Meet the Trainers

Dawn Lowery, CPDT-KA, ACDBC, Owner, One Smart Dog

Dawn Lowery is owner and head trainer of One Smart Dog Training & Behavior. She has been training dogs since 2008 after graduating from Animal Behavior College.

Providing the most effective, helpful solutions to her clients’ dog training needs, Dawn enthusiastically pursues ongoing continuing education and professional growth by attending several seminars and conferences per year and keeping current on all up-to-date information in the dog training industry.

When not helping families enjoy easier lives with their canine companions, Dawn likes to spend time with her husband Patrick, nephews and niece, and enjoys being in her kayak on the Long Island Sound. Dawn has been featured in the New Haven Register, the Connecticut Post, and has been a guest on the show Pet Talk with Lauren Collier, News Channel 12, and NBC CT Live. She lives with her husband Patrick, her rescue dog Carbo and new addition Mookie. Both brindle and white Boston Terriers. Dawn’s goal is to help families with dogs live a rewarding life together!

Professional Credentials:

CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer -Knowledge Assessed
ACDBC Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant - IAABC
Graduate of Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer Program
Certified Puppy Start Right Instructor- Karen Pryor Academy
AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
CATCH Academy Mentor Trainer

Dawn Lowery, Owner of One Smart Dog and her Boston Terrier Carbo.

Kim Wisniewski, CPDT-KA , Head Trainer, Group Class Instructor

Kim currently works full time in the health insurance industry and was a student at One Smart Dog with her youngest Lab Maui. She has put much work in with Maui, passing the CGC exam and currently prepping to take the therapy dog test. Maui and Kim visit the residents at Maplewood in Orange once a month as part of a therapy dog training group team at One Smart Dog. She owns three labs Murphy, Maui, and Maverick. She is married to husband Gregg and has two daughters. One who is an aspiring hair dresser and one a is school teacher. With both girls grown Kim had some free time on her hands and decided that she would like to pursue a part-time career in training dogs.

Kim started an apprenticeship with Dawn in the Fall of 2015 in hopes to learn more about dog behavior and the science behind the methods used at One Smart Dog. Kim completed her apprenticeship at the end of 2016 and is a head trainer teaching puppy and basic manners classes. She most recently passed the CPDT-KA exam.

Kim Wisniewski, Head Trainer and her Labs Murphy and Maui

Stephanie Buehler, Group Class Instructor

Stephanie has had a passion for positive reinforcement training since attending classes at One Smart Dog with her German Shepherd Milo six years ago. She currently works for a financial company and is a wife and mom of three small children. Stephanie did an apprenticeship under Dawn and has been teaching classes the longest at One Smart Dog. She left for a short time while growing her family but we are lucky to now have her back on board as class instructor.

You'll see Stephanie at the training as a substitute instructor. She teaches both puppy and basic manners. She brings an unprecedented passion for the understanding of the science of animal learning to the team.

Stephanie Buehler, Head Trainer with family and German Shepherd Milo.

Sarah Lipecz, Apprentice Trainer

After watching Sarah work in classes with her Standard Poodle Archie and seeing the huge amount of progress she has made with him, we offered Sarah an apprentice position which she officially accepted.
You will be seeing Sarah around OSD more often as she will be shadowing Dawn in classes until she is ready to teach on her own.

During the week days you’ll find Sarah working in healthcare at a local hospital but in her spare time you can find her and both of her dogs on local hiking trails, camping under the stars, and bike-packing the rugged terrain of New England. Beau is Sarah's sweet rescue dog and Archie is her standard poodle puppy. Beau is a biking pro and together they have tackled the Cross New Hampshire Trail and biking routes across 5 states. Sarah is eagerly awaiting adding Archie to these adventures!

Sarah Lipecz, Apprentice Trainer with her dogs Beau and Archie.

TRAINING METHODS

One Smart Dog uses reward-based methods that are backed by science to modify your dog's behavior. Because a reward makes your dog more likely to repeat the behavior, positive reinforcement is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or changing your dog’s behavior.

Methods we use:

Positive Reinforcement: teaching dogs that behaviors we like are more rewarding than behaviors we don't

Management: arranging the dog's environment to prevent the practice of unwanted behaviors

Desensitization and/or Counterconditioning: changing how the dog feels about a trigger to decrease fear, aggression or reactivity

We do not use the following methods:

Devices that cause pain or discomfort such as choke chains, prong/pinch collars or shock/e-collars
Old-school training methods that are not backed by science
Methods designed to scare or intimidate dogs into complying

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior Position Statement on Humane Dog Training

AVSAB Position Statement- Humane Training