Heather Dodson-Schock Lowell

Growing up on a working horse ranch, Heather’s work with animals began at a young age. With 30 head of cattle, several dozen chickens, and various other species to look after; she began training her rescue German Shepherds how to herd and help with ranch work. In high school, her bond with animals continued to grow as she began competing in ranch horsemanship, reining, trail competitions. and dog agility. Her love for science and animals lead to Heather pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at the University of California Davis. During her time at UC Davis, Heather worked for the UC Center for Neuroscience as an Animal Behaviorist. Heather would design behavioral experiments to test various aspects of the neuroanatomical findings for labs and act as a behavioral consultant for a variety of projects and species. She also worked on her own behavioral research and published her findings with the Journal of Experimental Biology. While at Davis she continued her work with dogs and started a dog rehabilitation program for those sanctioned to be euthanized for aggression issues. It became her goal to save as many dogs as possible and she continues to take on “project” dogs for rehabilitation for various rescue organizations. Heather and her dog Quigley have also piloted a program to give emergency therapy dog services to those in crisis. Through interactions with local cancer support groups, she has been able to create a network of emergency dog therapy support lines. After realizing the need in our industry for knowledgable balanced trainers who can work with any dog, Heather went on to create Koru K9 Master’s Program. This program teaches both the science behind behavior as well as the hands-on application and rehabilitation of dogs in need. As a master coach, her focus is creating the next generation of phenomenal and experienced dog trainers and animal behaviorists. If she isn’t teaching, you can find her riding through the backcountry on her horse Calypso Hop with her Dutch Shepherd Simcoe at her side.