Meet the Faculty of "I Said Sit!"
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Elisha Stynchula
Elisha met Jonathan at the first John Rogerson Canine Biathlon competition in 2006 where they teamed up and took first place. After that success, it was a natural step for Elisha to join "I Said Sit!" as General Manager and partner bringing her knowledge in dog day care facility management and years of dog training experience.
Elisha furthers her education by attending various seminars in dog sports, training and behavior. Elisha is also actively involved with her own dogs in dog sports, particularly in Nose Work and Mondioring. Elisha and Ryuk have recently competed in some fun competitions. They received 2nd place overall on the Game Show Network’s Dog Park Superstars and won the best trick challenge for Ryuk’s wall jump of 6.5 ft. Elisha and Ryuk also recently won their second competition under John Rogerson by winning the gold level in the first US Rally Working Trial.
She shares her home with her husband Dan, Luna, a Cattle Dog mix, Tink, a tiny 3lb Chihuahua, and competition dog, a German Shepherd named Ryuk.
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Nick Gordon
Nick has been working at "I Said Sit!" since early in 2008. As our head trainer, Nick does training in all of our programs. He teaches many of our classes including agility and both the basic and advanced training. He also does a lot of the individual private tutoring for our students at school and in people’s homes.
Nick really enjoys his work. As he says, "What impresses me most is the transformation I have seen in the dogs we train here. Another thing is that people keep returning to us for training. There is a true loyalty in the "I Said Sit!" clients. In all of our training programs, I see many former clients returning with their new dogs."
When Nick isn’t training we keep him busy editing our training videos. In his spare time Nick is an accomplished musician and an avid Raiders fan. Nick also takes home skills from work and continues to use them to fine tune his own dog Dale, an Australian Shepherd mix.
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Janet Graham
Janet has been a member of our team since the beginning of 2010. She teaches several of our puppy and manners classes and is also one of our private trainers. In addition, Janet works with Jonathan to fine tune our various class curriculums. She has a fine grasp of how to help solve training problems. She loves helping dogs learn and is eager to share advice on ways to keep your dog healthy and happy.
Whether she's training her own dog, volunteering at an animal hospital or walking dogs at a local rescue, animals have always been a big part of Janet's life. She started training in 2006, when her parents rescued a Shepherd-Lab mix, and she understands the gratification that training can bring to dogs and their owners.
When she’s not here you can find her on Twitter or on her surfboard tubing it at Malibu beach.
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Myria Kellawan Over the last few years, Myria has progressed from being a kennel attendant to a walker and now a trainer! She is the main trainer behind the scenes at our school. If your dog is better behaved and relaxed when it goes home, you can probably thank Myria for her efforts. You can see Myria as the trainer in several of our videos.
She has spent her entire life around animals and has worked with a multitude of dog breeds. Through experience, she has learned that the main reason larger dogs are sent to a shelter is because they act up. She strongly believes you should enjoy your pet and vice versa.
When not at work Myria enjoys her artwork and goes to school. She also loves road biking to satisfy her need for speed. |
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Lisa Eisenberg
Lisa came to “I Said Sit!” during a prior stint in another dog facility. A few weeks after starting here she quickly made the comparison that this was the facility she wanted to be a part of. She jumped right in to learn how we do things and is a valuable part of our team.
Not long after starting here, Lisa grabbed her best friend’s new puppy and brought it along to one of our classes, for her, the puppies and her friends benefit. We appreciate her eagerness to help wherever she can.
When not training dogs Lisa loves Disney movies, music and playing piano. |
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Polina Bazlova
Polina came to us in 2011 to help us kick off things at the new location. She always wanted to work with animals and graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Animal Science. Polina is one of our assistant trainers and enjoys helping clients in class. We love the sparkle in her eye when she sees an owner learn something new and helpful after she helps them with her dog.
In addition to dogs, Polina has a special interest in birds. When she’s not studying animals, she can be found reading fantasy novels and studying Asian culture. |
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Nelson Flores
Nelson joined us in late 2011 with a very strong background in studying dogs and looking for a chance to get more hands on experience. He has spent many hours over the last 5 years volunteering with various rescues and humane societies. His studies have included a Canine Ethology Master Course in Granada Spain and he has a certificate in pet first aid and CPR.
Over the years Nelson has worked with many dogs and he brings a lot of experience with him. We are thrilled to have him on our team.
In his spare time Nelson enjoys riding his bicycle and spending time with his rescued greyhound, Kitty. |
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