Heidi Braun discovered the concept for Thank Dog! Bootcamp in Fitness magazine, and thought it the perfect fit for herself and her high-energy border collie, Maggie. She traveled to beautiful downtown Burbank to check out the program in person, and decided that she wanted to become its ambassador in Ohio. She got her ISSA personal training certification, and began recruiting humans and dogs to join her on her new mission.

During a class, Heidi teaches her students an entire suite of circuit-training exercises designed to be performed outdoors in the natural beauty of parks. Simultaneously, she instructs their canines, training them to respond to nine different commands as issued by their owners. This regimen has the added benefit of teaching pooches to be calm in the presence of other dogs without feeling the need to growl, mark territory, or play poker.