You’re in for a treat, my friends! I am SO excited to share this week’s Dog Mom Talk interview with celebrity dog trainer and pet lifestyle expert, Nicole Ellis! With over 15 years of experience in the professional dog training field, she is co-author of the book Working Like A Dog and has shared her message of positive reinforcement training on The Today Show, NBC, Fox, Pet360 and Huffington Post, to name a few!

Dog mom to two adorable trained movie and therapy dogs, Maggie (a Bichon Poodle mix) and Rossi Bear (a Cavapoochon: Cavalier, Bichon and Poodle mix), Nicole believes in training through positive reinforcement and lots of love. With a focus on puppy skills, movie training, therapy dog training and service dog training, her goal is to help pet parents strengthen their bond with their pet by developing a new shared language.

In fact, you will be able to catch Nicole in action very soon as an expert dog trainer on Amazon’s new show The Pack, coming November 20, 2020!

Based in Los Angeles, Nicole Ellis has traveled all over the world sharing her training expertise, and we are so fortunate to have her share some of her insight with us! On this week’s Dog Mom Talk, we get to know this impressive dog mom and her pups, as she shares some training tips and helpful advice for traveling with your dog!

Let’s have a Dog Mom Talk!

Is there a unique story behind your dog’s name? Why did you choose these breeds in particular?

Rossi is named after the motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi. Both Maggie and Rossi join us on motorcycle adventures together!

I got Maggie from a Los Angeles animal shelter. I went there looking at Rottweilers and decided with my schedule and apartment at the time, he probably wasn’t the best fit. With 3 minutes to closing, I said I’ll take her! I had never held her or anything until then. She’s since been in countless TV shows and ads, and traveled the US visiting hospitals and nursing homes with me.

I fell in love with the Bichon Poodle mixes because of Maggie. They are active and can keep up, small enough for me to travel with, cuddly and sweet and don’t shed. I couldn’t find a Bichon Poodle breeder that did all the health testing, but I fell in love with Rossi’s breed and the rest is history.

What is the story behind your brand?

I grew up riding horses and bonding with family pets. I was always the fearless kid in the class who volunteered to hold the giant boa constrictor or pet the cheetah on vacation. I started training exotic animals, bears and tigers mostly, studying with the top trainers, and I decided to train my own Maggie. I instantly knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I wanted to help people have that same special bond I was creating with her.

I do a lot with my dogs; we ride horses, motorcycles and we hike together. I genuinely believe life is better with a dog (or two!). With a little training more people can do things with their dogs and hopefully less end up in shelters, like the one I got Maggie from. From that idea, I was inspired to create free training videos with tips and information that pet parents can easily find and use for free. I’ve got lots of helpful info on the blog, as well!

You’ve traveled a lot, what is some advice you can give dog parents travelling for the first time? What have been some of your favorite dog-friendly traveling spots (hotels, beaches, etc.)

Prepare! Planning ahead will help you in the long run. Double check what “pet-friendly” means in any particular hotel – Can your dog be left alone in there? Are all your activities pet-friendly, and will your pet enjoy said activities? 

Some of my favorite pet-friendly hotels include Kimpton Hotels and Getaway Cabins. I’m also looking forward to staying at Pineapple Hotels in the future.

We did a road trip (pre-Rossi) up the coast of California and I absolutely loved the beaches by Big Sur. I would love to go back again with Rossi. We also went camping at Montana De Oro with the dogs and the horse. All of us got to run on the beach, it was an absolutely unforgettable experience!