Dog Training
Jefferson Veterinary Hospital is proud to have dog training by amazingly talented and nationally recognized dog trainers on site at the animal hospital! Most Fine Canine and Consistent Canine will be providing their services - read more about the classes and the canine professional trainers below! To register for any puppy socialization or dog obedience class, or ask any questions, please call Leslie at 301-473-7127
Basic Dog Obedience Class
This class teaches you how to train your dog with the foundations of basic dog obedience - the commands of sit, down, stay, walking to heel, come, drop it, watch me and touch will be covered.
These classes are taught by two professional certified canine trainers: Leslie Horton from Most Fine Canine and Kristy Houck from Consistent Canine.
Classes are one (1) hour in length and run for four (4) weeks starting at 7pm Tuesdays.
Cost: 120
Registration and details on dates: Click here, or please call Leslie at 301-473-7127
Puppy Classes
Help your family adjust to their newest puppy member! This puppy training class will help you to socialize your new puppy not only to other dogs, but also help teach you how to get your puppy comfortable around household items, such as vacuum cleaners, and how to help them remain calm during thunder storms. The puppy training class will teach you to care for your puppy and lay the foundations for basic dog obedience.
The puppy socialization class is taught by two professional certified canine trainers: Leslie Horton from Most Fine Canine and Kristy Houck from Consistent Canine.
Classes are forty five minutes in length and will run for five (5) weeks starting at 1:30pm every Saturday.
Cost: 120 - includes all classes and a puppy packet of information!
Registration and dates: Click here, or please call Leslie at 301-473-7127
Veterinary Hospital Acclimation Class
Help teach your pet that the veterinary hospital is a friendly place to be! This class will help acclimate your pet to Jefferson Veterinary Hospital so you aren't dragging them in the door and they aren't dragging you out!
Classes will run weekly on Tuesdays for half an hour between 7:30-8pm.
Cost: 15 for one class
Registration and dates: Click here, or please call Leslie at 301-473-7127
Dog Trainers
We are so lucky to have these amazingly talented and nationally recognized dog trainers providing their services at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital! Read about their amazing credentials and extensive experience below!
Most Fine Canine
Dog Trainer Leslie Horton, IACP CDT, CDTA, PDTI, CSDT
Leslie has been training dogs and their handles since March 2000. She is a final placement trainer for service dogs for children and adults with neurological and mobility disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, degenerative arthritis, autism, hearing disorders, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, etc. Leslie was received the 2014 International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) Member of the Year Award and was inducted into IACP Hall of Fame in 2015.
Leslie is a Pet Partner Team Member with two dogs, and is a Pet Partner Team Instructor and Evaluator. She is a registered nurse with over thirty years of experience in critical care nursing. Leslie started the Animal Assisted Care (AAC) Program on the Inova Fairfax Hospital Campus in 2001. As the coordinator of the AAC Program, Leslie oversees the handler/canine teams and built an animal assisted care program recognized internationally as a leader in animal-assisted therapy. She and her first canine Pet Partner, Chug, were recipients of the Delta Society 2005 Beyond Limits Award for Outstanding AAT Professionals.
Leslie and her dogs have been featured in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, US News and World Report, Fox 5 News, WJLA Channel 7 News, and Reuters News. She was a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation Regulation/Negotiation Workgroup regarding service dogs, emotional support animals, and the Airline Carriers Access Act (ACAA). She has been a speaker at multiple conferences regarding Service Dogs.
Leslie's experience as a service dog trainer is highly sought after, and she currently has a waiting list of over a year for these services.
Consistent Canine Dog
Dog trainer Kristy Houck, CCDT.
Kristy has been working professionally with dogs and their owners since
2012. She is a member of Pet Sitters International, National Association of
Professional Pet Sitters, and the International Association of Canine
Professionals. She is an American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good
Citizens (CGC) evaluator and is certified in dog CPR and First Aid through the Red Cross.
Through her work as an owner of Beyond Barks, a pet sitting company,
Kristy saw a need within her clients for guidance with training and behavior
modification. This need launched a drive within her and she enrolled with
Catch Canine Academy and graduated in 2015. Subsequently, she started
her own dog training company, Consistent Canine. Kristy trained and
placed her first mobility and cardiac assistance service dog in 2017. Kristy
and Consistent Canine assisted Leslie with Most Fine Canine, Inc. and
Tecla, with Tecla’s K9 in the provision of a service dog conference aimed at
professional trainers with interest in branching their business into the
service dog direction.
Kristy regularly attends conferences to further her knowledge of training
techniques. Kristy and her two dogs Clutch and Asscher are members of
the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program and enjoy volunteering in a
variety of settings. She also co-directed an animal assisted therapy program at
a day program for persons with disabilities.