Training Spot

“I began as a volunteer at an animal shelter in San Diego,” Jen Biglan says. “I got hired as volunteer coordinator, but I wanted to do more.” She read books, went to conferences, became certified as a dog trainer by the Karen Pryor Academy and was hired by the San Diego Humane Society. “I trained dogs and some goats,” she says. “I worked with the public, taught them to train dogs.” In 2005, she and her husband returned to Eugene, their hometown, and she started Dog and Cat, a home-based pet training business. One of her customers was Tera James. “I had a puppy who was reactive and aggressive, but she was great with the family,” says James. “Other trainers advised that I euthanize her. Then someone suggested Jen, who said, ‘Sure, we can do that,’ and we did!” Inspired by the experience, James quit her job in the mortgage business, went to school, got certified and in 2014 partnered with Biglan to start Training Spot, a training facility for dogs and their owners. Soon they were so busy that they needed a storefront location. “We wanted to help more people and to have a comprehensive puppy program,” Biglan says, “training dogs when they’re really young, before they develop behavior problems.” Classes range from puppy-level up to therapy-dog training, and private lessons are available. Located at 90 Lawrence Street, Training Spot now employs three additional full-time certified trainers, who began as volunteers, plus a receptionist and an operations manager. Pictured left-to-right in the photo are trainers Tera James, Jen Biglan, Carmaleta Aufderheide and Katie Holland, operations manager Padma Connolly, and receptionist Melissa Patricelli. Representing guys in the otherwise all-woman enterprise are Boma and Commander.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

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Thank you for standing with us!