Meet the LEAP Trainers

Cara Armour, KPA-CTP, FFCP is an experienced trainer dedicated to helping you build a strong and lasting bond with your dog through effective training methods and personalized attention. She offers a variety of training services to meet the unique needs of every dog and their owner(s). From in your home to at an agility class, Cara loves to help the bond with your dog grow and the communication improve. 

 I love working with the whole family on better communication with their dog. I take a behavior based approach to helping with issues such as reactivity, resource guarding, etc. As a former special Ed teacher, I love working with families and individuals of all abilities to have a stronger bond with their dog!

​

​

​

​

​​​

​

​

​

Scott Bacheller is a certified positive reinforcement dog trainer and Fear Free certified professional dedicated to fostering trust and communication between dogs and their owners. specializing in on leash reactivity and behavior modification, Scott uses compassionate science based techniques to create lasting behavioral changes. With a passion for helping dogs of all shapes and sizes thrive, Scott empowers owners to build stronger, stress-free relationships with their pets.​

​

​

​

​

Proper Paws Dog Training has been serving Concord, MA and the surrounding area for 20 years, we specialize in Pet Dogs, offering classes for your puppies starting at 10 weeks to adulthood.  We have group classes and offer private appointments.  My philosophy is that it is easier to train a dog to do the right thing early than it is to correct inappropriate behaviors after they've become habits. ​​​

​​

​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​

Meet the Trainer

​

​

I specialize in coaching families with dogs that have or are expecting children, and coaching people and families with newly adopted puppies and dogs. Life transitions are exciting, but they can also be hard - and not just for the dog! With 20 years experience, and as a licensed educator for Family Paws Parent Education since 2012, I enjoy helping families and their dogs learn how to navigate transitions, set up for success, and develop skills to calm the chaos. "Educating both ends of the leash" is not just a byline, it is my motto and passion. Available for both in person and remote consulting and training.

​

Meet the Trainer​

My philosophy is to look at the dog as a whole.   I help owners reach their goals with behavior modification  using science based methods.  I help create a bond to facilitate communication and understanding by setting yourself and the dog up for success.  I have a commitment to furthering my knowledge and expertise. 

​

​

​​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

Sharon is a certfied professional trainers and teaches group classes at Proper Paws Dog Training as well as takes on private clients.  She enjoys working with new puppies and their parents to get them off to the best start possible.

​

​​​​​

​​

​​​​​

​​​​

​

​

​

​

​

Francine Coughlin is the owner of canine care company Bark n’ Roll in North Reading.  She is an ABC certified dog trainer (Honors Graduate), a Certified Behavior Consultant (IAABC), a certified Cooperative Paws Service Dog Training Coach, an AKC Evaluator, and Founder and President of BnR’s Rock n’ Rescue, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit rescue organization. She is a Past President of the Reading North Reading Chamber of Commerce and a recipient of the 2020 Commonwealth Heroine Award. She specializes in remote and in person behavioral consultations with her team often offering in person training support for clients. 

​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​

We use the science of behavior analysis to get straight to the heart of the behaviors that make life with your dog more challenging: separation anxiety, reactivity, aggression, resource guarding, concerning behavior around children, and more. Once we understand your dog’s triggers and the factors that reinforce their behavior, we’ll create a custom plan to address them. ​​​​​​

​

Fear free positive reinforcement training for your companion animal.  We believe in helping our clients to connect to their companions in a mindful way. Training is more than commands and obedience.  We believe in working from the inside out.  Meeting the core needs of the dog, cat or parrot from nutrition, enrichment, physical and mobility health to social interactions and play.  Our goal is to enrich the lives of both the animal and their guardians.

​

​

​​​​​​​

​

​

​

​

Noelle is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and has her Associates Degree in Animal Science.  Noelle takes private clients and teaches classes at Proper Paws Dog Training.  Noelle takes a special interest in helping puppies and anxious dogs become confident, well-adjusted canine citizens.  She is also the proud dog mom to her Alaskan Malamute, Indigo.​

​

​

​

​

​​​

​​​​​​

​

​

Meet the Trainer​​

Dr. Laura Frizzell is a scientist and multi-certified dog trainer specializing in modifying behaviors related to reactivity, aggression, fears, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety. She uses reinforcement-based methods based on the most up-to-date science and collaborates with all members of a dog's team - guardians, sitters, walkers, veterinarians, and veterinary behaviorists. She offers private 1:1 coaching and day training sessions (dog training done for you at your home).​​​

​​​​

​

​​​​​​​​​​

I am a member of the Sit Pretty team, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, and specialize in separation anxiety. Separation Anxiety work is done remotely, allowing me to support dog-client teams across Massachusetts (and globe). I also co-teach Malena DeMartini’s Separation Anxiety Certification Program and bring 15+ years in public education to my work as a dog professional.

My name is Meg Gallugi, I am the founder of DogSPEAKTraining. I have been in the rescue field the last 15 years, where I have developed a special love for rescue dogs.  The focus of my work as a canine professional is holistic, human-canine coaching, and behavior consultancy specializing in fearful, worried, anxious pups.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Ruth is a reactive dog training specialist transforming fearful anxious pups into calm confident dogs! She combines her background in dog behavior and human education to help struggling dog parents enjoy walks and spending time with their furry family members. Ruth offers private in person/online training plus online group programs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​

​

​​

​

​

​

Jessi loves helping to foster relationships between animals and their people and building up confidence in dogs learning to live in the wild world of human expectations. In addition to training certifications, Jessi is a certified veterinary technician who enjoys husbandry and cooperative care training for grooming and medical care. She believes training is more than "just" basic manners, but is instead a fluid, life-long process that should bring joy both to the pet and the humans who care for them.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Stephanie Keesey-Phelan (she/her) is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees from Simmons University where she continues to teach as an adjunct faculty member in the Behavior Analysis department. Stephanie has been training dogs professionally since the early 2000s, holds multiple dog training certifications and founded The Dog Behavior Institute with Ran Courant-Morgan.

​

At the Dog Behavior Institute, we specialize in the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors. We teach individuals, families, and dog professionals how to better live and work with dogs. Our services empower guardians to improve the quality of life for themselves and their dogs, and help professionals incorporate evidence-based, data-oriented practices into their work.

I have been involved in running and training dogs for over ten years. My work with dogs started with training Siberian Huskies for mushing. After working with dogs primarily in this capacity, I quickly learned the value of combining obedience training with practical canine exercise programs. I spent 2018-19 working as an apprentice for Judy Bernard, CCPDT-KA, at Proper Paws Dog Training in West Concord. In early 2019, I became fully certified by the Certified Council for Professional Dog Trainers. In 2022, I opened my own training center in Lincoln, Massachusetts where I conduct private training sessions with clients and their dogs.​

​​​​​​​

​

​

Meet the Trainer

​​​

Kristen takes on private clients and teaches group classes for Proper Paws Dog training. Her passion is helping people build strong positive relationships with their dogs!  ​​

​​​​​

​

​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​

​

 Meet the Trainer

Sara's slogan is "helping you and your dog speak the same language"; that's her goal with every client she works with, getting to know both dog and human, helping them to communicate and work better together as a team. While she spent several years as the trainer-on-staff for a local shelter, she has offered private in-home training since 2015 on Cape Cod. Sara offers training for basic manners and obedience in addition to behavior counseling, specializing in fear and aggression. 

​​​

​​​​​​​​​

​

​

Kim is an experienced certified canine behavior counselor and trainer having worked with dogs, shelters, rescues and dog guardians since 2001. She was one of the members of the Center for Shelter Dogs, at the Animal Rescue League in Boston and was a Behavior Counselor at Animal Rescue League and Save Dog in Sudbury. She currently teaches public dog training classes in Natick, MA and helps clients and families train their dogs and work on behavioral needs in their home too. She also writes, teaches, conducts training and behavioral consultations for shelters and rescues, animal control officers, non profits and educational institutions.

​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​

Kim Palermo CPDT-KA CCUI FDM owns BlueDog in Lawrence MA and specializes in Control Unleashed for pet and sports dogs alike. She is also passionate about ACE Free Work and applies the concept of a healthy brain and body into all of her training. Kim is also an avid dog sports trainer and competitor with three of her five dogs.

​​

​​​​​​​​

​

​

​​​​​​​​​

​

​

 Meet the Trainer

Karen entered animal behavior and training as a feline behavior consultant and still specializes in working with cats. She loves and appreciates dogs, too! Since she began working with dogs ten years ago, she has focused on fearful/undersocialized dogs, puppies, and dog who are “reactive” toward people. She enjoys helping people gain a deeper understanding of their companion animals. She emphasizes clear communication, meeting needs, and empathy to improve animal behavior. Karen prioritizes collaboration, reasonable expectations, and practical strategies in her behavior and training plans. 

Behavior and Nose Work trainer at Sit Pretty Dog Training. I regularly teach group classes for nose work, reactivity, and cooperative care, as well as take on private clients. I also train and compete in multiple dog sports such as nose work, herding, agility, disc, dock diving, and canicross to name a few and would be happy to help clients build sport foundations.

​

​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​

​

​

I am a double-certified professional dog trainer with an eclectic academic and career background before I stepped into my full-time passion training humans and their dogs. My history has led me to become a lifelong learner and problem solver, nerding out regularly with my hive mind groups of fellow positive reinforcement trainers. 

​

My dog training philosophy can be summarized in five words: whatever works and is nice.​​​​​​​​​​​​

​

​

​

​

​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​

Aubrey offers behavior consultations in the greater Boston area focusing on concerns including all types of aggression, reactivity, and resource guarding. With a background in education, veterinary care, and exotics, Aubrey brings a unique perspective to all her training cases. In her free time she focuses on dog sports including K9 Nose Work, flyball, and freestyle frisbee - she loves to talk about any and all dog sports.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

My main goal for all humans and their dogs is to live their best lives together as the best versions of themselves. My training focuses a lot on our dog's mindset and learning how to make good choices on their own, with us right beside them to help them if they need it! By customizing our training to meet you and your dog's needs we can set everyone up for success without making training feel like a chore. By using plenty of play and fun training games to ensure a good time for all while meeting and exceeding our goals! I specialize in service dog training as well as pet dog training everything from basic to advanced obedience, real world training, Canine Good Citizens training, trick training, reactivity, anxiety and fear based behavioral modification, and confidence building!​

Jenny pursues her passion for animals, and continues to expand her expertise and knowledge by participating in educational seminars and workshops. Understanding potential causes of problem behaviors in both dogs and horses can help eliminate frustrating and undesirable behavior. Using homeopathic treatments (kinesiology taping, Reiki, physical therapy, body work, and essential oils), we offer a complete, balanced, and individualized training program for individual clients. These practices allow us to tackle one of the biggest contributing factors to behavioral problems which is health issues.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​

Sharon Wachsler is a nationally recognized specialist in owner-training service dogs, having trained her first award-winning service dog in 1998. Sharon and her staff at At Your Service Dog Training in Hadley, MA, offer online service dog classes, private in-person and online training for public access and task training, and pre-adoption consulting and assessment to help clients find the right dog to train. Sharon also offers mentoring, consulting, and presentations for professional and aspiring dog trainers on service dogs and their training.​​​​​​​​​

​

​

 Meet the Trainer

At Boston Dog Butlers, we help dogs and their owners build lasting, positive relationships through training that fits seamlessly into busy lifestyles. Our expert team offers both private in-home sessions and independent training with the dog to speed up progress and make learning easier for owners. From basic obedience, impulse control and relaxation, to complex behavioral challenges like reactivity and fearfulness, we use engaging, gamified exercises to create effective, customized training plans. Expertise, support, and fun are at the heart of everything we do.

​

​

As an anthrozoologist and dog psychologist, I specialize in modifying canine behavior. My clients seek my help for a range of concerns, and together we collaborate on resolving problems. Working in client homes, I provide basic puppy training, manage fear and anxiety, and reduce the risk of bites towards toddlers, family members, and other dogs.

​

​

​​​​​

​

​

​