Meet the Founder: Justus Joseph

CPDT-KA | LLA | IAABC | APDT | THRIVE Member

I’m what happens when you mix Sailor Moon, Glinda the Good Witch, and Snow White — if they were also deeply obsessed with dogs.

Originally from the wild and forested beauty of British Columbia, I grew up surrounded by animals, trees, and a steady stack of books. My lifelong passion for animals and storytelling has taken me from Canada to Japan to the United States, where I now live in Chicago with my husband, six dogs, two cats, and a rotating crew of foster animals.

I’m a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA), with advanced studies in behaviour and learning through Dr. Susan Friedman’s Living & Learning with Animals (LLA). I’m also a member of the IAABC, APDT, and THRIVE, and I’ve worked with hundreds of dogs across ages, breeds, and behaviour challenges.

But my work is more than credentials — it’s rooted in empathy, creativity, and a deep belief that training should feel like communication, not correction.

I specialize in helping guardians understand their dogs — and themselves — through science-based, soul-centred training. That includes working with reactive dogs, disabled dogs, sensitive souls, and the people who love them.

Outside of training, I’m a published author, figurative sculptor, and lifelong artist. I hold a BA and MFA, and studied classical drawing and painting at Gage Academy, Ravenswood Atelier, and Palette & Chisel in Chicago. Whether I’m writing, sculpting, or training, my work lives at the intersection of storytelling, emotion, and observation — the same foundations I bring to every client relationship.

I created Lineage of Love because I believe training can be more than effective — it can be beautiful.


When we shift the way we relate to dogs, we shift the way we relate to ourselves.
And that changes everything.

A woman with dark hair, wearing a burgundy sweater with white embroidery around the collar, sitting on a black step next to a three-legged golden retriever wearing a blue bandana. The woman is smiling and the dog has its tongue out, appearing happy.

Feel like we’d be a good fit?
Let’s begin your journey together.

✨ The Lineage of love Experience

Where dog training becomes relationship, ritual, and legacy.

At Lineage of Love, we believe training is more than teaching behaviors — it’s a conversation, a practice, and a way of seeing each other clearly. This isn’t about controlling your dog. It’s about learning to co-create safety, trust, and understanding between species — with curiosity, care, and compassion.

We’re a woman-run, science-led, heart-forward business offering trauma-informed training for dogs and the people who love them. Whether you’re raising a puppy, supporting a disabled or sensitive dog, or navigating reactivity, you’ll find deeply personalized support here — grounded in behavioral science, intuitive observation, and emotional connection.

The Lineage Experience is about:

  • Professional training that centers consent, communication, and clarity

  • Creative practices that nurture reflection, healing, and joy

  • A sanctuary in the making — a future retreat space where dogs and guardians can rest, reconnect, and rebuild their bond in nature

  • Community that holds space for complexity, celebrates softness, and believes learning should feel like love

This is more than dog training.
It’s a transformation. A partnership. A legacy.
And you’re part of it.

A dog in a life vest sitting on a blue kayak with water and clear sky in the background.

This is more than training. It’s transformation.
Let’s take the first step together.

Lineage of Love

line·age of love (noun)

  1. The deep, intuitive bond you form with your first dog — the kind of connection that shapes how you love, listen to, and learn from every dog that follows.

  2. A soul-level understanding shared with another being — one that expands your awareness, brings meaning to your life, and leaves an imprint on your heart forever.

Those of us who seek better solutions for our dogs — who want to make their world safer, softer, and more joyful — are always becoming. Always learning. Always reaching for something kinder.

And that is what creating a lineage of love truly means.
It’s the choice to be on a lifelong journey — one rooted in care, curiosity, and deep respect for the amazing canines who walk beside us.

Whether you're here to take better care of your dog, understand their needs more fully, or deepen your communication and connection, your lineage of love starts here.

Justus holds an overweight, eyeless Toy Fox Terrier named Homer the day she adopted him back in 2010.

Love is the starting place. I’ll help you with the rest.

Meet Justus’ Dogs

  • Small black and white dog with large ears sitting on a pink and orange patterned fleece blanket.

    Bronte

    ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

  • Close-up of a small black and tan dog with large ears and a blue collar with NASA logos, looking attentively upward.

    Emerson

    JUNIOR BARK RANGER

  • A tan and white mixed breed dog with one ear standing up and the other flopping down sitting indoors near a brick fireplace with a holiday garland, next to a large potted plant with thin branches and a window with light curtains.

    Fleur

    PAWTENTIAL ADVISOR

  • A happy brown and white dog with one eye closed, lying on the ground in a garden, surrounded by green plants and large leaves.

    Ginny

    CUSTOMER SERVICE LIAISON

Meet Justus’ Angels

  • A small eyeless dog with black, white, and tan fur wearing a blue and black bowtie, sitting on a beige couch with a dark background.

    Homer

    GUARDIAN OF MIDNIGHT SNACKOS

  • A white dog with a black nose and ears, sitting indoors with a purple collar and leash.

    Belle

    GUARDIAN OF COMFY BEDS

  • A small, fluffy puppy with closed eyes, a pink nose, and light fur with patches of darker color, lying on a brown couch, wearing a pink bow tie with green dinosaur prints.

    Milton

    GUARDIAN OF SWEET SURPRISES

  • A small dog with black, white, and brown fur, sitting on someone's lap, wearing a colorful skull-patterned bandana, with a blue painted wall and cat-themed decorations in the background.

    Byron

    GUARDIAN OF MISCHIEF

  • A happy small dog with tan and white fur, lying on a person's lap, with eyes closed and tongue slightly out, appearing to smile.

    Poe-Tato Hedgehog

    GUARDIAN OF THE LOST

  • Small dog dressed in a tuxedo and wearing a gold birthday hat with 'happy birthday' written on it.

    Wilde

    GUARDIAN OF LUCK

  • A small black and gray Chihuahua with cloudy eyes lying on a person's lap, being gently held by a hand. The dog has one tooth visible and is wearing a black and green striped shirt. There is a white and gray dog with a red harness partially visible in the background, along with various soft furnishings.

    Thomas

    GUARDIAN OF QUIETITUDE

CCPDT logo with the text 'Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed'
Certificate for living and learning with animals, issued in 2024 by behaviorworks.org.
THRIVE!
Logo of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants with colored squares, a globe, and text indicating membership.
Logo of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) featuring a silhouette of a dog and a person training, enclosed in a blue circular badge.
Insured and Bonded via Business Insurers of the Carolinas
A colorful graphic with an orange background, pink quote marks, and a yellow sticky note. The note has a question in bold black text, 'What was your favorite part of training?' and a handwritten-style quote, 'Working with Justus and seeing results,'
A colorful graphic with an orange background, pink quotation marks, pink and purple decorative elements, a yellow square note with black text, and a pink decorative tape with heart patterns. The note contains a quote about training.
Colorful graphic with a yellow sticky note on an orange background. The note contains black text with a quote about training and a pink quotation mark in the top left corner and a decorative pink and black tape at the bottom left.
Colorful graphic featuring a yellow square with a growth-themed quote about dogs and communication, with pink quotation marks and decorative tape with heart pattern at the bottom left corner.
A colorful graphic with a quote from Anna Brimm about her favorite part of training, featuring a yellow note card with black text, pink quotation marks, and decorative tape on an orange background.
A colorful graphic with a pink quotation mark in the top left corner, an orange background, a yellow sticky note with a quote, pink accents, and a strip of black tape with pink hearts at the bottom left corner. The quote reads, "What was your favouri