My name is Amber Rickles, and I have been training dogs professionally for 22 years. I was certified in 2004. I was in the Veterinary field for 15 years. I have managed kennels with up to 85 dogs, run veterinary hospitals, and worked with hundreds of dogs with severe behavioral challenges. But my most profound understanding didn’t come from textbooks, seminars, or even training other dogs-it came from lived experience.

In 2013, I was nearly killed by an aggressive dog in my care. The attack left me with a broken arm requiring a plate and bone graft, multiple bite wounds, and permanent scars, including the visible scar on my right forearm that I carry today.

But the physical injuries healed. The more challenging part was what came after.

Within the first year after the attack, I faced death threats, public attacks on my character, and people telling me I didn’t know what I was doing. The rescue community turned on me. People made it out to be about his breed, on why I was advocating for his euthanasia. It was because he was extremely dangerous. But that was overlooked. Instead, they said I was incompetent. They tried to destroy my reputation and my confidence. The ones against me didn’t even know me. They based their opinions on a false account of what happened. (I wrote a book on this situation, Faith After The Fire; there is a link at the top of the page.)

It worked, for a while. I questioned everything. I wondered if I should quit the profession I loved. I left professional training for 4 years and just focused on my personal dogs.

But I persevered.

That’s what P13 means. Positive. Passion. Perseverance. It’s not just a business name; it’s the three things that got me through the worst year of my life and to the place I am now.

Why I do this work?

I started P13 Dog Retreats because I was tired of seeing the same pattern: people invest thousands in traditional board-and-trains, their dog comes home “trained” or “fixed,” and within weeks, the relationship is strained again. Because the OWNER never LEARNED. The partnership never transformed. Owners often don’t seek continued help because they are embarrassed or too frustrated, and they give up.

I also know what it’s like to feel at your breaking point. To be scared, exhausted, judged, and wondering if you should give up.

I’m not here to judge you or promise false fixes. I am here to help you build a relationship that works-even with a challenging dog, even when it’s hard. Even when “perfect” isn’t possible.

Four years ago, I adopted B, then a 7-month-old Belgian Malinois who was already aggressive towards humans and had tried to kill another dog. People thought I was crazy after what I’d been through. But B taught me something crucial: not all aggressive dogs can be trained the same. Some can’t be managed safely, like the one that attacked me. Some can, like B, with realistic expectations, proper tools, and daily commitment.

For four years, B and I have built a relationship that works. Our perfect relationship. A very honest one. She will never accept strangers or play with other dogs. She wears muzzles in public when needed.

And all of this is OK!

She still lives a full life, hiking, traveling, and joining me at every lesson as a living demonstration of what a successful relationship looks like with a truly challenging dog.