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Sue Esper, BA, CPDT-KA

Sue earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Wayne State University, and has taken graduate classes in Applied Behavior Analysis through the University of North Texas. She also holds the designation of Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (the CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT).

Sue has had dogs around all her life. Her neighbors kindly lent their dogs for walks and play before she had one of her own. An abandoned puppy came into her life, and turned an enjoyment of dogs into a passion for all things dog!

Her introduction to dog training came in 1990, with a whippet named Shiloh. The training methods popular at the time were causing the already-shy Shiloh to become even more fearful, so they stopped going to classes. Sue's thought was “if this is dog training, we want no part of it.” Luckily it was not long before she learned about positive dog training methods. Shiloh started to enjoy training, and her recall transformed from a slow, reluctant walk, to a heads-up, tail-wagging gallop! That sight caused Sue to promise that all the dogs in her care from that point forward would be trained solely with dog-friendly methods.

In 1993, she started attending seminars and educational conferences all over the country. Some of the most influential speakers were Bob Bailey, Marian Breland-Bailey, Sue Ailsby, Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson, Leslie Nelson, Ted Turner, Virginia Broitman, Kathy Sdao and Karen Pryor. She has attended two ClickerExpos and Bob and Marian Bailey's forty-hour “Introductory Operant Conditioning Workshop” (also known as “Chicken Camp”–that’s right, clicker training with chickens!).

In 1995, Sue started assisting with and instructing pet dog obedience classes in the Metro Detroit area.

In 2009, a friend enrolled her dog-reactive rescued dog in a class at Trainers Academy, and suggested that Sue come along to observe a class. That is where Sue first met Lisa Patrona. Their paths crossed again by chance a short time later, and Sue was invited to join the staff of Trainers Academy. (As a side note, the dog-reactive dog is no longer dog-reactive, and enjoys running and playing with Sue's whippets.)

Sue lives in Warren with her beautiful whippets, Dragonfly and Muse. Dragonfly loves lure coursing and young Muse already shows a keen interest in the game.

Comments from former students:

"Kebo & I had already been to puppy and intermediate classes at another facility.  The differences in the two places are like night and day.  The instructor spent quite a bit of time on "stories" about how she trained her dogs.  I may just be a different type of learner, but that didn't do anything for me.  At Trainer's Academy, I learned SO much about the way dogs think about things & about how I was "accidently" training my dog to do the wrong things!  All of a sudden it all made sense!  Plus, the written instructions & articles that we received every week after class by way of e-mail was so helpful to me.  I printed everything out and have it in a file to refer back to.  I also enjoyed the "games" we played with the dogs.  Thank you so much!"                                                                      

~ Intermediate student Kim Bennet and Kebo

"I looked forward to coming to class every week, and Hemi did too. We learned so many things together and we have a much closer relationship because of it. Everyone at Trainers Academy was very helpful and patient. It is easy to see that they love dogs and have a passion for teaching them as well as their owners. Hemi and I are very grateful for everything Trainers Academy has given us. Not only was the class educational but it was a ton of fun too. I can't wait for the next class so I can  watch Hemi learn and grow some more. Thank you everybody it was a real treat!"

~ Intermediate Class Graduate Katie Sherman with Hemi

“I liked the small class size and that the instructors had a tip or strategy for any situation that was presented. All the suggestions were sensible and easy to implement but are not things I would have thought of on my own. You sure know your dogs! I loved the rewards-based focus and the use of words only once the dog had mastered the behavior—much better than the dog having to learn by trial and error what all of our dog commands mean! Atticus really bloomed in the puppy class. He went from being shy around the other puppies to happily initiating and engaging in play. I think the class gives both puppies and people the confidence to work well together as a trusting team. The rewards-based focus works so well—all of the puppies in our class had fun learning new things and pleasing their people with what they could do. We’ll be back for intermediate class!"

~ Puppy Class Graduate Amy Smalley with Atticus

“Thank you for taking the time to work with Amber. I knew she could be rehabilitated. She was much more mellow when she came home. You are a miracle worker with dogs. With much appreciation..” G.T

“Teddy is wonderful!!! Thanks for your observations and helpful tips. I believe we have both changed our attitudes toward each other and have given each other mutual respect. Guess I never looked at our relationship that way. Again, thanks for your patience and skill.” J.S.

“As a teacher, I appreciate the difficulty of presenting the same material to different levels of students. You really did a great job.” J.V.

“We wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the puppy class. We had fun and actually learned something new in each and every session. Your positive comments and knowledgeable expertise were greatly appreciated. We're looking forward to the beginner's class.” G.F.

“I wanted to thank you for all your time and patience. You are a great teacher and you should continue with clicker training. We both loved your class and are true clicker training converts.” J.L.