Kelsey Jewell

Owner & Head Trainer

I’m pretty sure all of us dog crazy women started out somewhat the same… we were the ones gravitating towards the animals at family get togethers rather than being social with humans. Well, that was me, what shock! Everyone knew I would grow up to work with animals but how and with what animal was the question. When I got my first dog of my own at 14 years old, the answer was clear. That little Mini Schnauzer puppy, Bentley, lit a fire in my heart and soul for dog training.

I started my first job when I turned 17 at a dog center that had opportunities in dog daycare, boarding, grooming, training and competition events. I was extremely lucky to dabble in different areas of the dog world while finding exactly what route I wanted to take. Training stole my focus as did the daycare. The competitive events were so inspiring and I ended up entering my own dog, Bentley, in obedience and agility classes, eventually becoming an assistant trainer in those classes to learn more and gain experience. As the years went on, I worked at more dog daycare and training facilities as an assistant trainer, since we moved around a bit, and I learned a tremendous amount from every dog professional along the way.

I also worked for the best dog walking company in Grand Rapids, MI as their first employee. Dog walking quickly became a passion of mine and I knew I would want to have my own dog walking business one day. I loved spending quality time with the dogs as well as helping them socialize safely. When I moved to Windsor in 2017, I had to leave that wonderful dog walking company behind as well as my dog training mentors. This really pushed me to consider running my own business sooner than later.

In 2018 I decided to start my own dog walking and training business here in Windsor. I had been working at a local dog daycare and training facility but didn’t feel I could fully be myself and do the training I loved there. So I took the jump and started Wandering With Dogs. The support from the Windsor community has been amazing! I look forward to helping more dog & human teams enjoy wandering through life together.

A little exta about me…

I’m a huge Tolkien nerd! Hence having the word “Wandering” in my business name. Middle earth is a topic you should avoid or you may get annoyed. Ha! See what I did there? I also have a passion for reptiles and other small animals. My husband and I have 2 Crested Geckos, a Corn Snake, a Boa, a Leachianus Gecko and an adorable Dwarf Hamster named Toasty! When it comes to my other hobbies, I love hiking, plant care, videogames and I’ve even gotten in to running thanks to the dog sport called Canicross. Agility and disc dog are other dog sports I enjoy!