Behavior Team of the Bay Area

Erika Liljefelt

Certified Trainer & Behavior Consultant, Accredited Dynamic Dog Practitioner, Certified Separation Anxiety Pro Behavior Consultant

Erika is a force-free, multi-certified dog professional who takes a holistic approach when working with dogs and their guardians. She believes in taking a bottom-up approach to look a little deeper at why a dog might be behaving in a particular way.

As an Accredited Dynamic Dog Practitioner, she specializes in assessing dogs to identify potential physical discomfort that may be contributing to behavioral issues. Because a subtle shift in behavior may signify that a dog is experiencing a high level of pain, she believes that it is important to assess a dog with behavioral issues for potential discomfort prior to starting any type of training program.

Erika is committed to always putting kindness to dogs and their guardians first and foremost. She is a proud member of the Pet Professional Guild, Project tRade, and the Shock-Free Coalition.

Kelly Ledtje, Fear-Free Certified

Professional Dog Walker and Pet Sitter

Kelly is a professional dog walker and pet sitter. She specializes in helping dogs with big feelings live their best lives. Kelly is a certified Fear-Free Professional with a commitment to fear-free and force-free interactions and giving animals choices in their day-to-day lives.

Contact details:

Gr8ful Paws Pet Care

🌐 http://gr8fulpaws.com

Mary Kniskern, Fear-Free Certified, KPA-CTP

Professional Dog Groomer

I began my career as a kennel tech and service dog trainer in 2006. In 2011, I began my career in pet grooming. I was unhappy with the treatment I saw in various grooming salons I was employed in. I opened my own salon in 2016 and built my business on the promise that I would never put any dog through what I wouldn’t put my own dog through. I graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy in 2022 and have been Fear-Free Certified Professional since 2021. I use my skills as a positive reinforcement trainer in the grooming salon to ensure every dog in my care learns to trust me and the grooming.

🌐 http://sonnysspaw.com

Suzi Moore, LVT, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA

Licensed Veterinary Technician and Certified Behavior Consultant

Suzi Moore is a licensed veterinary technician and certified behavior consultant with 35+ years of professional experience and a special focus on cat behavior issues. She sees cases virtually since her physical presence most often alters the cat’s behavior and focus—she doesn’t need to see the problem in action to fix it! She starts her virtual consultation with a tour of your home so she can see where the cat’s resources are and where the problem is happening. She then creates a custom behavior plan for your unique situation, using only positive, non-punishment methods. By sharing her screen, she can show you various example videos of other clients working through diverse solutions so you’ll see exactly what YOU will be doing with your cat(s). You then receive an abundance of support as you and Suzi implement your plan.

🌐 https://www.anotherapproachbehaviorsolutions.com/behavior-services/cat-behavior-services/

Dr. Alison Gerken, DVM, DACVB, Fear-Free Certified

Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist

Dr. Alison Gerken is the only board-certified veterinary behaviorist in San Francisco and one of just over 100 worldwide. After earning her veterinary degree from UC Davis, Dr. Gerken completed a rotating internship at San Francisco Veterinary Specialists, followed by a three-year residency in clinical behavior medicine at Florida Veterinary Behavior Service under Dr. Lisa Radosta. She is also Fear-Free Certified, with a focus on reducing fear, anxiety, and stress in pets.

She is passionate about improving pets’ emotional well-being and guiding families through behavior challenges with empathy and expertise. In addition to seeing patients, she lectures nationally and contributes to publications like PetMD, Psychology Today, and The Dodo.

Contact details:

San Francisco SPCA Veterinary Behavior Service

🌐 https://www.sfspca.org/veterinary-care/veterinary-behavior-service/

📧 [email protected]

Sue Rusnak, CTC

Professional Dog Trainer and Walker

Sue has been working in the pet care industry for over two decades. She began by opening Merry Puppins, a pet sitting and dog walking business, in 2003, but quickly learned that clients needed more help with dog training. In 2008 she attended The Academy for Dog Trainers and has slowly moved the business to dog training and walking.

Sue has had a few deaf and/or deaf/blind dogs and loves working with owners who have opened up their hearts and homes to these special beings. She enjoys getting all family members involved in training their dog and keeping them excited about the process. She currently works with dogs who are at the beginning of their learning journey to ones that are ready to go out and about with their owners to more challenging environments.

She is owned by Munson, a 1.5-year-old Terribull, and KeeWill, an 11-year-old cat.