Beck Rothke, born in Buffalo, NY, is formally a nomad who didn’t always stay on the road most traveled. Though he knew from an early age that he wanted to “work with animals,” he also knew that he wanted to do a little more than that. On his nomadic adventures, he would discover the field of dog training, while he also studied writing, literature and other things in between. He served in the armed forces for 8 years.

 

Currently, Beck coordinates the placement, training and outreach for the Morris Service Dogs Program, which is an owner trained service dog program in Burr Ridge, IL.  Beck got his start as a professional dog trainer after interning at AnimalSense under the mentorship of Jamie Damato Migdal, in 1999.  Beck has an advanced degree in writing and over 15 years of student affairs and teaching experience in higher education.  He started to become interested in dog training while volunteering on his weekends while in grad school in a high-volume shelter in Pittsburgh, PA, where he trained shelter dogs to make them more adoptable. In both pet and service dog environments, Beck has always trained using positive reinforcement and teaches owners how to achieve their training goals without force, fear or pain. He stays up to date on training and learning theory through reading research studies and books about canine learning theory as well as attending conferences and events on dog training. He is the 2013 recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year award for the College of the Applied Health Sciences at UIC, where he works full time, which he received for his work with people with disabilities in the Chicagoland area as a service dog trainer. Beck teaches our Academy classes and is a Certification Instructor for Dog*tec Dog Walking Academy in Chicago!

 

Beck lives in Chicago with his partner Jen. Together they raise Ellis, a human boy born 2008; Ruby, a female dog adopted in 2012 and a sassy cat, Josie, who is actually the one in charge. For fun, Beck enjoys biking, sewing and reading poetry.