Stasia moved to North Carolina from Clermont, FL. Having worked with a variety of animal species her entire life, she has trained dogs recreationally since she was ten years old, when she joined 4H with her Golden Retriever. While involved in 4H, she did conformation events, agility and obedience training. Eventually she began training both dogs and horses, utilizing species specific learning theory to achieve training goals and effectively modify unsafe or undesirable behavior.

Stasia began training professionally in college, where she used her knowledge of animal behavior to helps other students and families train their personal dogs. While in college, Stasia studied psychology, biology and ethology, graduating with a degree in psychology and another in communications and public relations.

After taking a short break to pursue a career in communications, Stasia realized that working with animals was her passion – one which transformed into a calling. She worked in a high traffic kennel environment, and as a veterinary technician for a mobile clinic in Florida. While at this clinic she assisted the lead doctor in clinical veterinary behavioral diagnosis and treatment of disorders in companion animals.

Stasia graduated from the Master Dog Trainer program at the School for Dog Trainers with honors, where she was certified to train pet dogs, police and military K9s, search and rescue dogs and service dogs. She works with the aim of optimizing every dog’s potential and enabling their human owners to see the unexplored capabilities of their canine companion.

“Many of the issues experienced in human to dog – and vice versa – interactions are the unfortunate result of miscommunications and an inability to understand each other,” says Stasia. “I realize that, much like us, every dog is an individual and consequently must be treated as such. I use a balanced and individualized training approach for each client I work with, providing you and your family with a dog able to coexist with and thrive in your unique lifestyle.

“By learning to understand and listen to what your dog is trying to tell you, both of your lives can change drastically. Often, even small lifestyle tweaks can make a significant difference in your results. Many times, in the process of ‘teaching’ their dog new things, people discover that their pup also has a lot to teach them.”

Stasia also specializes in training search and rescue dogs and detection disciplines. She is certified by FEMA as a Canine Search Specialist and trains trailing dogs, HRD K9s, urban disaster search dogs and wilderness area search dogs. Her thorough knowledge of canine olfaction, physiology and psychology enables her to provide her clients with a unique understanding of their dogs potential in a variety of disciplines.

Stasia currently owns three dogs – Sophie, a seven year old Labrador mix; Lylah, a four year old German Shepherd; and Castora, a two year old Belgian Groenendael.