IN THE DOGHOUSE was created June 2009 by Marnie George, so that dogs living in and visiting Pagosa would have a place to STAY AND PLAY all day long, to socialize and improve manners, general behavior and be surrounded by people who adore them.

I have had a special relationship with animals since childhood.

I never wanted to do anything else and found that making a living helping animals was not at all easy. Then nothing is. I always involved myself in any aspect of working with them, mostly cleaning poop in the beginning!

I volunteered as a shelter worker in England in various rescues and was able to rehabilitate many dogs who were on their last chance, fostering and training new adoptees. I then took my degree at the University of Leeds in Animal Science, nutrition, physiology and behavior.

After which I became a farm manager then later a vet tech and dog trainer. I have always adored dogs to the utmost degree and whilst all animals and their welfare are my passion, the relationship between dogs, horses and humans, is one I have devoted my life to.

I have lived in stunning Pagosa Springs for 6 year. I had been training hundreds of owners and their dogs, when I noticed that of course owners had to work, but there was often nothing for dogs to do all day - even if they have a large yard, I was seeing a lot of bored and frustrated dogs who needed socialization and an outlet for their excess energy, desperately. Training is unlikely to stick when people are too tired and dogs are too bored, too keep up with it!

I wanted a place where dogs of all sizes, energy and behaviors, could come when their owners worked or went away on vacation and could know that their dogs were with people who would spend ALL day making sure they were taken care of, played with and loved as well as socialized and given rules to follow to improve behavior and continue with training. I wanted a place to bring dogs in that were having serious behavior issues, that would support their happiness and rehabilitation to becoming well behaved, happy family members.

IN THE DOGHOUSE was born! we are still in our first year, but it has been the most rewarding endeavor of my life.

It would not have been possible without one of my first client couples here and now dearest friends in the world, Elizabeth and Vossa Leach, whose constant, outstanding support and encouragement has literally been the difference between continuing as a part time trainer and following my life's dream and building my own business that supports animal welfare.

THANK YOU so much for your support Elizabeth and Vossa!

We love you so very much and your own two dogs are the luckiest dogs in the universe to have such a loving and understanding home as yours!.

We will work with any dog with any behavior issue so that is why you see so many dogs getting along and we do not have to separate them very often at all.

I immediately start working with any dog that shows any behavioral challenges and we have had some incredible success stories with dogs who were very aggressive or completely fearful or unsocialized.

I wanted to build a website to share the funny things that happen, the pictures and stories, tips and training ideas, fun events and to just simply appreciate the support from the community of Pagosa Springs I love SO much.

I would also like to specially say thank you to my husband and son, their understanding of my commitment to your dogs has made it possible to give so much of my time and attention to them. And of course to Loki, my training partner and wonder dog extraordinaire!

A once in a million lifetimes dog who helps me reach dogs through non violent body language, backs me up as leader in everything I do.

He is the doggy love of my life and he was diagnosed with Hemolytic Anemia last year, so I count every minute with him as the greatest blessing and try always to treat everyone else's dogs with the same reverence and love with which I hold him.

I believe that the dog we are given is a truly extraordinary chance, to develop the skills, knowledge and mindset, exactly required by what is mirrored in our lives at that time.

When we are ready for the rarest of dogs, the ones that stretch us beyond what we thought we were capable of...they come. However, we never know or always even believe ourselves capable of them.

I want to be there for those dogs and for you and your journey with them.