Meet Sara Miles of Smiles Dog Training

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Miles.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up around animals. Not a day of my childhood went by when I wasn’t rescuing a baby bird or finding stray puppies a home. In sixth grade, my teacher asked me to do a report on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I interviewed every animal-related role I could think of: veterinarian, zookeeper, and dog trainer. I wanted to be all three and then some…

But life has a way of being distracting! So I found myself graduating from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies with a minor in English. I worked in legal and real estate support after college which was overwhelmingly uninspiring. So I gave it all up and started over.

I signed up for Animal Behavior College and mentored with Jessica Wheatcraft, CDBC in San Diego to learn the art of training dogs. Not long after wrapping up my education program, I applied for a position in the Behavior & Training Department at the San Diego Humane Society. Out of the many applicants eager to work with such a well-known organization, they hired me and I couldn’t accept the job fast enough.

My employment at the San Diego Humane Society was such an opportunity to grow as an animal trainer. I mentored with several talented staff trainers in the shelter environment and learned how to work with both cats and dogs exhibiting challenging behavior issues.

About three years into my time at San Diego Humane Society, I was promoted to develop and oversee the volunteer program at our new Behavior Center. The Behavior Center mission was to help the cats and dogs previously held back from adoption at other shelters and rescues due to behavior issues. The animals would be transferred into our care, training and behavior modification plans would be developed by our department, and staff and volunteers would follow these plans to help prepare the animals for adoption.

Before I left the San Diego Humane Society, the Behavior Center program had over 150 volunteers donating their time to help special needs cats and dogs. My flagship program, Canine Adventures, helped dogs get out of the shelter temporarily with volunteers to hike, run, or even just go on a coffee date at a local Starbucks.

While I never thought I would leave the San Diego Humane Society, life had other plans for me. Now I’m in Phoenix and have spent the last two years building my own business, Smiles Dog Training. Smiles Dog Training offers private in-home training and group class options for dogs of all ages and backgrounds (and even some cats!) – though my heart is always with the rescue dogs! I also work with Almost There Foster Care, a rescue group located in Paradise Valley that specializes in pregnant dogs and their puppies.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely been a bumpy road! I look at all the twists and turns as opportunities for me to grow as a person and as an educator. My initial experiences working in Corporate America taught me how to run a business efficiently. My time at the shelter exposed me to a wide variety of behavior cases in a short amount of time. When I adopted my dog Finn (he’s my logo!), I expected to raise a canine training assistant and instead I got first-hand experience working through dog reactivity! Now that I’m in Phoenix, I hope to bring a new wave of training methodology to the general public that focuses on the behavioral science and treating animals humanely during training.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Smiles Dog Training provides private in-home training and group class options for pet owners looking to train their pets or learn how to deal with behavioral challenges. I also hold workshops and seminars for families with dogs, veterinary staff, rescue and shelter staff, and the general public that cover a wide variety of pet-related topics. While my primary service location is North Central Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley – I also offer Skype consultations for people beyond my service area for many training and behavior concerns.

What were you like growing up?
My life was all about animals, and I was shy growing up so I really gravitated toward animals in most social situations because I felt more comfortable with them than with people! When I was spending time with my good friends though, I was convincing them to adopt instead of shop.

True story – as an adult, I reconnected with my best friend from elementary school and she told me all of her pets were rescues because of the way I talked about the importance of adopting animals who are homeless and waiting in shelters. While I definitely love rescue pets, my professional career has led me to meet quite a few quality puppy breeders dedicated to keeping their breed legacy alive through top-notch veterinary care and testing, socialization, and training before their puppies head home at 8 weeks. I love these “Puppy Culture” graduates as much the rescue dogs I work with!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.smilesdogtraining.net
• Phone: 619-770-8754
• Email: sara@smilesdogtraining.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smilesdogtraining/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smilesdogtraining/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/smiles-dog-training-phoenix

Image Credit:
Trey Locke, Geri Hormel, and Randy Jordan

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.