about

If you’re like most “dog people,” you’ve probably visited shelters, doggie daycares, and kennels. You may notice things like what, if anything, the dogs have to chew on. How the facility is set up for exercising the dogs. How the staff is interacting with the dogs. How happy the dogs look (or not).

Leigh Siegfried and Liz Marsden noticed. As professional dog trainers and kennel managers with years of shelter and rescue experience, they noticed one consistent fact: enriched dogs are successful and relaxed, while under enriched dogs are more stressed, exhibit behavior problems, and simply are frustrating for owners or staff who aren’t sure how to meet their needs.

Mission Dog believes that Enrichment – providing dogs with proper exercise, socialization and mental stimulation – is what can make or break a dog’s life. Enrichment in any environment – but shelters especially – can affect whether a dog gets placed in a home and whether he stays there. Enrichment is as important as food, water, and medical care, and should be a part of every dog’s daily existence, wherever they are.

Mission Dog is kicking off 2008 with a workshop at the Humane Society of the United States Animal Care Expo, Enrichment and Training in the Progressive Shelter. The Mission Dog plan is designed to help shelters of any size, scope, and economic means construct and practice an enrichment program for its dog residents. We’re excited to offer our easy-to-follow, proven techniques to shelters, dog walkers, dog trainers, boarding and daycare facilities.

Mission Dog: Enriching the lives of dogs through education.

 

Leigh Siegfried began her work with dogs as a volunteer at a nonprofit animal shelter. She has been a professional, positive-reinforcement dog trainer since 2002, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer since 2004, and has managed an award-winning dog daycare and training facility in Northern Virginia. She is an Associate member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is a Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She conducts private behavior counseling sessions, group training classes in basic and advanced manners and agility, and a variety of workshops. Leigh lives in Quakertown, PA.

Elizabeth Marsden is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer who has worked in nonprofit animal shelters for more than 20 years and has been a professional, positive-reinforcement dog trainer since 2001. Her experience is with both limited-admission and open-admission shelters, where her work included designing dog temperament evaluation programs and counseling adopters. Liz was voted one of the top recommended dog trainers in Washingtonian Magazine in 2006, and continues to teach companion dog classes, private training sessions, and seminars. Liz is a Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She lives in Chaplin, CT.

Leigh and Liz met while working in the Behavior & Training Department of the Washington Animal Rescue League, a state of the art facility in Washington, DC. During their tenure there, they collaborated to successfully implement a comprehensive behavior evaluation program. They developed and taught group training classes for volunteers and the public, designed staff training classes in handling and enrichment, designed an in-shelter enrichment program and provided follow up support for adopters.

Both Leigh and Liz continue to volunteer with their local dog rescue groups in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.