Valerie Warde
ABC Lead Externship Coordinator

Valerie is a native of California and has had a genuine passion for all animals her entire life. Her first experience was volunteering at Wildlife on Wheels, which is where she was trained to handle a variety of different wild animals. During the 4 years that she volunteered, she worked with a Canadian lynx, an African Seville, a myriad of bird species, Australian wallabies and assorted reptiles.

In 2003 she was accepted for a year long internship position working with Orangutans at the Los Angeles Zoo. Her internship with the Orangutans taught her the importance of positive reinforcement and relationship building in training. In 2004 she completed her internship with the Orangutans and was accepted as a part time Animal Keeper Assistant at the zoo. This position allowed her to work with a different variety of primates which further enhanced her communication skills with animals.

In addition to the volunteer work she does for the zoo, she also does volunteer work with the San Pedro Mammal Care Center working with sick Seal Lions and Elephant Seals. This work involves treating them and then releasing them back into the wild.

Her genuine love for animals made her decision to begin dog sitting a natural one. She enjoyed utilizing the knowledge she had obtained through volunteering to help her nurture and care for the dogs. Valerie enrolled in the ABC Obedience Instructor Training Program in early 2005 and officially joined the Animal Behavior College team as an Externship Coordinator shortly thereafter. Valerie says she is proud to be part of a team that cares so much about dogs and the people that love them.

Karen Hieger
ABC Externship Coordinator

ABC is proud to introduce you to Ms. Karen Hieger. Karen’s journey as an ABC pack member is quite unique. Although Ms. Hieger became an official ABC employee in 2010, she has actually been affiliated with ABC for over a decade.

Karen is a native of California and has been involved with dogs (and animals) all her life. Karen’s involvement with animals started early as the neighborhood pet-sitter. She also was known for rescuing dogs she found on the street or those who found her.

Karen has been training dogs for over 40 years. She began her dog training career at the tender age of 12 years as a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser through Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, CA. She and her younger sister, Eileen, raised 7 guide dog puppies, two of which went on to become Guides for the visually impaired.

During her adult years, she took a hiatus from training to travel with her first husband as a Navy dependant. Having moved an average of once a year over the next 6 years, Karen has a great appreciation for the life of military spouses.

She also spent 20 years as a Quality Control Inspector/Engineer for aerospace and military, and has an almost obsessive attention for detail.

Karen returned to professional dog training in 2000 when she adopted her dog Moose. She took him through a local dog training class at Petco in Simi Valley, where the training was provided by Animal Behavior & Training Associates, Inc., (ABTA), a sister-company to ABC. In 2003, she answered ABTA’s ad for dog trainers, and started training for the company shortly thereafter. In 2004, she went on to become a Dog Trainer for Petco and has mentored several of Petco’s new trainers.

In 2007, feeling that her dog training education was incomplete, Karen went through ABC’s Certified Dog Training Program and, in June of 2008, became an ABC Certified Dog Trainer. Happy with the education she received as a dog trainer, she signed up for ABC’s Veterinary Assistant Program the following October (2008) and will be graduating in early spring of 2010. In a couple of years, she hopes to go through ABC’s Grooming Program.

Karen, and her husband, Alan (who is also a Dog Trainer for Petco) live in Simi Valley with their dogs Moose, Wyatt, Annie, Raggs, and Random as well as 9 budgies. Karen is also an Evaluator for the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen as well as a Full Member with APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainers). Karen also runs a small pet-sitting/dog walking business and is a member of Pet Sitters International.

In addition to her full-time duty as an ABC Externship Coordinator, Karen continues to train for Petco, and trains through the Conejo Recreation & Parks Department for ABC.

Covering the West Coast as well as Hawaii, Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon, Karen looks forward to helping ABC’s fledgling trainers through their externship onto their new careers as ABC Certified Dog Trainers.

Alexandra "Alex" Michaels
ABC Externship Coordinator

Alexandra Michaels has been working with animals practically since birth. She grew up with dogs and fish within her household, but that wasn’t enough for Alex; she began riding horses at the age of 4 and continued on that passion throughout her life. During high school, she worked in Hart Park’s animal rescue organization and also enrolled in the Regional Occupation Program allowing her the opportunity to assist in the Petco training process.

After high school, Alex went on to continue her passion in the horse industry by attending an accredited equestrian college in the United States, Meredith Manor. Having lived in California the majority of her life, the switch to West Virginia was a new and exciting experience which opened many doors and opportunities. After graduating with two degrees in Teaching and Training and having taken Veterinary Technician classes, as well as some in farrier, massage therapy, and breeding, Alex was chosen out of her classmates to work at one of the only historical island/national park in America, Blennerhasset Island. The island was completely accurate; meaning the only mode of transportation was by boat and horse, or horse-drawn carriage. She gave guided tours of the entire park (which was actually an island) as well as trained and took care of the 24 horses they boarded there.

Having successfully completed two full summers on Blennerhasset Island, as well as trained her own horses and worked at a local Petland as the head Pet Counselor, Alex decided to return home to sunny southern California to once again be with her family and friends. She wanted to broaden her career outlook to include all types of animals, so Alex looked into Animal Behavior College’s Veterinary Assistant Program. She was about to start it when she luckily became aware of a position within the company. As Externship Coordinator, she’s excited about working with students as they embark on their journey to become professional dog trainers.

Alex currently lives in Newhall, CA with her three dogs, Harley-Quin, Sterling and Heath, plus a variety of over 20 fish. Alex and her boyfriend enjoy breeding Chinese Fighting Fish (Bettas) and finding local spots to take their pack for a walk. She loves visiting with her mother and sisters and the three dogs they have as well as her father and his two dogs. Alex also trains horses in Vasquez Rocks, CA and loves going on trail with her little sister, Julienne. She likes helping out at the local animal shelter and assisting with their newly rescued horses.

Cyndy Wood
ABC Externship Coordinator

After working in the corporate world for more than 25 years, Cyndy was ready for a career change. She joined the ABC family in 2005 and never dreamed that the move would change her life forever. “The first time I walked through the ABC door, I knew that I had come home. When you join ABC, you join a family. I have the best job in the world talking to people all over the U.S. and Canada, who love dogs as much as I do. I’m thrilled that I can help them obtain their dream of becoming an ABC Certified Dog Obedience Instructor,” says Ms. Wood.

Ms. Wood grew up with Beagles and graduated to Dalmatians when she was old enough to choose her own breed. For more than 20 years, Wood’s Dalmatians have participated in dog sports and served as canine goodwill ambassadors at children’s parties and public events. She trained her female Dalmatian, Livvy in obedience and when training was completed, Livvy earned her AKC Canine Good Citizen title. Kramer, her male Dalmatian, was a dog show champion and with Wood at the other end of the leash,
the dog won several AKC Best of Breed awards.

A passionate dog lover all her life, Cyndy is also an ABC Certified Dog Trainer and ABC Mentor Trainer! Some of her other accomplishments in the training industry include AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, certification in pet CPR and first-aid, and instructor of private lessons and several dog classes, including basic obedience and puppy. She thoroughly enjoys every minute she spends training and looks at each lesson as a learning experience. Ms. Wood's goal is to help people with their problem dogs, and to solve canine behavior problems that threaten to send otherwise good dogs to shelters. “I want to do what I can to help keep dogs and owners remain together happily ever after.”