Today we’d like to introduce you to Stefanie Strackbein.
Hi Stefanie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I think most of us who end up working professionally with dogs started by meeting one special dog. Mine was Indy. We met at a high-kill county shelter. He was slated for euthanasia because of kennel cough (extremely contagious at a high-stress, over-crowded shelter). However, the reason he was relinquished to a shelter in the first place was for “behavior problems/lack of time’. I ended up taking Indy home to foster through his illness and he never left. In fact, he co-founded my business What Dogs Want.
Very quickly it was easy to see that Indy’s ‘problems’ were a result of being a young herding breed. He was BORED and was smart enough to find things to do to keep busy. I could see how he might have driven his former family crazy. To keep his mind and body engaged I started making up silly games to do with him around the house. We also spent a lot of time with him to provide a strong social connection.
Our first six months together I thought a lot about the power of play with dogs, worrying less about traditional “obedience” and focusing on having fun and finding activities my dogs really enjoyed. It was a light bulb moment for sure when I realized that many dogs are given up for behavior issues; I bet that a significant number of those ‘problems’ stemmed from boredom.
Shortly after that epiphany, Indy and I started What Dogs Want, an enrichment center, offering in-home enrichment to keep dogs mentally and physically engaged using fun games and activities that Indy and I created. There was enough interest that we quickly moved to a school-type setting in an actual facility. In the next 15 years we grew from offering sessions twice a week with 5 or 6 dogs to working with 30 dogs 5 days/week (broken down into small groups for optimum fun and learning). We also began offering private sessions after hours and on weekends for dogs who were not comfortable around other dogs or unfamiliar people.
As more people understand the importance of enrichment, we continue to grow our programs. We just launched an enrichment video series, See Spot Think, aimed at providing fun, purposeful activities people can easily do at home with the dogs in their lives. We are in the process of acquiring a dog daycare in England and are excited to fuse what we do at What Dogs Want into the amazing job they do at their facility. It’s going to be an incredible canine enrichment and learning center with an ability to help many more dogs and their people live happier, fuller lives.
We also partner with shelters on enrichment education, and are leading a project to provide free DNA testing for shelters. This will allow them to better meet the needs of the dogs in their care and educate potential adopters on potential character traits they might see in a dog they are interested in and also be prepared for what needs a dog like that may have. Indy, being a young sheltie/corgi taught me so much about living and working with a herding breed. Every dog we have worked with in our enrichment facility or during private appointments has taught me something very important that I take with me to each next dog I have the privilege of working with.
I feel incredibly fortunate to spend my time doing what I love while addressing a vital need for our pet dogs. When we started What Dogs Want, our goal was simply to help keep dogs out of shelters. Today, we are growing a community of people who truly appreciate their dogs’ needs and view their companions in an entirely new light.
Eighteen years ago, I never could have imagined that meeting a handsome, charismatic dog named Indy would lead to all of this. I am so grateful for this journey.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge was the educational component! Explaining to people what enrichment is and how crucial it is for our dogs’ mental and physical health… ALL DOGS. I never thought there would be that big of a learning curve.
There are a lot of folks who are familiar with the term ‘enrichment’ but think it just means you have to give your dog a frozen kong or allow them to sniff on a walk. And don’t get me wrong-that’s a great start. But enrichment is life. There are so many ways to enrich your dog’s world. Sights, sounds, smells, brain work, exercise, play….. and it all matters in helping your dog be happy, confident and resilient. We need to get that memo out there!
Many people choose a dog based on looks or a dog they grew up with, or see in a movie. They don’t necessarily take into consideration the needs each breed or breed mix has based on their genetic makeup, their experiences, even their age and stage of development. Then there’s still the old-school way of thinking that “it’s all how you raise them”. Thankfully I have a degree in human behavior and psychology because I spend a lot of time working with humans, not just the dogs!
It’s fun though-once someone realizes WHY their dog barks at other dogs on walks or WHY they are getting into the trash, not because they are naughty or trying to make you mad, it’s because they are BORED, BORED, BORED. Needs are not being met. Meeting needs make most problems go away. Explaining how dogs are so unique and individual and you have to take everything into account with any successful behavior/enrichment plan. When dog parents have that ‘AH HA’ moment it is amazing.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Family Dog Mediator, I am a canine behavior and enrichment expert, and also certified in working with aggression in dogs. I am completing my certification in becoming a dog trainer too! I have extensive knowledge in dog behavior, applied ethology, positive training, working with fearful, reactive and aggressive dogs and have studied play therapy and trauma in dogs as well. My specialty is canine enrichment and I also do a lot of work with herding breeds.
All this means I work with dogs and their humans to find a way to understand each other better, help people learn how to meet their dogs’ needs, and create an environment and life that makes everyone feel safe, fulfilled, and happy.
What Dogs Want is a pioneer in what we call ‘cooperative enrichment’-a type of social enrichment where we engage in play and activities with the dogs. Not fetch or tug, but we literally sit on the ground and solve problems together, build confidence and creative thinking through fun, purposeful activities. We also provide as many opportunities as we can for dogs to explore and engage with their environment. I’ve not found anyone else in the world that does exactly what we do or provides the exact service we provide. It takes a very unique skill set and you have to be a bit of a dog nerd to do this.
What am I most proud of? I think being possibly the only one in the world doing exactly what we do and in the scope we do it. I also have a knack for working with fearful dogs, helping them to build confidence and resilience. It feels amazing to see a dog be less afraid in the world and have a family who understands their unique needs. I do love working with shelter dogs… they have always been my sweet spot and I will always advocate for those lovely souls.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
More people are recognizing that pet dogs are indeed captive animals with limited autonomy. It’s no surprise, then, that behavior problems in home are rising and shelters are over capacity. As society advances, our dogs are struggling to thrive in the environments we create. Acknowledging this is the first step toward real change.
Increasingly, people are asking the right question: why is this happening? Progress comes when we stop blaming shelter staff or the system and instead examine our own expectations, choices, and how modern life shapes dogs’ daily experiences.
The shift is encouraging. Awareness of enrichment, autonomy, and positive training and other positive reinforcement is growing, along with our understanding of canine emotions, needs, and overall well-being. While there’s still work to do, this deeper insight is moving us closer to giving dogs the life they truly deserve.
Pricing:
- See Spot Think, video membership focusing on enrichment: $9.99-14.99/monthly
- Enrichment consults: $125 (in person or virtual)
- Behavior consults: $125 (in person or virtual)
- In-home 1:1 enrichment: starting at $65
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.WDWAcademy.dog
- Instagram: @whatdogswant
- Facebook: @itswhatdogswant
- Youtube: @whatdogswantacademy
Image Credits
These were all taken by my staff 🙂
