Sarah Stoycos founded Laughing Dog Academy to promote humane dog training and provide training and behavior modification assistance to keep dogs in their forever homes and out of shelters.
Training Philosophy
Laughing Dog Academy uses only positive reinforcement training methods, with an emphasis on clicker training. They do not use shock collars, choke collars, or prong collars and never ask clients to “correct” or punish their dogs. They believe that positive training helps owners communicate better with their dogs and motivate them to make the behavioral choices they want to see.
Services
Laughing Dog Academy offers private in-home training, online private training, Leash Walking 101 private training, and puppy classes. They also offer classes for dogs and older puppies at the Your Dog’s Friend training center in Rockville, MD. These classes include:
- Puppy Kindergarten
- Puppy First Grade
- Puppy Party
- Basic Manners
- Out and About
- It’s All Just Fun and Games!
- An online Reactive Dog Class
Certifications
Sarah Stoycos is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and member of the Pet Professional Guild.
Specializations
Laughing Dog Academy specializes in basic puppy skills and good dog manners, as well as more serious behavioral challenges. They have experience working with a wide range of challenging behavioral problems, including leash pulling, lunging and barking, excessive barking, jumping, nipping, and reactivity to dogs and people. They also work with fearful dogs and extremely shy dogs.
Training Methods
Laughing Dog Academy uses positive reinforcement training methods, with an emphasis on clicker training.
Customer Reviews
“Sarah is a great dog trainer who combines a wonderful knowledge of dogs with a down-to-earth approach, great enthusiasm, and a lovely sense of humor. My dog was always beside herself with excitement when she got to Sarah’s classes!
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Sarah was upbeat, helpful, and encouraging. I saw all of the puppies learn and flourish in our puppy class. And we had a lot of fun!
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…The hour you spent with Nicki and me has really turned things around. She is catching on very quickly. Much less demanding behavior. We even enjoyed some cuddle time on the sofa tonight. Thanks again.”
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