The Mentorship & Shadow Program

Human-Centered Learning for Dog Trainers

A six-week virtual program, followed by an in-person shadow program, led by Samantha Ewashko, Professional Dog Trainer and Certified Yoga Therapist, of Adventure Hounds North Carolina. This program will focus on creating empathetic dog trainers who seek to support their clients in learning dog training methods that change the lives of dogs and humans alike.

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The Mentorship

6-Week Virtual Program

Mondays 5-8pm

Lunch Hour Q&A Fridays 12-1pm

Start Dates:

Fall 2025 - September 15, 2025

Spring 2026 - March 2, 2026

The Mentorship Program will include both dog training techniques & owner training techniques. The details of these are below.

Dog Training

The dog training portion of this program will teach the Healing Hounds Method which trains based on the understanding of a dog’s nervous system, and how to heal dogs through that lens. However, this program is not about teaching one dog training method as “right”, but rather seeks to teach trainers already actively working with clients how to develop a more adaptable approach of meeting each dog where they are.

Skills taught:

Leash Pressure & Leash Handling Skills
Understanding of the Nervous System in Dogs
E-collar conditioning for Leash Work
E-collar conditioning for Recall
E-collar conditioning for Place & crate

Owner Training

The reality is that most dog training won’t “stick” unless the owners learn it too. Too many dog training programs completely neglect owner-training. The best dog trainer in the world is only a good trainer if they can teach their owners too. But how to do that? Therapeutic skills such as active listening, unconditional positive regard, questioning, reflection, and more are essential and learnable skills for dog-trainers to have!

Skills taught:

Therapeutic Communication skills
How to teach owners dog training skills, either virtually or in-person
How to translate complex training techniques and education into easy-to-understand language for owners
How to make dog training a lifestyle, for yourself and your owners
How to take care of your own mental health as a trainer
Confidence-building

Weeks 1-3

Focus on dog-training skills.

Week 1: Meeting the Dog Where They Are (The Nervous System)

Week 2: The Rhythm of Leash Work

Week 3: Mindful E-Collar Conditioning

Weeks 4-6

Focus on human-centered skills.

Week 4: Therapeutic Communication Skills

Week 5: How To Translate Dog Training to Human Training – lessons, board and trains, and virtual training

Week 6: Your Why and Your Own Mental Health

Requirements to apply:

Must be actively working with clients
Must have a dog to work regularly
Must follow @AdventureHoundsNC on Instagram and be familiar with my daily stories and how I train

Please note: this is not a certification program, but rather an experiential and educational learning program.

*Minimum of 4 people must be enrolled for the program to begin.

*The program will be capped at 8 individuals.

In-Person
3-Day Shadow Program

Winston-Salem, NC

Participants must choose ONE of the following weekends to attend the shadow program portion:

Option A - October 24-26, 2025
Option B - November 14-16, 2025

What’s included:

Homemade lunch each day (can make allergy accommodations)
Handmade coffees by Stephen :)
Hands-on experience with dogs

What's not included:

Accommodations
Breakfast and Dinner

Investment for full program is $2500.

*A non-refundable $500 deposit is required to secure your spot in the program.

The remainder balance is due by the start of the program.

Next Steps:

Apply by clicking here!

Once you have applied, within 24-48 hrs Sam will reach out to schedule an interview. Upon your acceptance, a non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the program.

Hear what others have to say:

This program is inspired by my dog, Hanalei.

Hanalei is my dog of 7 years now. She is my best friend, my soulmate, and my lifeline. Hanalei is one of the smartest dogs I know! She is a fully tasked-trained Service Dog, and has helped me live a life I'm not sure I could lead without her. Adventure Hounds has grown to what it is in big part because of her.

Her nickname is "Princess Smartypants", and she's known as a bit of a know-it-all hehe. So when joining this program, you too are going to become a "Smartypants" by learning all the dog and owner training things!