Our Trainers

Melissa Duran, CPDT  Melissa Duran, CPDT is certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.  She is also a certified American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen evaluator.  Melissa apprenticed under a veterinarian and a Cornell-certified canine behavior professional for five years before she began teaching classes of her own.  She also has nine years of experience as a veterinary technician.  This valuable blend of veterinary knowledge and training experience enables her to better evaluate each pet's unique needs and problems.  Melissa has also studied Psychology at the University of North Carolina. Before starting Canine Acclaim, Melissa taught training classes and was responsible for the successful implementation of doggy day camp programs at local animal hospitals.  She currently is the director of Companion Animal Hospital of Wakefield's Doggy Day Camp program where she utilized her dog behavior knowledge to create a safe and beneficial alternative to dog parks or massive all day play groups. In addition to her teaching and veterinary work, melissa volunteers and provides training services for several animal rescue groups.  She is also training her two rescue horses using positive motivation training methods.  She continues to expand her knowledge by attending behavior seminars, classes and conferences.  Melissa lives in Youngsville with her husband (a veterinarian), two cats, and three dogs.

 

Amanda Goodman

Canine Acclaim is pleased to welcome Amanda to the training team!

Amanda was introduced to the world of dog training when she adopted her dog Cassie and promptly enrolled her in Melissa's training program.  The amazing progress she made with Cassie and the level of bonding she achieved inspired Amanda to embark on a training career of her own.   In addition to her full-time job and her work with Canine Acclaim, Amanda is very active in the rescue community.  She works as an adoption counselor and fundraiser for Safe Haven for Cats, volunteers with Marley's Fund, and fosters for Raleigh Rodent Rescue. Amanda lives at home with Cassie, her four cats; Foppa, Twain, Ziva and Abby Noel, her two rats; Atari and Huck, a ball python named Currie, and a guinea pig named Phillip.

Canine Acclaim is pleased to offer training and obedience workshops taught by Linda Kerr. Linda is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and has over 10 years of experience in training and showing in competition obedience, agility and herding. She is a past member and president of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Raleigh. She is an active member of the Durham Kennel Club, where she assists with obedience classes and participates in AKC Obedience Trials. She has taught Obedience, Canine Good Citizen, and Therapy Dog classes throughout the Triangle area. She enjoys participating in therapy dog work and is certified with both Therapy Dog International and Delta Society Pet Partners. She has worked in agility with her dogs and is currently training in competition obedience, herding and tracking. Her interest in dog training began 12 years ago when she started taking classes with her German Shepherd as a member of the German Shepherd Dog Club in Fort Worth, Texas. She has earned AKC titles on her two German Shepherds. Her first German Shepherd earned a Dog World Award for his high scores in the obedience ring. She has also earned both AKC and UKC obedience titles on her Corgis, receiving many awards for their high scores. Linda contributed chapters on both obedience training and therapy dog work for a book entitled Everything Corgi, published in 2001 and now in its second printing. She has also contributed both training and humorous articles for the Front & Finish publication, which is directed toward canine performance activities, and the AKC Gazette. It is clear that Linda has a love and passion for her dogs and the activities in which they participate. She shares her experience and knowledge with enthusiasm. She firmly believes in a positive and fun learning environment for both handler and dog.