Dr. Spark is co-owner and Director of Behavior & Training at Instinct Portland. She has over 45 years of experience helping people solve problems, meet learning goals, and achieve positive change. With a PhD in psychology, a background in counseling, adult education and group facilitation, and multiple dog training qualifications. Dr. Spark has extensive experience helping individuals and families with dog behavior problems, and training dogs for family life, service work, and animal-assisted therapy. She is passionate about improving quality of life for dogs and people. Dr. Spark is a certified dog behavior consultant through the International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

Dr. Spark founded City Dog Country Dog in 2007 with the twin intention of helping dogs to behave well in the human world, while helping people to understand and satisfy their dogs’ natural instincts. The annual Call of the Wild Dog Camp and other nature retreats that she originated and organized for over a decade created a community of dog and nature enthusiasts, and made breed-friendly outdoor activities available to a wide range of people and dogs.

Dr. Spark splits her time between Portland and Yachats, on the Central Oregon coast, where she lives on rural acreage with her partner, and an energetic young Australian Cattle Dog, 3 barn cats, and 12 chickens.  In her free time, she loves hiking in the forests around her home, taking Rocket swimming and kayaking, gardening with the chickens, and spending time in solitude by the river.