About Lisa:

I have always loved the companionship animals, from dogs, to cats, to bunnies, parakeets and gerbils; and have had one or more at any given time since childhood. Pets can teach us so much about helping others, seeing humor in situations, and teach responsibility and compassion. Even though I have always had a menagerie of some sort, and loved my pets,  I had never planned to be a dog trainer. What I did know, however, from a very young age, was that I would be a teacher.

From playing school to teaching middle school Spanish and English for 20+ years, my mission has always been to help others learn. When I first started teaching middle school Spanish at age 21, my principal said to me, “A great teacher can teach anything”, and while at the moment I was dubious, (particularly in the area of Math….) it turns out he was quite accurate. My calling is to teach, as every hobby I ever had resulted in my teaching the topic to share that knowledge with others. I have gone from teaching foreign language and English to kids and teens, to teaching aerobics, martial arts, yoga, and other fitness classes to teens and adults, and now to teaching dogs; and more specifically, to teaching PEOPLE to teach their dogs.

One thing I have found through teaching all of these diverse areas is that it isn’t about the books, or the exercises, or even the dogs. It IS about empowering the PERSON, (YOU) to love and appreciate and understand the books, the exercise, and the dogs. After all, when I am not there, will the student still want to read the book, or do the exercise? Will you understand how to train your dog in a way that fits your family?

I make it my goal to make my classes entertaining and engaging, so you can learn in a comfortable relaxed atmosphere. As a middle school teacher working with a wide variety of abilities, I have learned to successfully adapt to the style of the learner, and explain things so it is easy to understand and implement. This carries over to all my classes in all areas. As a teacher, I value education very highly and strive to bring you, my learners, the most up to date information and skills in an original and innovative way to help achieve your goals with your dog.

In my spare time, I stay connected with the schools even though I am not teaching officially. My four therapy dogs and I make several visits every week to schools, assisted living facilities, kids’ camps, or wherever we are needed. I enjoy reading suspense novels when I am not reading training books, going to more training workshops and continuing to let my own dogs try out lots of new things, such as sheep herding, scootering, tricks, and agility, and inventing new classes for fun!

Of course, I am always looking to expand my knowledge base in new areas, like feline behavior as well as continue taking workshops and trainings with the best minds in the field of dog training, so I can share that with you.

 

Credentials and Experience:

 

Dog Training:

PMCT, CPDT-KA (Pat Miller Certified Trainer, Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)

CATT - Certified American Treibball Trainer

CTDI- Certified Trick Dog Trainer

 

Owner / Trainer at Head of the Class Dog Training LLC, Winchester, VA (opeed in 2012)

 

Trainer at Best Paw Forward, Hartland, WI (4 yrs)

 

Other:

ACE Fitness Group Exercise Instructor  - Certified since 1997

YogaFit Certified  since 2004

 

Teaching:

M.A.T. – Masters  of Teaching – Aurora University, Aurora, Il

B.S. – Sed- Spanish  - Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education and Spanish – UW- Madison, Madison, WI

 

 

Classes are offered on a rotating basis at the following locations:

 

Winchester, VA:

Posh Pets Boutique 16 S. Loudoun St. Winchester VA 22601

Winchester Aquarium and Pet Center 190 Costello Dr. Winchester VA 22602

 

Please see calendar for more details:

 

Class offerings:

Puppy Start Right® Kindergarten* – (puppies 8-15 weeks at first class) (5 wks) ($135 includes video access for 8 weeks and textbook)

Puppy Agility - (puppies age 12 weeks to 10 months) (6 weeks) ($110)

Basic Polite Pooch – (pups and dogs 16+ weeks) (7 weeks) ($125)  (Week 1 - no dogs)

Level 2 Polite Pooch – (6 weeks) ($110)

CGC (Canine Good Citizen) – (7 weeks) ($120)

Pet Partners® Therapy Dog Course – ($130) (8 hour day)

Wag It Games® Shadow Skills / Intro to Rally – (Level 1 prereq.) (6 weeks) ($110)

Wag It Games® Obsacle Skills / DIY Agility -  (6 weeks ) ($110)

Treibball Foundations / Ball Skills – (Level 1 prereq.) (6 weeks) ($125)

Up and Out, Let’s Walk About – (Level 1 prereq.) (4 weeks) ($70)

Click’R Treat! Canine Circus and Trick Shaping - (6 weeks) ($110)

Advanced Tricks, Complex Cues, Chains - (4 weeks) ($75)

Sniff It! / DogNostics® Fun Scent Games – (4 weeks) ($70)

 

Canine Conditioning and Performance - coming soon! - TBA

 

Please check back regularly for new offerings - prices and class lengths subject to changes

Start dates are listed on "events" and calendar page

 

*Prior to attending Puppy Kindergarten, you must first attend a free Puppy Start Right® session to qualify for AKC STAR Puppy. The text book / video combo is $25.