President & Co-Chair, Marketing Committee
Laurie Luck’s passion for dogs started as a young girl. Dogs have been an important part in her life for as long as she can remember. Laurie became involved in dog training after enrolling her dog in a pet dog obedience course just for fun. She struck up a friendship with the instructor, who later encouraged Laurie to attend the Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference in 1994. At the conference, Laurie’s love of dogs and her formal education in psychology fused and a dog trainer was born. She established Smart Dog University, LLC, a dog-training company dedicated to deepening the bond between dog and human through the use of positive reinforcement training techniques. Prior to her dog training career, she spent 18 years with the Federal government working in the field of leadership development. Laurie is also a volunteer puppy raiser for Service Dogs of Virginia. Seven dogs have passed through her home - three have stayed due to either physical or temperament problems that made them a poor match for the service dog world. She loves every minute of the experience, except for the moment of turn in. Despite the sadness at turn-in, she finds the experience as rewarding as it is fun, and she loves watching the puppies develop into brilliant dogs who contribute to the well-being of others.
She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and served on the Awards committee. She and her husband share their lives with two Labradors, a hound and Great Dane cross, and a behaviorally-challenged Australian shepherd who is responsible for introducing Laurie to positive reinforcement training and shaping her belief that force has no place in training.
Susan Smith, CPDT
Vice President
Susan graduated from the first class held at the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, was in the first group of trainers certified by the CCPDT and is a certified and founding member of the International Association of Dog Behavior Consultants. In 2004, she was named APDT Member of the Year in recognition of her hard work and dedication to the profession of dog training. Sue was the Chairperson of the APDT Member Relations and Communications committee for 5 years. Currently she is the Lists Manager for the APDT sponsored e-mail group. Sue co-authored (with Jim Barry and Mary Emmen) the first book published in the United States dedicated to positive methods for training sporting breeds. She regularly contributes to the APDT newsletter, has been published numerous times in newspapers on behavioral and training issues, The Bark magazine, and other professional journals.
For three years Sue was Director of Animal Haven Acres Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Center, which is a dog sanctuary in upstate New York. In this capacity, she was responsible for assimilating un-adoptable, and seriously aggressive dogs into the environment.
After returning to Austin, Sue's business took a dramatic turn. Always passionate about education and professionalism in dog consulting, she followed that passion and began putting together convenient, low cost educational programs for animal consultants, as well as developing products to help consultants in their business. She still does consulting on dog behavior issues, but her primary focus is now education for both consultants and owners.
Lisa Clifton-Bumpass CPDT, CTC
Secretary & Chair, Exam Development Committee
Lisa Clifton-Bumpass is a highly sought-after mentor of professional trainers who wish to hone their diagnostic abilities, treatment and protocol development, critical thinking, and mechanical training skills. She lectures on a number of topics for specialty breed groups, shelters and advanced professional education program organizations such as dogTEC. Lisa also lectured at both the San Francisco SPCA and Marin Humane Society’s Dog Trainer Academies. Her lectures range in topics from the biology of aggression and socialization, Dog Behavior 101, to pet first aid and preparing dog trainers for professional certification (CPDT). The East Bay Animal Reinforcement Kaizen (Ebark) and The Sarah Bella Project are Lisa’s newest projects. Ebark is an advanced training resource group for professional animal trainers and caretakers interested in the sciences of learning and behavior and improving the mechanical skills involved in modifying animal behavior. The Sarah Bella Project is an educational 501c3 focused on the learning capacity of individuals who have damage to the cerebellum. The project is named after a dog in her care that was born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia. Lisa also functions as an advisor to individuals and companies who are researching and designing new dog training equipment. In 1994, Lisa worked for world-renowned dog behavior expert Trish King at the Marin Humane Society after physical injuries forced her retirement from a career in law enforcement. She had to find a way to control her powerful Rottweiler dogs while disabled and unable to hold a leash. Positive reinforcement training provided the answer and ignited Lisa’s passion for all things canine. Lisa went on to accumulate over a thousand hours of coursework with leading experts in every aspect of canine behavior and training - from aggression seminars with Dr. Patricia McConnell to clicker training with Karen Pryor. She has traveled to study canine behavior at the Institute of Canine Ethology at Wolf Park and Applied Animal Behavior under Dr. Marian Bailey in Arkansas. In 2000 she graduated with honors from the prestigious San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, later interning as an aggression specialist.
Early in her career, Lisa realized the traditional means of professional dog training media did not address the complex biological processes of animal learning and behavior. As a result she studied neurobiology of behavior at Stanford University’s Continuing Education Program and is currently enrolled in a four-year Diplomat course in Advanced Canine Behavior at Cynology College.
In the past ten years, Lisa developed a wide array of obedience, sports and behavior classes for humane organizations, adult education and community services programs for the cities Castro Valley, Union City, Dublin, and Pleasanton. She is employed as a consultant for various local shelters, rescue groups, and humane organizations who call her in to review particularly difficult cases. She works with pet owners as well as specialists in search and rescue handlers, flyball, obedience, confirmation, and schutzhund competitors to solve training and problem behavior issues. Lisa is the leader of a locally renowned private trainers group called "JavaDawgs" for the owners of dog-dog and dog-human aggressive dogs and the founder of 13 trainer discussion yahoo groups that range in topics from scientific behavioral research release to professionals, mentoring professional animal trainers to dog pet owner discussion groups and groups designed to further professional skill and teaching design for with disable children. Lisa was selected as the "Dog Trainer of the Year" for 2005 by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Dogs in Review 51st annual Show Dogs of the Year (Specialty Industry Award at Westminster).
Miranda Workman, CPDT
Treasurer & Co-Chair, Marketing Committee
Miranda owns Purrfect Paws Animal Behavior Center, LLC in Amherst, NY where she and her staff provide animal behavior and training services including doggy daycare, canine playgroups, private and group training for dogs, cats and other pets, behavior evaluations and modification programs. Her company’s tag line is the basis for her training philosophy with clients of all species – Building Positive and Permanent Relationships. She firmly believes that individuals of all species should enjoy the learning process. Her focus on positive reinforcement and clicker training make the learning process effective, humane and fun!Her professional career began as a volunteer at the local SPCA where she helped the staff develop behavior, training and adoptions programs such as Paws to Consider (a special needs adoption program). She regularly served on the planning committee and presented as a behavior specialist at their Good Dog! and Cool Cats! behavior seminars for shelter volunteers and staff. Currently, she provides care and training at her facility for SPCA cats in need of medical or behavioral rehabilitation. She has completed the local SPCA’s Pet First Aid course. She has created a feline behavior evaluation/adoption matching program for shelter personnel.
Miranda, a graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelors in Art History and Spanish, has been a Certified Pet Dog Trainer since November 2004 and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 2002. She has completed continuing education through various seminars including regular attendance at ClickerExpo! where she eagerly anticipates the scientific/research based presentations on the science of training. She is an avid student of learning theory – so much so that her friends think she reads too many studies to learn about learning. In 2007, she was featured in a segment for the ABC reality show Wife Swap where she served as the canine behavior and training expert brought in to help educate about proper pet care and training. She has also filmed segments on local news and talk shows about canine behavior and training. Several community groups have invited Miranda to speak at various venues throughout Western New York. Miranda assisted in the editing of the book All About Dog Daycare…A Blueprint for Success by Robin Bennett, CPDT.
Rahvin and Aviendha, the Boxers who started Miranda on her journey to being an animal care professional, have passed away and she gives them complete credit for who she is today. Currently, she shares her home with a very supportive husband, Rick, who helps care for their two Dutch Shepherds (Apollo and Artemis – who are both Canine Good Citizens), four cats (Adara, Rane, Aleph and Samantha) and one rabbit (Amarillo). Miranda also has two cats (Timothy and Franz), one red-tailed boa constrictor (Vladamyr) and one albino hedgehog (Gregory Silas) who live at her training facility.
Cara Vacchiano, JD, CPDT
Director & Chair, Policies and Procedures Committee
Cara Vacchiano is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and the owner of Buddy’s Chance, LLC Dog Training and Behavior in Austin, Texas. Formerly an attorney, Cara left the practice of law to follow her passion: helping dog owners live better lives with their dogs. Cara teaches dog owners in both group classes and private behavior consultations, working on issues ranging from basic manners to separation anxiety, housetraining, and aggression towards people and other dogs. She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and an associate member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), where she served as the Chair of the Strategic Task Force. Cara is a regular pet care and training columnist for the PetsitUSA Newsletter. She also authors a weblog on dog training that offers dog training tips and information to readers throughout the country. Cara mentors students for Animal Behavior College and runs an apprenticeship program for future dog trainers at her Austin dog training facility. Cara is committed to continuing her education as a dog trainer and behavior consultant. In addition to regularly attending seminars and telecourses, Cara has studied with Susan Smith, Terry Ryan, Lisa Drilling, and Dr. Susan Friedman and has begun hosting seminars for other dog trainers at her training center.
Cara works with Central Texas Greyhound Pets of America, DFW Pug Rescue - Austin, Austin Dog Alliance, and many other Austin dog rescue organizations. She is the Troop Leader and Scoutmaster of Austin's Dog Scouts of America Troop 143.
Joan Campbell has over 25 years of experience managing trade and professional not-for-profit associations in a variety of fields and organizational settings. Joan is currently the Director of Management Services at Professional Testing Corporation, where she serves as executive director for three of their clients and participates in project work for other clients.