Where It All Began
When Cerberus and I started this journey, neither of us knew what we were stepping into. I was recovering from decades of tremors, chaos, and survival mode. He was a brilliant, sensitive Northern Inuit puppy with a mind like a storm cloud — powerful, unpredictable, full of potential.
Training Cerberus wasn’t just about teaching commands. It was about learning patience, trust, responsibility, and how to become the kind of man a dog like him deserves to follow.
Core Skills
Off-Leash Reliability
Cerberus works confidently and safely in public environments without a leash. This rare skill requires extreme trust and consistent conditioning.
Radio Commands and Hand Signals
Hearing spoken commands from a radio in his vest, Cerberus responds instantly — even at distance, even out of sight. He recognizes hand signals just as easily when spoken commands aren't practical.
Urban Public Access
Elevators, crowds, traffic, stores — Cerberus navigates with calm focus and service-level steadiness. He's riding the train now so he'll have an easier time learning to fly.
Certification Journey
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
Foundation behaviors, neutrality, handler focus.
CGC Advanced (CGCA)
High-distraction environments, extended stays, precision.
CGC Urban (CGCU)
Navigating complex real-world public environments.
Public Access Test (PAT)
Completed December 15th, 2025 — A comprehensive test of service dog readiness.
How Training Cerberus Changed Me
Before Cerberus, I lived in a body that wouldn’t listen to me and a mind that wouldn’t let me breathe.
Training him required consistency, calmness, and clarity I didn’t think I had.
It forced me to become someone stable — someone worth following.
He didn’t just learn from me.
I learned from him. Patience. Purpose. Responsibility.
And that second chances aren’t given — but sometimes they can be earned.
Next Step: Live Search & Cadaver Recovery, Flight Training
It's time for Cerberus to begin training for live search and cadaver detection work that demands emotional courage, precision, and a dog-handler bond built on absolute trust.
Cerberus with trainer Cynthia Mallow in Sam's Club
This is our chance to take everything we’ve done so far and learn to serve others. For me — a man who once wondered if life had anything left to offer — this mission means everything.
None of this happened alone.
Cerberus and I owe our success to the expert guidance, generosity, and persistance of the trainers, who became our friends, and walked beside us.
- Professional trainers: Cynthia Mallow, Kyla Tow, and Page Burnham from Krysties K9 Creations.
- Corperate sponsors who supplied gear for our mission: Non-Stop Dogwear, Garmin, DJI, Motorola Solutions, Zamberlan, Mammut, Kuhl, SKB Cases, Nanuk USA, Landshark Supply Company, Renogy, American Expedition Vehicles, StarLink, Blackstone, HEST Sleep Systems, NRS, MyMedic, and REI.
- My dad, for taking this journey with me.
- Karen Houlihan for bringing family back in my life.
- Adam and Paige Perry for trusting me with their children - the single greatest honor of my life.
- Ryken, Aiden, and Freya: Cerberus’ training partners, best friends, and co-conspirators.