As a trainer, Lisa is exceptional! Her knowledge of what techniques work best was spot on. She started training Edie when she was 4-5 months old. With reinforcement by me in between sessions, she has become a happy, well trained & attentive puppy. By the end of our sessions, she could sit, lie down, stay, wait, recall, go to her place AND rollover. I was extremely pleased and would recommend Lisa highly. As a person, she is fun, relaxed and I’m thrilled to call her a friend now.
SKILLS AND TRAINING
Lisa is a certified professional dog trainer and dog walker. In 2015 she earned her initial certification from the on-campus CATCH Canine Trainer’s Academy held at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center. Lisa graduated ’’with distinction’’ from a full-time, six-week, program. Thanks to her studies under internationally known dog expert, Pia Silvani (CPDT-KA, CCBC) and the founder of CATCH, David Muriello (CPDT-KA, CCDT), Lisa is now well versed in the current theories and philosophies of training at the forefront of this constantly changing and growing field. In addition, her daily work with shelter dogs and puppies provided invaluable experience handling a wide range of temperaments, motivation levels and learning styles. Lisa also graduated from the dog*tech intensive Dog Walking Academy in 2015. Lisa is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), an organization of individuals who are committed to becoming better trainers through education. She regularly attends workshops, seminars and conferences in order to continue learning from the most well-respected and knowledgeable trainers, behaviorists, and vets in the field.
WHAT SHE DOES and HOW SHE DOES IT
Lisa is fully aware that the presence of dogs in an owner’s life can be a blessing or a nightmare. With patient, thoughtful and consistent training, Lisa will help you train your dog to become a well-mannered companion that adds joy, fun and love to the lives of his owners. She is well versed in the science that underlies the principals of animal learning. She uses positive reinforcement and behavioral modification methods that are backed by current scientific research and animal training theory. Her primary goal is to help owners effectively communicate with their dogs in order to elicit desirable behaviors and avoid unwanted and problem behaviors.
TELL ME MORE
Having grown up in a home that always had multiple pets, Lisa always knew her children would be raised with dogs in their lives. What she didn’t know was that it wasn’t as easy as her mother made it look. Her busy role of stay-at-home mom, with a husband working long days in NYC and three small children, plus two energetic dogs wasn’t just difficult – it was downright overwhelming! It didn’t take long before basic obedience training became a must. It was in these classes that Lisa first realized her passion for dog training. Since then, Lisa has drawn on that passion and turned it into a career she adores.
Lisa has a BA in Psychology from Gettysburg College and a MA in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University. In the past, she worked as a mental health counselor and an elementary school teacher, jobs that require knowledge, patience and persistence. Those same skills make Lisa such an effective dog trainer.
Lisa can’t imagine life without dogs at her feet or by her side. For her, dogs bring the life joys of companionship, love and loyalty to new levels.
She lives in Chatham, NJ with her husband, three teenagers and two English Cocker Spaniels, Ollie and Coal.
