meet the team
MEET CARLA
Carla is a lifelong dog lover and her journey into dog training began in 2014 when she started volunteering with New Beginning Animal Rescue in the Bronx.
As a volunteer, Carla spent her evenings and weekends walking the shelter dogs, most of whom were owner surrenders or pulled from Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). Carla’s interest in dog training increased as she found herself wondering how to provide better walks for the dogs in her care, many of whom were chronic leash pullers and displayed varying levels of leash reactive behaviors.
Carla adopted her first dog from New Beginning, an American Bully named Rocky, who struggled with many of the same behaviors. Determined to get Rocky on the right track, Carla dove head first into training. Her hard work and passion for understanding and communicating with dogs turned what once was a hobby into a career of full-time training.
Prior to the start of Higher Standard Dog Training, Carla was Head Trainer at a NYC-based dog training facility that specialized in challenging behavior modification cases, where she worked for seven years.
In her free time, Carla enjoys spending time with her dogs, Blaze, an American Bully mix, and her senior Chihuahua, Roscoe.
MEET CASSIE
Cassie’s start in the dog industry began in 2014 as an in-home sitter on Rover. When she began to consider a dog of her own, Cassie started her profile as a way to experience living with dogs of different breeds and temperaments before taking the plunge. Cassie quickly stood out as a safe and reliable sitter on the website, and shortly amassed a profile of over 90 five-star reviews.
In 2018, Cassie adopted her first dog, Eva, a five-month-old German Shepherd puppy, with big goals in mind. However, Cassie quickly realized she did not set herself up for success and was in over her head. To live the life she envisioned with her dog, Cassie dove head-first into training and never stopped. Her experiences range from pet behavior modification, to service dogs, and dog sports.
In her downtime, Cassie enjoys exploring the city with her German Shepherd, Eva (CGC/CGCA/CGCU, TKA, BH-VT), and spending time with her newest addition, a Pomeranian mix named Buddy.
our philosophy
At Higher Standard Dog Training, we pursue a higher standard in all aspects.
We utilize a balanced training approach backed by the scientific principles of operant and classical conditioning. A reward-based approach to build motivation and desire, along with appropriate feedback and correction when necessary, provides the highest level of reliability in your dog’s training and maximizes clarity for your dog.
Our training methodology involves fostering a cooperative and relationship-focused manner of interacting with your dog, which includes taking your dog’s individualized personality traits and preferences into account. We also focus heavily on appropriate physical and biological fulfillment for your dog, and teaching you how best to live with your “whole dog” upon the completion of your board & train or private session program.
As part of the “higher standard” that we strive for, all of our trainers are committed to life-long learning. We pride ourselves on staying current in the latest developments and trends in the dog training industry and regularly continue our education as trainers by attending seminars and workshops, shadow programs, working our personal dogs, and investing in our relationships with mentors within the industry.