Meet Your Trainer Verena
Verena Sutherland (she/her)
From a young age, Verena knew that she deeply cared for animals - but it was not until she adopted a feral Mustang from Nevada that she truly began to consider being an animal trainer. Her horse did not respond well to traditional methods but thrived when Verena switched to a rewards-based approach. Verena underwent rigorous training from experts in the equine clicker field and learned how to effectively build skills using food rewards.
Soon after, Verena adopted a young dog from a hoarding situation who came to her with significant behavioral issues. Ozymandias (Ozy for short), who now graces the RYDT logo, suffers from generalized anxiety and reactivity towards humans. It became clear to Verena that while she understood how to train skills, she lacked knowledge when it came to an animal’s emotional experience.
Verena thus immersed herself in yet another challenge: learning how to help her dog feel better living in an urban environment. Ozy continues to do well on his recovery journey, and inspires Verena daily to help dogs facing fear, reactivity and aggression and their guardians live enriched, harmonious lives.
However, even after earning a number of certifications, taking various online courses by experts in the field, attending conferences, reading books, and conferring with other trainers regularly, Verena truly feels that there is more to learn every day. For this reason, she still seeks out continuing education to help build her knowledge base and skills.
Verena finds inspiration in the work of Peggy Hogan, Ken Ramirez, Suzanne Clothier, Michael Shikashio, Kim Brophy, Grisha Stewart, and many others.
Verena grew up in the northwest of Germany near the Dutch boarder until she moved to Portland, OR in 2009 for love. She lives with her two beautiful dogs, Husky/ACD mix Ozymandias and German Shepherd Yggdrasil, the most darling cat Parcival, her regal horse Queen Guinevere, and her pretty well socialized husband Jesse. (Yes, the love story has a happy ending.)
Most of her time not spent working, Verena is somewhere outdoors, hiking in Oregon’s and Washington’s wildernesses with her pups, preparing her young dog Yggie for performance sports, or working to build new fun skills with her horse Guin.
Verena also fronts a punk band called The Bloodtypes, GMs and plays in all manners of fantasy and other kinds of roleplaying games, and is prepared to have lengthy conversations about the Lord of the Rings and her corresponding tattoos pretty much anytime. She enjoys watching competitive knife making and baking shows equally.
And off duty?
Photos by Lynn Ballard and Jesse Sutherland
Verena’s Credentials - and What They Mean
Dog training is an unregulated industry, which means that anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. Reward Your Dog Training believes in continuing education and training to best serve you and your dog. Verena’s full “alphabet soup” is
= Verena Sutherland, M.Ed., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, CTRI, FDM
Phew, that’s a mouthful. What does all of this mean? Let’s demystify these letters!
Masters in Education (M. Ed.)
Though not directly linked to dog training, Verena still draws on her years of experience as a teacher as well as her Masters program and for creating training plans, coaching clients, and communicating effectively.
Certified Behavior Consultant Canine - Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA)
This certification, also by the CCPDT, required 300+ hours of hands on experience working with fear, aggression, and reactivity in dogs and that her theoretical knowledge of the science behind reactivity is thorough and up to date.
Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
This certification by the Council of Certified Pet Dog Trainers has the prerequisite of 200+ hours of hands on experience and demonstrates that Verena’s knowledge of dog training is current and thorough.
Karen Pryor Academy - Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP)
This rigorous certification program demonstrates mastery of the principles of positive reinforcement based training.
Certified Treat & Retreat Instructor (CTRI)
This certification focuses on a unique way to help socially shy and awkward dogs overcome their big feelings around humans.
Family Dog Mediator (FDM)
This certification shows that Verena has studied beyond the basics of dog training and can help families understand the dog in front of them based on genetics, personality, age and history, promoting a deeper knowledge of and empathy for the amazing being your dog is.
While certifications alone do not make a good trainer, they are at least an indicator of professional curiosity and a desire to use the best information possible - for science-backed, ethical, and effective training.
Above all, Verena loves dogs and strives to make the world a better place for them - and their guardians.
