It started by falling in love with a tough dog.

Handlers & Humans is the passion project of Jess Adam, a coach with almost a decade of experience as a licensed psychotherapist, and proud owner of a lovable, silly, anxious, reactive, and perfect lab-pit mix named Dio.

In 2014, Jess brought home a six month old puppy with a crooked ear and after becoming quickly overwhelmed by his intense behavior, realized she needed serious help. Like many reactive dog owners, Jess had no idea what she was getting into. 

The years of training that followed were full of highs, lows, and a lot of tears. While her trainers were absolutely wonderful, they understandably focused on Dio's behavior and couldn't offer insight on how to manage the intense emotional toll that comes with owning and loving a reactive dog. 

Along the way, Jess started to cope by incorporating skills that she would often teach her clients in therapy. This was the missing link to give Jess the emotional capacity to keep working with Dio... even when things felt impossible. Ultimately, Jess and Dio would go on to pass Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog evaluations together! 

Nine years later, he is still the love of her life.

Handlers & Humans has been featured on...

Dog Mom Mentality - What We Are Working On As Dog Owners & Is Therapy Right For You 

Dog Mom Mentality - Training Yourself To Be a Better Dog Owner 

Rescue Dog Love - Put Yourself First to Better Your Relationship with Your Dog 

Holistic Pet Radio - Living With Your Reactive Dog, Why Mindset Matters