We greatly appreciate the expertise and contributions of the following professionals who help make our programs possible.
Faculty
Julie Speyer CPDT-KA, CDBC, SDC
Julie Speyer is the Founder and Director of Canine Foundations and a Provincial Court–Recognized Expert Witness in Dog Assessment, Behaviour, and Training. With over 25 years of experience specializing in canine fear, aggression, and complex behavioural disorders, Julie combines evidence-based methods with a compassionate, real-world approach. A Certified Service Dog Coach, she works extensively with Canadian military veterans and individuals with disabilities, helping to develop and support service dog partnerships that foster confidence and independence. Julie continues to consult on advanced aggression cases, mentor professional trainers and behaviour consultants, and lead the development of educational programs through Georgian College’s Canine Behaviour Series and the Canine Foundations Training Academy.
Business
Gina Phairas BSc Comms, CTC
Gina is a central force behind dogbiz, the dog professional industry’s leading business consultancy, and a former instructor at the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers. Gina uses her experience and advertising background to support dog professionals by leading dogbiz’s talented consulting team and running dogbiz University. She also regularly shares dog business wisdom at dog training conferences and seminars, including those held by PPG, APDT, and as Clicker Expo faculty.
Tiffany Chen
Tiffany is the owner and founder of Pawsistant, LLC, a business dedicated to helping dog professionals grow their business via social media and content marketing. She loves to create educational content using her creative skills. Her mission is to help educate pet parents with credible information from certified pet professionals. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Las Vegas. Tiffany lives in Las Vegas, NV with her partner and her dog, Sihtric.
Editorial & Writing
Adrienne Hovey
Adrienne Hovey is the owner of Fresh Start Writing, a business dedicated to helping dog professionals put their best foot forward when it comes to the written word. Adrienne holds a BA in biology from Mount Holyoke College, and has worked as a veterinary technician, a radiation safety technician and a pet dog trainer in private and classroom settings. She has written and edited content for dog trainers, dog book publishers and many other clients in a range of fields. She was the editor in chief of The APDT Chronicle of the Dog from 2010 to 2015, and is the editor of The Dog Trainer’s Resource 3, a book published by Dogwise in 2013. Adrienne lives in Owego, New York, with her beautiful, naughty, ridiculous dog, Penny.
Curriculum & Course Materials
Nancy Liebhauser CPDT-KA, CTDI, AKC CGC Evaluator
Nancy is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Certified Trick Dog Instructor. She has taught pet dog training classes, sport dog classes, trick classes and worked with dogs with serious behavior problems. Nancy pursues her passion by continuously learning, expanding her skill set and training her dogs to high levels. Her Australian Shepherd, Gambit, has earned an Advanced Trick Dog Title, a Fenzi TEAM1 title, and numerous ribbons and placements in Agility. She is training her Golden Retriever, Pixel, in Agility and Rally. Nancy trained her blind Golden Retriever, Clover, to earn an Advanced Trick Dog Title and an AKC CGC.
Pam Nashman CPDT-KA, CTDI, AKC CGC Evaluator
Pam Nashman is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, and the owner of All About Dogs, where she offers a variety of training options for pet dogs including specialty classes for reactive dogs. Pam is recognized for her high level of expertise in dog behavior. She has lectured to various groups on dog behavior and has served as an expert witness in cases involving animal cruelty and dangerous dogs. Pam has a growing interest in the field of scent detection work. She was the first trainer in the United States to be trained by a Certified ZOS instructor, and she modified the approach to create her TONS of fun! (Target Object Nose Search) program for pet owners.
Legal Expertise
Heidi Meinzer, JD, CPDT-KA, CNWI
Heidi is an animal law attorney who practices in Alexandria, Virginia. She is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Certified Nose Work Instructor. Heidi serves on multiple boards, including for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, as the Vice President of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies and the President of Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, Inc.