We’re honored that most of our clients come from client or veterinary referrals. However you found us, we’ll take the best possible care of you and your animal.
In an unregulated industry where anyone can declare themselves a dog, cat, or bird trainer, our credentials and dedication to ongoing professional development set us apart.
We stay up-to-date on the latest in training science, and use only positive reinforcement training techniques for real results, your animal’s well being, and your peace of mind.
Sadly, our industry has a reputation for unreliable service. We believe taking great care of our human clients is just as important as taking great care of our furred and feathered ones.
We know how busy our clients are with careers, family, or the freedom of retirement. That’s why our convenient services seek results you can count on in the bustle of everyday life.
Joanna combines a background in human teaching with 20 years of animal training experience to bring Reno dog, cat, and bird lovers the best possible training results.
A lifelong learning junkie, Joanna holds a degree in psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, is certified as Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, is an NACSW Certified Nose Work Instructor, and can be seen attending training conferences and seminars whenever the opportunity strikes. Joanna is also a charter member of the Pet Professional Guild.
Joanna shares her Reno home with a mostly-rescued menagerie of two Amazon parrots, a disabled cockatiel, an Australian Cattle Dog/Chihuahua mix, an Australian Kelpie, and two cats.
Like everyone on the team, Joan values education and kindness for all species, so she uses her decades of experience in educational psychology to foster human and animal communication and well-being. Joan has years of experience in the rescue world, and is a member of the Pet Professional Guild and Paws 4 Love Reno. In between learning opportunities, you’ll often find her nose tucked into the most recent scientific literature on training, canine learning, and the human-canine bond.
Joan adds all that to a doctorate in educational psychology from Arizona State University, and has been recognized at the state and national level for her contributions to the profession of school psychology.
When not helping dog lovers enjoy the best possible behavior from and relationships with their dogs, Joan volunteers at the Nevada Humane Society fostering kittens, enjoys community involvement as the President of of Paws 4 Love Reno, and helps her rescued morkie, Laila, gain confidence and manners at home and in the world.
Ericka’s passion for dog training is contagious – and our clients love to catch the bug! Endlessly pursuing more education, Ericka is certified as Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, is a level 1 Pat Miller Certified Trainer, a Certified Fear Free Trainer, a Family Paws Parent Educator, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and is a member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Combined with a Master’s degree in English for Speakers of other Languages from George Mason University in Virginia, and her 14 years of experience teaching (human) English language learners, her dog training results are nothing sort of amazing!
When not helping clients to “speak” the language of their dogs, Ericka shares her heart with a Basset Hound/German Shepherd mix named Apollo who is a therapy dog, and a Labrador mix named Sadie. They are both rescues.
Heather’s first love is teaching people. She’s fascinated by how each individual person learns a bit differently, and she loves to adapt how she teaches to meet their needs – and then do the same with their dog!
In addition to her endless quest for knowledge, Heather brings to the table a 15 year career of training humans all over the West coast with In-n-Out, she is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and she is currently attending CATCH Dog Training Academy while earning hours for her CPDT certification.
At home, Heather trains her husband, young daughter, and two Huskies named Timber and Willow. They’re all fast learners.
Monica Oesterling combines her obsession with behavioral science with her 15 years of dog training experience to bring our clients the best of her expertise.
Because she is strongly dedicated to kind, gentle, effective, and science-based methods, Monica earned her dog trainer certificate with Animal Behavior College back in 2005 and received her CPDT-KA shortly thereafter. She has now earned her CBCC-KA (Certified Behavior Consultant Canine – Knowledge Assessed). As of December 2023, there were only 519 worldwide! Monica is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and plans to work toward the IAABC credential next.
When she’s not training (which is rarely), Monica enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding, hiking, backpacking, international travel, and exploring the Sierras with her Border Collie, Fin, and her Australian Kelpie, Goose.
While Sarah’s education in dog training is what qualifies her, her ability to communicate clearly and her kindness are why our clients love her. With over 6 years of experience in dog training, and 5 years of experience in the rescue world, Sarah brings her considerable problem solving skills to every client interaction.
Because of her commitment to effective, humane, and science-based dog training, Sarah is certified as Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, has completed advanced studies at CATCH Dog Trainer’s Academy, and is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.
When she’s done coaching dog lovers into being the best trainers they can be, Sarah goes home to a husband and two teenagers, a bunny, a cat, a fluffy little mixed breed dog named Lizzy, and a Cairn terrier named Maggie, with whom she enjoys hiking, trick training, socializing and playing, and long cuddles.
Jasmine combines a passion for coaching humans with a love of animal behavior that brings our clients fantastic results, while having some fun.
A lover of both humans and animals, Jasmine has coached gymnastics for the last 12 years, and worked as a veterinary assistant. She is Fear Free Certified, is currently studying for her Veterinary Technician License through Penn Foster College, and is accumulating training hours for her CPDT test. Jasmine also is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.
When she’s not in school or working with animals, Jasmine and her boyfriend enjoy hiking, kayaking, and paddleboarding with a Chiweenie named Cosmo Kramer, a Schipperke/American Eskimo Dog named Turk, and an Australian Cattle Dog/McNab mix named Britta Perry, whom Jasmine taught to “talk” using FluentPet buttons. They also have two cats.
Our awesome administrative assistant Sarah is most likely the first person you’ll meet on our Fur and Feather Works team, as she’s the one who will answer your call, return your email, or confirm your class registration. She makes it her personal mission to get all questions answered, make everyone feel welcomed, and set a tone for the top-rate customer service we all strive for and pride ourselves on.
Sarah shares her life with Riley, the Border Collie mix, and Ziya, the Working Kelpie, and together they enjoy hiking, climbing, and competing in agility.
If your dog is uncomfortable around, fearful of, or aggressive toward other dogs, chances are you’ll get to know one or more of our hardworking stimulus dogs.
These pooches have been carefully chosen and trained for the work of convincing fellow canines that making dog friends is actually pretty cool. They’ve helped countless Fur and Feather Works clients and their dogs feel more comfortable walking in public, and have been a first friend to many of our clients’ dogs.
Our four-legged team members have uniquely suited temperaments for actively enjoying this work, and are beloved family members.
Fin is an 13 year old border collie with a kind and gentle soul. His “sweet as pie” attitude enables him to be an effective stimulus dog – putting other dogs at ease as they learn he’s nothing to be afraid of. Fin is well paid for his work in boiled chicken, freeze dried liver, or string cheese. In his free time, Fin enjoys sniffaris, naps, and learning tricks such as playing the piano, and “roll over and cover your eyes.”
Apollo is a sweet, friendly guy, who enjoys meeting dogs and people. He has his Canine Good Citizen title and is a registered therapy dog. While he loves anything edible (and some non-edibles), his favorite treats are string cheese and homemade beef jerky. When not eating or helping fellow dogs learn to relax, he engages in his other favorite activity: sleeping.
When she’s not busy helping other dogs learn that dogs are okay, Lizzy loves to hike, learn tricks, solve puzzles, go swimming, and play. (She’s pretty serious about play!) She prefers to be paid for her hard work in chicken, string cheese, and freeze-dried liver.
We love training. We love teaching. And we believe in being the best at both.
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