In the summer of 2007, Annie formalized her training and achieved a Canine Specialist certification from the Triple Crown Dog Training Academy in Texas. She is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator (Evaluator #37603), a Full Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (#72945) and a professional member of The Behavior Education Network. Annie utilizes all that she has learned from a lifetime dogs to help dogs and their owners learn to communicate in a happy, healthy, effective way. Annie teaches dogs with the use of the incredible, powerful and pain-free animal training tool -- the clicker!
Annie has years of experience working with every kind of dog, from purebred to mixed breed, from young puppies to senior dogs. She has trained dogs to be good house pets and she has worked with detection dogs, Agility dogs and Herding dogs. She regularly trains client dogs for a successful performance for the AKC Canine Good Citizen award and her own dogs have been awarded that distinction. Annie specializes in working with troubled dogs, especially reactive/aggressive dogs to people or other dogs.
Annie feels fortunate to have learned from some of the best and brightest trainers and behaviorists in the profession, including Karen Pryor, Sarah Kalnajs, Dr. Ian Dunbar, and Emma Parsons. She regularly attends Clicker Expos and dog training seminars across the country. She has a B.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Annie and her husband, Jeff, live in Ignacio, Colorado. They share their daily lives with 3 horses, 4 donkeys, and 4 dogs (all of whom were once homeless).
Prior to becoming a professional dog trainer, Annie founded the nationally recognized publicity firm, Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists, Inc. She sold that company in 2005 in order to pursue her passion for helping animals and their people.
She was named the Austin Communicator of the Year by Women in Communication in 2000 and her firm was awarded national and local awards every year she owned the company.