Ashley Rodriquez is the founder and owner of Tamed. She was surrounded by animals from an early age. While working at Seasons Gold, a top of the line dog breeder in Harrisburg, NC, Ashley always loved to get her hands dirty, taking on numerous jobs including dog training, dog grooming, kennel assistant and birthing puppies. Ashley’s love for animals doesn’t just stop at dogs either! Ashley also worked as a horse camp counselor, offered horseback riding lessons, and spent every spare minute with her beloved horse Fiddle. Ashley continued her love of animals into her education and received a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from NC State in 2012.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Ashley decided to spread her wings, accepting a 6-month internship at Caldwell Zoo located in Tyler, Texas. Her intern duties included working with Black Bears, Andean Bears, Africa Barn animals, colobus monkeys and meerkats. Her job was to clean exhibits and provide animal enrichments. Working with the zoo animals on their enrichment activities helped her to really understand how happiness and obedience can go hand in hand for any animal with the right approach.
After completing her 6-month internship, Ashley moved to Montana and became a horse wrangler. A lover of the outdoors, Ashley conducted self-guided tours through Glacier National Park, studied the wildlife, and entertained riders. She worked in a team of six and cared for the corral of thirty horses
After Ashley’s travels and experiences, she came back to Charlotte and worked at The Dog Salon as a bather and fostered dogs from a puppy mill, which ignited her passion for dogs once more. Since then Ashley has been working primarily in the dog training business for over 4 years. In this time she has developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of numerous training methods and techniques. One reason for Ashley’s success in the dog training world is her unending willingness to learn newer, better ways of communicating and understanding animal behaviors through experiences, books, videos, podcasts and training with other trainers. In Ashley’s free time she loves to go hiking with her pets, including her Sphynx Bugatti, sometimes bringing them to breweries and wineries! She loves spending time with friends, reading, riding horses, and loves to travel.
Alces is Ashley’s partner in crime and co-trainer! He is a three-year-old Sable German Shepard from the Cold Water Farm Von Kaltwasser. Alces is a very balanced dog, he loves taking hikes and going to breweries with Ashley to interact with other dogs. Furthermore, Alces loves to go to the barn with Ashley, where she trains him while she rides horses. Alces is a wonderful example of the training provided by Tamed. He exhibits calm in-home and public behaviors, yet has great toy drive and has recently been introduced in the sport world of dog training. As a puppy, Alces competed in a puppy confirmation class and was introduced to dog shows, winning a puppy class with Ashley. Together, Ashley and Alces are a true example of a dynamic duo! Alces helps with the training provided in our programs: he can teach dogs things like play, building drive, and building confidence in themselves.
Tamed is proud to support the following local, reputable dog breeders: Season’s Gold | Coldwater German Shepherds of NC