Meet the Sit Pretty Dog Training Team

Carol Brackett, CPDT-KA is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Profession Dog Trainers and is a certified Pro Dog Trainer through Absolute Dogs. Carol’s focus is in family dog training, helping owners achieve their goals of a well-mannered dog at any age. A dog’s full potential is unlocked through understanding their strengths while using positive and science-based solutions for their struggles. Carol also enjoys helping shy and nervous dogs build the confidence to become confident and curious.

Carol’s path to dog training started with birds. Her previous experiences included studying breeding behaviors of native birds and being an avian keeper and trainer at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. Working with a diverse group of birds provided many challenges and opportunities for creative approaches to training. Carol was presented with a whole new challenge when she moved with her reactive dog, Hudson, from rural New Hampshire to a city apartment. Her drive to understand reactive dogs has not only led to great strides in Hudson’s confidence and happiness, but also encouraged a new passion, dog training. Carol hung up her feathered hat for one with fur.

Her recent experience includes working as a trainer in basic obedience and puppy skills, leading group classes in basic and intermediate obedience, obedience for reactive dogs, puppy socialization, and confidence building. She worked with a variety of breeds and temperaments at a daycare that specializes in socializing and training dogs that have behavioral issues not appropriate for traditional daycare settings.

Kathryn Gabriele, VSA-CDT, FDM, FFCT, is a VSA-Certified Dog Trainer (Online), certified Family Dog Mediator (FDM), Fear Free Certified Professional, supporting member of the International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and a professional member of The Pet Professional Guild (PPG). She also volunteers at the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts and has completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course.

Kathryn’s journey into dog training began in 2021 after she adopted her first dog, Cyrus, and she has continued to learn from and work with many respected professionals in the dog training and behavior world since. Kathryn’s experiences — the challenges and the wins — helping Cyrus to overcome his fearfulness, leash reactivity, and separation anxiety inspired her to want to help dogs and their guardians enjoy their lives together.

Kathryn brings more than 15 years of teaching experience — first as a high school educator and then as an adult professional learning facilitator — to her work as a dog trainer. She excels at actively listening to understand the specific needs and goals of each of her client/dog teams, and at designing personalized training plans in response to both.

Kathryn specializes in helping fearful and shy dogs build confidence and resilience. She is deeply committed to the use of science-based, humane training methods, and ensuring that training is safe, effective, and customized to the needs of each guardian-dog team to help them realize their training and behavior modification goals. During your time with Kathryn, you will learn how to better communicate with your dog and how to use positive reinforcement techniques to train your dog.

Aubrey Sperry, CDBC, CNWI, CPDT-KA, is the owner and head trainer of Sit Pretty Dog Training. She is certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), by the National Association of Canine Scent Work as a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI), by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), and by Fear Free as a Fear Free Certified Trainer. Aubrey is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild, and she has worked professionally with animals since 2007. She gained experience teaching people while working as an educator at the Los Angeles Zoo, and learned to work with various dog breeds as a veterinary technician in an emergency and specialty practice in Los Angeles. More recently in Boston, Aubrey worked as a zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo, where she trained or assisted in training a variety of exotic animals.

As a veterinary technician and avid participant in dog sports, Aubrey has worked with many different dog breeds, and knows how to tailor training regimens to suit different temperaments of individual dogs. She believes that many dogs can adapt to fit a lifestyle that suits a city dweller with the right training and mental stimulation. Aubrey’s current passion is consulting with families that have dogs exhibiting aggressive behaviors. Helping families improve their safety, comfort, and communication with their canine companions is her specialty.

Aubrey lives in West Roxbury with her two dogs, Jolene and Guillermo. They are active in the dog sport flyball and can be seen with their team, Ready, Set, Ruckus!, at tournaments throughout the year. Aubrey also enjoys working with her dogs in obedience, dock diving, canine frisbee, lure coursing, and nose work. She also works hard to make sure her dogs are well- adjusted city dwellers. Say hi if you see them around West Rox or JP.