We are a team of highly experienced dog trainers and caregivers who are deeply passionate about the work we do with animals. Our collective knowledge, experience, and drive allow us to provide the very best training and care for your pet. Our level of expertise in the areas we specialize in is unmatched in the Central New York area.
We are proud to have the only dog trainer in Central New York who is a certified professional trainer and also maintains multiple high-level obedience and scent work titles, in addition to 27 years of professional training experience. We are also the only daycare and boarding facility in the area that is owned and operated by a long-time, highly experienced dog trainer and behaviorist who is on site five to six days per week. Together, our two trainers bring more than 60 years of collective experience as professional dog trainers and care providers. We put this expertise to work for our clients every day.
Our daycare and boarding staff are among the most highly trained in the area. They receive hands-on, on-the-job training and instruction from our trainers to read and understand canine body language and behavioral cues that many people never notice. They are also trained to advocate for the dogs in every situation, ensuring each dog is comfortable with others and having the best experience possible. This specialized training allows our staff to actively monitor interactions, provide guidance, and properly advocate for our clients’ dogs, creating the safest and happiest environment possible. We have spent years assembling this team and are incredibly proud of their compassion, dedication, and the level of care they provide to our facility and our clients’ pets.
Our goal at CNY Canine Academy is to provide the highest level of care and training for every pet that comes through our doors, whether for boarding, daycare, grooming, or training. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you and your dog and to becoming a trusted partner in their care, training, and overall well-being.
Jessica has an AAS in Applied Animal Science and is a certified dog trainer (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors certified instructor #1166C).
She is the only trainer in Central New York who is currently both certified, maintains multiple high-level obedience and nosework titles, successfully competes at the OTCH and ELTCH levels, and has 27 years of professional training experience.
Her current and past dogs have achieved immense success in the performance venues in which they compete, earning multiple High-In-Trial awards in both obedience and scent work, as well as multiple Obedience High Combined awards and several national rankings. Her current dogs are GCH Eis Haus Firestorm UD SWN CS Elite 2 & CH Eis Haus Trial By Fire BN CD SWE NW3. She has also received multiple invitations to the National Obedience Championship Invitational with multiple dogs.
Jessica has been working professionally in the pet industry since 1999, both as a professional trainer and as a caregiver. She owned and operated a very successful large pet sitting and dog walking business in her home state of New Hampshire, while continuing to grow her knowledge base in canine care and behavior.
As the business grew, she began focusing more heavily on training. Her interest in training began in the sport of competitive obedience, where she studied under nationally recognized trainer Celeste Meade for nearly 15 years. It was there that she learned the importance of dog behavior and pressure balance, and how these elements relate to competitive performance and the behaviors required to succeed consistently in the ring. She took her knowledge and success from competitive venues and began applying it to behavioral work with companion dogs.
Jessica has a tremendous eye for dog behavior and body language and is highly successful at modifying and supporting dogs in ways that promote positive behavioral change. She has many years of experience addressing behavioral concerns such as reactivity (barking and/or lunging at other dogs), separation anxiety, resource guarding of food or toys, shyness, fearfulness, and more.
She believes strongly in laying a solid foundation in training, as it is the base upon which everything else is built. Without a strong foundation, there is nothing to support future progress or fall back on when challenges arise.
Her methods are motivational and balanced, with a strong emphasis on positivity and the relationship between dog and owner — because it all starts there.
Jessica’s love of training does not end with the dogs. She also enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge with her human students. She teaches a wide range of classes, including behavior modification, pet manners, competitive obedience, and nosework, and finds great fulfillment in watching her students succeed and grow in their relationships with their dogs. She also offers private, in-home training and instruction.
Jessica believes that continuing education is paramount in building an ever-evolving and improving skill set. She continuously hones her abilities and takes pride in learning from a variety of sources, including seminars, external education opportunities, and by training and competing in multiple performance venues with her own dogs.
She has attended seminars with several top nationally recognized trainers across the country, including Julie Hill, Betsy Scappichio, Linda Brennan, Temple Grandin, Pat Hastings, Denise Fenzi, Sylvia Bishop, Jean Donaldson, and Patricia McConnell, among others in the field. Her studies have covered topics ranging from aggression and body language to advanced problem-solving for competitive obedience and nosework teams. She firmly believes that education is ongoing and is always seeking better ways to teach, train, and support both dogs and their handlers.
Jessica
Valerie
Project Manager
Valerie
Valerie has been professionally training and handling dogs for over 28 years, and has experience with all breeds, sizes and temperaments. She has trained and competed in the following venues; conformation, obedience, rally, herding, dock diving, scent work / nose work, barn hunt, and carting.
For several years she has focused on the sport of conformation, and she has trained and campaigned numerous dogs of various breeds to be top ranked in the country, as well as training and completing championships on hundreds of dogs over the years.
She started in the horse world and trained her first unbroke pony at the age of 13. The pony was unable to be trained and broken when attempted by a trainer years prior, due to fear and confidence issues. These issues prevented success in earlier attempts to train the pony, and others gave up on her years earlier. Valerie set about to break and train the pony to ride by helping the pony to overcome her fears and learn to trust her handler/ trainer, while building confidence. The training was very successful and the pony became a wonderful saddle horse. That experience helped to shape the direction and approach for Valerie's future in training.
She has brought much of her experience and knowledge from the horse world, with her to the world of dog training. She has specialized in working with difficult, shy or fearful dogs over the years, and feels that helping dogs to overcome these issues, to live a more happy and balanced life is a truly rewarding experience.
Her training methodology is a balanced approach, which is centered around positive reinforcement and motivational methods. She believes that training should be fun for both dog and owner, and truly enjoys seeing the bond between dog and owner develop and grow. This bond is strengthened and cultivated by increasing the level of understanding and trust between dog and owner through clear communication and focused training strategies.