Sarah Mullen's bond with dogs and other non-human animals began before
she could even talk "human". She was an early and quick study in the
fine arts of knowing when to lick back, how to make blinky eyes, when to
be quiet and still, and when to roll around like a fool until you fall
into a happy heap.
The animal companions with which she shared her early life, (beginning
in 1966 with her first dog "Lily"), included dogs, cats, parrots,
parakeets, ducks, rats, mice, snakes, fish, a hamster, a dove, an iguana, a
guinea pig, a horse, and, briefly, a coati mundi. Not content with
just living beside these friends, Sarah found that each of them, including
the fish, were quick learners and could do all sorts of interesting
things!
Despite such fine early training at the paws and claws (and hooves and
fins) of these early instructors, she went on to actively seek a more
"mature" set of skills as she grew, studying everything that she could
find on animals, and on training and communicating with them.
Sarah has been involved in rescue from a young age, starting with
raising wild baby birds who had fallen out of their nests (with the guidance
of the local wild animal rescue groups to make sure that she wasn't
actually "rescuing" a bird who didn't need her help), and eventually
moving into rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing homeless dogs and cats
in L.A., San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Since her beloved
Husky, Sophie, adopted from the local shelter in 1976, all of her own
companions have been rescued animals in need of special care.
Her search for newer and better methods of dog training than the ones
that she had learned as a child and young adult began in earnest with
the adoption of MacHeath the Wonder Dog, in 1992. Mackey was a 90 pound
boy who had never been inside a house or a car. He had spent his life
running free in the Texas countryside, until his life was nearly
brought to an end by an impatient bar owner, and he came into Sarah's life
and changed it forever.
Thinking that she would "study really hard and learn everything there
was to learn about newer and better methods of dog training and become a
perfect dog owner and trainer in, oh, about 2 or 3 years", Sarah then
embarked on an intensive course of study which has now run 16 years and
has challenged her and taught her in ways that she never could have
imagined. Finally, though she now understand that the learning will be
lifelong, it has led her towards the relationship and communication that
she always dreamed of with many different species, including not only
dogs and cats and birds, but also working with a diverse range of
animals, from horses to wolves.
Perhaps because of her involvement with rescue and rehabilitation,
Sarah has developed a passion for helping dogs with behavior issues, such
as fear and aggression, lack of appropriate socialization, resource
guarding, and separation anxiety. In her work with puppies, she strives to
ensure that these problems will not arise in the first place, as well
as to help the owner to instill the skills that will lead to a lifetime
of harmony between dog and human. One of the many pleasures she gains
from her work is hearing the frequent comments that her clients receive
from vets, friends, and strangers alike about the wonderful
relationship that they have with their dogs!
At the nationally renowned Marin Humane Society, Sarah assisted in
teaching the Canine Consultant and Instructor Training Academy (now the
Canine Behavior and Training Academy), taught Difficult Dog classes,
counseled owners of dogs with behavior problems, and worked with shelter
dogs, as well as teaching classes from beginning puppy to advanced and
off-leash obedience. Since that time, she has further fed her passion for
humane ways of communicating with our animal companions by pursuing
advanced studies in positive reinforcement techniques, including
"clicker" training.
Sarah's two current dogs, Keefe and Sajeera, have taught her a great
deal about remedying fear and lack of proper socialization in dogs, and
she is proud that they have become such trustworthy, happy, confident,
social, and resilient beings. They are an invaluable asset to her in her
work, especally in helping her teach other dogs to feel safe and to
behave calmly around their canine peers.