Sami Jo Menning: Unleashed Passion for Life By Margaret Pennock Photos by Kelly Middlebrooks | Little White Dog Pet Photography
Dog Whisperer. Outdoor addict. Lover of inspiration and purpose.
A
s vibrant and high-energy as the dogs she works with, professional dog trainer Sami Jo Menning is a force to be reckoned with. Charming and genuine, she radiates with a purpose that most people twice her age rarely achieve. As a trainer and K9 Behaviorist, she has discovered how to perfectly blend her love for what she does with how she works and lives. Originally from Chancellor, she has made her home in Sioux Falls with no plans to uproot anytime soon. Not sold on following the traditional pathway to a traditional lifestyle, Sami Jo instead chose to follow her heart. After growing up immersed in the outdoors with her father who worked as a hunting guide and avid hunter, she knew she wanted to tie her love of working with dogs, passion for the outdoors and educating others to her career path. Thrilled with Sami Jo’s career direction, her parents and sister embraced her choice and encouraged her to pursue her dreams. She remembers, “I didn’t want to go to college because I didn’t know what I wanted to major in. I had completed a high school senior project for search and rescue with my German Shepard Blu, and it really got me hooked on training dogs.” She smiles, “I loved working with her teaching from very foundational to very advanced things and I knew I could do more with it. Once I determined I could make it a career, I went to a training school in Texas and am now a Canine Training Specialist and Behaviorist working with dogs from puppy to advanced off leash. I credit a large part of my success to such a great support system when I showed interest.”
66
SiouxFallsWoman.net | June/July 2021
