Today we’d like to introduce you to Jilian Daniel
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?
I have always had a love for animals, and I could often be found volunteering at a local animal clinic or shelter in my free time.
In 2011, I graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with my B.Sc. in Marine Biology, but I still loved animal behavior, so I minored in Psychology as well.
After years of working as a field biologist in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean, I made the career switch in 2014 to dog training with working dogs. I trained service dogs for people with various disabilities: anxiety, Autism, depression, diabetes, mobility disabilities, narcolepsy, physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, PTSD, seizures, TBI, etc.
In 2016, I worked for Trikos International and the Warrior Dog Foundation, working with the nation’s most elite top tier working dogs. These canines are notorious for their challenging, and dangerous, behavior – we trained dogs for the battlefield, and we transitioned them from that arena to retirement. Due to their severe reactivity and aggression, their husbandry and daily handling was difficult. This lead me to earn my Small Animal Veterinary Technology degree from a local college to better work with the canines I loved and appreciated. I worked with these severe behavioral rehabilitation cases and extreme working dogs for years.
In 2019, I turned down a training position for sea lions and bottlenose dolphins in the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program, and transitioned back to service and assistance dogs through Canine Companions for Independence. These dogs are specifically bred, raised, and trained for these working roles. I loved “getting back to my roots”, and being able to make a difference in people’s lives.
A few years later, I wanted to be able to offer all of my knowledge and skills to people who needed me; through my company, Poseidon K9, I now work primarily with pet dogs, but still offer training to elite working dogs, law enforcement dogs, personal protection dogs, service dogs, assistance dogs, and therapy dogs.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course the road hasn’t been smooth; there are no straight, easy paths to success. Just like anyone in any animal care industry, I’ve had to work long hours, for low pay, on weekends and holidays, covered in p*op or water or blood or vomit or raw food (or a mix), in the snow and ice, in the Texas summer heat, in the rain… I’ve loved some of these animals so deeply, only to have to say goodbye to them as they work in the next chapter of their lives, or having to make the decision to put them down at the end of their very hard life. I’ve worked for some challenging bosses, and I’ve worked for myself. I’ve made the decision to move across the country several times, to new places, with zero support system. I’ve been forced out of my comfort zone, I’ve been forced to make tough decisions, I’ve been forced to grow. But I’m so lucky and grateful for the true friends I’ve made along the way, for the things I’ve learned, and for the people and animals lives I’ve changed for the better.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Poseidon K9 mostly specializes in pet dog obedience and behavior modification training. Our board and train programs use a balanced approach that has been tested and honed from my experiences working with service dogs and elite working dogs. Our methodology has been scientifically proven to work, and to top it off, each of our trainers only work with a small number of dogs at a time to ensure each dog is given the time and attention they each deserve. Clients’ dogs live with our trainers in their homes, not in a sterile training facility, and we’ve found these crucial differences from other dog training companies make all the difference to the dogs we’ve been entrusted to care for and train.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
You make your own luck. You can look at the rainstorm and curse it for making the day miserable to work in, or you can be excited for the opportunity to try something different (and then appreciate the sunny days that much more when they happen!).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.poseidonk9dogtraining.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poseidondogtraining
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poseidondogtraining
- Other: info@poseidonk9.com
