Taking the Lead Dog Training

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Taking the Lead Dog Training Certified Behavior Consultant & Professional Dog Trainer serving the Greater Philadelphia region
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Does your animal get bored with the same toys? Pro tip: put it out of sight for a week. For many animals, the lack of ac...
08/19/2026

Does your animal get bored with the same toys?

Pro tip: put it out of sight for a week. For many animals, the lack of access will make it something they want to play with again!

My foster kittens got bored with this box but after not seeing it for a week, it’s like new to them!

Novelty is key when keeping animals entertained!

Today marks another year of maintaining my Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC-KA) certification, a credential I’...
07/31/2026

Today marks another year of maintaining my Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC-KA) certification, a credential I’m incredibly proud to hold.

There are fewer than 600 CBCC-KA professionals worldwide. Earning and maintaining this certification requires extensive experience working with behavior cases, passing a rigorous examination, and committing to ongoing continuing education and ethical standards.

One thing many pet owners don’t realize is that dog training is an unregulated industry. In most places, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or behavior expert—there are no licensing requirements and no mandatory certifications.

That doesn’t mean every uncertified trainer lacks knowledge, and it doesn’t mean every certified professional is the right fit. But it does mean that pet owners should do their homework. Ask about education, experience, certifications, continuing education, and training philosophy before trusting someone with your dog.

Whether you’re working on puppy basics or navigating fear, aggression, anxiety, or other behavior concerns, the person you choose matters.

I’m grateful to be part of a small community of professionals committed to evidence-based, humane training and behavior modification.

Here’s to continuing to learn, grow, and help both dogs and the people who love them.

❤️🤍💙🇺🇸
05/25/2026

❤️🤍💙🇺🇸

04/29/2026

Here’s a PSA on behalf of all dogs.

Stop correcting your dog for sniffing.

Stop it. Please.

How would you like it if I corrected you for looking around a room? Imagine if you raised your head to look around a new place and I popped you or shoved you or said “HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME” You’d get pretty upset pretty quickly I’d imagine.

Dogs don’t smell because they are ignoring you or being stubborn. We humans primarily depend on sight, but dogs use smell AND sight to assess their surroundings and communicate. People spend more time interpreting visual data than olfactory information. Dogs are just the opposite.

Dogs devote lots of brain power to interpreting smells. They have more than 100 million sensory receptor sites in the nasal cavity as compared to 6 million in people, and the area of the canine brain devoted to analyzing odors is about 40 times larger than the comparable part of the human brain. In fact, it’s been estimated that dogs can smell anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than people.

Scent gives information. Smelling is normal. Smelling is necessary and natural. Smelling is relaxing. Air scenting is HUGE for recovering reactive dogs. LET YOUR DOG SMELL!

Correcting a dog for sniffing is one of the worst things I watch people do. It’s another example of how controlling we try to be in our dogs lives. If you don’t want your dog to smell, teach him to focus on you instead for PART of the time, and then give other ample opportunities to smell. Walks on a long line on a dirt road or in a field for your dog to zig zag back and forth on to smell is MUCH healthier and more tiring for them as animals than trying to keep them within 6 feet of you on a neighborhood walk.

Please accept that smelling is normal and work WITH your dog on it, rather than just trying to suppress it. Just because that blade of grass or tree isn’t interesting to YOU doesn’t mean your dog deserves a correction. Who cares if you don’t walk the extra block - spend those 5 minutes on that one tree if you need to. Your dog doesn’t complain when you watch YouTube videos of kittens for hours or read the news or binge on Netflix, so let him get his scent binge in to.

Happy smelling pups!

- Helen St. Pierre

04/15/2026

Be BiteSmart is a program run by the Center for Canine Behavior Studies to educate kids about dog body language to help avoid biting.

Clients and friends: let’s help advance the future for animals!My colleague Spike is working towards the completion of a...
03/18/2026

Clients and friends: let’s help advance the future for animals!

My colleague Spike is working towards the completion of an MSc in animal welfare and behavior at Penn Vet.

They are currently recruiting participants for a short (15 min) online survey that asks people to view videos of dogs and then rate measures related to each dog’s emotional state. It’s anonymous and anyone 18+ is eligible to participate.

I filled it out- it was short and easy, and fun for those of you who love learning dog behavior 🙂

The more participation, the better- Spike’s information is below if you have any questions! Just copy and paste the link into a web browser to get started.

[email protected]

https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cYiXwOzpds1srUG

Pic of my foster dog Labello, who’s looking for a home with other dogs to play with!

18 years ago today I became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer! 🐾Over the years I’ve had the honor of helping so many ...
03/09/2026

18 years ago today I became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer! 🐾

Over the years I’ve had the honor of helping so many people build better relationships with their dogs. One thing I’ve learned along the way: being a dog trainer is really about being a people trainer. When people learn how dogs think, communicate, and learn, amazing things can happen.

I’m incredibly grateful for every client, every dog, and every lesson they’ve taught me along the journey.

02/22/2026

THIS ⬇️⬇️⬇️ is normal dog behavior! Zig zagging while walking is natural for dogs. So when it’s safe to do so, let them zig and zag to their hearts content!

My foster pup Labello does need training to learn to walk straighter, since that training keeps us both safe. But he’s still a baby, and there’s plenty of time for all that training and learning.

For now, he needs to just be a puppy! And do what feels natural to him.

He’s available for adoption thru ACCT Philly

The snow is melted here in Pennsylvania with more on the way, so today’s the day to get your dogs out for a nice long wa...
02/21/2026

The snow is melted here in Pennsylvania with more on the way, so today’s the day to get your dogs out for a nice long walk! 

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Norristown, PA
19403

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