Olivia grew up in a home with two dogs where obedience and training were a natural part of daily life. Her appreciation for structure and communication with animals began early and deepened in high school when she started working at a horse farm. While she enjoyed riding, she discovered an even greater passion for teaching horses ground manners and helping them understand respectful behavior. Through years of lessons in natural horsemanship, she immersed herself in learning—watching videos, reading books, and studying a variety of training philosophies to refine her approach.

Even after her formal lessons ended, Olivia continued to help friends and other horse owners improve their communication and relationships with their horses, focusing on the importance of clear boundaries and trust on the ground. 

She attended  the University of Delaware where she graduated in 2017 with B.S in Animal Science and minors in Nutrition and Biology.

 After college, Olivia began dog walking and later worked at a local pet store, further expanding her hands-on experience with animals. In 2019, she brought home a Boxer puppy named Hank—an energetic and intelligent dog who challenged her training skills and pushed her to grow as a handler.  

Hank proved to be a difficult dog to train. Although he had always shown some leash reactivity in certain situations, his behavior gradually worsened over time despite Olivia’s consistent, daily training efforts. Determined to help him, she sought guidance from four different training facilities, exploring a variety of methods. However, none of them succeeded in strengthening the connection between Olivia and Hank or in reducing his reactivity.

Eventually, Olivia discovered Paws and Possibilities. Working with Kim gave her the insight and tools she needed to transform Hank into the well-behaved, happy dog she truly enjoyed spending time with.

Inspired by this experience and motivated to help others find the same success, Olivia joined Paws and Possibilities to continue learning and to support other dog owners in building strong, rewarding relationships with their pets.