Dogspeak

Lucy Weaver, MA & CPDT-KA

Owner and Trainer 

My passion is improving the quality of life for animals in human care and the relationship between humans and their animals using positive reinforcement methods. I have worked at animal rehab centers, shelters, farms, and zoos, and I have experience with a variety of animals including seals, goats, owls, parrots, cats, and dogs.

My connection to creatures great and small led me to earn a Master’s degree in Animal Behavior & Conservation at Hunter College and to a dog training apprenticeship with Andrea Arden Dog Training in NYC. While in the city, I taught dog owners in private lessons and group classes and worked in the behavior department at the ASPCA. I lived in NYC for five years before returning at last to the Green Mountains where I (a Chittenden County native) belong. In addition to teaching private clients, I am the behavior & training consultant at the Humane Society of Chittenden County and a staff trainer at the Vermont Dog Club. At HSCC I work with the staff to tackle the shelter's animal behavior challenges and at VDC I teach dogs in the day-train program. You can read more about my certifications below and on my Linkedin page.

It is a great joy for me to teach dogs and their people. As I frequently tell my students, the most rewarding thing about my job is watching the confidence, skills, and relationships between people and dogs blossom.

I am eager to begin that journey with you and your dog as well.

Certifications and associations

Currently there is no industry standard for becoming a dog trainer. Thus, it is important that professional trainers take it upon themselves to inform potential students about their qualifications. My education through the Animal Behavior & Conservation department at Hunter College was a deep-dive into the mechanisms of animal learning and behavior, and the history of human-animal interactions, and included a rigorous background in understanding the scientific method and best practices for research. In addition to my MA, I am certified by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. This means that I took a standardized exam where my knowledge of animal learning science, how to teach dog owners (privately and in a classroom), basic pet care, and my commitment to using up-to-date, scientifically validated, force-free training methods was assessed. In order to qualify to take that exam, I had to have completed a certain number of hours both as an assistant and as a full trainer. The exam itself was written by a group of dog and animal behavior professionals in order to standardize the dog training field, both for its practitioners and for its clients. I am also a professional member of the Association for Professional Dog Trainers, the organization that developed the CPDT exam.

It is vital for dog trainers, just like any other professionals, to continue their education. I regularly attend professional conferences on dog training and animal learning & behavior (like Clicker Expo and the IAABC conference), strive to add to my knowledge (see the Resources page for my favorite sources), and plan to demonstrate that knowledge by adding to my certifications (through the next level of CPDT, the Karen Pryor Academy and Grisha Stewart's CBATI, among others). I am also a member of the local community of positive dog trainers, the Vermont Professional Dog Trainer's Network.