Susan Waltman discovered positive dog training methods more than 20 years ago. Since then, using only these positive methods, she has earned more than 100 titles with her dogs, including a Utility Dog title on each dog she has owned. Her dogs have earned recognition in obedience, agility, regional & national tournaments, plus other dogsports including herding, lure coursing, and dogscootering. She is currently owned by Clue her new Salukii who is following in the steps of her beloved Puzzle, her first Saluki, who had competed at the top levels in obedience and agility. Puzzle also performed service dog (balance/mobility) work for Susan and she is training Clue for similar work. Susan believes that training should be fun for both dog & human, and her instruction for the last 19 years has aimed to enhance that relationship. She was one of the first in the DC Metro area to train using only positive motivational techniques and has continued throughout her training career to pioneer a training method that is both humane and fun for dogs and humans alike. She is endorsed by NADOI (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors).
Joan MacKenzie, CPDT discovered her passion for dogs after she retired from a career as an international lawyer for the federal government when she adopted her dog Sandy, a Tibetan Spaniel, who had been thrown out on the road from a car in rural Georgia. Sandy has such a love of learning Joan had to become a trainer to keep up with her! Sandy is a natural athlete so Joan has learned agility; rally obedience, flyball and tracking, to name some of the team’s favorite sports. This rural outdoor dog was not socialized for suburbia, so Joan became experienced in classical conditioning as well, working with Sandy to overcome her fears in her new environment. Joan, a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), is also nationally certified with her CPDT certification (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) .
In addition, Joan is pursuing certification in Tellington Touch, a gentile, therapeutic training style that has been very effective helping Sandy overcome her fears. This is an intensive two-year training program that will complement Joan’s experience with obedience and sports training. Joan is using all of her experience to help the neediest dogs at a local animal shelter several days a week.
Yuko Furumoto, CNWI found her passion for dog training when she got her first dog, a toy poodle named Manon. Yuko wanted to understand her dog’s mind and raise a dog that she can take anywhere. She trained Manon to compete in agility where they earned 5th place among 60 dogs in the intermediate level in a big competition in Tokyo, Japan. Yuko and Manon have also competed in obedience and Manon has acted on TV commercials and for magazine shoots. With this success, and finding herself helping her friends train their dogs, she decided to pursue a career in dog training.
Yuko’s inquisitive nature comes from her background as a journalist and researcher. She earned her Masters in International Relations in the United States before working as a economic researcher and financial reporter in the US and Japan for many years.
After finishing a formal intensive dog training program in Japan where she acquired extensive hands-on experience with a variety of breeds, she worked as freelance trainer, visiting homes to help owners better communicate with their dogs. After returning to the US in 2009 with her husband and two dogs, she has been focusing on nose work, training her two toy poodles in tracking and in K9 Nose WorkTM. She has always been fascinated by the scenting ability of dogs, and is excited to have an opportunity to teach the K9 Nose Work class at C&C PALS.
Sharon Kirby believes wholeheartedly that people and dogs have a unique bond that blends fun, affection, communication, and teamwork; and positive dog training is the surest way to experience this wonderful connection with our pets. While working for many years in both the federal government and private sector, Sharon participated in several dog sports with her papillon Dilly Dally and her maltese Beau. Agility with Dilly was her main interest for several years. After rescuing Beau, Sharon and he trained in both Rally O and Canine Freestyle, and they previously worked as a therapy dog team for PAL (“People, Animals, Love” in Washington, DC). Sharon currently volunteers for two dog rescues: LCAR (Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in Washington, DC) and PAW (Partnership for Animal Welfare in Maryland). She also writes PAW’s weekly Animal Issues Bulletin, which provides information on legislation, court cases, and other news relevant to animal (and human) welfare. Sharon is a member of APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and looks forward to national certification as a trainer in the near future.
Laura Heyer has always loved dogs, and always thought she would work with animals while growing up. She worked at a veterinary clinic throughout high school, college and part of graduate school while working on her Masters degrees in the field of education. For over 15 years, Laura has worked in the special education field as a teacher and administrator with students with behavior and learning issues, but she has never forgotten her desire to work with animals. Using the tenets of learning theory and behavior modification she relies upon at school, she trained her previous dog on her own using mostly positive methods. As her dog became older she decided to enroll in a class to refresh the training she had worked on years prior. As luck would have it, she found C&C PALS. Her own experiences and education meshed so well with the philosophy of positive methods and the application of learning theory she found in the class, she decided to take the plunge and pursue training with C&C PALS. Laura feels that this is the perfect way to combine her love of teaching with her love of dogs, and hopes to eventually be able to add the initials CPDT (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) in addition to the M.T. and M.Ed. she already has after her name. Laura is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Today she is working with her young dog on becoming less of a “compulsive greeter” with the eventual goal of becoming a reading assistance dog team. This way she can work with her dog at both of her workplaces.
Anne Davis has always enjoyed dogs and says she feels very fortunate to be in the "positive" dog training profession. Anne's background is in Physical Education and Special Education and she has also spent 16 years working in the corporate world. After many years Anne is now able to pursue her true love full time of working with dogs and of course their owners. Anne's family in Vienna revolves around her husband, Gene, their two labs, Rudy and Cooper and their German Shepard Dog, Missy. Both of their labs are rescue dogs and Rudy has helped Anne in several ways. At times he is a demo dog for classes at C&C PALS. Anne and Rudy have visited with pre-schools and scout groups to talk with children about dog safety. Rudy has also been the subject of Anne's first children's book, "Rudy's Friends," which describes the joy of children having a variety of playmates. Anne is a member of IACP, International Association of Canine Professionals, and APDT, Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has been exposed to several methods of training and truly believes in the "positive" approach. You can get results without hurting your dog!
Jenny Brawley, CPDT has been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer since 2006. Her passion for dog learning began when she adopted a “hard ship” dog from a local trainer. “Kenny” had fear aggression issues and his adoption came with a follow-up consultation with his former trainer. Jenny took advantage of the opportunity but the consultation ended with Jenny in tears as the trainer tried to impress the need to administer leash jerks to establish “control” over Kenny. Jenny was convinced there had to be a better way to work through Kenny’s issues instead of using positive punishment. Jenny also figured out quickly that without an understanding of what “triggered” Kenny to be fearful, it is not possible to apply antidotal methods.
Thankfully, Jenny found out about positive reinforcement training based on the theory of animal learning. Jenny immediately applied and was accepted at the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers where she graduated in 2002. Not only did these methods learned at the Academy prove successful with Kenny, but Jenny vowed to apply this new knowledge to help other adult shelter dogs, many of whom are surrendered because they had never received adequate socialization, basic obedience training and manners.
Now Jenny devotes her evenings to her passion of dog training here at C&C PALS. On a volunteer basis, Jenny has been involved with a local shelter since 2001, helping with post-adoption behavioral questions. By day, Jenny is a mortgage fraud investigator. Jenny is also a graduate of the US Secret Service “Train the Trainer” program and this skill has transferred to her ability to teach dog owners how to train their dogs and instill good manners.
Jenny resides with her husband and five “kids” (three adult shelter dogs and two shelter cats) in Vienna. She is a member of the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and is a nationally certified dog trainer with her CPDT (Certified Professioinal Dog Trainer) certification.
