• Sissy Haskell, ABCDT
  Professional, Certified Dog Training
  Dogs Live Happy, LLC
  

Sissy was born and raised in Germany, moved to West Africa Ivory Coast in 1995 and in 1999 to CT. In May 2006, she moved to Portal, GA. Sissy is currently owned by 3 Dogs ("Kira" 12 year old Kuvasz/Newfie mix, "Cam" 9 year old Golden & "Lucky" a 8 year old Kuvasz/Newfie/Golden mix), 1 Calico cat  "Jar Jar" & a Ragdoll Cat  "Benita" and "Elisabeth" the rescued Iguana and some foster animal(s) waiting to be adopted.

Sissy is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and graduate from ABC (Animal Behavior College). Specializing in

• Puppy and adolescent training
• The Shy & Fearful Dog
• Basic Obedience

Sissy has been a dog/animal lover all of her life and have been living and surrounded by dogs at all times. Sissy always wanted a job where she can work with animals and worked as a Vet Tech for 7 years in Germany.  Working and dealing with all kinds of animals, dogs and breeds and facing behavior problems on daily basis she was driven to become a Dog Trainer one day.  Sissy apprenticed at Leslie Nelsons Tails_U-Win in Manchester, CT where she assisted a variety of Dog Training classes (Family Dog I & II, Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Agility and assisted CGC (Canine Good Citizen) prep class and testing) for 7 months.

• Attended a 2 day "Aggression in Dogs" Seminar by Brenda Aloff
• Certified Dog Trainer through Animal Behavior College
• CGC (Canine Good Citizens) Evaluator for the AKC
• Certificate for Behavior Assessment from the HSUS

Sissy is a Member of  

• APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers)
• ABC Animal Behavior College
• Humane Society of Statesboro & Bulloch County
• Volunteer at the Bulloch County Animal Shelter

Sissy trains using positive reinforcement because training should be fun for you and your dog and should bring results.

• Heather Amaral
  

Heather is 30 years old, married with 2 wonderful boys. Heather was born in Massachusetts, raised in Florida and has been living in Statesboro for the past 5 years. Living in different places has allowed me to appreciate and notice the manor in which animals are adored or not…

Heather is an animal LOVER, some would say “junkie,” since she was a child. She is drawn to the “ones” that have been displaced or are needy in some way. She has had several types of animals (large and small) as pets over the years.  She has been blessed to always find a way to encompass her life with animals.

Heather holds a BA in Psychology and a BA in Anthropology.  She is currently in her final semester of a MA in Social Science with an emphasis in historical archeology.

Why animals you may ask?

Spend 5 minutes at our local shelter and you will see the answer…Heather joined the Statesboro and Bulloch County Humane Society in 2005. It quickly became a family effort to foster and help adopt out deserving animals with borrowed time. Our family specializes in the care of orphaned or unweaned puppies. They also foster mothers along with their litters until they are old enough to be placed in homes. They often have a variety of fosters at different stages joining our pack.

Heather currently has 3 family dogs and 3 cats.  Maxine, our 3 year old resident Rat Terrier. She started a trend….  Then came Fly, our 7ish year old black Lab/mix. She started out as a foster dog with her 12 puppies, she stole Heather’s heart and had to stay. She had been abused and neglect, complete with an embedded collar.  The newest addition to the pack is Georgia, a 6 month old, 60 lb Bull Mastiff puppy from the shelter.  She is forever growing!   Heather also has an 8 year old blue Persian (Fletcher), 5 year old blue short haired Persian (Smokey) and a 2 year old orange tabby/main Coon (Booboo). All shelter kitties!

The instructors have used many different training methods through the years. They now know that crate training is the foundation of a successful dog experience. They use positive reinforcement in the form of praise and bribery (treats).  Exercise and stimulation are key. They are always trying new methods and educating themselves about new ways to have fun with their furry friends.