Meredith was appointed by The Fulton County Board Of Commissioners to the Animal Control Hearing Board.
She will serve the City of Atlanta and Fulton County as a professional
expert, who will render advisory opinions involving pets that have been
declared dangerous or potentially dangerous by an animal control
officer.
Meredith is currently working on The Jail Dog program for Fulton County Jail. She will be evaluating and placing dogs from Fulton County Animal Control into the training program.
In January 2012 and 2013, Meredith studied with Behaviorist, John Rogerson for one month in India. She sharpened her pet dog training skills and also completed courses in search and rescue, explosive detection, cadaver detection, tracking, gun dog training, guide dog work, and hearing dog work.
Meredith has also trained multiple species of animals including, chickens, guinea pigs, and cats.
Meredith is an
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluator and an
AKC® Canine Good Citizen Evaluator®. evaluator and
Associate Nose Work Instructor(tm). She is a canine obedience trainer and an aggression management specialist. Meredith is a creative problem-solver who works with dogs with severe behavior disorders (e.g. phobias, separation anxiety, and aggression). Meredith has extensive experience working with a diversity of breeds in a variety of environments. Meredith regularly conducts behavior evaluations of shelter dogs for rescue groups and local animal control agencies. She has rehabilitated abused and aggressive dogs, worked with special needs dogs, and has handled dogs in the confirmation ring. Meredith is responsible for creating the Glenwood Green Dog Park, a safe and sustainable facility for off-leash, supervised socialization for dogs and humans alike. Meredith has experience as the Event and Fund-raising Coordinator for a non-profit 501(c)(3), no kill, rescue group whose main focus is to save high-risk animals from life on the streets, shelters and gas chambers. She has been a guest on the Animal Hour/1620 a.m. radio, has hosted interviews on WSB radio and Q-100. She has also appeared on Channel 2 and 11 speaking about the plight of homeless pets in Metro-Atlanta.
She was also featured on CBS Atlanta's
morning show, Better Mornings Atlanta.
Meredith has worked with celebrity dog trainer,
Victoria Stillwell and has appeared on the show,
Its Me Or The Dog. Meredith has appeared on the cover of the
Atlanta Journal Constitution with her Jack Russell Terrier, Bullet. She has lectured at the
Atlanta Kennel Club, Howard School and Canby Lane Elementary School as a pet expert. For the past four years, Meredith has worked with the
District Attorney of Dekalb County to develop
PAWS FOR THE CAUSE, an event focused on creating awareness for the abused and neglected animals of Dekalb County. Meredith continues to play an active role in animal advocacy, fund raising, and training for various animal welfare organizations in Atlanta. She has personally placed 250+ dogs in responsible, loving homes over the past 5 years.
Meredith's dogs participate in nose work, tracking, rally obedience, toss and fetch (disc dog), flyball, agility, steeple chase racing, dock-diving, lure coursing, go-to-ground, super-earth, barn and brush hunt. Most recently, they have added "herding" to their resume!
In 2011 and 2012, Bullet was invited to race at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. Bullet has earned multiple titles, including "champion" in barn hunt, go-to-ground, super earth and lure coursing. She is the first dog in the United States to earn gold, silver and bronze metals in rally working trials.
Meredith volunteers with
Atlanta Dog Squad,
Atlanta Pet Rescue,
Saving Shelter Pets,
Atlanta Boxer Rescue,
AARF-Atlanta,
DREAM Dachshund Rescue, Lifeline Animal Project,
Atlanta Weimaraner Rescue,
PAWS Atlanta,
Shelter Angels Pit Bull Rescue, BullsEye Rescue,
Angels Among Us, and other private rescue groups. She also volunteers for
Dekalb County Animal Control and
Fulton County Animal Services.
Meredith is
Pet Tech certified in CPR and First Aid.
Betty Emrey, CPDT-KA began the journey into dog training through volunteer work at the ASPCA in New York City. Over five years there, she walked shelter dogs, taught other volunteers how to walk shelter dogs, introduced dogs to potential adopters, and apprenticed as a trainer.
After coming back home to Atlanta Betty began offering a variety of group classes, including basic obedience and puppy kindergarten as well as in-home training and consultations. Betty is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, having successfully completed the training requirements of The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
In addition to teaching, Betty also volunteers at the Atlanta Humane Society in adoptions and with the Paws 2 Teach shelter dog classes. She has competed in both Agility and Rally Obedience, but it’s her work with shelter dogs that inspires her as a trainer. So many great dogs wind up in shelters because of behaviors that could have been avoided or fixed with proper training. Her goal is to help dogs and their people stay together. Betty lives with three rescue dogs: a chihuahua from NYC, a rough coat collie from NOLA, and a black and white mix from the streets of Decatur. Betty serves on the Member Relations Committee of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a member of the Georgia Dog Trainer Forum and the Atlanta Rally Club.
Richard Fischhof, M.Ed., CPDT-KA, CTC Richard is a twice-certified dog trainer and honors graduate of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers,
considered to be the 'Harvard' for dog trainers and behavior
counselors, where he earned his Certification in Training &
Counseling. The Academy was led by Jean Donaldson, renowned author,
teacher and trainer.
In addition, he is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed by the The Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers. Richard is also an AKC® Canine Good Citizen Evaluator®.
He participated in Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine’s
Principles & Techniques of Behavior Modification Course. He earned
his masters degree in education at Georgia State University.
Recommended
by veterinarians and fellow trainers alike, Richard's training methods
are non-aversive, positive reinforcement based on behavior modification
and the science of how dogs learn. These techniques give dog owners
the skill and knowledge to enjoy a long, satisfying relationship with
their canine companions.
He
has worked with hundreds of dogs and all breeds, and tailors individual
training programs to clients and their dogs' specific needs. In
addition to individual in-home training, he conducts Puppy Kindergarten
and Basic Manners classes.
Originally from Philadelphia, Richard lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Barbara, and poodle Rocky.
Diane Silver believes a house is not a home without a dog… and
that a fun activity can make the intersection of dog and home all that much
more enjoyable.
Diane began training her Havanese Cosmo in agility when it
quickly became clear the young pup needed room to run beyond the condo they
called home. The mental and physical stimulation of agility helped save their
home, and now Cosmo and Diane compete in agility while Diane shares her
experience by teaching other dogs and humans the joy of the sport.
Cosmo and Diane have earned titles in both agility and lure
coursing and have experience in the conformation show ring. Diane also believes
neither you nor your dog are ever too old to learn a new trick and encourages
humans to try new activities with their pups, whether it’s agility, rally, nose
work or other activities. Cosmo even recently tried
sheep herding for the
first time.
When she’s not teaching classes or competing with her dog, Diane
is a public relations and social media consultant and creator of the blog
To Dog With Love. Inspired by
@CosmoHavanese, Diane’s passion is sharing
stories about “the fluffier side of life.”
Diane
and Cosmo use social media to help raise awareness and funds for animal rescue
as well as to share stories about the bond between pets and owners and the adventures
they can discover together. Topics
on To Dog With Love include pet travel, product reviews and giveaways, pet
safety, competitive dog events – from
agility
to conformation, and an assortment of
tips and stories for anyone
who has ever loved a dog.
Diane
is a graduate of the University of Michigan and started her career as a sports
writer in Ann Arbor, Mich. She also speaks at pet-related events, including
BarkWorld Expo in Atlanta, and hosts Twitter parties to raise awareness of
animal-related causes.
MarLee Thompson has turned a lifelong love of dogs into a passion for training. Her interest first arose while preparing for a companion dog of her own. She sought to gain a true understanding of how dogs learn, as well as their methods of communication and perception of their environments.
The more research she conducted, the stronger her desire to work with dogs on a daily basis, and equip them with the tools needed to thrive in a human world. Wanting to further her education and fully develop her skills as a dog trainer, MarLee entered into an apprenticeship with Meredith Minkin, CDBC, CPDT-KA, ANWI.
During her apprenticeship, MarLee has intensely studied the principles of classical and operant conditioning, and behavior modification. She has gained valuable hands-on experience with many breeds and types of dogs, including those who are fearful, anxious, or aggressive.
