About Us
Kristin Damiano
Founder
Kristin is the founder and walker at The Balanced Dog and has had a passion for dogs since she was a young girl. Her first dog, an American Eskimo named Snowy, was a puppy-mill rescue. Snowy was a very timid but special dog that taught Kristin to have patience and compassion for animals, that are easily stressed and scared. In the last two years of Snowy's life, Kristin trained her to tolerate wearing a collar and walk on leash (two things that she was unable to do for majority of her life) and recall so they could enjoy off-leash adventures together. For a dog that was once paralyzed with fear to one that could enjoy outings was the catalyst to her career to working with dogs.
After graduating from Nichols College with her Bachelor's degree in 2012, Kristin worked as a nanny, caring for 1-4 children at a time. She gained significant childcare experience working with the same clients for 8+ years. In addition to working with kids, Kristin has worked as a dog walker since 2014.
Today, Kristin cares for her rescue dog, Ollie and three rescue cats. In addition to caring for her own pets and her clients', she volunteered at Baypath Humane Society for 3 years and continues to pursue her passion for training with Ollie for Scent Work and Agility.
Pack Members
Ollie
Ollie is a seven year old rescue that loves to play outside and get real close to his people. He is a squeaky toy enthusiast, a momma's boy, and the smartest dog Kristin has owned.
Before Ollie was adopted, he was found in a dumpster with his brother by a local animal control officer. At first impression, Ollie may seem timid and nervous, but ask anyone that knows him personally and they will tell you how silly and affectionate he is!
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In February of 2017, he received his Canine Good Citizen certification through the Charles River Dog Training Club, started Agility shortly after and in December 2018 has been working on Scent Training. He is one of Kristin's most proud accomplishments and is one of the inspirations behind this company. You may see him accompanying some of Kristin's walks!
Ozzie - Rest In Peace
Ozzie, was a Black Labrador rescue (about 3-4 years old) that joined Kristin's pack in May 2015. He passed away New Years Eve 2019 from a severe seizure. He was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2016, just one year after adopting him.
Kristin realized that Ollie gravitated towards easy going, confident dogs from whom he could learn to become more confident with himself. Kristin adopted Ozzie from a Labrador-based rescue and he and Ollie were inseparable since day one.
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Ozzie was the sweetest dog Kristin's ever owned! He quickly turned into Kristin's work dog accompanying her daily on every walk. Though he came to her with severe reactivity towards bicyclists, motorcycles and the occasional runner- it was a mission of Kristin's to help desensitize these "issues". In return, he showed all animals and people around him endless affection and love, acceptance and happiness. Most of the adult dogs Kristin walks today grew up walking with Ozzie. He was a true gentle giant.
While Oz isn't perfect, he was the perfect fit for our pack!
Benson
Benson is a Yorkshire Terrier that Kristin's cousin rescued from a local shelter when he was three years old. He displayed fearful behavior and needed to be trained to build confidence while walking on a leash.
Benson completed two dog training courses and has come a long way from where he first started. Through patience and diligence, he was trained several commands and likes to join off-leash hikes with very good recall.