I’m Linda Green CTC, FFCP, Ceritified SA Pro Trainer, and for the past 14 years I’ve been helping dogs and their humans through a small rescue (Unidos para los Animales) I founded in 2010 in the beautiful town of La Antigua, Guatemala.
I’ve been supporting and training the dogs we’ve rescued (and coaching their wonderful adopters remotely post adoption) ever since. Dogs are complicated little beings and over the years I frequently found myself being asked to address behaviours many adopters found undesirable. I was alarmed by the misinformation, harsh methods and tools being recommended on TV shows and the internet to ‘fix’ the issues.
Although many years of hands-on work with so many dogs gave me a lot of experience and success, experience alone isn’t enough to knowledgeably counsel guardians. To ensure that I was giving dogs and their people the best, science-based information and applying the most humane training methods I needed a formal education. I applied to Jean Donaldson’s prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers, widely considered to be the Harvard of Dog Training schools. I was lucky to be accepted in 2016, and in 2018 I graduated with honours from this rigorous two-year program.
In the years since graduating from the Academy, I have attended conferences and followed up with two more certifications; Fear Free Certified Trainer and most recently, certification as a Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer.
Prior to immersing myself in dog behaviour, training and rescue I was a teacher of human students. I have a Master’s in International Education and Curriculum Design I taught elementary school, was a middle school athletic director, and later a primary school principal. My background in education and coaching has been a great asset and dovetails beautifully with teaching and supporting the human half of my client teams.
After living for 30 years in Guatemala I relocated to Calgary, Alberta in 2022. I now train dogs, and coach and counsel their guardians through behaviour basics, modifying and managing undesired behaviours, and understanding canine communication. I have worked with thousands of adult dogs and fostered, socialized and trained close to a thousand puppies over the years. Puppy and teen issues are one of my specialty areas, along with teaching Cooperative Care and low stress handling. I recently became a certified Separation Anxiety Pro trainer to help support these lovely dogs and their owners. I do a lot of work with fearful dogs, and dogs displaying aggression and reactivity on leash.
I continue to be active within my rescue (UPA) as a board member, fostering occasionally and offering training and behaviour support for our adopted dogs and families. travel to Guatemala yearly and coordinate and work in our mobile sterilization clinics.
In my free time I love to teach tricks and play training games such as Nose Work and Barn Hunt with my two dogs, Panda and Cashew (and our current foster-pups-du-jour). I love learning and continue my professional learning journey with seminars and courses, geeking out on all things dog. I love to read and hike and spend time in our beautiful mountains with my dogs and friends.
Recent Seminars and Continuing Ed
- SA Pro Trainer -Certified Separation Anxiety Specialist, January, 2024
- The Long-Game Medications: Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Clomipramine & Paroxetine webinar with Dr. E’Lise Christensen, July, 2022
- Geek Week virtual summit offered by the Pet Professional Guild, November, 2021, featuring 30 world renowned professionals
- Fear Free Training Professional Certification (FFCTP), January, 2021
- Fear Free Shelter Professional, March 2020
- Do As I Do Seminar with Dr. Claudia Fugazza, November 2019
- Daniel Mills Conference, Oakland CA-The Emotional World of Dogs, June 2018
- Farm Animal Clicker Camp, June 2017
- Chicken Clicker Camp, May 2017