairs to the ceiling and cracked walls, which will involve scraping popcorn ceiling and repainting the entire first floor.
Why does this matter to you? Because we cannot do these repairs with rats in the house. It is not safe for them to breathe the fumes of paint and ceiling material, so in order for us to fix the house, we need to get the remaining 35 rats that are currently staying at Headquarters out. Be it adoptions or fosters, they need a place to go (just long enough for the paint to dry and fumes to settle). We can't comfortably schedule a time for contractors to start working in the space until all the rats are safely somewhere else.
We already had a goal of 50 adoptions by the new year - nothing like the wrath of Mother Nature to ramp up our efforts! We will be working through foster applications over the next week or so. If you have been thinking about fostering or adopting, now is the time! As always, thank you for your support while life throws us endless curveballs!
Did you know that THIS community recently helped a senior dog access...
• Disgnostics for a chronic health issue
• A board-certified veterinary behaviorist
• Behavior therapy with a specialist in her area of need
We have new requests for support in our inbox!
Up next: a dog who needs allergy testing to the tune of $400. This pet parent has pet insurance, but just needs support covering the up front cost.
They’ve offered to send the funds back when reimbursed (which is not required, just generous of them!) which means the funds will do DOUBLE the work in our community!
At this point in time, most folks understand the link between pain and behavior. It’s logical: you don’t feel well, you have less patience and tolerance, you lash out or shut down or otherwise are not the best version of yourself. It makes sense that the same would be true for dogs.
But how do we know there is pain with animals who cannot verbalize that pain?
The short answer: we can’t know.
The longer answer: we also can’t know there ISN’T pain.
Meet Malus.
From puppyhood, he’s been a little spicy. But he’s a terrier, so that’s normal, right? He didn’t like having his feet handled. No biggie. And as he got older, he got a little reactive to other dogs - again, see “terrier” in the dictionary. And after he got neutered at 2.5 years old, his behavior spiraled - going after his housemates, aggression directed at his owners, even less tolerance for handling, increased fence fighting. But there’s some evidence of increased aggression after neutering, so maybe he just got unlucky.
For many folks, that explanation would’ve been enough. They would’ve worked on behavior modification, or just accepted a crate and rotate household, or managed the heck out of all of his triggers… or, honestly, would’ve ended up euthanizing him for his dangerous behavior.
Luckily, Malus’s mom is Katrina, who is essentially a terrier in a human body. She dug in.
Training, a veterinary behaviorist, consulting with other behavior experts, expensive testing - and then we got our first physical explanation: low zinc.
But even with a zinc supplement, his aggressive episodes remained unpredictable. Katrina had noticed some very, very intermittent lameness, foot chewing, butt/tail biting, so off they went to the first orthopedic specialist - one who cleared him orthopedically for all activities.
So they did physical therapy, and pain meds, and kept working on training.
But the weird, mild lameness continued, and so did visits to specialists. A neurologist who recommended an MRI, then more physical therapy for a possible psoas strain, different meds, another orthopedic/rehab specialist consultation, adjustments to physical therapy, a PEMF bed for home use, adjustments to behavior meds, consults with nationally respected trainers and behavior specialists, and finally - FINALLY - a recommendation to see a pain management specialist.
“I think he may have Tethered Cord Syndrome. I’m going to try different pain meds, but there’s a specialist in Massachusetts you should get in touch with.”
With the new meds on board, his behavior improved. He was brighter, happier, had fewer episodes of lameness, self mutilation, and aggression.
Yesterday, Malus had a dynamic MRI at Tufts, where Tethered Cord Syndrome was confirmed.
Today, he had surgery to relieve the adhesions to his spinal cord that have been causing him pain.
He was never “just being a terrier.” He was not acting out for no good reason. He didn’t need harsher training methods. He wasn’t aggressing for no reason.
He was in pain.
There are no words to adequately describe how thrilled I am for Katrina and Malus to have this diagnosis and surgery in their rear view mirror - it has been a long time coming. The strain on Katrina and Kevin’s emotions, time, resources, finances, and household over the last 5 years cannot be overstated. Most folks wouldn’t - and couldn’t - go to the lengths they did.
We can’t rule out pain. We can only rule out specific issues and diagnoses. For Malus, it took finding the right vet who had heard about this rarely diagnosed issue to connect them with the vet who could help.
To my clients I encourage to work with their veterinarian to try to find any physical explanations: Katrina and Malus are the reason why I will push you more if your primary care vet shrugs you off. It’s why I will push and push and push, especially if your commitment to training and management is excellent but we still are struggling to make progress. Malus is on my shoulder (sometimes literally), poking me with his nose, screeching in my ear to look harder.
If you’ve ever heard him, you know how hard that ✨ delightful ✨ noise is to ignore.
(PS - Here’s your sign to sign up for pet insurance.)
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Videos
✨We don’t cure aggression, and we don’t cure anxiety disorders, trauma, or other forms of dysregulation. But these digs can have really great lives.
So sorry for the audio quality in the second half (yay for captions) - I didn’t realize how much the wind had picked up!
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #stressresponse #reactivedog #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #muzzleup #rva #rvadogs #dogbite #dogfight #canineenrichment #dogbodylanguage #audhd #actuallyautistic #bestlife #virtualdogtraining #traumainformed #disabilityjustice #communitycare #doglife #offleashdogs #hikingwithdogs #seniordogs #mutualaid
✨Should puppies be on behavior medication?
PS these are 1/2 of a matching jammie set with Amore that I got on clearance after the holidays and they’re so soft and there’s a hood.
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #stressresponse #reactivedog #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #muzzleup #rva #rvadogs #dogbite #dogfight #canineenrichment #dogbodylanguage #audhd #actuallyautistic #bestlife #virtualdogtraining #traumainformed #disabilityjustice #communitycare #doglife #offleashdogs #hikingwithdogs #seniordogs #mutualaid
✨2024 recap, including a SHOCKING reveal about the impact of the BLAF this year!
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #stressresponse #reactivedog #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #muzzleup #rva #rvadogs #dogbite #dogfight #canineenrichment #dogbodylanguage #audhd #actuallyautistic #bestlife #virtualdogtraining #traumainformed #disabilityjustice #communitycare #doglife #offleashdogs #hikingwithdogs #seniordogs #mutualaid
✨We had a really fun time talking with the folks at @rewardyourdogtraining ✨
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #stressresponse #reactivedog #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #muzzleup #rva #rvadogs #dogbite #dogfight #canineenrichment #dogbodylanguage #audhd #actuallyautistic #bestlife #virtualdogtraining #traumainformed #disabilityjustice #communitycare #doglife #offleashdogs #hikingwithdogs #seniordogs #mutualaid
✨The Myth of Ruling Out Pain in Dogs (as inspired by several posts I’ve seen recently, and an email I received this week)
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #stressresponse #reactivedog #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #muzzleup #rva #rvadogs #dogbite #dogfight #canineenrichment #dogbodylanguage #audhd #actuallyautistic #bestlife #virtualdogtraining #traumainformed #disabilityjustice #communitycare #doglife #offleashdogs #hikingwithdogs #seniordogs #mutualaid
✨Is it helpful for pet parents to complain about their clients?
The book “Unlearning Shame” by Dvon Price is a really good one to start unpacking some of these concepts.
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #stressresponse #reactivedog #reactivedogsofinstagram #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #muzzleup #rva #rvadogs #dogbite #dogfight #canineenrichment #dogbodylanguage #audhd #actuallyautistic #bestlife #virtualdogtraining #traumainformed #disabilityjustice #communitycare #doglife #offleashdogs #hikingwithdogs #seniordogs #mutualaid
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About Your Trainer
Gabrielle has a passion for helping dogs and their humans live their best lives together. Her work with dogs began with foster and rescue work. She enjoyed working with the houseless population and their canine companions in Hawaii, and participating in outreach work in local RVA neighborhoods.
For several years, Gabrielle managed a team of professional dog handlers, and worked with dogs of varying breeds, temperaments, and behavioral issues. She naturally moved into the realm of training, gaining more hands-on experience through years of interning, and then moved to training full-time.
Best Life Dog Services was created with the goal of teaching humans and dogs to communicate with one another, to form cooperative relationships, and to help dogs and humans both have their needs met within their individual dynamics.
Gabrielle holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology, which has been invaluable in understanding how to modify behavior in an effective and humane manner.
She is CPDT-KA certified through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. To hold this certification, Gabrielle demonstrated knowledge and understanding of key skills and scientific knowledge. As part of this certification, she adheres to certain ethical standards such as LIMA and participates in regular continuing education opportunities so as to always provide her clients with the most up-to-date information.
Gabrielle is a supporting member of the International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants, and an AKC CGC Evaluator.
Over the years her personal pack has changed, but Gabrielle has always enjoyed spending time with her own dogs - pit bulls, border collie/hound mixes, and a little sight hound - hiking in the mountains and playing at the ocean.
