Leah Snavely: Founder and Lead Trainer at Dog House Training Academy

Born into a family that bred and raised German Shepherds, Leah has always been surrounded by dogs. In high school, her interest grew and she interned as a veterinary technician at Faust Animal Hospital and the Banfield in Phoenix. It seemed inevitable that she would choose a career that revolved around animals.

Leah went on to work at a local retail pet store for over three years, where she served as an Area Trainer for a year and a half. As an Area Pet Trainer, she trained over 30 new pet trainers for the multi-billion dollar retail company, pushing her store to number one in training sales in the state and 8th in the nation. Now, she has founded her own company and is taking Arizona by storm!

Leah now has over 4,500 hours of training experience and has trained almost every breed imaginable! She has extensive experience rehabilitating aggressive breeds back into society, and has never turned a dog down. Leah has taken on several cases that other trainers have turned away, and she firmly believes that almost any dog can be rehabilitated.

Leah is certified through the American Kennel Club as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

CLICK HERE to read more about the AKC's CGC Test

"My job is to help you get inside your dog's head, so you can understand why they are misbehaving, and learn the most effective way to correct it. Using positive reinforcement, body language, and consistency, you can teach your dog to do anything.

"Dogs should be a part of your family, they deserve the companionship and loyalty that they so quickly return. Spending time training with your dog is one of the best bonding experiences you can share. It is just as important as regular trips to the vet and providing proper nutrition." - Leah Snavely

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Bert Haagenstad: White German Shepherd Rescue's Evaluator, Boot Camp trainer and author of "Let's Talk Dog"

Bert was raised around farm animals and had several dogs of various breeds and mixed breeds, and too many cats to count growing up. He learned at a very early age that he had a way with animals -- a quality inherited from his father. While his focus for the past 20+ years has been primarily on German Shepherds (and for the last 11 years on rescue dogs), he has experience with all breeds and training levels. His first GSD, Corky, was a top scoring obedience dog, and one of his early training experiences was with the "Naughty Dog Class" at a training facility in Minneapolis, MN.

In 2003, Bert became involved with White German Shepherd Rescue, evaluating dogs for acceptance into the rescue program and training adopted dogs to get along with cats, horses and sometimes even other dogs in their newly found homes. With the family of adoptive dogs ever growing, Bert saw a need for a basic obedience class where adopters could come with their rescued dog and receive guidance and basic training under the guidance of someone familiar with the breed and the needs of a rescued German Shepherd. And thus Boot Camp began in 2005 and is successfully running to this day.

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Bert is certified through the American Kennel Club as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

CLICK HERE to read more about the AKC's CGC Test

As Bert says, “I owe a lot to Corky. He was a one man dog and took nothing from anyone else. We formed a bond of trust and friendship; a partnership in and out of the ring. He put up with some crazy ideas and gave me everything he had, heart and soul. After Corky, came Crystal (Corky’s daughter), and after Crystal there was Baer… each special in their own way and dear to my heart. All these dogs have contributed to the training of this owner.

These beautiful dogs are the reason I put so much into learning, to enable me to pass along my knowledge and train people to train their dogs. These dogs gave me so much…more than I could ever give them, but I hope through my helping of other owners and their dogs that I can repay this debt at least in some small way.”