About Clara
Clara helps dog owners build calmer, more confident relationships with their dogs, whether you’re raising a new puppy or looking for support with your dog’s behavior. Her approach is force-free and grounded in positive reinforcement, with every plan tailored to each individual dog and their caregiver.
Clara is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), a highly advanced credential in the field. It requires graduate-level education in animal behavior, extensive supervised experience working with behavior cases, and a commitment to evidence-based, humane practice. While the CAAB is especially valuable for working with more complex behavior concerns such as fear, reactivity, aggression, and separation anxiety, it also means that everyday training, including puppy foundations, loose leash walking, polite greetings, and household manners, is guided by the same depth of expertise.
Clara works with:
- Puppy owners looking to start off on the right paw
- Families teaching foundational life skills to dogs of any age
- Foster and newly adopted dogs adjusting to a new environment
- Clients addressing behavior concerns, including fear, reactivity, aggression toward people or other dogs, and separation anxiety
She also offers scent-work training as an additional option, providing a fun and engaging way to support dogs’ mental enrichment.
Clara sees clients in person throughout Central Philadelphia and offers virtual behavior sessions for owners anywhere, making it easy to get expert support wherever you and your dog are.
Outside of her client work, Clara holds a PhD in Applied Canine Olfaction and Behavior. Her research showed that pet dogs can be trained to detect human psychological stress through scent. She also earned an MSc in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare, with a focus on diabetic alert service dogs. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, studying detection dog behavior, cognition, welfare, and occupational health.
Dog Training Services
- Private Lessions
- Behavior Modification
- All-Breed Training
- Positive, Force Free Training
- Reactive Dog Training
- Basic to Advance Obedience
- Basic Manners
- Off-Leash Training
- Puppy Training
- Socialization
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- Chewing and Destructive Training
- Biting and Agression
- Anxieties, Fears and Phobias
- Understanding Canine Body Language
- Problem Solving
- ...and much more!