Biography
Originally from the suburbs outside of Seattle, Allison made the move to Philadelphia in 2018 to study Geography and Urban Studies—and quickly fell in love with the city. After putting down roots in East Kensington, she found her way into the world of dog behavior by filling in for a friend at Philly Dog School. What started as a part time job quickly became a career-shaping experience: three years of hands-on work in daycare, dog walking, and pet sitting opened her eyes to the complexities of canine behavior and it fueled an eagerness to learn more.
Allison began volunteering at ACCT and fostering dogs, which deepened her commitment to helping animals in need. In 2023, she officially “foster failed” a beloved pit bull named Darius. Navigating his leash reactivity and senior healthcare (along with a growing number of vet visits) only strengthened her passion for supporting dogs and their people through the tough stuff.
She joined Philly Unleashed in 2024, starting out at FarmCamp where she worked closely with board-and-train dogs on foundational skills, impulse control, and confidence building. Since then, Allison has progressed into assisting and teaching group classes and leading private behavior walks for clients across the city. She brings a calm, thoughtful presence to every training session and loves seeing dogs and their people grow together as a team.
Allison gravitates toward working with adult and senior dogs (she’s a big believer that old dogs can learn new tricks!) as well as dogs who are anxious, fearful, or reactive. She focuses on building fear-free environments that help dogs gain confidence and resiliency—while empowering their humans with judgment-free coaching, practical training plans, and effective management strategies.
When she’s not training dogs, you can find Allison reading her way through Philly’s fine-free libraries, biking or hiking around John Heinz and the Wissahickon, tinkering with digital scrapbooks, or indulging in a little too much coffee and chocolate.
