About Lisa

Lisa J. Edwards, CPDT-KA, CDBC, is a Nationally Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the  Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Inc., (IAABC); a Pet Partner Certified Evaluator and Certified Instructor, and an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. Lisa and her three dogs are all registered Pet Partners.

As a full-time professional dog trainer and behavioral consultant, Lisa splits her time about 50/50 between classroom instruction and private behavioral consults.

As a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Lisa is able to use her knowledge and understanding of the roots of behavioral problems and incorporate that as preventative exercises in her classes in an effort to keep behavioral problems from developing.

Lisa trains both animal and human teams for Animal Assisted Intervention (formerly known as animal assisted therapy) work and has been a regular Humane Educator in the Yorktown School District for the over six years. As the former Director of HART Programs, Inc. Lisa has set up various Animal Assisted Therapy Programs in the Hudson Valley and NYC areas.

As a Per Partner Certified Evaluator and Certified Instructor, Lisa teaches and evaluates teams for the rewarding work of Animal Assisted Interventions. As a registered Pet Partner with all three of her dogs Lisa has done well over 300+ visits with her pets including hospitals, schools, nursing homes, group homes, residential care facilities for children with HIV, crisis response at the Family Assistance Center post 9/11. Lisa is also a registered American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. She was a regular lecturer at Green Chimneys for the Mercy College AAT courses. Lisa consults for special needs schools establishing their campus therapy dog programs.

Her philosophy of Dog/Human relationships is:

The best Dog/Human relationship comes through a balance of boundaries, requested behaviors, and freedoms.

She has been working with dogs since 1990 and training professionally since 2000.

Why is it important to have a trainer who is a CPDT-KA and a behavioral consultant who is a CDBC?

Each of these certifications are earned through extensive field experience, testing or peer review, and collected references of colleagues, clients and other animal professionals. Probably the biggest benefit to you and your dog from these certifications is the fact that in order to maintain there credentials Lisa must complete annual continuing education through workshops, lectures, mandated reading, etc. This separates these certification from so many others and offers you the most up-to-date knowledge from a certified professional.

Because of these requirements you can feel secure that a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant will offer you the most current science and skills in the world of dog training and behavioral modification. You can feel secure that their methods are based in science and an empirical approach with demonstrated effectiveness.

Additionally, for many the most important aspect of these two certifications is the rigorous code of ethics that requires the certified practitioner to treat both humans and canines with care, respect, and professionalism.

Each certifying body, both the CCPDT and the IAABC strive to make life better for both the humans and animals involved in any kind of training and behavior modification. For more information on either of these organizations, their certifying process, or code of ethics please visit www.iaabc.org, and www.ccpdt.org.