Meet the Dog Trainer

Leighann Hurley, CPDT-KA

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Welcome! I’m Leighann—the doggy problem solver and human behind Koinonia Dogs.

As a dog trainer, I empower owners to turn their busy puppies, out of control adolescents and sweet but struggling adults into well-behaved dogs who choose good behavior.

Read more about my Training Philosophy here.

Here are some highlights from my journey from dog-lover to certified professional dog trainer!

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2003

The dog-sitting my sister and I had done for neighbors turned into boarding I did out of our home.

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2009

Fostering Rocky for a local service dog organization launched me into the positive-reinforcement world.

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2014

Koinoina Training and Boarding was born and I moved from hobbyist to professional.

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2016

After spending four years as a surgery technician at a local spay/neuter clinic, I bid a bittersweet farewell to my friends in order to pursue Koinonia full-time.

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2017

Fostering Eclair for Service Dogs, Inc. gave me a big taste of puppy raising and taught me an important lesson about the nature vs. nurture question.

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2019

10 years after my journey started, I reached a milestone and earned my Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) certification.

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2019

I suspended Boarding after 16 years to make room for Board and Train.

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2020

My Fear Free Certification reflects a commitment to prioritizing emotional well-being for dogs in all parts of their life.

2023

Koinonia Training and Boarding became Koinonia Dogs.