ERICH R EBERTS, PhD
DOG TRAINER, WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, ACADEMIC COACH
LOUIE J EBERTS, SD
SERVICE DOG, HELPER DOG, WILDBOY EXTRORDINAIRE
CATTLEDOG x PIT x BORDERCOLLIE x REZDOG
About Us
I am a dog trainer serving the Albuquerque metro area. I have had an intuitive connection with all things nature since I was a young child exploring my back woods in Somers New York. I studied biology (with a focus on ecology) in undergrad at Loyola Marymount University in LA, and then did my PhD at the University of Toronto where I studied hummingbird behavior, ecology, and physiology.
In 2022, I began declining into a three hellish years of chronic illness associated with Lyme disease. One of my major fixations that got me through the worst of these times was devouring dog training videos, podcasts and audiobooks. The material distracted me from the pain as I unknowingly prepared for a major career transition.
The next two years, I lived out of my 4Runner, working in nature as a biology field tech to focus on healing and self-rediscovery. By September 2024, I was well enough to adopt my first dog (as an adult). I had just started a new project mapping invasive vegetation on the Navajo Reservation near Jeddito, the same week I decided to seriously open my life to a dog. And sure enough, Louie was the first dog whose photo wrinkled my forehead, with that enthused but exausted grin and exquisit multicolored eyes. I couldn't believe my eyes when his foster mom responded to my application- he was just 30 minutes down the road from our campsite! I met him mid-work hitch, and instantly knew I hadn't found soul dog; he found me.
We spent the next three months living in nature, bonding over hikes and campfires, training dawn to dusk, and building trust and clarity. At Christmas that winter, while Louie snoozed alone at my family's Airbnb, I suffered a devestating panic attack and migrane at light show; that night, I began officially training Louie as my service dog. That week, Louie also helped diffuse animosity between my sibling’s dogs, and showed me that we could help people and their dogs more effectively communicate, unlocking a world of opportunity and adventure. So, I decided to move to Albuquerque, put my career in wildlife biology on hiatus and dive into dogs walking and training fulltime.
In the last two years, Louie and I have have been fortunate enough to earn a living by adventuring, educating, and relaxing with all of his friends! What I love most about working with dogs is that 1) I have a direct impact on people’s lives and see firsthand their relaxation when they can enjoy a peaceful walk with their best friend who was previously terrorizing their world. 2) I get to interact and bond with these joy-filled beings and gain access into a world that is foreign to most people. I am constantly learning more about dogs and how to help their owners lead them towards a mutually fulfilling life together!
