Lori christenson
OWNER | LEAD DOG TRAINER
I was raised in the PNW and currently live in Lake Stevens with my family. Husband, son, GSD, and cat. From an early age, I knew I had a passion for animals. As a young child, I dove into the equestrian world. I began coaching horse camps, sharing my love of horses, and teaching the importance of safety and horsemanship etiquette to those who were eager to learn. I continued my equestrian endeavors throughout my 20’s. Professional dog training was a natural transition into the career of my dreams. Canines quickly became my focus and I invested time in understanding their language. My training is inspired by using the same principles as world-renown Michael Ellis and the Leerburg team. My education has included spending thousands of hours of hands-on field experience that provided me with perspective and understanding of different breeds, drives, and temperaments. In addition, I managed a board and train program where I successfully trained six to eight dogs on a daily rotation.
My style is approachable, balanced, unique, and polished. I specialize in building a bridge of communication between you and your dog. A lot of the training I do is handler-focused, making understanding the process and how to achieve behaviors within obedience a priority so that your dog can clearly understand. I use industry-leading scientific methods. My biggest strength is my commitment to continued education. I like to add new techniques and exercises to a variety of topics at each session. I pride myself on gaining as much insight into multiple training techniques as I can to have more “tools” in my “toolbox.” Every dog is different so it is beneficial to individualize the training experience.
My specialties include the study of pack structure, communication, the understanding of body language, the proper use of remote collar training, puppy enrichment and rearing, behavior modification, and basic-advanced obedience.
callaway
FAMILY PET | LEAD DEMONSTRATION DOG
~ muse ~ best friend ~
Cal is a long-haired, male, black and red, German Shepherd. His professional name is Sir Callaway V Alpine Valley. His show-line lineage makes him a true show-stopper. My family likes to call him the “Bell of the ball.” As a puppy, we called him a baby shark. He has tenacity, and strength, and boy was he mouthy as a puppy. He is gregarious, sound-minded, and smart. Callaway makes appearances in intermediate-advanced sessions. Cal works alongside dogs in training often. Showing what is possible and how to work through insecurities within training. Whether Callaway is helping socialize a puppy or being the calm example in the face of a dog working through reactivity, he is always eager to work and play.
PRAISE FOR THE PROPER PUPPY
“I can’t say enough about Lori’s skills and training ability. I was surprised by my family with the most beautiful Bernese puppy. I knew right away I needed the best trainer to handle him properly. My daughter met Lori and her amazing personal dog and referred her to me. What can I say except I feel like she is my dog therapist? Beau has learned so much in our sessions and her encouragement to me is so sincere. She loves what she does and even when I am awkward and messing up is so gracious in training me! I look forward to our sessions as a highlight of our week. Beau is already learned so much and he is only 16 weeks. I would recommend her to anyone. She is worth every penny and we feel blessed to have found her.”
- Tonya Almquist