🐾 Leigh 🐾

Group Training Instructor
CPDT-KA, FDM, Fear Free Certified

With nearly a decade of experience helping people and their dogs work together, Leigh brings empathy, creativity, and a relationship-focused approach to every class she teaches. As a Group Training Instructor, Leigh is passionate about giving owners the tools, perspective, and confidence to build lasting, cooperative partnerships with their dogs.

Leigh’s training style is rooted in positive reinforcement, team building, and needs-focused guidance, with a big emphasis on understanding the dog in front of you. She believes in meeting dogs and their people where they are, then working together toward shared goals—always keeping the relationship at the heart of the process.

Her favorite moments in training come when she can help someone see their dog in a new way—shifting perspective, improving communication, and celebrating successes together.

Leigh shares her home with Avett, her English Cocker Spaniel and flyball teammate, whose challenging puppy days sparked her journey into dog training. In fact, it was Avett—once affectionately nicknamed the “shark puppy”—who taught Leigh the value of patience, understanding, and skilled guidance. With support from The Dog Den trainers years ago, Leigh discovered a passion for learning how dogs and humans grow together, and she’s been sharing that passion ever since.

Her background isn’t in animal science—Leigh holds degrees in chemistry and biochemistry—but her curiosity and love for learning now focus on canine behavior and human-animal relationships. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, photography, and felting.

When she’s not home caring for her two daughters, Leigh is in the training room at The Dog Den or The Puppy Den, leading group classes that help families and dogs build stronger bonds.

Her message to clients:
“Thank you for the opportunity to work with you and your dog. Every relationship that comes through my classes is a gift.”