Laurie Williams BA, CPDT-KA, CPT - Owner and Director of Behavior Counseling & Training
Laurie C. Williams BA CPDT
Pup 'N Iron is the realization of a life long dream come true for us. Having lived in this community for over 23 years I am happy and proud to provide a safe place where people can connect with their wonderful canine companions. I have devoted my life to the love of dogs and am very fortunate to have enjoyed a long professional career in dog training, behavior modification and general pet care spanning over 25 years. In addition to training and behavior counseling, I have served as a professional pet groomer, veterinary technician, and have been training pet dogs, as well as breeding and showing dogs in obedience, rally, conformation, hunt tests and agility through the years. I have bred and owned/co-owned a variety of dogs and have handled, trained, pointed, and/or finished obedience, rally and agility titles and breed championships on a variety of breeds including Irish Terriers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Irish Setters, Miniature Pinschers, Standard Poodles, Maltese and Dalmatians. But most importantly, I am honored to have helped hundreds of people bond with and develop loving, mutually respectful and healthy relationships with their dogs for a quarter of a century. I am a Rally Obedience Judge for the AKC (American Kennel Club), UKC (United Kennel Club) and APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and a licensed evaluator and instructor for the Delta Society Pet Partners therapy dog program.
I began training dogs with the Jacksonville, NC Kennel Club back in 1985, Shortly afterwards, my husband was transferred to Quantico Marine Base and in 1987 we began offering our first family dog classes right here in Stafford. The classes were held in our backyard! We quickly follwed by offering basic manners classes for MWR MCB Quantico and the community education department at Northern Virginia Community College. Just prior to opening Pup 'N Iron I served as the Area Trainer for PETsMART's VA/MD district. In this capacity I oversaw the training and accreditation of all PETsMART pet training instructors in the northern Virginia stores. I piloted the training program in the Stafford, Virginia store, leading that store to the highest training sales in the history of the PETsMART company. I have been a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 2002 and currently serve on its Board of Directors and as the Chair of the Rally Committee.
I hold a B.A. from Norwich University in Montpelier, VT and was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Natural Sciences Department of Northern Virginia Community College for 7 years. I am a nationally published writer with works appearing in Dog & Handler, 911, Essence, Fitness, and Good Housekeeping magazines. I am a regular contributor to "The Chronicle of the Dog," the trade publication for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and write the Rally Obedience column. I am the founder of the Stafford Dog Club and was one of the first certified dog trainers recognized by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers in Virginia.
Most recently I had the opportunity of participating in the first ever, nationally televised prime time reality show about dogs. Greatest American Dog aired on CBS from July 10 - September 10, 2008. It was a show depicting the relationships between twelve owner/dog pairs. My Maltese Andrew, the smallest dog in the competition, was selected runner-up! In addition to my extensive background in dog training and behavior modification, in order to stay abreast of the newest training and behavior modification techniques, I attend regular continuing education seminars with the leading dog behavior specialists in the field such as Karen Pryor, Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, and Ray Coppinger. I am a featured speaker and presenter at the APDT National Educational Conference to be held in Atlanta, GA October, 2010.
I have spent the greater part of my adult life pouring my heart and soul and expending my blood, sweat and tears into learning as much as possible about one glorious, phenomonal animal - the dog. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am proud to call myself a professional dog trainer!
We currently share our lives and home with our three beautiful Maltese boys, "Leopold," "Andrew," and "Geoffrey," a cream Standard Poodle named Moet (our dizzy blond), our stunning Pharoah Hound "Ramesses" and our youngest, William, a liver spotted Dalmatian. We lost our Dalmatian Tucker 2 years ago, but he remains the inspiration for Pup 'N Iron and will always live on in our memory.
