Brianna Scarborough

Early Years: An Animal Lover From the StartBrianna Scarborough has been an animal lover since even before she could speak. Growing up on Long Island, she always had a knack for discovering local strays and, like the pied piper of Oakdale, NY, she'd bring them all home to love (infinite thanks to her understanding mother and father). Once she even tried to take in a wild possum! The creature hissed and snarled at everyone else, but allowed itself to be held and snuggled by Brianna. Though her mother drew the line on keeping that one, buther future as an animal whisperer was clear from the start. Her love of all animals has led her to be mother to many, a plethora of dogs and dog breeds (such as Neapolitan Mastiff, Black Lab/German Shepherd, Boxer, Husky, Rottweiler, Pitbull, Sheltie, and a rainbow of mutts), horses, birds, cats, sugar gliders, chinchillas, and (after the possum), she once even had a pet skunk. If that isn't love we don't know what is!Learning From a Pro (a love letter to Nietzsche)Brianna says her Black Lab/German Shepherd cross, Nietzsche, was her best teacher.She says, He was a wise and calm presence. We were together for 13 years. We were inseparable companions. He was kind and accepting of all creatures and incredibly smart. I learned the importance of remaining calm, especially when working with anxious or aggressive dogs. He taught me many valuable lessons about leadership and unconditional love.Equine to Canine: Translating Rehabilitation TechniquesBrianna has spent nearly 17 years training and riding horses. Her childhood love for animals developed into a more academic interest in animal communication and body language. She studied wild horse behavior and learned to train and rehabilitate horses through positive reinforcement, without force. She eventually became able to ride horses that previously couldn't be ridden, and learned from experience to help horses stop problematic behaviors. Seeing her methodologies pay off, she became eager to apply these same teachings to her work with dogs.Making a Career ChangeDespite corporate and executive success, Brianna felt unfulfilled and unhappy in her career. She felt her work was not the right fit for her desire to have a real and lasting impact in the world. She would leave her office job in NYC, late in the evening, and travel to the stable in Long Island to work with her therapy horses. She would wake up before the sun rose to do training work with rescue dogs before heading into work. It was here, in these quiet moments, seeing real change in animals lives for the better, that her next step became clear and the dream of Kapooch was formed. She studied wolf behavior and communication in the wild, drawing on her childhood love for animals and years of experience in horse training, and became a self-taught dog trainer.Studying Under the MastersAfter notable successes as a self-taught trainer Brianna wanted to delve into dog psychology even further. Many of Brianna's basic training philosophies paralleled that of world-renowned dog whisperer Cesar Millan, so in an effort to further her knowledge, she decided to learn from the master himself. In 2015 she studied with Cesar Millan at the beautiful Country Inn Pet Resort & Dog Psychology Center, in FL. Brianna says, Learning from Cesar was life-changing. So much about canine therapy and training is about body language and energy focus, so simply being in Cesar's presence was invaluable. The experience has opened my eyes to a whole new realm of dog behavior and psychology. Briana has taken her experience and integrated the knowledge Cesar passed on to her into her training regimens. Brianna has seen her training have a real and lasting impact on canines and the family pack. It's all about achieving balance in the dog through energy, consistency, structure, and follow through, she says. With a thirst for knowledge, and a boundless desire to help as many humans and dogs as possible, Brianna went on to study with other trainers to learn a variety of disciplines. She has even trained with one of the world's best gun and hunt dog trainers, Martin Deeley.Brianna's Training MethodologyBrianna provides canine rehabilitation commonly working with dog-to-dog aggression, dog-to-human aggression, fearfulness, and anxiety, among other issues. In addition to rehabilitation, she provides basic training, and agility training. She primarily utilizes methods focusing on the energy of her canine and human clients. And employs a multidisciplinary approach based on dog psychology, human interaction, and natural canine communication. Her style is not formulaic: each dog requires its own unique approach.A Commitment to BenevolenceOver the years, Brianna recognized the need for funding for quality organizations, which help animals in need. Brianna has always wished to help that process along in some way, which is why she's chosen to donate 5% of all proceeds to K9s For Warriors. Additionally, Brianna donates her spare time to rehabilitating shelter dogs with behavioral issues that would otherwise be unadoptable so that they too can find their loving forever home.