Instructors & Staff

Sarah Stoycos, KPA-CTP, Instructor

Sarah’s goal is helping dogs become happy, healthy life-long companions to their people. A former college professor who loves to teach, Sarah enjoys meeting new people and showing them ways to communicate better with their dogs.

• Owner/trainer of Laughing Dog Academy
• Certifications:
  • Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
• Education:
  • Graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA-CTP)
  • B.A. Bowdoin College
  • PhD Washington University in St. Louis
  • Seminars by Ken Ramirez, Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, Ken McCort, and Terry Ryan
• Memberships:
  • Pet Professional Guild
  • Mid-Atlantic Association of Positive Professional Pet Trainers
• Over a decade of experience working with a variety of animal species (dogs, seals, chimps, and monkeys!)
• Experienced handling many different behavioral and training issues

(Contact Sarah.)

Michelle Mange, Instructor

• Owner/trainer at Right Start Maryland
• Teaches Basic Manners 1, Basic Manners 2, Reactive Dog Class, and Agility at Your Dog’s Friend
• Over 20 years of experience in positive dog training

(Contact Michelle.)

Lisa Arant, Instructor

• Owner/trainer of Small and Tall Dog Training
• Certifications:
  • Certified AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
  • Licensed Family Paws Educator
• Memberships:
  • Pet Professional Guild
  • Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional Positive Pet Trainers
  • Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
• Experienced foster for various shelter and rescue dogs
• Worked at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter as a kennel technician
• Worked as a veterinarian technician at a private practice
• In addition to her own dog training business, Lisa also teaches a variety of classes at Your Dog’s Friend including Basic Manners, Confidence Building, Canine Good Citizen Preparation, Out & About, Agility, Play and Games for Small Dogs, Puppy Kindergarten, Puppy 1st Grade, and Fearful Dog; and has coached for Reactive Dog class.

(Contact Lisa.)

Susan Sanderson, PMCT2, Instructor

Susan’s practice centers around force-free, rewards-based dog training and behavior work. She offers group classes and private lessons throughout the Washington, DC area.

• Teaches basic manners parkour (urban agility) and tricks/games classes at Joyful Dog LLC in Great Falls, VA
• Teaches agility classes at Your Dog’s Friend
• Certifications:
  • Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT2)
• Education:
  • Five of Pat Miller’s academies
  • Sue Sternberg and Pia Silvani’s Instructors’ Training Course
  • Bob Bailey’s Operant Conditioning Chicken Workshops
  • Agility workshops with Stuart Mah and One Mind Dogs
  • Suzanne Clothier’s Trainers Workshop, Advances Trainers Retreat, and CARAT 1.1 Seminar
• Memberships:
  • Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
  • Mid-Atlantic Association of Positive Professional Pet Trainers
  • Pet Professional Guild
• Has competed with her dog, Falco, in the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) at the Masters level
• Volunteers as a trainer with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington

(Contact Susan.)

Ron Storrer, CNWI, Instructor

Ron is a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI™) and has been teaching K9NW® classes since May 2017. His training philosophy is entirely no force training, creating a fun, positive environment for your dog to explore and to solve odor puzzles.  K9NW training creates confidence and independence in our canine friends while bringing out their inherent hunt drive abilities.  Ron’s style is sharing his knowledge of K9NW while building the trust between handlers and their K9 companions.  Ron is also active in the K9NW sport competing with his own dog Hogan.  They have achieved several titles and are currently competing at NW level 3.  Ron is dedicated to K9NW, with hundreds of hours of training, instructing, observations, and volunteering at K9NW sport trials.

• Certifications:
  • Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI)
  • Science Ed Teaching Certification (Biology)
• Education:
  • CNWI Course, NASCW
  • BS (Biology, Chemistry); Secondary Education
  • Numerous Nose Work, Scent Detection, Handler workshops, seminars, coaching clinics
  • K9 Nose Work For Shelter Dogs Workshop
  • CNWI Internship, Coventry School For Dogs
• Memberships:
  • National Association of Canine Scent Work (NASCW)
  • Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)

(Contact Ron.)

Jackie Moyano, CPDT-KA, PMCT1, Instructor

Jackie’s previous medical teaching experience lends itself to teaching people how to train their dogs. Jackie loves coaching people to create a more perfect union between people and their dogs. She helps people live their best lives with their best furry friend. Jackie’s training partners are her Siamese cat and her terrier mix.

• Co-Founder/trainer at Behavior United LLC serving Northern VA, Metro DC, and parts of Maryland
• Certifications:
  • Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT1)
  • Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
• Education:
  • B.S. Biology
  • Pat Miller’s Academies
  • Ken Ramirez’s and Sue Sternberg’s Training Courses
  • Bailey-Farhoody Chicken Workshops

(Contact Jackie.)

Alfhild Winder, CPDT-KA, Instructor

Al is knowledgeable about a variety of dog training methods, and training since 1996. She continually enhances her training skills and knowledge of canine behavior by attending seminars, training courses and conferences given by today’s top trainers.

• Owner of Come When Called Dog Training
• Certifications:
  • Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
  • AKC Canine Good Citizen Test evaluator
• Education:
  • Counseling Certificate for behavior problems from the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, led by Jean Donaldson
  • Bob Bailey’s Chicken Camp in Sequim, Washington
  • Growly Class program at the SF/SPCA Academy
  • Seminars by Jean Donaldson, Susan Garrett, Leslie Nelson, Sue Sternberg, Kathy Sdao, Patricia McConnell, Pia Silvani, Suzanne Hetts, and Pamela Reid
  • Nose Work classes by Amy Herot and Jill Marie O’Brien

• Teaches competition obedience at Your Dog’s Friend, gives private lessons in clients’ homes, and counsels individuals on solutions for problem behaviors in their dogs
• Has co-chaired the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test
• Judges and stewards for obedience matches and trials in the area
• Memberships:
  • Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
  • Capital Dog Training Club
  • German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Washington

(Contact Al.)

Hedda Garland, CPDT-KA, PMCT2, Instructor

• Founder of School of Dogs
• Certifications:
  • Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT2)
  • Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
• Education:
  • Canine Behavior and Training, Behavior Modification, and Advanced Behavior Studies academies with Pat Miller
  • Apprenticed with Pat Miller
  • Seminars conducted by Patricia McConnell, Steve White, Kathy Sdao, Sue Sternberg, Pia Silvani, Roger Abrantes, Nicole Wilde, Susanne Clothier, Terry Ryan, Sophia Yin, and others
• Presenter for Dogs & Storks and Dog & Baby Connection with Family Paws. These programs helps parents and grandparents-to-be in their endeavor to prepare their dogs for the arrival and life with a new family member or to adjust to the new stages of baby’s develpment while including the dog in activities and keep everyone safe.
• Teaches classes and summer camps for kids at Your Dog’s Friend
• One of her special interests is in Assistance Dogs and the support they can provide to children with Autism. She has worked with several families with autistic children and their assistance dogs. She offers guidance and training to people who train their own assistance dogs.

(Contact Hedda.)

Marnie Montgomery, PMCT3, CPDT-KA, Instructor

• Owner and lead trainer of Joyful Dog LLC
• Certifications:
  • Certified Tellington TTouch practitioner
  • Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT3), completed academies in Basic Training and Behavior, Behavior Modification, Canine Aggression, Advanced Behavior Studies, Canine Cognition, and a one-on-one week-long internship with Pat Miller
  • Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
  • Fear-Free℠ Certified Professional
  • Connection, Cooperation, and Control™ Certified Instructor (CCC-CI)
• Memberships:
  • Peaceable Paws Affiliate
  • Tellington TTouch Practitioner Guild
  • Pet Professional Guild
  • Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
  • Mid-Atlantic Association of Positive Professional Pet Trainers

Marnie’s training approach draws on 20+ years’ experience in diverse areas of adult education honed through study and experience in Tellington TTouch and rewards-based methods of dog training and stress reduction.

(Contact Marnie.)

Nicole Wright, Training Center Coordinator

(Contact Nicole.)

Debra Ekman, Founder & Administrator

Debra founded Your Dog’s Friend.

She is an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT), but has retired from teaching to serve as Your Dog’s Friend’s administrator. Debra organizes all of Your Dog’s Friend’s free workshops and events.

When you call Your Dog’s Friend for advice, she is the friendly voice on the phone.

She and her dog Jenny (seen in the photo) have assisted in Reactive Dog Class.

(Contact Debra.)