Allie Sherman

I have been training my own dogs since 2008, and began taking on neighborhood clients and working with horses just a few short years later. My real passion took shape when I discovered dog sports and began following and attending seminars with some of the most talented trainers in the world. Along the way, I spent time at Tryon International Equestrian Center working alongside Olympic riders preparing horses for Grand Prix competition, a brief chapter that reinforced how much trust and communication matter across species.

I have worked in veterinary medicine for years, and from 2017 to 2020 that included hands-on experience with zoo animals and as a wildlife rehabilitator for both native and exotic species. That work meant learning to read animals who could not be coaxed, bribed, or reasoned with in the ways a domestic dog can, animals whose survival depended on my ability to correctly interpret stress, pain, and body language in real time.

That background shapes everything about how I train today. Working with apex predators, raptors, and other wildlife taught me that trust is built through consistency and respect, not dominance. Specializing in emergency and exotic medicine sharpened my understanding of physiology and stress response even further, and I still pick up relief veterinary technician shifts every once in a while today.

Before going fully virtual, I owned and ran a successful in-person dog training company in Corpus Christi, Texas, where clients would drive hours just to train with me. I eventually retired that in-person side of the business to focus more fully on my career in emergency veterinary medicine.

I later worked with another online dog training company and saw firsthand both what virtual training could offer and where it often fell short for clients. Too many programs lean on a single alpha-theory, one-size-fits-all approach that simply does not fit every dog or every handler. That experience shaped my belief that training the dog in front of you matters more than following one rigid method.

Cognitive Canines is the culmination of everything I have learned across all of it. Let me share that knowledge with you.