Sophia brings a wealth of experience in training well-behaved, well-adjusted dogs and equipping pet owners with the confidence, knowledge, and tools to maintain that training at home. Sophia is certified in Dog Training and Animal Nutrition and has worked in the field of pet care and training for over five years. In addition to running her own professional pet care and training business, Sophia also has experience leading group classes for dogs of all ages. She has worked as a volunteer specializing in behavior and training for the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria since 2019. Her greatest passion is to improve the lives of animals, and she believes that training is a vital tool in building better lives for dogs and their humans.
Areas of Focus
Matt was born and raised in northern Virginia. Having grown up with several large breeds in the house since a young age, he has developed a strong relationship caring for larger dogs. He has spent several years in the dog care industry. Working in daycare, boarding, and even running a foster program with a local beagle rescue. He has most recently settled on training and his passion for dogs has only grown since then. Matt has a soft spot for rescues and helping their new parents build a strong and loving relationship with them. “Training gives you a way to strengthen and improve your relationship with your pet in a way not many other things can”. He has two dogs of his own at the moment. A German Shepherd/Husky mix named Paloma who has a large personality and lives for attention from people. His other dog is a cattle dog mix named Hillary. She only has one speed and it is 100mph. They both keep him busy when he is not helping others train their pets.
Having grown up in a home where dogs outnumbered humans, Avi has always had a natural kinship with our four-legged companions. He received his certification from Animal Behavior College in 2012 and has been working to improve the relationships between dogs and their people for the past 8 years, with a specialty in leash reactivity training. After accepting a position managing a dog walking company upon moving to Washington, D.C. in 2008, he quickly realized that working with dogs was his lifelong calling. Since then, he worked at Spot On Dog Training in Washington, DC, and has made a commitment to furthering his understanding of canine behavior, helping rehabilitate recent rescues, and mentoring other prospective trainers who share his passion. Avi is proud to be apart of the District Dogs Training Team!
Areas of Focus
Beatrix has started her professional career in the tourism and hospitality sector, which she eventually traded in for working with dogs in 2016 due to her endless love for pets. In 2020, following four years of working with dogs full-time at various locations, studying canine behavior, and taking on a trainer apprenticeship at a local dog rescue in Maryland, Beatrix became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through CCPDT.
Since Beatrix is passionate about science, she pursued a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior at the University of Washington to deepen her understanding of canine behavior thus helping equip other dog lovers with reliable dog behavior related information. Bea has been surrounded by pets since she was a child, falling in love with her family’s first pet, a rescued Dachshund mix named Betty. She has raised two other dogs since, now including her five years old Doxie named Simon. She is particularly enthusiastic about puppy socialization, especially for small breeds. Beatrix hopes to help bridge the communication gap between handlers and their beloved dogs through heartfelt training both in-private and in-group class settings.
