Meet Our Trainers
Our founder, Rayne, noticed a trend while working in animal welfare and rescue. Many wonderful dogs end up in shelters because of behavioral issues. Along with adequate exercise through our daycare program, training continues to be the key to realizing Cold Nose Lodge’s mission to keep more dogs in happy homes. In past blog posts, we’ve touched on training several times from debunking dog training myths to answering common questions we receive such as, “When should I start training my puppy?” Today, we want to share with you more about the trainers who bring our mission to life using our positive training philosophy.
Cold Nose Lodge’s Training Philosophy:
We believe dog training should be based on a relationship of trust, not fear. For that reason, we use positive reinforcement, redirection and luring to train dogs at the Lodge. The use of physical corrections and other aversive training methods (choke chains, prong collars, etc.) are prohibited in our training programs.
TRAINER LORI SNYDER
Lori is also our Assistant Manager of Behavior & Training, and just celebrated 10 years with us! She is a graduate of Kutztown University’s Canine Training and Management Program, and their Canine Behavior Program. She also earned a certificate from Absolute Dog that focuses on game-based training, is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and is an AKC CGC and Tricks Evaluator.
Lori is an eager learner who, in addition to her formal education, always stays abreast of new techniques and developments in the trust-based training world through attendance of several seminars, workshops, and conferences. She’s excited to head down to Karen Pryor’s ClickerExpo in DC this month.
She shares her home with 3 dogs, Loca, who is growing fast (pictured), Max, and Shane, and a cat, Red. Her favorite thing about training is the bond that is created when an owner and dog work together as a team. She especially loves strengthening the bond with her own dogs through Rally Obedience, and Therapy Dog visits. Lori teaches classes for all ages and levels and also works with dogs and owners in private training sessions. You can see classes offered here.
TRAINER KATHRYN CURRERI
In addition to being a trainer, Kathryn is also our Assistant Manager of Daily Operations. She attended UVA, majoring in psychology, and before working with dogs, Kathryn worked with dolphins and sea lions! Her favorite thing about dog training is seeing the dogs’ enthusiasm when it all clicks and you make a breakthrough on a behavior you have been working on. She has two Australian Shepherds, Eelan (pictured) and Bandit. Kathryn is also a skilled photographer whose stunning captures are often of beautiful landscapes, and of course, her pups.
TRAINER JANELLE STUMP
Janelle has been part of the Cold Nose Lodge family since 2014. She is a graduate of Kutztown University’s Canine Training and Management Program. You can find Janelle teaching Puppy Kindergarten and Elementary School classes at the Lodge with the help of her Lab mix, Kasey (pictured).
Janelle enjoys witnessing the moments when new commands and tricks are learned through positive reinforcement. She loves teaching owners how to use kind methods to achieve their training goals while strengthening the bond with their dog. Janelle believes that bond building is the key to having the best life with your dog.
ASSISTANT TRAINERS JESS FELLIN & EMILY KNOPF
Jess (pictured left) has been a part of the Lodge family since February of 2012. She has her Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor Certificate from Penn Foster and has also completed an Ian Dunbar training course. She shares her home with a pug, Castiel (pictured) and a Boston Terrier, Maybel. Dog training inspires Jess. In her words, “The things you can teach a dog are endless. It amazes me how quickly they can pick up on our language.” In this spirit, she loves working one on one with dogs and seeing the progress they make in each session.
Emily Knopf (pictured right) has been a part of the Lodge family since October of 2016. She has a Holistic Pet Care Certificate from Penn Foster, and has also continued her education through Ian Dunbar webinars. She shares her home with two dogs, J.J., a dachshund/pit mix and Johnny, a Dutch Shepherd. You can often find her with an extra pup in tow as she fosters through local rescue, Brindle Buddies & Friends. Her favorite part of dog training is watching the owner and the dog’s bond grow stronger.
