Cherisse Feddock founded The Zen Dog Den, LLC, and she is a Certified Dog Trainer with the International Association of Canine Professionals and an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

Cherisse has trained under the best dog trainers in the world including Cesar Millan, Heather Beck, The Monks of New Skete, Martin Deeley, Jason Vasconi, Marc Goldberg, Cheri Lucas, and Nelson Hodges.

Cherisse began her career with dogs while volunteering for the Humane League of Lancaster from 2009 – 2015 where she fostered 40+ dogs over 6 years, walked the dogs at the shelter weekly, campaigned for dogs to be adopted via social media, spoke to local schools, and organizations about what shelters do for a community, and served on the Board of Directors.

It was during her time as a foster mom for the Humane League of Lancaster (HLLC) that she became interested in pursuing a career in behavioral dog training, as opposed to obedience training. Many of the dogs that Cherisse was given to foster had various behavioral challenges including food aggression, alarm barking, and coprophagia, plus many of the dogs were puppy mill survivors and hoarding survivors which caused the dogs to be very fearful of humans, filled with anxiety, and somewhat feral. Cherisse worked with all of these dogs to help them to overcome their behavioral challenges and to become more adoptable.

In addition to the HLLC, Cherisse also volunteered at the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania to learn more about dogs from a primal point of view from 2015 to 2020. Studying canines at the Wolf Sanctuary – wolves and wolf/dog hybrids – has given Cherisse further insight into dog psychology, helping her understand the instinctual nature of dog behavior. On a number of occasions, Cherisse has also been asked to serve as a canine behavior expert and consult with legal teams in dog bite cases. 

In her free time, Cherisse enjoys spending time with her family and traveling with her 3 dogs: Henry, Raleigh, and Ellie.

Kelcy Waller is a Certified Dog Trainer with The Zen Dog Den and an active member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. Kelcy has trained under The Zen Dog Den as well as Master Trainers Heather Beck, Jason Vasconi, and Marc Goldberg. 

It was through frustrating experiences and ineffective approaches to helping her first dog, a reactive rescue pup named Winnie, that she came to understand the value and importance of a behavioral approach to dog training. 

Kelcy is always excited to help clients achieve calm and respectful relationships with their dogs, so they can live their best lives – both canines and humans. She understands first-hand how a primal approach to dog training can improve a relationship with a dog, and helps overcome challenges like reactivity, excitability, and anxiety. 

She also has a passion for understanding canine nutrition and how a healthy diet can improve your dog’s life!

In her free time, she enjoys teaching her personal dog, a boxer named Rosie, how to be a “Zen Dog” and wrangling her human pack of three boys.

Shawn Housman is a Certified Dog Trainer with The Zen Dog Den and an active member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. Shawn has trained under The Zen Dog Den as well as Master Trainers Heather Beck, Cheri Lucas, and Nelson Hodges.

Shawn is a lifelong resident of Lancaster, PA, and before graduating from Hempfield High School, she found her love for animals at a very young age. Dogs, cats, fish, bunnies, and even a peep (or two) were among the variety of animals she cared for throughout her childhood. Despite a few dirty looks when she brought a stray dog home to care for, her family was always supportive.

In 2016, she decided to dive deeper into her passion for dogs by becoming a very proud member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. Through a couple of challenging pups of her own, she was united with The Zen Dog Den training program. From that point forward, she decided to commit herself to help others enjoy their canines as much as she does.

One of Shawn’s dog training passions is understanding how structured play can help your dog and be a good outlet for their natural instincts. 

During her free time, Shawn puts the Zen Dog Den training program to good use by taking long walks on the beach with her dogs off-leash or by practicing the outside structured walk in her neighborhood.  Shawn loves spending time with her family, her fur babies, Polar and Bear, and simply being outdoors.

Sarah Poliski is a Certified Dog Trainer with The Zen Dog Den and a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. She has trained under The Zen Dog Den and Master Trainer Heather Beck.

Sarah is a long-time resident of Lititz, PA, and attended Pitt, where she earned her bachelor of science degree in marketing. During the day, Sarah works as a senior public relations manager. Her evenings are spent helping clients of The Zen Dog Den.

Sarah found The Zen Dog Den when she realized that traditional training methods were no match for her strong willed Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Doug. Through hard work and a lot of “zen,” Sarah and Doug have forged a bond that will last a lifetime! Sarah’s experience working with Doug, coupled with her love of animals inspired her to pursue training to help other dog lovers overcome challenges in their own packs.

One of her dog training passions is understanding “drive” and a dog’s breed instincts, especially herding breeds like her corgi. 

In her free time, Sarah enjoys long (structured) walks and hikes with Doug, spending time with her family, and relaxing with a good book.

Karly Shaubach is the Manager of Operations for The Zen Dog Den and an active member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. Karly has trained under The Zen Dog Den as well as Master Trainers Heather Beck and Jason Vasconi.

Karly’s path crossed with The Zen Dog Den while looking for training solutions for her Great Dane, Brooks. When other training styles failed to meet Brooks’ needs, she found answers in our program that revolutionized her and Brooks’ life together.

Helping her dog build confidence and work through anxiety ignited Karly’s passion for training. She left her career in the non-profit sector to join The Zen Dog Den full-time. She loves that The Zen Dog Den meets dogs and owners where they are and gives them the tools and resources to overcome their challenges. 

In her free time, she loves to adventure and train with Brooks, spend time with her loved ones, and explore creative and artistic outlets.

Karly will be your point of contact for administrative needs and scheduling. You can contact her directly at karly@thezendogden.com or by calling 1-877-ZEN-DOGG.