Instructor Joan MacKenzie, CPDT

Joan MacKenzie, CPDT, discovered her passion for dogs after she retired from a career as an international lawyer for the federal government when she adopted her dog Sandy, a Tibetan Spaniel, who had been thrown out on the road from a car in rural Georgia. Sandy has such a love of learning that Joan had to become a trainer to keep up with her! Sandy is a natural athlete, so Joan has learned agility; rally obedience, flyball and tracking, to name some of the team’s favorite sports. This rural outdoor dog was not socialized for suburbia, so Joan became experienced in classical conditioning as well, working with Sandy to overcome her fears in her new environment. Joan, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), is also nationally certified with her CPDT certification (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) .
In addition, Joan is pursuing certification in Tellington Touch, a gentle, therapeutic training style that has been very effective helping Sandy overcome her fears. This is an intensive two-year training program that will complement Joan’s experience with obedience and sports training. Joan is using all of her experience to help the neediest dogs at a local animal shelter several days a week.