The Journey
That Built Valhalla
Hi, I’m Tori — the founder and head trainer of Valhalla Dog Training.
With over 13 years of hands-on experience, I’ve worked with dogs of every breed, age, and behavior issue you can imagine. But my journey didn’t start with a business — it started back in 2011, when I took my first job at a high-volume dog daycare and boarding kennel. At the same time, I was studying animal ethics, veterinary assistant medicine, and philosophy in college. But it was inside those kennels, working directly with hundreds of dogs, that I realized this was what I was meant to do.
In 2012, I got my first dog, Nala — who would go on to become my fully trained service dog. She taught me patience, purpose, and the power of connection. Less than a year later, I brought home Drogo, my Dogo Argentino, and my commitment to understanding dog behavior only deepened.
In the earlier years of my career, I also worked in rescue, where I served as a behavioral evaluator. I worked hands-on with dogs coming from uncertain or difficult backgrounds, assessing their behavior, identifying triggers, and helping prepare them for successful adoption. This experience further shaped my understanding of fear, stress, and reactivity — and taught me how to advocate for the dogs who need it most.
Between 2013 and 2019, I completed multiple apprenticeships and worked under a wide range of trainers — from behavior specialists to working dog handlers. I’ve taken dozens of continuing education courses, attended professional conferences, and became a proud member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP). Every year, I’ve pushed myself to learn more, teach better, and train with intention.
Valhalla Dog Training officially launched in Philadelphia, where we spent five incredible years helping real families with real dogs. Whether it was reactivity, aggression, basic manners, or off-leash control — we focused on results, structure, and communication.
In July 2025, I relocated to Columbus, Ohio 📍 for one year to focus on raising my next working dog — a Doberman puppy being trained for explosives detection — while continuing to expand Valhalla Dog Training in new ways.
This next book of Valhalla is dedicated to deepening my craft, building out educational content, and developing additional services that make training more accessible, effective, and real-life focused.
The name Valhalla was chosen with deep intention.
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the hall where warriors go after battle — a place of strength, discipline, and earned peace. It’s not about perfection; it’s about resilience. Honor. The willingness to keep showing up, even when things get hard.
As someone with Swedish roots, the name also connects me to my ancestry and the values that have shaped me — strength, integrity, and purpose through adversity.
But Valhalla is more than just mythology to me.
It’s a tribute to my aunt, who inspired me in countless ways and whose memory fuels this mission. It’s for the dogs I’ve met over the years who were never given the chance they deserved — misunderstood, let down, or silenced before they ever had a shot at learning.
Some of those dogs couldn’t be saved. But every time I train, every time I teach, every time I show up — I carry them with me.
Valhalla is for them.
And for every dog and human still in the fight — trying, learning, and choosing to do better.
This work is my way of honoring them all.
Our Motto: No Hate ✖ Train & Educate
This isn’t just a motto — it’s the heart of everything we do.
“No Hate ✖ Train & Educate” means we don’t train from a place of judgment. We train from compassion, from experience, and from a belief that everyone — dog and human — deserves a chance to grow.
We believe in training that’s grounded in real-life needs.
In structure without ego.
In education that empowers, not criticizes.
Because dogs don’t need perfection — they need leadership.
