Veronica is known for her expertise in service dogs. She developed a certificate program for professional dog trainers in service dog coaching and wrote the book, Service Dog Coaching: A Guide for Pet Dog Trainers. She is a frequent contributor to publications in professional organizations including the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild.
Veronica has trained service dogs to help people with wide range of needs including mobility, hearing, neurological conditions, mental illness and a dual guide-mobility dog. She started training dogs professionally in the 1990’s and has helped thousands of pet owners with everything from basic manners to serious behavior problems. As well as working with owner-trainers, she has experience working with non-profit service dog programs.
Veronica’s interest in service work is both personal and professional. She has a neurological movement disorder called dystonia and she trained her own dogs as service dogs. She also enjoys training in various activities and has titled several of her dogs in Rally Obedience. Veronica and her husband live with their collies in Northern Virginia.
Veronica’s credentials:
- Masters in education and a Bachelors in psychology from George Mason University.
- Certificate in Brain Research in Education from a Washington University program sponsored by the NIH
- Certifications in dog training and behavior consulting include the CPDT-KA and the CABC.
- Previously served as a Vice President of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and founded and chaired the Working Animal Division.
Additional Professional Achievements
- Curriculum contributor for CATCH Canine Trainers Academy
- Speaker at conferences including Mid Atlantic Positive Dog Trainers (2018), IAABC (2006), PAWS Service dogs (2004).
- Invited Speaker for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (2010) – Front Royal Canine Training Center
- Managing editor of an internationally distributed newsletter for a non-profit service dog program, A Pawsitive Canine Experience. The newsletter won the Dog Writers of America Award in 2006.
