Radical Canines

I have always loved dogs. They have been a passion of mine as far back as I can remember. I was introduced to a clicker at 10 years old and thought it was so cool that I could teach my dogs to do almost anything with a clicker, treats, and halfway decent timing. I loved training as a kid, and continue to have a passion for it now. When I was little, I wanted to be a vet but ultimately ended up becoming an OT.

As I got more involved in dog training and sports I discovered canine rehab and thought it was so very cool. The first program I found only accepted PTs/PTAs and Vets/VetTechs so I figured I was just out of luck. I considered going back to school for PTA so that I could complete the program but decided against it when I discovered the program through University of Tennessee which allows for OTs to complete their canine rehab certification program.

For years now, I have wanted to pursue my certification in Canine Rehab but I always had a reason for why it wasn’t the right time. About 5 years ago, I decided that I wanted to have my CCRP credentials by the time I was 30. I almost started the program in 2019 when Rugby was injured because I was having such a difficult time finding a canine rehab practitioner that could fit us in and had the knowledge of canine athletes that we needed to help us get back to playing and competing. I opted not to because I didn’t know if I would be able to afford the program in its entirety along with Rugby’s rehab, appointments, diagnostics, etc.

Well I finally did it! I enrolled in the first class for the University of Tennessee Canine Rehabilitation Certificate Program (and officially started my enrollment clock which I see counting down every time I log on to work on the coursework – not anxiety provoking AT ALL). It’s both exciting and terrifying and just generally overwhelming. If all goes according to plan, I will be doing my live labs in July, followed by my externship and case studies in August and testing in December 2021!