Lisa Collins, CPDT-KA, President

Lisa Collins, CPDT-KA, loves dogs. Inspired by her volunteer work with the Anti-Cruelty Society, Lisa pursued dog training professionally. She completed an apprentice program with the Anti-Cruelty Society and became a trainer in 2001. It didn't take long for Lisa to realize that dog training was her true calling. And in 2003, Collins Canine was born.

Through the years, she has successfully trained hundreds of different breeds in a variety of settings. Lisa and the Collins Canine Trainers are skilled in many areas, including basic obedience, housebreaking, fear biting and reactivity. My biggest goal is to keep dogs out of shelters and in happy homes, she says. If an owner has the time and patience, he or she can make almost any situation work. Collins Canine use positive-reinforcement techniques to achieve long-term results. I get calls from people crying because they don't think they can keep their dogs any longer, she says. Very few problems cannot be fixed when you apply the right training and the owners are committed to making it work.

To show her professional commitment, Lisa became a Certified Pet Dog Trainer in 2004, which required more than 300 training hours, professional references and successful completion of a rigorous examination. Also, she must agree to uphold the code of ethics laid out by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. In addition, Lisa was featured and has provided training expertise on several TV and radio programs. Lisa's compassion for dogs is evident throughout her practice and she believes that all owners can experience the great fulfillment of dog ownership.

Photos by Jennifer Girard

Certifications and Memberships
• Certified Pet Dog Trainer since 2004
• American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator since 2005
• Professional member of Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 2001

Seminars
• Dog-Dog Group Dynamics: Healthy Interaction vs. Aggression with Sue Sternberg (June 2010)
• Dog Behavior: Innate, Developmental or Emergent, with Ray Coppinger at Wolf Park(November 2009)
• Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference (October 2008):
  • The Revolution in Horsemanship: Robert Miller, DVM
  • Interrelation of Chronic Stress, Arousal and Aggression in Dogs: Sarah Kalnajs, CDBC, CPDT
  • Appropriate vs Inappropriate Play Between Humans and Dogs: Patricia McConnell, PhD, CAAB
  • Using Play to Treat Aggression Related Behavior Problems: Karen London, PhD, CAAB, CPDT
  • Role Playing in Play: Ian Dunbar, PhD, MRVS, CPDT
  • The Relationship Assessment Tool: Suzanne Clothier
  • Games to Energize Your Classes: Sue Pearson, MA, CPDT & Judy Warth
  • Aggression Management Through Positive Reinforcement: Grey Stafford, PhD
  • Conditioned Reinforcement: Jennifer Sobie, PhD, CPDT
  • Alternative Medicine: Doug Knueven, DVM, CVA, CAC
  • Talk Dog, Think Dog: Victoria Stilwell
• A Dog is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Pam Reid, PhD (June 2008)
• New Perspectives on Canine Behavior, Emotion & Training: Steve White & Patricia McConnell, PhD (October 2006)
• Aggression in Dogs: Brenda Aloff (November 2006)
• The Science & Art of Clicker Training: Kathy Sdao (March 2005)
• Training with Permission: Peggy Moran (January 2005)
• Becoming a Better Trainer: Pia Silvani (March 2003)
• Evaluating and Enhancing Canine Temperament, Shelter Dog Issues: Sue Sternberg (May 2002)

About Lisa's group classes:

I just wanted to drop you a line and say thank you for everything.  Tom and I really love your class.  I don't know if I would have as much confidence with my new pup if it wasn't for you.  I love how nice and gentle it is- and how quickly Ramona catches on.  Anyways, I wanted to write because I wanted to make sure you know how helpful you've been.  Having someone lead me through puppydom makes me feel good and sure of myself- and know that our pup is starting her life in a positive way. I'm happy for your baby too- what an awesome, patient, encouraging mom he gets!
Heather M.

The thing I liked the most was the applicability of the techniques that could be extended to many other instances of daily communication and the fun teaching style.
Soroya H.

Lisa had a great attitude and made me and everyone else comfortable.
Ben L.

My dog calmed down a lot, became much more focused and the reinforcement of Stay throughout the course was a great help.
Tatjana A.

I liked the small number of dogs which allowed for Lisa's close attention.
Laura P.

About Lisa's private lessons:

Great, practical suggestions. It was very evident Lisa has much experience and love of dogs. My dog loved her right away - quite unusual for him. Also, I appreciated the quick email follow-up reviewing everything we discussed.
Vicky B.

Lisa made certain that I understand why her techniques worked which made it easier to understand my dog's motivation.
Elizabeth K.

Lisa was great! She had the puppy responding after one session. Very impressive!
Deborah P.

I had a very good experience! I refer everyone to you! Thanks!
Kristin H.