Professional Experience & Credentials
My education and experience in service dog training include hands-on training, mentorship, continuing education, and specialized work in allergen scent detection. My focus is helping owner-handlers train reliable gluten and allergen detection service dogs using positive reinforcement methods.
I continue to expand my knowledge through professional education in service dog training, canine behavior, scent detection, and related areas. The accomplishments and education shown below are part of the experience I bring to each training team.
I completed a 300-hour hands-on internship with Dawn Scheu of Willow Service Dogs, with a focus on gluten and allergen scent detection service dog training. During the internship, I received practical education and experience in scent theory, canine behavior, odor detection and discrimination, public access training, training methodology, owner-handler coaching, and service dog development. This experience provided an important foundation for the positive reinforcement, owner-handler training approach I use with my clients today.
To learn more about my background, personal journey, and approach to training gluten and food allergen detection service dogs, visit my Meet the Trainer page.
Training Achievements with Anira
Anira has earned three American Kennel Club (AKC) Trick Dog titles: Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. Progressing through these three levels reflects her ability to learn increasingly advanced behaviors and the consistency, clear communication, positive reinforcement, and teamwork involved in her training.
Professional Grooming & Animal Handling Experience
I completed professional grooming education through the Paragon School of Pet Grooming and went on to work professionally as a groomer for more than 12 years. During that time, I worked at a large kennel where I regularly groomed and handled both dogs and cats with a wide range of breeds, sizes, temperaments, and individual needs.
More than 12 years of professional grooming and animal handling gave me thousands of hours of hands on experience working closely with dogs and strengthened my ability to recognize subtle changes in canine behavior, body language, stress, and comfort. Grooming also requires patience, safe handling, adaptability, and the ability to build trust with each individual dog, skills that continue to influence the way I approach service dog training and scent detection training today.
Healthcare Education
I graduated from Carnegie Institute after completing the Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist program. This education provided me with a strong foundation in medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and neurological diagnostic testing. My healthcare education has also contributed to my understanding of the medical needs of the clients I work with today.
Continuing Education
Learning never stops. I regularly complete additional courses and workshops in canine behavior, scent detection training, canine nutrition, and service dog training methodology to stay current with modern, science-based training techniques. My continuing education also includes TCVM Food Therapy coursework, which has expanded my knowledge of canine nutrition and the role diet can play in a dog’s overall health and well being.
Professional Memberships & Ongoing Development
I maintain professional memberships and pursue continuing education opportunities to remain connected with other trainers and continue expanding my knowledge of service dog training, canine behavior, scent detection training, and evidence based training practices. My education includes additional coursework in canine behavior as well as ongoing study in areas that support my work with gluten detection, allergen detection, and owner handler service dog teams.
Featured in Icelandic Horse Quarterly
I was honored to have my family and our horses featured in Icelandic Horse Quarterly in the article, “The Best Kind of Stubborn.” My background in animal training began long before I specialized in service dogs. I began working with horses at a young age and spent decades training and showing, learning firsthand the importance of patience, consistency, observation, and clear communication.
Working with horses taught me to recognize subtle changes in behavior, adapt training to the individual animal, and build reliable skills through patience, trust, and clear communication. Those lessons continue to shape my positive reinforcement approach and the way I work with owner-handler teams in gluten and allergen detection service dog training today.
My years of training and competing with horses provided opportunities to develop and demonstrate my skills at the national level, earning national championship titles in multiple disciplines. Working with horses across different training environments taught me the importance of understanding each animal's individual temperament, motivation, and learning style. That extensive hands-on experience continues to influence how I approach service dog training today, particularly when developing confidence, precision, and reliable working partnerships between dogs and their handlers.
