Professionally Certified
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About The trainer
Alexa is a certified Professional of Animal Training & Enrichment. She has loved and worked with animals her whole life, and in many different settings - from veterinary clinics, to farms, animal shelters, pet stores, and dog daycares. In 2015, she moved to Chicago and found that her favorite way to make an income was by boarding dogs in her apartment with her roommate, Christopher (who would later become her fiance and dog training assistant).
The more dogs they met, the more Alexa recognized the need for training. She studied on her own and started helping the dogs in their care to gain skills in leash walking, socialization, potty training, recall, crate training etc and soon she was working at Petco as a Dog Trainer Apprentice. She completed the program and then gained experience teaching the basics of dog training to dog owners from all over Chicago. While teaching group classes was enjoyable, she knew she wanted to work on more advanced cases. She enrolled in the Animal Behavior Institute and earned her professional certification in Animal Training and Enrichment. Since then she has worked with private clients and their dogs on a wide range of behavioral issues including leash reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety, resource guarding, relationship issues with other pets, barking, body sensitivity, and more. In the last 8 years, she has helped hundreds of dogs and their owners to achieve their training goals.
Alexa is also a certified Yoga Instructor and has a degree in Theater & Dance from UC San Diego. She uses her knowledge and awareness of body language and the physical/mental tendencies of both humans and dogs in order to mentor her clients towards a healthier relationship and better communication with their pets. The same tools and methods do not work for everyone. Alexa works with clients in a personalized manner, finding creative solutions and training plans that fit their goals, schedule, and unique relationship with their pet.
Alexa lives in Lakeview with fiance Christopher and their two dogs, Penny & Julian, and their cat, Pallino.
Methods
When working with any animal, we must first understand their needs and abilities, both physically and mentally. At Walk the Dog Training, our first goal is to help you recognize your dog’s body language so that you can make informed decisions about their care and be more clear in your communication. Walk the Dog Training makes use of modern, scientific knowledge of dog biology and behavior, along with using skilled and intuitive handling, and well-timed rewards and encouragement, in order to help owners build deeper understanding and stronger communication with their pet.
We understand that every breed has specific needs and abilities and we believe that all are capable of being wonderful pets. We make use of a wide variety of gear based on the needs of the dog and the owner. We use crates to teach healthy separation and to assist dogs who struggle with relaxation. We teach new behaviors through positive reinforcement techniques and we practice discipline with clarity, consistency, and calmness. We support proper exercise, mental enrichment, and socialization for each dog and we understand this may not look the same for everyone. We look forward to helping you find smart, unique, and effective solutions to meet all of your training goals!