Aubrey Lee McElhiney

History
Aubrey Sperry, CDBC, CNWI, CPDT-KA, is the owner and head trainer of Sit Pretty Dog Training. She is certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), by the National Association of Canine Scent Work as a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI), by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), and by Fear Free as a Fear Free Certified Trainer. Aubrey is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild, and she has worked professionally with animals since 2007. She gained experience teaching people while working as an educator at the Los Angeles Zoo, and learned to work with various dog breeds as a veterinary technician in an emergency and specialty practice in Los Angeles. More recently in Boston, Aubrey worked as a zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo, where she trained or assisted in training a variety of exotic animals.

As a veterinary technician and avid participant in dog sports, Aubrey has worked with many different dog breeds, and knows how to tailor training regimens to suit different temperaments of individual dogs. She believes that many dogs can adapt to fit a lifestyle that suits a city dweller with the right training and mental stimulation. Aubrey's current passion is consulting with families that have dogs exhibiting aggressive behaviors. Helping families improve their safety, comfort, and communication with their canine companions is her specialty.

Aubrey lives in West Roxbury with her two dogs, Jolene and Guillermo. They are active in the dog sport flyball and can be seen with their team, Ready, Set, Ruckus!, at tournaments throughout the year. Aubrey also enjoys working with her dogs in obedience, dock diving, canine frisbee, lure coursing, and nose work. She also works hard to make sure her dogs are well-adjusted city dwellers. Say hi if you see them around West Rox or JP.

Training Philosophy
Aubrey believes that many dogs can adapt to fit a lifestyle that suits a city dweller with the right training and mental stimulation. She specializes in helping families improve their safety, comfort, and communication with their canine companions.

Services
Sit Pretty Dog Training offers a variety of services, including:

• Private Training: Packages for new rescues, puppies, behavior issues, and frustrated greeters. Prices range from $595 to $880.
• Group Classes: Puppy socialization, beginner obedience, intermediate obedience, intro to K9 Nose Work®, and advanced obedience: CGC Prep. Prices vary by class.
• Behavior Consulting: Initial consultation for $295, followed by individual sessions or packages for continued support.
• Separation Anxiety Training: Remote training packages and individual support sessions. Prices range from $45 to $795.

Certifications
Aubrey is certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), by the National Association of Canine Scent Work as a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI), by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), and by Fear Free as a Fear Free Certified Trainer.

Specializations
Aubrey specializes in aggression, separation anxiety, and nose work.

Training Methods
Aubrey uses positive reinforcement methods and focuses on building a positive relationship between the dog and owner.

Customer Reviews

We have been working with Aubrey for a few months now with our rescue puppy Mia, who has lots of fear around noisy streets. Aubrey is extremely professional, but also really down to earth and understanding - and at times has felt like our dog therapist listening to all our concerns. She always provides really personal and thoughtful techniques after each session.
– Marklin

Working with Aubrey has helped us understand the stresses and what was causing Easton's behavior and we have worked with her on techniques for behavior mitigation and slowly have improved Easton's behavior. We have not had an incident since we started with Aubrey and have full confidence when working with Easton in stressful situations.
– Ryan

Aubrey's the best, she changed my view and expectations on dog training! We started taking private sessions with my puppy Dio, who was around 13 weeks old. A few months later he now has manners like I never thought we could achieve. Aubrey didn't just train our dog, but taught me a ton of skills that will be useful in the future. I highly recommend her!
– Ilona

I've taken my puppy to Aubrey for group classes as well as 1:1 private sessions. She's amazingly knowledgeable about dogs and how they learn, has impressive experience working in zoo and veterinary settings, and has a wealth of information about a large number of dog sports as she actively participates in many with her own dogs. She is professional and upbeat, so our training sessions are always fun. Highly recommend Sit Pretty Dog Training for anyone looking for evidence-based dog training to bring out the best in you and your dog.
– Sara

We adopted our beautiful Aoife and soon discovered what a scared dog she was. We spent a lot of time practicing what Aubrey taught us in the private sessions to build her confidence. The 'look at that' game helped her learn to dismiss scary things. In another game she learnt to stay calm and wait when doors opened and not bolt through it or away from it. There were lots of other great confidence building and recall exercises for Aoife.
– Simon

Aubrey taught me how to understand Henry's behaviors and taught us how to communicate. Her work focused on reward-based training, behavior modification, prevention and desensitization. Aubrey's vast knowledge of animal behavior and learning did not go unnoticed. Henry and I use the training methods she taught us every day, and both of our lives have improved. We have good and bad days, but Henry and I are a team now. We are both much happier, more confident and safe. Our world totally opened up after working with Aubrey. I am so grateful!
– Sophia