I am a Victoria Stilwell Academy certified dog trainer (VSA-CDT) and I’m certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA). I have a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and an M.S. in Biology from the College of William and Mary. I first learned how to use positive reinforcement training as a zookeeper at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and I have seen it used successfully on everything from cats and dogs to stingrays and vultures.

My ideal client is someone who wants to build a strong relationship with their dog. I’m not training your dog, I’m training you how to train your dog. It’s so important to foster two way communication between the dog and handler so the dog can learn and build confidence at their own pace. I teach handlers how to read dog body language so they can recognize signs of stress and adapt accordingly. This applies to new puppies, shy dogs, and reactive dogs. 

In the words of Susan Garrett, “Dogs are doing the best they can with the education we’ve given them in the environment we’ve put them in.” Training is an ongoing, ever evolving process and I’m here to support my clients at every step of the way.