In keeping with APDT ’ s core purpose to advance excellence in the profession of dog training and behavior consulting , Erica believes APDT must “ strive to increase the education of trainers / consultant in the industry and give the industry a cohesive , comprehensive , and high standard of excellence in the application of training to pet dogs around the country . I believe it means we are dedicated to ensuring the public can trust behavior professionals to be highly educated and safe when working with family pets .”
Besides being co-chair of APDT ’ s Membership Task Force , Erica has reviewed CPDT exam questions for CCPDT and a foster home for various animal organizations . She believes she could have an impact on shaping the education portion of APDT ’ s Strategic Plan . “ I have lots of ideas for furthering trainers ’ education , developing skills and education of new trainers , as well as reaching pet parents to help consumers be better educated on best practices and humane methods of training and caring for their companion animals .”
She began working with animals as a youth volunteer at a humane society in Vermont , where she worked closely with trainers . From that experience , Erica developed her interest in behavior and how it relates to training . She learned about clicker training after her family got a puppy while living in Missouri . She was asked to help be a puppy wrangler and that grew into teaching classes . She earned her certification while volunteering at a Missouri humane society . When the family moved to New Hampshire , Erica began teaching classes at a local doggie daycare and the county ’ s recreation department . That evolved into the Wicked Good Dog Training .
Erica has now been working with animals in a professional way for more than 20 years , and professionally training dogs since 2010 . She joined APDT soon after becoming certified in 2012 after hearing about APDT from her mentor in Missouri . Her first conference was Hartford , Connecticut in 2014 . “ I was incredibly overwhelmed . I was talking with people over lunch , learning things I had never thought of before . The conference was starstudded for the training dog community . It was mind-blowing on the amount of information I learned ,” she said in the 2021 Member of the Year article .
Soon after joining APDT , Erica volunteered for the APDT Membership Task Force . “ It has shown me all the different aspects on what being a member gives you and I learned more than just being a member . Being on a committee gives you more exposure , and it really opened my eyes as to what APDT offers , and what APDT is doing for its members , advocating , the legislative process , registration , and all the things coming down the pipeline to be at the forefront and not left behind and scrambling .”
Ines McNeil , CPDT-KA Ines McNeil grew up in Texas after her family immigrated from France when she was four years old . As a high schooler , Ines started volunteering at animal rescue where she was an adoption counselor . That interest in dog training continued while Ines attended the University of Texas at Arlington for a bachelor ’ s degree in biology , which she earned in 2013 . She worked at big box pet stores , vet clinics , dog training schools , and for other trainers , before starting her own dog training business in 2012 . She is currently the founder and business coach for dog trainers at The Modern Dog Trainer . In 2011 , she started a blog , Crossover Trainer , that turned into coaching other trainers , from one-on-one and group coaching to developing an official program , The Modern Dog Trainer Academy . She now works with trainers all over the world , either in-person or virtual , on how to grow their businesses using modern business growth strategies while staying in alignment with ethical science-based methodology to improve animal behavior . In 2014 , Ines became a CLASS instructor and evaluator and earned her CPDT-KA . She has monitored APDT ’ s community forum , and attended APDT conferences .
Ines brings to the board her ability to be tech-savvy , being both professional and approachable , and being very driven . “ I build websites , master social media and learn new software regularly ,” Ines wrote on her candidate nomination form . “ I ’ m great at asking questions and leading conversations in a way that makes everyone feel at ease , and most importantly , heard . The dog training industry has been my world for more than 15 years . I know this community inside and out because I am them , and I ’ m extremely passionate about helping these incredibly generous people succeed personally and professionally . It gives me purpose and fulfillment when I see my colleagues succeed because of the confidence they gleaned from their time with me ."
Ines embraces innovative ideas and thrives in the implementation of those new ideas to move quickly from thought to action . “ I am very aware of the logistics that come with committing to a new idea , especially as a large organization ,” she wrote . Her previous experience working on a board was between 2013- 2104 when she served on a board for a non-profit animal rescue . Besides attending meetings , she built and launched their website , performed behavior evaluations of potential rescue dogs , hosted and managed in-person events in the community , rescue transport , and home checks of potential adopters .
Her experience in building websites from scratch could also be utilized to improve members ’ experience navigating the resources on APDT ’ s website , especially toward continuing education classes , which changed her perspective of dog training from dominance-based to positive reinforcement . “ Education
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2022 15