Biography

My name is Libby Puchalla and I am a senior at Wakefield School in The Plains, Virginia. I will be attending Virginia Tech to study Animal Science and Business Management after taking a year off to work and take a breather. I have a strong passion for working with animals, specifically horses and dogs. Since I was four years old and watched the movie Babe for the first time, I dreamed of having a border collie to love and train. Unfortunately, my pleas for a dog went unanswered for years, so I instead trained the neighbor’s dogs, my grandmother’s neighbor’s dog, and really anyone else’s neighbor’s dog that I could find! Finally, when I was 16, I got my border collie, Solo, who has brought so much joy and laughter to my life, but being reactive and sensitive, has also taught me the importance of compassion, patience, and gentle training. I believe people need to spend more time learning about and listening to their dogs. With this thesis my goal is to inspire the audience to educate themselves on canine body language and training methods so that they can pick the kindest and most effective practices for their beloved companion.