Our Trainers

Get To Know Our Trainers

Meet or very experienced and talented dog trainers. They love dogs and will care for your dog as their own.

Heather Moore – CPDT-KA

Founder

Heather Moore has 25 years of experience training dogs and helping owners to modify their dogs’ problem behaviors. She worked with Purely Positive Dog Training in Charleston, SC until relocating to TN. She has been a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and Pet Professional Guild (PPG).  Her own dogs have titled in AKC Rally Obedience Novice and Advanced, and earned Therapy Dog Certifications. She is an evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen Test for the AKC. She is a certified professional dog trainer, CPDT-KA and a certified fear free animal trainer. She also has seven years experience as a teacher of elementary age children. This combination of skills led her to co-found the first Kids and Dogs Camp in Charleston, SC, as well as the first training class for kids and their pet dogs in that area.

Since living in Tennessee, she has spent many hours volunteering at a local shelter helping them assess dogs and promoting them on Facebook. She has established a training program and trained staff on how to make a dog more adoptable by using positive training. She frequently offers programs for the public teaching how to train shelter dogs.

Heather is currently responsible for all dangerous dogs and potentially dangerous dog court cases in Rutherford County. Residents must complete training with her to help their dog improve their behavior.

Heather also helps several local rescue groups. She loves match making and finding the perfect dog for your family. As a mother of two teenage boys, Heather has a practical and friendly approach towards training the family dog. Her methodology focuses on leadership, structure, and positive reinforcement. All training is gentle and humane, while also being user-friendly and efficient. Heather, her husband Lance, and sons Parker and Wyatt, share their home with 1 border collie, 1 boxer, 1 (4lb) chihuahua, 3 cats, 8 chickens, 3 horses, and her son’s pet lizard.

Cathy Johnson – CPDT-KA

Trainer

Cathy has a deep love of animals and a passion for education that has led her to own a variety of pets and spend her life teaching people and training dogs for more than 20 years. Her goal in every training situation is to help people to train their dog to be the best companion possible through positive training methods.

She is constantly widening her training knowledge by attending sessions at the annual Karen Pryor Clicker Expo, participating in seminars led by professional trainers, and working alongside other skilled trainers who are passionate about their dogs. She has been an AKC Canine Good Citizen and STAR puppy evaluator for 10 years, and has had the joy of seeing countless people successfully achieve these accolades with their canine companions. She is a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and a fear free cerified animal trainer. She particularly enjoys working with puppies and their people, and has taught many positive puppy lessons. Cathy has put obedience, therapy, Canine Good Citizen, Musical Freestyle, Trick Dog and Championship titles on her dogs.

Cathy and her husband never have a dull moment in their house with their Wirehaired Vizsla, Souldier, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Vesper and Wallace.

Mo Lynch Vashel – CBA, SDC

Trainer

Mo Lynch Vashel is a former Director of Behavior and Training at Early Alert Canines. Early Alert Canine, is a service dog organization that trains dogs to detects fluctuations of blood sugar levels in people that are afflicted with Type 1 Diabetes. Not only did she train the canines, Mo provided business development consulting for this worthy organization as well as professional training ranging from class curriculum to training manuals. Previous to her tenor at Early Alert Canines, Mo was a California State Licensed Guide Dog Instructor. Her dedication to helping dogs and their families began at age nine as a 4-H Guide Dog Puppy Raiser. Today, she brings more than twenty five years of experience in the field, with seven years of hands-on experience at the prestigious Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California and is State Board certified. She has trained and paired up more than 70 dogs with their blind companions and was distinguished with 13 award-winning graduations. During her tenure at Guide Dogs, Mo worked with over 400 hundred dogs. She was responsible for the teaching and reinforcement of positive and humane methods of the dogs care, including training, daily care, medications and stress relief. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, she continued her canine education. Mo studied under Trish King, one of the country’s leading animal behaviorists and graduated from the Canine Behavior Academy in Novato, CA. During her studies, she worked with Trish and shelter dogs at the Marin Humane Society, aiding in positive behaviors that will lead to a successful placement. She has been actively involved with several rescue groups: Golden Gate Labrador Recuse, Nor Cal Small Dog Rescue, Tri Valley Animal Recuse, Alameda County Animal Shelter. Mo assisted in identifying adoption candidates and facilitated successful placement with post adoption support and training. She was also a Board Member of Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Program, and a founding member of the East Bay chapter. As one of the largest organization for training pets and their owners to work in hospitals, libraries and senior citizens homes, the group provides quality time and interaction for children and the elderly with pets. Mo Is a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator by the American Kennel Club, C.L,A,S,S Instructor by American Pet Dog Trainers Association, Certificated in Pet First Aid and CPR, and member of Society for Antrozoology and a member of National Association of Canine Scent Work.

Heather Reineke

Trainer

Heather has worked in various veterinary offices for over 10 years. She enjoys fostering dogs and puppies for local rescue groups. She has volunteered with Animal Rescue Corps. She also has worked at Walden’s Puddle Rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife. Heather has a dog named Scout. Scout is a senior that was adopted from PAWS when she was a baby. Her favorite part of being a dog trainer is being able to help people better understand their dogs through education and improving both dog and human’s quality of life. Heather has worked with Wag It Better for 4 years. She teaches classes, does private lessons and heads up our Sit and Play program.

Allison Heffernan

Trainer

Allison has worked at Wag It Better for 2 years, but she has been working with dogs for over 10 years. Her first introduction to dog training was when she was just 10 years old, taking her family pup to dog training classes. Other than training, she has worked at multiple doggy daycares and as a Foster & Volunteer Coordinator for a foster-based dog rescue in Nashville.

Not long after she graduated from college, Allison adopted a young, energetic Super Mutt named Flynn. After taking Wag It Better’s Reactive Rover class with Flynn, her life was completely changed and her love for dog training was ignited. A short time later she began assisting and is now teaching classes at Wag It Better.

Allison currently teaches Kinderpuppy, Just the Basics, and Reactive Rover classes and does private lessons. She especially enjoys working with reactive dog owners to help them better understand their pups!

Guen Campbell

Trainer

Guen began taking classes with her dogs at Wag It Better five years ago. Her Golden Retrievers, Katie and Ella, have received their Canine Good Citizen certifications and their AKC Trick Dog titles. Taking her first trick class ignited a love for teaching her dogs new tricks. Not only is teaching tricks fun, it has also strengthened the bond she has with her dogs. Guen has found through tricks, her dogs have become more confident and eager to learn new skills.

Guen has enjoyed learning from the other trainers at Wag It Better and looking forward to attending the Clicker Expo in Washington, D.C. this March. She is currently teaching the Canine Acting and Tricks Class.

Questions?

Please contact us with any questions you may have!