MEET OUR DOG TRAINERS


Sara Lundgren, ABCDT, FFCP ELITE

CERTIFIED POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT DOG TRAINER & OWNER

Sara received her BA in Biology in 2015 from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Saint Joseph, Minnesota. Shortly after graduation, Sara moved to Bozeman, Montana. Sara has worked as a doggie daycare attendant, kennel technician, and veterinary technician. Sara’s experience in these fields have provided her with exceptional knowledge in animal handling, behavior, and medical care. Sara graduated as a Certified Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainer from Animal Behavior College with honors in 2017. In November of 2017, Sara opened Zelda’s Dog Academy to provide dog training services to Bozeman, Montana and the surrounding area.

Sara continues to research and expand her knowledge regarding dog training methods, dog problem behaviors, dog body language and safe handling, dog sports, and dog medical care. Sara has attended several conferences, watched many webinars, and has read countless dog training and behavior books. Sara promises to continue her education to provide the very best service for her clients and their dogs.

In addition to being an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT), Sara is also a Fear Free Animal Trainer Certified Professional Elite (FFCP Elite), an AKC CGC Evaluator, and a Mentor Trainer for CATCH Canine Trainer’s Academy and a Mentor Trainer for Animal Behavior College (ABC).

Sara is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), Fear Free, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Animal Behavior Society, and the Galloping Dog Agility Club (GDAC).

Sara has two female Australian Shepherds, “Zelda” (8 years) and “Zyra” (4.5 years), and a male cat, “Flynn Rider” (8 years). Sara plans to add many more additions to her family in the future. When Sara is not working she enjoys agility practice with “Zelda” and “Zyra”, spending time outdoors hiking and camping, playing video games and watching Disney movies (“Zelda”, “Zyra”, and “Flynn Rider” are all named after video game or Disney characters after all!).

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CONTACT SARA LUNDGREN: sara@zeldasdogacademy.com OR 406.570.8892

 
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LINDSEY BURNS, CPDT-KA, CMFT

CERTIFIED POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT DOG TRAINER

Lindsey has always been a lover of dogs and began studying dog training techniques in high school. Lindsey attended Seattle Pacific University and studied Individual and Family Development and Psychology. While at Seattle Pacific University, Lindsey began fostering dogs and has fostered over 40 dogs with a wide variety of behavioral challenges. Lindsey moved to Bozeman in 2012 and spent time working in human behavior for two years, before moving back to Seattle to apprentice in dog training at Ahimsa Dog Training. 

After learning from other incredible dog trainers and earning her Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), Lindsey moved back to Bozeman to enjoy all that Montana has to offer and dive deeper into the world of dogs. 

Lindsey officially adopted her first dog “Tala” in 2013. Tala was a mostly feral female reservation dog and tipped Lindsey’s career path confidently into the world of dog training. After years of building Tala’s confidence in the world around people, other dogs, and urban life, Lindsey started exploring a variety of dog sports with Tala. Lindsey dabbled in trieball, agility, and trick dog; and spent several years participating in barn hunt with Tala.

In 2019, after much planning and anticipation, Lindsey decided to add a second dog to the family as a working companion. “Keeso” is a male Wirehaired Vizsla that works in search and rescue. An absolute pistol of a dog, Keeso has taught Lindsey the power of patience while learning a whole new world of training techniques to train for a specific discipline. 

Lindsey participates regularly in dog training courses in order to have an arsenal of methods to train a wide variety of behaviors. Lindsey is an AKC CGC Evaluator. Lindsey is also certified as a Canine Myo-manipulative Functional Therapist (CMFT), which is fancy terminology for a dog masseuse. Lindsey is a member of the International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork (IAAMB). From dog training to dog fitness and wellness, Lindsey loves to learn and teach about the many facets of canine wellness and care. 

CONTACT LINDSEY BURNS: lindsey@zeldasdogacademy.com OR 406.570.8592

 

WHITNEY TAYLOR, CCDT

CERTIFIED POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT DOG TRAINER

Whitney grew up in the Gallatin Valley and graduated from Manhattan High School. From a young age Whitney immersed herself in the world of canine companionship by providing dog walking and dog sitting services for her neighbors.

After graduating from High School, Whitney adopted her first agility dog, “Harley” at 5 years of age. Having Harley encouraged Whitney to step into the world of dog spots. In 2009 Whitney adopted her first Australian Shepherd “Rosie” as a puppy. By using positive reinforcement techniques, Whitney was able to teach both Harley and Rosie how to problem solve and compete in dog agility. Soon after, Whitney and her pups ventured into the world of stock dog training.

When Rosie entered her senior years and was retired from competing, Whitney welcomed “Tug” a Border Collie cross and “Jordan” an Australian Shepherd into the family. Whitney continued expanding her dog training knowledge by training both Tug and Jordan in dog agility and stock dog training.

In 2016 Whitney started to teach agility classes for the Galloping Dog Agility Club (GDAC). From there she started to help owners build relationships with their dogs with private training sessions. In 2022 Whitney enrolled in CATCH Canine Trainers Academy (CCTA) and graduated as a CCTA Certified Dog Trainer (CCDT) in April of 2024.

In addition to being a CATCH Certified Dog Trainer (CCDT), Whitney is also a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and the Galloping Dog Agility Club (GDAC). Whitney has also expanded her dog training education and knowledge by reading several books by well-known dog behaviorists and dog trainers. Whitney is committed to continuing her education in dog sports, dog behavior, and canine fitness.

Whitney is happily married and has two young daughters. Whitney’s dogs currently include two female Australian Shepherds, “Rosie” (14 years) and “Jordan” (7 years), and a Border Collie cross, “Tug” (7 years). When not dog training, Whitney enjoys spending time outdoors with her family hiking, dirt biking, hunting, and fishing. Whitney also loves to spend her time tending to livestock when she gets the opportunity.

CONTACT WHITNEY TAYLOR: whitney@zeldasdogacademy.com