Tanzi Leary may be the most highly recommended dog trainer in the Baltimore metro area, and chances are, you found this site through your vet, a friend, a neighbor, or a shelter and rescue partner who trusts her to do a great job for you and your dog. She is dog-crazy, meaning she loves dogs not just as individuals but also as a species and has dedicated her career to learning about how they move, how they communicate, how they think, how they learn, and more. 

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• Prefer watching videos to learn about Tanzi? Visit the TikTok or Instagram links above or below.

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She works with all dog breeds, sizes, ages, and energy levels and has worked with dogs from all types of backgrounds. She is married, has 2 children, and has had up to 3 dogs in her family at one point as a mom, so she knows what it's like to get a bunch of family members to cooperate with very little free time for training practice.  

 

She will help you understand why your dog does what he's doing. Then she will teach you how to get your dog to do what you want him to do when you want him to do it, so living together is a lot more fun (for both of you!)​

 

Training Methods

Her techniques are based on using the Humane Hierarchy, which focuses on setting dogs (and people) up for success and training using the least intrusive, minimally aversive methods.

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• She does not use shock, choke, or prong collars, nor does she use hitting, pulling, kicking, spraying, or throwing items at dogs. Not only is that unnecessary, but it can also create side effects of anxious and aggressive behavior.

• (Don't worry, she will help you stop using these methods if you were taught to use them by someone else.) She believes in giving dogs as many choices as possible and helping to create an environment that leads them to make choices we prefer

 

Credentials & Continuing Education

Did you know dog training is a completely unregulated industry? You want someone who puts the time and effort into pursuing continuing education and getting multiple credentials from professional associations that have members worldwide.

 

Tanzi holds multiple dog training and dog behavior certifications and credentials earned over more than a decade, and she has trained thousands of dogs in shelters, group classes, and privately. (Dog training is an unregulated industry, so you want a trainer who has pursued higher levels of education through multiple well-respected national and international associations.)

 

• "Certified Dog Behavior Consultant" (CDBC) through International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants,

• "Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed Level 1" (CPDT-KA) through Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers,

• "Pat Miller Certified Trainer" (PMCT1) by famous trainer Pat Miller via examination and demonstration of training methods in three intense academies where Tanzi was the high scoring student in her classes each time

• "SA Pro Trainer" (SAPT), meaning she has taken a course with Julie Naismith, certified behavior consultant and author of Be Right Back!, to learn how to work with dogs that experience separation anxiety. She has also taken courses from Dr. Moira Hechenleitner about this topic.

• "Fear Free Certified Professional" (FFCP) certification from the Fear Free Pets organization to be able to assist clients and veterinarians with handling techniques to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in dogs during visits.

 

She takes continuing education classes year-round to stay current in her dog training and dog behavior knowledge, including the completion of Dr. Susan Friedman's Living and Learning with Animals (LLA) course and several courses from Behavior Vets NYC.

 

Accolades

In 2022, she won the #1 spot in Sniffspot's Top Trainer contest for Baltimore and Maryland and ranked #3 in the US. In 2023, she won the #1  spot for Baltimore & Maryland again. You can see several other awards and reviews on the Rave Reviews page, too.

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