Lindy Sander

Owner, Director of Training

Lindy brings her lifelong love of dogs and horses together with proven training techniques that have helped dog owners improve their relationships with their dogs. 

As a young girl, Lindy’s love of animals led to training and showing both her dogs and her horses.  She was lucky enough, at a young age, to be sponsored into one of the local dog obedience clubs.  Several of the club’s trainers guided her through different levels of training.  At the same time she had the opportunity to work with a well-known horse trainer that realized Lindy’s potential with animals.  He shared his knowledge of animal body language and human intervention and helped Lindy earn top honors in riding competition.  Training her Toy Poodle for competition and a rescued German Shepherd to guard the stables helped Lindy understand big dogs and little dogs right from the start.  A teenager's dream was realized the first time she took her horse out for a trail ride with her faithful Shepherd/Collie mix heeling along off leash. 

In the late 1980’s, a small Cairn Terrier mix puppy inspired Lindy to get back to competitive dog training.  Her natural ability was recognized by a trainer and was invited to apprentice.  Always thirsty for knowledge and an avid book reader, Lindy has quite a collection of dog books.  After two years of hands-on experience, Lindy was conducting classes.  Her Cairn mix earned top honors during his short show career and her new dog, a Rottweiler, was ready for competition both in obedience and conformation. 

Helping owners understand their pets’ behavior and rehabilitating unwanted pets was endlessly rewarding.  With her competition students winning numerous awards and the support of her family and clients, Lindy decided to quite her full time management position with a major company and pursue the dream of a career as a professional dog trainer.  The amount of time and energy spent developing and perfecting techniques paid off when Lindy was asked to manage a training facility while the owners took a hiatus. 

The success of her students both in the show ring and in their homes led to an ever-increasing reputation.  Whether for the family pet, competition, or Therapy Dog Certification, her professionalism and her personal attention to individuals and their specific problems has been called extraordinary.  In 1998 in order to take that personal attention and professionalism to a higher level, A+ Dog Training was born. 

Lindy consistently strives for professional and personal attention.  Some people come from more than 65 miles away to train at A+ Dog Training.  Her staff has been hand picked to enhance the services that A+ Dog Training offers.  Lindy’s definition of a good trainer is being able to find the right training technique or method for both dog and owner.  Recognizing different personalities of individuals and their individual dogs are key ingredients to training success.  The success of a variety of personalities and a variety of breeds demonstrates Lindy’s capabilities.

QUALIFICATIONS 

·         Over 45 years of experience training dogs

·         33+ years experience as instructor for Puppy Kindergarten, Beginners Obedience, Advanced Obedience

·         33+ years experience rehabilitating “unwanted”, “uncontrollable”, “aggressive “ dogs

·         Attended George Alston conformation handling seminar and received Best Handler award

·         Achieved Nine obedience titles, twelve rally titles, 2 Bcat titles and two agility titles on twelve of her own dogs with top honors

·         Achieved breeder/owner-handled champion titles on 18 Cairn terriers

Jean Locke, Lead Agility Instructor

Jean started her agility career right here at A+ and has been successfully competing in various agility venues:  AKC, CPE and NADAC.   She continues to take private lessons with some of the finest trainers in the field and brings her training and experiences home to her students.

Jean specializes in rehabilitating rescue dogs through agility.

“I became involved with agility when I rescued my corgi Simon.  He was morbidly obese and had aggression issues from the abuse he had sustained.  I needed to refocus his fears and energy into something positive.  Through agility, his mind and body healed and now he is the friendliest dog and a fantastic agility competitor!   When I adopted my second corgi, Nigel, he had been living outdoors and had limited human contact.  He was terrified and very sickly.   It was two months before he would walk through a doorway!  He soon started following Simon around as we trained agility in our backyard.  I saw his confidence grow, so I began working him every day.  That was a true turning point for Nigel.  Working with an extremely fearful dog has forced me to think “outside” the box and become a better trainer.

 Our classes are high energy, fun and positive.  Each student receives individual attention as we work one at a time in the ring.  Whether you train in agility just to have fun with your dog, to rehabilitate or to compete, it’s all the same in my eyes.  It must be about you and your dog having fun!”

Students learn proper handling techniques:  tight handling, distance work and how to laugh at yourself!  

“I have found that my students and their dogs are more successful if they are having fun and being challenged, so we are very progressive.” - Jean

Jean's accomplishments:  13 local High in Trials, 15 Agility Championships, 4 Extraordinaire titles, High in Trial at National event (dogs from all over US and Canada in attendance).

Interested in classes?   Please contact Lindy Sander at A+ for further information!

ALEXA EDICK-Lead Trainer Intermediate/CGC Evaluator, Nosework trainer

Alexa has an educational background in evolutionary biology, and over 20 years of experience with dogs. She has always been fascinated by dog behavior. As a child, she read every book she could obtain about dog training, and she continues to follow new research into what motivates dogs. As a teen, she trained friends’ dogs, and after college she operated a dog walking business for several years. She describes being a dog walker as akin to being a drill sergeant – misbehaving dogs cannot be walked in groups of eight!

Alexa came to Lindy for help with an aggressive foster dog in 2014; and has continued training with A+ because of the balanced approach to training, and the team spirit atmosphere. We solve problems and meet goals together at A+, and this attitude gave Alexa the confidence to start training for competition. Her dogs compete in AKC Rally Obedience, have earned Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog titles, and are currently training to compete in Scentwork and Agility. Alexa is an AKC Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog Evaluator.

Christine Thinnes-Assistant Trainer

Christine has had dogs in her life as long as she can remember.  At the age of 19 she got her very own dog to care for… a Siberian Husky – which of course she got without doing any research.  She just saw this beautiful little puppy in a pet store and had to have it.  Sound familiar?

Well, the journey in training started there – many years ago. Since that time she has continued her love for dogs over the years to include a Newfoundland, a Bernese Mountain Dog, a couple of Rottweilers, a rescue of unknown origin – said to be Rottweiler/Mastiff, an American Bulldog, and most recently an Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix.

It was in 2014 that the American Bulldog female brought Christine to A+ Dog Training.  As a puppy Darla was affectionately referred to as a Piranha on Crack.  She was adorable and sweet but had to put her teeth on everything. Her energy was endless and her mom was tired. Christine had met her match.  All the training she had experienced before was not working with this dog and she knew she needed help.  From the very first day she walked in the door at A+ she knew she had found the right place.  Although she thought she knew a lot about training dogs, at A+ she found a whole new level of training.  She started with Puppy Kindergarten and has been coming back ever since.  Lindy has an uncanny way of spotting things that you would never see yourself. Her years of experience and professional advice are beyond helpful. After absorbing the information presented and putting them to work the changes came quickly.  That dog needed a job!  So a job we gave her.  She loves Obedience work and loved Agility as well until an injury sidelined her.

Since her initial experience with her American Bull Dog - she started to bring her rescue dog whom was a very fearful boy.  Through obedience training and then agility training he has made huge strides in his confidence.  He LOVES school.  So far her American Bull Dog has received both her Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog title and her rescue has achieved his Canine Good Citizen title. Her latest dog is currently attending classes at A+ and is a work in progress, but they have already come a long way as a team.They look forward to continuing their training and making happy, healthy canine good citizens and to see where they can go from there.

Christine loves to help out at A+.  She loves the challenge.  She loves to help other people create lasting bonds with their dogs.  She continues to learn even more from Lindy and all the dogs that present new and different challenges as we go.  She especially love to watch the progress that the dogs and owners make on their adventures in training..

Deb Cadena-Assistant

Ashley Wright-Agility Assistant