Sidekick Dog Training

 Amanda with Foggy, Australian Shepherd/Lab mix (October 2011)

"Not only is Amanda a superb trainer, but she is genuinely a pleasure to be around because of her obvious love of dogs and what she does for a living. "I was never a dog person until I got my first Bernese Mountain dog three years ago. Now I frolic with my puppies and can not imagine life without them; they are my babies and I am extremely protective about their vet, their trainer, the people I board them with, etc."I only want the best working with my dogs and Amanda is simply the best."

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Amanda has been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer since 2007, which requires references from a client, a colleague and a veterinarian, completion of 300+ training hours, a comprehensive exam, and ongoing education. 
• She is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evauator.

 EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's degree in psychology from Stanford Univerisity.
• Continuing education via workshops, seminars and conferences given by leaders in the field of dog training, including Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar, Emily Larlham, Patricia McConnell & Kathy Sdao.
• Actively networks with other local trainers; follows leading dog behavior & training publications.

EXPERIENCE:

• Amanda has worked professionally with dogs since 2000. After years of full-time shelter work, she started Sidekick in 2006.
• She was a full-time animal shelter supervisor for five years where she assessed the behavior of hundreds of dogs of different breeds and ages and with different behavioral challenges. Amanda is an expert when it comes to identifying the source of a behavior problem and figuring out how to solve it.
• Amanda shares her own home with multiple dogs. She has owned and fostered dogs from puppies to seniors with a wide range of training needs and behavioral challenges. She has lived with up to six dogs at any given time, ranging from a 7 lb Chihuahua x to a 115 lb Mastiff x! She understands the unique challenges of single and multi dog households.
• She has personal and professional experience with a wide range of issues, including guarding objects from people and other dogs, housetraining challenges, dog-to-dog disharmony, aggressive on-leash reactions to other dogs, excessive vocalization, separation anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, and more!
• She regularly competes in agility with her Australian Shepherd/Lab mix Foggy and her Rat Terrier Poe. Her third agility dog, Wren, is in training! Amanda and  Poe have also competed in Rally.
  

CHARACTER:

• Amanda love dogs, but she also loves people. Some people work with animals because they don't enjoy people, but Amanda is a dog person and a people person! She is friendly, supportive and enthusiastic with her human clients.
• She is a big believer in giving back to the community and regularly contributes to organizations that work to improve the lives of human and non-human animals, including Canine Connections at Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie, WA.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

• Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)

• Member of Puget Sound Positive Trainers
• Sidekick Dog Training is licsenced, bonded & insured. 

 Amanda with four of her dogs - Wren, Sasha, Poe & Foggy.