Ericka Duggan – Owner / Instructor

As long as I can remember I have been connected to animals, most of all dogs. I did not grow up on a Farm with lots of animals. Instead I walked, bathed, and played with the neighbors dogs wishing for one of my own. As a child I though I would “grow up” to be a vet. I thought that this would be the best way to help the animals I was so connected to. After volunteering at a local vet clinic I realized that while vets do help dogs it was not going to be for me. I felt that as a vet I would work on dogs not with dogs.

In 2000 I started to work for a local Australian Shepherd breeder. I was hired to run his ranch that included 50 sheep, 10 dogs, 4 cats, and 10 chickens. It became obvious that the dos were very behind in training. Their owner had developed some health issues and could not work with them. So began my adventure into dog training.

Later I began to work for a local animal shelter. It was a this point that I knew K9 Behavior was what I would do for the rest of my life. This was when I really started to broaden my education past training and into K9 behavior. I went all over the county to seminars and internships. Some of the best experiences I have were in New York at Round Out Valley Animals for Adoptions. There I was certified in the Train to Adopt program. The goal is to make dogs in the shelter more adoptable as well as provide them with daily mental stimulation. I was also certified in the Training Wheels program, that keeps dogs out of the shelter by providing behavioral and medical assistance to the community. I also became a part of the Lug Nuts program that helps intercity kids keep out of dog fighting and give them an outlet to “show off” their dogs while using positive reinforcement training and fostering a community bond. In the Asses-A-Pet program I excelled in the ability to match dogs and people together to make life long matches. In addition I became certified with the Humane Society of the United States in the Pets for Life program and attended countless workshops and seminars with Puppy Works, HSUS, and Positively Trained to name a few.

My work in various animal fields ( veterinary techician, boarding kennel manager, grooming assistant, animal shelter behavior associate, surgery technician, ect.) has given me the opportunity to work with just about very breed, mix, age, size, and temperament of dog in many different environments.

Today I work with pet owners and their dogs, as well as working as a consultant for various animal shelters. I continue to help people make correct choices when selecting a pet. Beginning with choosing a breeder or rescue group to the actual dog or puppy they will bring home. My rescue work is continued one animal at a time by pulling them from shelters that don’t have the resources to fix broken dones or deal with skin issues. Once they are healthy I find them great homes. Continuing education is important for anyone in the field. I do mine with the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers, Puppy Works, the Animal Care Conference, the HSUS, and the ASPCA.

Alexa Leineweber- Instructor

I was that little girl who always knew she wanted to work with animals.  As a toddler, a very sweet golden retriever knocked me over to lick my face, yet scared me half to death.  This made me weary of dogs throughout my childhood, but not enough to stay away completely.  My mom used to call me the neighborhood dog petter.  I would regularly cross the street just to ask someone if I could pet their dog.  After years of begging, my mom finally gave in when I was 11 years old and we got a dog. Officially, I was hooked.

In 2002 I started volunteering at a veterinary clinic and got hired 6 months later.  Since then, I have worked as a technician wherever I lived.  In 2009, I graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Animal Science.  During my time in college, I realized I wanted to learn more about communicating with animals.  The fact that people have adjusted and learned to communicate with other species despite our lack of a shared language was intriguing.

In the summer of 2008, I interned at the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, NY working with sea lions and seals.  There I performed a research trial on how each of 4 sea lions interacted with different types of enrichment.   My interest in animal behavior continued to rise. In 2010, I interned with the US Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, CA.  There I worked with dolphins and sea lions, continuing to learn about animal behavior and marker training. In 2011, I worked for a company that trained animals for films called Birds and Animals Unlimited in Los Angeles, CA.  There I worked primarily with land animals and birds. I’ve enjoyed interacting with and learning from so many species and still find myself amazed at how we can so effectively communicate with living beings that are quite biologically different from humans.

Currently I enjoy training and hiking with my little 4 year old terrier mix, Jade.  Jade enjoys trick and agility training and we are both looking forward to beginning K9 Nosework.  My technician work is continued at a local veterinary clinic in San Luis Obispo.  I am excited to begin 2012 working with Ericka here at Elite K9 solutions.