A Parkite’s journey from puppy love to canine command

Husky in the Wasatch. Photo: Take a Hike Photography // Lexie Larson

Samantha Bednar talks entrepreneurship, keeping our dogs employed, and why she believes in Montessori for Dogs.

By Natalie Taylor, Neighbors of Park City

If you pass a pack of well-trained Australian Shepherds moving in synchronized command along a trail in Park City, you’ve seen Samantha Bednar’s magic at work.

It all started the year she got her puppy, Joe, her Australian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix. Just 13 years old at the time, Samantha had no idea she had taken the first step on the path towards her future career. Joe was such an awesome dog that a friend of her parents offered to buy him. But since Joe wasn’t for sale, they suggested Samantha help their friend train his own dog instead. 

A few years later, Samantha enrolled in the Triple Crown Academy (now known as Starmark Animal Behavior Center) and flew to Hutto, Texas to attend an intensive, three-month, hands-on training program. “We worked with rescue dogs,” she says. “First, we learned how to teach a dog. Then we learned how to teach a human how to teach a dog.” When she graduated as a Certified Canine Trainer & Behavior Specialist, she was the youngest person in her class.

Samantha was born in Utah and split time between Utah and Florida. In 2006, she opened her own doggie daycare center in Lithia, Florida, and ran it single-handedly for two years. “I had 40 dogs, I was doing classes, lessons, day care, and grooming all by myself,” she says. “I wanted to please everyone. But I got fried and needed to take a break.” 

When her daycare closed, owners of other daycare centers who’d inherited the dogs that had been in her program started calling. How had she done it? Dogs of all sizes, with food and toys on the grounds, and no issues? She realized she had a secret formula. Her parents were living in Park City, running Alpine Signs. “Park City was a gift from the universe,” she says. “In 2013, I took the leap, moved up here and eventually took over the property from the sign company and turned it into what is now Active K9 Training Center. My family helped me a lot.”

Samantha says Active K9’s Montessori Dog School “is one of three training pillars and provides essential learning opportunities for both pet and person.” 

In addition to the Training Center, Samantha leads the Active K9 Rescue Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing, adopting, and training rescue dogs. The foundation prides itself on filling the gap between shelters/rescues and forever homes by providing education and resources to keep dogs adopted. “Sometimes we pull dogs that need the extra assistance or specific training and particular home placement directly into our program,” she says. “Our latest rescues have all come from Summit County Animal Shelter—five intelligent, energetic herding breeds that are blossoming into fabulous family pooches.”

In addition to running her own business, school, and foundation, Sam works with the local shelter, teaching staff and officers safe handling and behavior training skills. “We also offer various community outreach educational programs like our free monthly Trail Manners walks,” she says.  

Park City is “a perfect fit for me and my foundation,” Sam says. “There are so many dedicated and active dog owners. And all the trails, pet-friendly places, and nearby adventure spots encourage owners to keep their dogs’ manners up to snuff.”