Angela Lenz

Angela began working with animals professionally in 1989. She received her license with Washington State as a Veterinary Technician in 1991 and applied animal behavior in 1993. She began Tails-A-Wagging in 1997 as owner and lead trainer.

Angela’s focus in training is to help people learn how to communicate with their dogs to further their relationship with each other, using science-based, dog-friendly, reward-based training methods.

Services

Tails-A-Wagging offers group and private lessons, with many trainers on staff who all work with only reward-based, dog-friendly, fear-free practice to help you and your dog achieve the goals you set for you.

Certifications

• AKC Canine Good Citizen Certified
• APDT
• CPDT-KA
• Doggone Safe Bite Prevention Certified
• Fear Free Certified

Specializations

Canine Body Language and dog-to-dog communication, with a particular interest in fear and aggression in small breeds.

Training Methods

• science-based
• dog-friendly
• reward-based training methods

Customer Reviews

The Nissen Family: Angi, and Cam at Tails have all been absolutely wonderful to work with. Everyone is helpful, friendly and willing to share their expertise to help you develop the very best dog possible. My husband and I rely on the “village” to help get our very energetic boxer puppy the training, exercise and socialization she needs to develop into the kind of dog that is a joy to be around. And when I’ve asked for additional resources, I received more than anyone could expect: extremely thorough explanations to questions, links to videos and third party tools, and ideas to try to work through specific issues. Our family went through both puppy pre-school and puppy prep classes at Tails. Solid basic training for my husband (his first puppy) and myself (oh, how much you can forget in 12 years!) Of course it was great for the puppy too, but I don’t kid myself. Those classes were as essential for getting our family into “learning mode” as it was critical training for our puppy. Yes, they do have high expectations, and there is not much sugar coating when there is work to be done. But if your goal is to help your dog into being the best they can be so that you can enjoy their polite doggy companionship forever after…. Tails is the place to go.

Kristen and Scout: Jen, Thank you so much for your notes and for a wonderful training session last Thursday morning! And thank you for noticing so many wonderful things about Scout; we’ve had a few training sessions in the past that were more focused on her reactive behaviors than on her. This is going to sound a bit silly to you, maybe, but I hadn’t realized how much a difference it would make for me when I feel like the trainer we’re working with genuinely likes and enjoys Scout

Sharon and Marie: Jen, I’ve also been meaning to let you know how much your class helped us! We are continuing to utilize and expand upon not only the techniques you taught us but also the broader concepts behind those techniques (engagement-disengagement, calmness, focus). Your class has really been life-changing for our little canine family! Just in the last few weeks, I was able to vacuum while Tui played fetch in the house AND we went on a 9 day van camping trip with the dogs that was more successful (with a lot of planning and preemptive management) and fun than I could have imagined a few months ago!

Debi: We love TAW. It’s not just a place to drop your dog off so you can go to work… it’s school for your puppers. They work hard on training, socialization, and BIG LOVES. Have a question? They will answer. Dealing with bad behavior? They will train you so you can train your dog. They have expectations on dog behavior, and they expect owners to be willing to work with their dogs at home. But the outcome is a well-mannered, sweet, happy dog. Our sweet boy loves to be at school and always has big snuggles for the trainers there.

Kristen and Scout: Jen, Thank you so much for your notes and for a wonderful training session last Thursday morning! And thank you for noticing so many wonderful things about Scout; we’ve had a few training sessions in the past that were more focused on her reactive behaviors than on her. This is going to sound a bit silly to you, maybe, but I hadn’t realized how much a difference it would make for me when I feel like the trainer we’re working with genuinely likes and enjoys Scout.

Penny: I just wanted to update you and your staff and tell them what an awesome private lesson I had with Jess and Penny.
I’m seeing her again next Friday with my mom and nephew here and she did a fantastic job answering my questions, providing me with education and homework, and showing me just what Penny is capable of.
Maybe it’s a pug thing, or a dog thing, but she really loves to show off how great she is at following commands and prompts with your staff while choosing not to listen to her own mother!
Now I have a pooped puglet ready for a well-deserved nap!
I just wanted to thank you and your staff and Jess for all the great work you’ve done with Penny. It is so appreciated.

Michelle and Kevin Waltz: They are the best! During our Bellingham years our 145 lb Newfie mix was a regular. They taught him how to be a gentleman big dog. They employed him as a patient temperament tester for rambunctious newbies. When he grew old and a little less patient they let him be a front office dog and greeter. He had a wonderful social life in large part to Tails-a-Wagging. We will always be grateful and they hold a special place in our heart.

Amy Bruce: I attended another wonderful lecture of [Angi’s] last night – The barking lecture at Whatcom Humane Society. I want to thank you for the information. I also attended your other lectures recently at [Tails-A-Wagging]. Lauren also did a home visit and we attended puppy kindergarten. And you may remember Kurt, my 6 month 5 pound chihuahua mix from puppy preschool. The information I have received from you and your staff has been fantastic and I’m sure it’s why Kurt is so well adjusted and happy. Thank you!

Chris E: I’ve taken two classes with Tails A Wagging and I will definitely be coming back for more. They worked wonders with my leash aggressive cockapoo and my deaf cockapoo, who took the Managing the Growlies and Ruff Around the Edges classes respectively. The trainers really know how to work with dogs and their humans and the methods used in the Growlies class allow me to walk my dog in peace. They use all positive reinforcement and I am much closer to my dogs than before. My dogs also love class.
The staff are amazing at Tails, and they really care about the dogs. I completely trust them. Thank you Tails-A-Wagging!!

Sandra Bowers has over 23 years of experience training dogs. She has raised 23 puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind and Freedom Service Dogs of America. She has been a Puppy Raiser Training Assistant for Leader Dogs for the Blind and a contributor to training protocols for both organizations. She is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).

Training Philosophy
Sandra Bowers believes in positive reward-based training, using praise, treats, or toys to reward dogs for desired behaviors. She emphasizes that training should be positive and fun for both the dog and the owner.

Services

• Private Lessons: Individualized instruction and training plans for owners to teach their puppies. In-home lessons are 30 minutes, while lessons at the private facility are 60 minutes. Package prices are available.
• We Teach Your Puppy: A trainer comes to the owner's home and teaches the puppy. Two sessions per week for a month are included, along with a training tool kit and one training session with the owner present to transfer skills. Multi-dog households may incur an additional charge.
• We Teach Your Dog: A trainer meets with the owner and dog to create a program specific to the dog's needs, which may include training new behaviors, added enrichment, or other behavior modification. The process begins with a meet and greet, followed by progress updates after each session. The program includes 1-2 private sessions with the owner present for training and a training tool kit to transfer lessons.
• Private School: Initial Meet and Greet Session for $150, which includes meeting the owner and dog, establishing goals and a training plan, and estimating the number of training sessions and cost. Private training sessions are approximately $150-$200/session, with package pricing available. Training progress updates, 1-2 private sessions with the owner present for training, and a training tool kit are included. The Meet and Greet session may lead to recommendations that do not include further instruction through Good Paws (e.g., aggression toward people, significant reactivity, etc.). In these instances, the cost of the Meet and Greet session is nonrefundable.

Certifications
Sandra Bowers is a Karen Pryor Academy Dog Training Professional (KPA-CTP), a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), and a Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer.

Specializations
Sandra Bowers specializes in positive reward-based training for dogs of all ages and breeds. She has extensive experience in puppy training, service dog training, and behavior modification.

Training Methods
Sandra Bowers uses positive reward-based training methods, which focus on rewarding desired behaviors with praise, treats, or toys. She avoids using force, shouting, harm, pain, or other negative forms of coercion.

As a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, the trainer offers reward-based puppy socialization and training, including pre-puppy consultations, private lessons, day training, and board and train.

The trainer encourages clients to use the clicker or another marker, harnesses or buckle collars, and soft leashes. Only positive reinforcement methods are used.

The trainer believes that puppy socialization and foundation training are crucial to provide a dog with the right start to fully participate in their family's lives and function comfortably in society.

Services are available in Whatcom County, including Bellingham and surrounding cities. Additionally, board and train services are available for Skagit, Snohomish, and King counties, as well as the area from Seattle to Vancouver BC.

Pick-up and delivery are available for clients' convenience. The goal is to help clients raise a well-adjusted and well-mannered puppy.

The trainer uses only positive training methods, with marker-based training being the first choice. Emphasis is placed on proper socialization to the environment, people, and other dogs.

Additionally, the trainer offers guidance on puppy management in the home to help clients set their puppies up for success, avoiding the development of undesirable habits.

Basic obedience, problem-solving, socialization, grooming, and more are covered to provide clients with the knowledge needed to raise a wonderful puppy.

Private lessons provide clients with tailored sessions addressing basic training, house and crate training, proper socialization, and behavior problems. Lesson times are flexible, accommodating clients' schedules.

With day training, clients can enjoy their evenings and weekends while the trainer works with the puppy during the day to properly socialize and train basic manners. This option allows for a well-mannered puppy without the need for clients to find time in their busy schedules for foundation work.

Board and train services involve the puppy living with the trainer as a member of their household. Professional training and care are provided, making it an excellent option for busy individuals who want a trained dog or for those going on vacation, wanting their puppy's education to continue while they're away.

Compassionate and effective dog training that addresses fearfulness, basic and advanced training, environmental enrichment, and more.

Amber L. Todd

History
Amber has a strong belief in positive reinforcement training methods and has been applying them in Whatcom County since 2006. She started her journey by...

Training Philosophy
Amber takes an overall behavior wellness approach, including diet, physical exercise, mental enrichment, and life skills. She believes that clear communication is the key to success and that training should be fun for both the human and the dog.

Services

• Puppy Starter Lesson
• Private Coaching
• Dog Nerd Club
• Puppy Training Services
• Puppy Play & Learn Day Camp
• Walk & Train
• Enrichment Walk
• Group Training
• Parkour Dog
• Enrichment Games
• Brainy Day Games
• Field Day Games

Certifications

• CPDT-KA
• UW-AAB

Specializations

• Puppy training
• behavior modification
• dog parkour
• dog to dog reactivity

Training Methods
LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive)-based method paired with an ethological approach, positive reinforcement

Is Bigger Team?
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Social Media Links

• Instagram: @thebeatlebulls
• Facebook
• TikTok

K9 Pet Trackers specializes in evaluating, training, and certifying Missing Animal Response (MAR) cat detection dogs and scent trailing dogs to locate lost pets. The company offers national locations for MAR K9 Boot Camps and provides online training courses and MAR K9 Boot Camps for individuals interested in training their dogs to detect cats or track the scent trail of lost dogs. For more information, visit www.missinganimalresponse.com or check out the new book, 'Dog Detectives: Train Your Dog to Find Lost Pets'.

Sara specializes in relationship-centered training that addresses a wide range of behavioral needs. She instructs both the human and canine members of each team, addressing concerns related to off-leash trail work, reactivity, puppy foundations, and more.

Tails-a-Wagging provides fear-free certified doggie daycare, puppy preschool, puppy kindergarten, basic obedience, agility, and canine good citizen classes. Private lessons are also available using only reward-based, dog-friendly methods.

There are 8+ trainers on staff with certifications. Locations served include Bellingham, Ferndale, and surrounding areas. Tails-a-Wagging uses only dog-friendly training methods and aims to make training enjoyable for both two and four-legged participants, while achieving superb results.

The facility boasts multiple trainers, as well as an indoor, heated, and air-conditioned state-of-the-art setting.

Laurel Anne Saville

Laurel Anne Saville is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) with a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from UWashington and specialized training in dog aggression and canine cognition. She uses only modern, science-based, positive-reinforcement training and behavior modification techniques.

Services

• Private lessons

Certifications

• CPDT (Certified Professional Dog Trainer)
• Certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from UWashington

Specializations

• Dog aggression
• Canine cognition
• Rescue dogs

Training Methods

• Modern, science-based, positive-reinforcement training and behavior modification techniques

Customer Reviews

• “Laurel’s patience and positive approach to training and rearing a puppy turned me from a nervous dog owner to a confident puppy mama! I saw the results that consistent training and loving interaction can bring. I truly don’t know how I would have managed my Brittany’s first year without her.”
  Tina
• “Laurel is patient and made training fun while not distracting from the task at hand. When my dog was not cooperative one day, instead of singling us out, she flawlessly continued class and later used it as a one-on-one teaching moment and actually pointed out the positive in the misbehavior. She was quick to point out behaviours that could take significant time, consistency and commitment to correct, ensuring I didn’t have unrealistic expectations. That said, sometimes results were so quick when working with Laurel, it was almost surreal. If you want a healthier relationship with your dog, training with Laurel will undoubtedly yield results.”
  Katie
• “In one visit Laurel shifted my relationship with my new dog. I adopted Lola, an eight-year-old English Cocker Spaniel. She is a great dog but had some behavioral issues. Within ten minutes of entering my house, Laurel was working with Lola and getting a great response. Laurel taught me how to be a better partner with my dog and to establish a bond with her that gave her a sense of her place in the world. One visit. I was sad to think we didn’t need more because Laurel is just amazing to watch and learn from.”
  Leslie
• “Laurel is a superb trainer. She has great insight into animal behavior and shows you how positive reinforcement training works, is fun, and strengthens the bond between you and your pet. I have a rescue dog, Moose, who was very reactive and aggressive towards other dogs when I first got him. Through much training and support Laurel has taught me how to help Moose relax, tolerate the company of other dogs, and even make some really good dog friends! It has been an incredible transformation and a rewarding journey.”
  Meghan
• “Laurel is fantastic to work with – her knowledge of dog behavior and how to use their own instincts and tendencies to reinforce the behaviors we want to encourage is amazing, but it’s her ability to communicate and impart that knowledge to others that make her a really effective trainer. She’s also just a delightful human being!”
  Wendy
• “Laurel understood our particular needs, worked with our family of three, including our teenage daughter, and found a way to bring us all onto the same page to connect with our new family member and make him successful so that we all experienced a positive loop of his success reinforcing our success.”
  Heather
• “It was a pleasure to work with Laurel. She is a knowledgeable, compassionate trainer as well as just a delightful human. My cautious Aussie loves Willow, her canine sidekick. It was so helpful to have someone observe my training interactions to be sure I was actually communicating clearly.”
  Lynn
• “I was nervous about adopting a new puppy so I hired Laurel before I brought him home to provide me with tips and reassurance. She gave me wonderful recommendations from potty-training and curbing common undesirable behaviors, to managing interactions with our cat. Once Finni was home, I attended Laurel’s puppy classes where she taught easy lessons, always keeping things positive and fun for both human and pup. Laurel’s understanding of canine behavior is amazing.”
  Linda
• “Arya is extremely loving and kind but she is very stressed and timid when it comes to meeting people. We were blown away by how quickly she responded when she was approached in the correct way. Laurel managed to let her know that she was not here to crowd her or hurry her and as a result Arya responded by relaxing into a laying position and barely grumbling at her in less than 45 minutes. WE LEARNED SO MUCH! If you have considered training or even just acknowledged that you really should do it…Just do it. Make that call today so you can reduce the stress and improve your life and the dog’s life. It’s not intimidating and trust me, it as if you finally have someone to help you know what to do and share your struggle. Laurel is not condescending, she doesn’t criticize you for trying your best, she’s understanding about your lifestyle and she truly is there to help you to understand how to help your dog.”
  Nancy
• “Years ago, my husband and I got a dog together. We adored her, but she was not very well behaved –she jumped on visitors, was very slow to housetrain, pulled on walks and did not do well around other dogs. I knew that my next dog was going to be well trained! Maybe she would even learn how to do tricks?! Our friends referred us to Laurel, Dog Trainer Extraordinaire, and we set up a session to work with our very sweet, 12 week old Lab mix puppy. We appreciated that Laurel came to our house and she worked with all of us, including my two kids. She was patient, knowledgeable, reassuring and gifted. It’s so evident that Laurel loves dogs, and that she loves what she does supporting dog owners. Laurel creates a community of happy and confident dog owners and well trained dogs.”
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