Charleston on the set of "Law & Order"

About Doggie Academy

Sarah Westcott - Head Trainer

Sarah Westcott, CPDT-KSA is the owner of Doggie Academy. As a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, she offers obedience training and behavior counseling to New Yorkers and their dogs. In addition to private sessions, she teaches puppy, manners and agility group classes.

• Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge and Skills Assessed
• Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
• Brooklyn Trainer and Coordinator for The Good Dog Foundation
• Founder of the Brooklyn Dog Training Center
• AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator

Sarah officially launched Doggie Academy in 2007 after working with some of the top trainers in the United States to study the science of how dogs learn as well as how to be an effective teacher to their human compatriots. Sarah is a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation and a Trainer and Coordinator for The Good Dog Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and certifying dogs for animal assisted therapy.

Sarah has fostered several challenging dogs for rescue groups like the ASPCA including an aggressive Maltese, a petrified Pit Bull and one puppy that was seized by Humane Law Enforcement after being left for dead in an abandoned house. She and her late dog, Charleston, volunteered as a therapy dog team for The Good Dog Foundation. Charleston also appeared in catalogues and an episode of Law & Order.

In 2008 Sarah adopted Hank, a Labrador Retriever from Rescue For Life Labrador Retriever Rescue. Sarah and Hank are currently training in agility together and look forward to competing soon. To see Hank in all his goofy glory, watch the videos on his YouTube channel.

As a full service dog trainer and behavior counselor, Sarah crafts a unique lesson plan for each client based on their needs and goals. She believes that training should be fun for both dog and human and strives to be a positive influence on that relationship.

Contact Sarah Westcott for more information about NYC Dog Training.

Cristina Mendonça - Assistant Trainer

Cristina Mendonça is a marine mammal trainer at the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium. Over the past few years she has learned how to apply her training philosophy to assist in a variety of dog training courses. She also completed a graduate certificate in Animal Behavior and Conservation at Hunter College. She is well versed in the science of learning and looks to instill a positive form of communication between you and your dog. Cristina assists in group classes and is available for Walk & Trains, Tutoring and Recess sessions.