About

Tara is the owner and trainer at Bigfork Dog Training. She knew at young age she wanted to pursue a career with dogs, specifically a K9 unit.  As we all know, as we grow, time and life changes things. After marrying a United States Marine, she became a stay at home Mom and dog enthusiast! Her passion really lies in high drive working dogs. From owning a protection dog, to training in IGP, showing & competing in AKC events, she has been training with dogs for over 9 years.    

She has raised multiple litters and understands the importance of

training and imprinting puppies at a young age. Often times the socialization period in dogs is missed. Between volunteering at the shelter, working at a grooming and boarding facility, and helping others train their dogs, she has seen so many dogs and families struggle over the years. This is why she decided to pursue her dream in dog training.   She enjoys working and seeing dogs of all sizes learn and grow. 

Her skill set includes environmental conditioning, drive building, dog sport obedience, pet obedience, public access training, puppy raising, behavior modification and rehabilitation for dogs who are fearful, anxious, reactive and aggressive. She has trained under different training methods and prefers using a detailed common-sense approach.  She has completed professional dog training at Method K9. She is also an AKC Evaluator and can test your dog for AKC CGC, CGCU, CGCA and Trick Dog Titles.

Her home-based training is on 3 beautiful acres in Flathead County. The surrounding community and beyond provide a training environment that allows her to prepare dogs for scenarios expected in the modern world as well as in a household with kids, other dogs, cat, chickens, pigs and wildlife. 

She also has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and is Certified ATA Instructor.

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