MEET THE TRAINER: Leandre Glendenning CPDT-KA

I grew up surrounded by dogs and got involved in training at a very young age. I was blown away by how impressive dogs could be – doing tricks and other behaviors that were not “natural” to them, and always enjoyed pushing the boundaries of what they could learn. I seriously considered a career working in veterinary medicine or behavior, but my passion brought me to science instead. I first got my cat during my undergraduate education, and as a graduate student, I adopted my first dog as an adult. She was adopted as an adult dog from a county shelter, and as she became more comfortable, it became clear that she had severe anxiety leading to human and dog reactivity and aggression, and she was unable to be handled by anyone other than myself. Although I had an interest and background in positive reinforcement training, this severity of behavior issues was something new to me. I began working with a local positive reinforcement trainer as well as a behavioral veterinarian, and over time, she became able to go for walks and hikes without reactions, and even form a trusting relationship with my partner, Shaun.