Jennifer McCarthy started learning about animals from the time she was born through her Mother's guidance and help. She began horseback riding at age 3 and teaching her own dogs to do tricks by age 5. Those tricks lead to experiments like training her goldfish to swim in a circle for food, teaching her horse to bow for a carrot and her cat how to sit. Attending dog and horse shows, training classes and private lessons with her Mother was a signifigant part of Jennifer's life growing up. By age 14, she had been accepted into one of the top riding programs in the country with her 17 hand Thoroughbred ex-race horse that no one else could ride but her. Jennifer notes, "I always felt a connection with animals - I don't know how to explain it other than a mutual understanding."
In 1996, Jennifer formed Very Important Pooch (V.I.P.) in Los Angeles, California. She started the business after college with just a few business cards and word of mouth from clients. She later extended her services to teach group classes as the primary dog trainer for Chateau Marmutt, a high-end pet boutique/daycare in Los Angeles. V.I.P. lead to work with international investigation and security firms, for whom she trained numerous personal protection dogs for their celebrity and top executive clients. V.I.P has since developed into Jennifer McCarthy World Class Dog Training and its divisions, The K-9 Ranch Training Center, located in the beautiful mountains above Boulder, Colorado and two satellite offices in Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Known as the "Wolf Woman", Jennifer has appeared on national television on the Bravo and E! Entertainment networks as well as local news stations across the country including ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. McCarthy has also appeared in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Life & Style Magazine, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, MSNBC.com, The Wall Street Journal.com, Times Colonist, Daily News, Santa Monica Daily Press, Reuters, Allure Magazine.com, Orange Coast Magazine, 5280 Magazine, Southwest Airlines' Spirit Magazine, Pet Business, Pet Product News, The Daily Times-Call, The Palm Beach Post, The Palm Beach Daily News, The Dog Daily.com, Palm Beach Society Magazines, Splash Magazine, iParenting.com and many more. Jennifer has also been featured on many nationally syndicated radio programs, including The Animal Radio Network as well as local radio stations across the country. For over 15 years, she has trained dogs for A-list television, film, and music celebrities and has traveled around the country as a live-in dog trainer for some of the world's most influential people. Continued education, constant research projects, and participation at industry seminars and conferences keeps McCarthy at the top of her game. An accomplished writer and entrepreneur, Jennifer was the training expert and online columnist for retailer Planet Dog. Jennifer has also been an advice expert for Tails Pet Magazine and is sought after across the country as an expert speaker on dog behavior and training. Some of her speaking engagements have included: Whole Foods - Beverly Hills, California, The Space Science Institute - Boulder, Colorado, Planet Dog - Portland, Maine, Healthy Spot - Santa Monica, California and Mission: Wolf in Westcliffe, Colorado.
McCarthy is a fourth generation dog trainer and is skilled in a wide variety of fields including: obedience, behavior, protection, training for television and print, trick training, Schutzhund, personal protection, guard dog training, and American Kennel Club (AKC Handling). She has studied and consulted with veterinarians, animal control, K-9 officers, and top breeders; most notably, Enid Quick, top breeder and AKC Judge of thirty-five years who has produced over 100 AKC Champions since 1979. Jennifer has also studied under Captain Haggerty, former Captain of the U.S. K-9 Corps, renowned author, and "Grandfather of Dog Trainers."
Jennifer is constantly doing an on-going study of wolf behavior, which she applies back to domestic dogs. Her work with wildlife and nature is the foundation in which inspires her to use knowledge from different animals to think "out of the box" and invent new ways and new techniques. She has helped many refuges transport captive wolves across state lines and has also helped them deal with behavioral issues. McCarthy aided in preparing a wolf-dog for ambassador work for Defender's of Wildlife and Mission: Wolf in southern Colorado and although she does not advocate buying or keeping wolves and wolf-dogs as pets, many clients contact her to keep them from ending up euthanized or in a shelter or refuge. Jennifer has spent weeks living in a home and documenting a wolf, wolf-dog and three domestic dogs interactions together. She has spent time on the front lines in Yellowstone with top wolf biologists as well as conducted in-depth interviews with Doug Smith and Rick McIntire. Aside from wolves, Jennifer also does research on other Canidae including foxes and coyotes as well as uses research from many different types of animals from mountain lions to even sharks.
Having grown up as an accomplished equestrian, she applies horsemanship techniques to animal training. McCarthy also uses natural pack or "family" behavior to communicate with dogs, wolves and wolf-dogs. Her keen interest in the Native American culture's spiritual relationship with all creatures is also a guiding principal. Nothing seems too far fetched as she has even acted like a dog for twenty four hours to living on five acres for two years studying her dogs around horses and cattle. Jennifer has completed in depth interviews regarding feral dogs, wolves and other predators with Native Americans, a Holy Man and the homeless on Skid Row in Los Angeles as well as developed her skills using meditation, visulization and her sixth sense. She is looked upon as being a teacher to some of the best trainers in the business today and has also owned a large pet boutique in West Palm Beach, Florida. Because of her cutting edge approach, unlike any other in the industry, Jennifer has formed a devoted following of fans over the years. With a growing fascination on the part of the press, television producers, networks, and agencies, Jennifer has become highly in demand.
"I believe in consistently improving my craft. I'm always reading, observing, going on research expeditions and educating myself to bring everything I can into my sessions with my clients. I love to learn more about what I do – to me that's fun. I believe in not only my knowledge of dogs, but also my studies into other animals and human psychology in which I can apply to dog behavior. Most of all, I am an advocate for animals. I am in this to improve the lives of the dogs, horses and wolves that have given me so much. Honesty, integrity, passion and love for what I do keeps me up at night working and wakes me up excited in the early morning for each of the challenges that come my way on a daily basis. I waste no time, get to the point, and teach people what their dogs want them to hear. With this communication and understanding between both parties, results come quickly and efficiently. I feel extremely blessed to have found my passion at an early age and get to do it as my job daily. I am also incredibly indebted to the animals and people who have taught me so much over the years."
- Jennifer McCarthy
Active memberships include:
Defenders Of Wildlife
Schutzhund U.S.A.
The German Shepherd Dog Club of America
International Wolf Center
Mission: Wolf
Celebrity Clients include:
- Jim Carrey
- Christina Aguilera
- The Osbournes
- Renee Zellweger
- Alyssa Milano
- Rachel Hunter
- Vince Neil
- Julian McMahon
- Christine Lahti
- Beverley Mitchell