Amie

Amie Schwinghammer

The logo for Odyssey is my sweet girl, Kali. She was a birthday gift given to me during a very emotional and trying time in my life. Kali taught me so much about the unconditional love that dogs can give as well as a lot of what not to do with dogs.

I was born and raised in the St. Cloud area and never left. I have two children, an amazing daughter-in-law and the sweetest and funniest granddaughter ever (I am a little biased). I had several careers including daycare owner/provider, bus driver, and Correctional Officer/Sergeant before I began my dog training odyssey. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elective studies with a Criminal Justice emphasis, a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and A Doctoral Degree in Executive Leadership. I am a Certified Canine Training Specialist through Starmark Academy, a Certified Canine Specialists through Stratford Academy, and an Animal Assisted Intervention Therapy Team Member (along with my dog Bella). When I returned from Texas, where Starmark Academy is, with my certification, I believed I had a great foundation for this new journey, but I felt there was so much more I needed to learn and understand. I began volunteering at the Humane Society as a dog walker, which gives me the opportunity to learn about breed traits, behaviors, and patience from hundreds of unique dogs while I give them a brief respite from the chaos of the shelter environment. I began watching and listening to podcasts and YouTube videos, I joined Facebook groups, and have read dozens of books to keep learning and honing my skills and I never stop asking questions. I may not have years of experience, but I have a great wealth of knowledge and skills that I am willing and able to share.

Odyssey was a realization that came to me after I was forced to leave my law enforcement career due to an injury; I was given an amazing book (Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans) by a dear friend and mentor which included developing my 3 “Odyssey Plans”. I got Covid on an adventure to Ireland and was forced to make time to complete those plans, and that is when “The K9 Odyssey” began.

I LOVE dogs; I love their capacity to love, their ability to work, their innate ability to know things before humans do such as detection work, but most of all, I love their ability to forgive and forget. I have made some mistakes with my pets, and I hope to be able to help others learn from my blunders and develop as proud dog owners with skills and knowledge that can be passed onto others in a continual cycle of learning, developing, and sharing to love, support, and train our dogs to be the best they can be.