Canine PhD

Meredith Minkin - Owner and Behavior Consultant. Meredith Minkin, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CSAT, SDC is an internationally certified behavior consultant, a certified professional dog trainer, a certified separation anxiety trainer, and a certified service dog trainer. Meredith is a modern methods, reward-based trainer who works to minimize the use of aversive stimuli and maximize the effective use of reinforcers to modify animal behavior. Meredith is also a Fear Free Certified Professional. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and completed her post-baccalaureate education at Tufts University. Currently, she is working on her Master's Degree in Applied Animal Behavior. Meredith is a creative problem-solver who works with dogs with severe behavior disorders e.g. phobias, separation anxiety, and aggression. She regularly conducts behavior evaluations of shelter dogs for rescue groups and local animal control agencies. She has rehabilitated abused and aggressive dogs, she has worked with service dogs, customs dogs, military dogs, and has even handled dogs in the confirmation ring. Meredith volunteers with PAWS Atlanta, Best Friends, Re-Leashed Atlanta, Atlanta Dog Squad, Atlanta Pet Rescue, Saving Shelter Pets, Atlanta Boxer Rescue, AARF-Atlanta, DREAM Dachshund Rescue, Lifeline Animal Project, Atlanta Weimaraner Rescue, Shelter Angels Pit Bull Rescue, BullsEye Rescue, Angels Among Us, and other private rescue groups. She also volunteers for Dekalb County, Animal Control and Fulton County Animal Services.

Stacy Drody, CPDT-KA, CSAT, VSPDT, Fear Free Certified,
has had a passion for animals and science her entire life. Growing up alongside seeing eyes dogs she learned the value of a dog's vast capabilities and the importance of understanding their unique way of communication and individual behaviors from an early age. While obtaining a degree in Biology she worked as a vet tech and began volunteering with local rescue organizations volunteering much of her time rescuing, fostering, and rehabilitating dogs. Her volunteer work included rescue operations and rehabilitation from The Korean Meat Trade, The Yulin Meat Festival and hoarding cases. In addition to this work, she also taught classes and workshops for the Atlanta Humane Society. After a successful career in Sales and Marketing and Corporate Event Planning in the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industries, she decided to turn her volunteering into a career focusing her path on canine training and behavior. Stacy believes in the ethical treatment of all animals and has established her training on the 'Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive' training philosophy. Her training approach involves using a scientifically grounded, reward based plan.
Stacy's goal is to create lasting, cooperative bonds between her clients and their dogs in a welcoming, fun, and stress-free environment that everyone can benefit from and enjoy! Stacy is a graduate of the Victoria Stilwell Academy of DogTraining and Behavior, A Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, a Certified Fear Free Dog Trainer, an assistant trainer with Canine Cellmates - the jail dog program at the Fulton County Jail and continues volunteering with the local rescue agencies.

Andrea Borges, CPDT-KA, ABCDT. Andrea is a bilingual (English/Spanish) dog trainer from Venezuela. She earned her BA in Communications from Andrés Bello University in Caracas. Andrea has been training dogs since 2012. She is a graduate of the Animal Behavior College and she is also a Certified Trick Dog Instructor. Andrea is currently enrolled in the CATCH Academy Program. She also has extensive management experience in dog daycare and boarding facilities. Andrea loves to foster shelter dogs in need. She will often go to an animal control facility to choose a difficult dog on death row to rehab/train and then permanently place in a loving home. Her current foster is a Cane Corso who has reactivity issues. Andrea has a big heart, and loves a challenge! She exudes passion for training, and she has already helped many dogs at Canine PhD blossom and grow!

Betty Emrey, CPDT-KA. Betty began the journey into dog training through volunteer work at the ASPCA in New York City. Over five years there, she walked shelter dogs, taught other volunteers how to walk shelter dogs, introduced dogs to potential adopters, and apprenticed as a trainer. After coming back home to Atlanta Betty began offering a variety of group classes, including basic obedience and puppy kindergarten as well as in-home training and consultations. Betty is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, having successfully completed the training requirements of The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
In addition to teaching, Betty also volunteers at the Atlanta Humane Society in adoptions and with the Paws 2 Teach shelter dog classes. She has competed in both Agility and Rally Obedience, but it's her work with shelter dogs that inspires her as a trainer. So many great dogs wind up in shelters because of behaviors that could have been avoided or fixed with proper training. Her goal is to help dogs and their people stay together. Betty lives with three rescue dogs: a chihuahua from NYC, a rough coat collie from NOLA, and a black and white mix from the streets of Decatur. Betty serves on the Member Relations Committee of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a member of the Georgia Dog Trainer Forum and the Atlanta Rally Club.

Bethany Gardner, CPDT-KA, BA - Anthrozoology. In 2015 Bethany started an Anthrozoology degree at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. During her time there, she learned about the history and science of human-animal relationships. Her curriculum focused on learning theory, animal behavior, animal welfare and horsemanship. She even fostered and trained multiple dogs as part of her program so that she could put her science-based knowledge into real-world practice.
She was given the opportunity to gain hundreds of hours training dogs under the guidance of experienced professionals. At the core of this education were classes focusing on learning theory and careful prodding of student minds to make us carefully consider both the human and animal side of any situation. She lives in Tucker with her senior lab mix Bishop, and her mutt Sully. Sully is reactive towards humans, dogs, and has separation anxiety So Bethany is well versed in the ups and downs of living with such a dog. She loves both of her dogs very much and enjoys walking and training around her neighborhood with them. Bethany is a perpetual student and hopes to continue her education in everything dog! She would love to bring the joy of dog training to others around the world!
Hundreds of hours of experience using scientifically backed and humane training methods.
Certified with the American Society of Canine Trainers.
Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainer
Member of the Shock-Free Coalition.

Casey Griffin, CPDT-KA, CCDT. Casey has had a love for dogs her whole life. This made it a no-brainer for her to choose a field where she can turn her love into a career that she is passionate about. Casey came to Canine PhD through the CATCH trainers academy. Casey is one of our lead day-trainers, and she teaches Barn Hunt and Swim classes on the weekends.

Diane Silver. Diane Silver believes a house is not a home without a dog… and that a fun activity will enhance your bond with your dog, making the intersection of dog and home all that much more enjoyable.
Diane has been involved in performance dog events for the past 12 years, teaching, competing and earning titles in agility, lure coursing, rally obedience, conformation and tricks. She has trained under a number of leading and world-class agility competitors.
At Canine PhD, Diane teaches agility and tricks classes and offers private lessons. She also is a certified K9 Fit Club instructor, focusing on conditioning and strength for dogs and people.
Diane began her journey in performance dog events when her young Havanese needed room to run beyond the condo they called home. The mental and physical stimulation of agility helped save their home, and now Diane shares her experience by teaching other dogs and humans the joy of the sport.
When she's not teaching classes or competing with her dog, Diane is a public relations and social media consultant and creator of the blog To Dog With Love. Diane also works with brands in the pet industry to share her expertise in dog training and fitness, pet-friendly travel, and creating a pet-friendly home. You can find Diane and her current Havanese pup Rocco on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @ToDogWithLove.

Brittany Raley. Raley's love of animals has led her to work with animals of all types through the years. As a child, she began training on horseback in the Hunter Jumper arena. This eventually grew into assisting in training horses for the Hunter Jumper events as well as teaching young kids to ride. Raley spent several years working in the Big Cat department of the Little Rock Zoo, where she cared for a variety of large cats, such as Jaguars, Tigers, and Lions. However, dogs have always had a special place in her heart. She always loved helping her friends and family train their dogs. It was her own Dutch Shepherd, Rockstar, that opened her eyes to the world of dog training in a new way. After his passing, she decided training dogs was where she needed to be. She continually participates in classes to further her knowledge in the field.
Raley has earned her certification as a Certified Pro Dog Trainer (PDT) with Absolute Dogs. She has also achieved her PDT- Geek Certification with AD.