Conversations with Diana Blanchard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Blanchard.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
For as long as I can remember, my two passions were music and animals. As a child, I pursued both, but music a bit more intensely. I went to college for Vocal Performance and have a master’s degree in Performing Arts Management.

Throughout my time as a professional in the arts, dogs and animals were always with me. For “fun,” I decided to start shadowing dog trainers and doing more educational workshops in dog training. I enjoyed it immensely and decided to pursue my Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner certification.

This is an intensive educational program for dog trainers. I learned so much and enjoyed the experience that I decided to start my company, Imagine Canine Academy, as a part-time endeavor in dog training.

In the meantime, I had landed an incredible position in the arts, but something constantly felt like it was missing. In early 2020, I decided to quit that job to pursue something – anything – to help fill that void. About 2 weeks later, I decided to make Imagine Canine my full-time job, and then a pandemic hit! There were clients I was working with (a very limited number) as a part-time trainer, but I began marketing as a full-time trainer right as the pandemic hit.

I had been training part-time for a long time and was thrilled to be training as a full-time job. I am incredibly passionate about helping my human and dog students communicate better with one another. I love what I do and feel lucky to “go to work” every day helping my students.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t think any journey can truly be a smooth road. I absolutely love my company and job, but we’ve grown quickly and in the middle of a very strange time. I am enjoying the constant ability to grow and change in a way that is organic and to offer services that best suit my clients.

I spontaneously decided that Imagine Canine should be my full-time work, but I did put in place a plan of what I hoped the first year would look like. We exceeded expectations, but I am always striving to do better!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Imagine Canine Academy is a dog training company that specializes in the connection between humans and dogs.

We focus on clear communication between humans and dogs. We treat our clients like we would want to be treated and work hard to ensure that all goals are met. I am proud of my clients who put in the hard work but also aren’t afraid to ask for support. I feel like our clients are a part of our family, and I am thankful for clients who are eager to learn more and be a part of our programs.

We are unique because we customize everything we do to fit the needs of our clients – both human and dog. There are no one size fits – behaviors and training are all set for each dog and human team. We offer both in-person and virtual training to best suit the client – and will recommend virtual lessons for a local student if they will best fit the dog!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
SO MANY! I love Hannah Branigan’s podcast Drinking from the Toilet, as well as the Cog Dog Radio – those are my two favorite podcasts for sure. I also really love conferences and continuing education.

I think as a dog trainer, those are incredibly important to support my students. I am constantly reading and learning as much as I can from where ever I can when it comes to dog training and behavior.

Contact Info:

• Email: Diana@imaginecanineacademy.com
• Website: Imaginecanineacademy.com
• Instagram: @ImagineCanine
• Facebook: Facebook.com/imaginecanineacademy

Image Credits
Diane Lewis Photography