About
What Makes RotNDog?
RotNDog started as a bit of a joke — a play on the phrase “rotten dog.” Because let’s be honest, they’re not actually rotten… even when they’re driving us up the wall. But I know firsthand how frustrating, scary, and overwhelming it can be to live with a dog who’s aggressive, fearful, anxious, or just completely out of sync with your home.
My approach to behavior change is a little different than what most people expect. I don’t just look at the dog — I look at the full picture: lifestyle, routines, environment, and how you and your dog interact every day.
This work starts with you. I’ll teach you how to understand your dog’s behavior, how to read body language, and how to make changes that reduce stress and increase safety — for everyone. From biological needs to management plans to clear training exercises, I’m here to help you and your dog enjoy life together again — in a way that feels doable, grounded, and honest.
About Jess
The decision to volunteer at an overcrowded animal shelter back in 2003 was the beginning of Jess’ entire career. Whereas most people would be content with interacting with the happy, friendly dogs, Jess was immediately drawn to the aggressive and fearful ones instead – the ones who sat in their cages or kennels because no one wanted to touch them. She wondered why the dogs acted that way and how she could change their behavior to make them more adoptable. So from the beginning, she was attempting to make friends with not so friendly dogs, and from there, a passion grew.
Her career began while working with the dogs while they were in the shelter, and then she transitioned to also seeing private clients in 2006 as she would work with the adopters of the project dogs she already had been training. Working with the aggressive and fearful dogs, particularly the ones who were at risk of being euthanized, was (and still is) her speciality. The misunderstood dogs are always the ones who need an advocate the most.
Jess continued her work with animal shelters as well as veterinary hospitals through 2015, while still seeing private training clients at the same time. The combination of these two careers has allowed her to gain experience working with THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dogs of various breeds and personalities.
When she moved to FL in 2008, she turned her home into a small "rehab" for aggressive dogs that she personally adopted. Dogs with bite histories, dogs deemed unadoptable or dangerous, dogs on death row in "bite quarantine," dogs who were let down by other trainers, and dogs who only had Jess as their last hope. Not only has she provided them with a safe home environment for the rest of their lives while succeeding in behavior change, but some have even gone on to earn Canine Good Citizen titles, Rally Obedience titles, and Competitive Obedience titles. Rottweilers are her breed of choice, and will forever be her favorite breed to live with, work with, and love.
Jess is driven to help dogs and humans coexist through effective dog training and human education. And for those who live with a "RotNDog" - Jess completely understands what it's like, as she has and always will choose to live with these challenging dogs. It's nice to have a dog trainer who has gone through the same thing that you may be experiencing!
Over the years Jess has written various articles that have been published online, in magazines, and even within a book. Her expertise has been requested on television, on podcasts, and at conferences. She trains other professionals in the field on reading dog body language, safety, defensive handling skills, and more. She has lectured on various behavior and training topics to the public as well as to other dog professionals on both a local and national level. Her seminars have reached thousands of people in an effort to spread the word as much as possible on dog behavior. Education is a top priority!
And yet her greatest of goals continues to be helping people better understand how to safely live, love, and work with dogs who have challenging behaviors. Empowering others on how to keep themselves safe, the dogs safe, and the public safe ultimately saves lives and increases the quality of life of everyone involved. There’s nothing that she finds more rewarding and she’s always looking for ways to better serve the dog training industry (especially around aggression) as a whole.
