Cinder Wilkinson-Kenner

Director of Training, Greater St. Louis Training Club

CPDT-KA

AKC CGC Evaluator

TAGteach Primary Certified

APDT professional member

PSI member

Cinder joined GSLTC in 2004.  She has a long history of animal training, including dogs, birds, cats, and horses.  Cinder switched over to clicker training in 1995, because she was happy to find a non-confrontational, non-painful method of clear communication with animals.

Cinder has worked with several different obedience clubs in the past, done several years of dog rescue with Belgian Breeds, Alaskan Malamutes, Daschunds, and other breeds.  She has worked as a Veterinary Technician and professional Pet Sitter in St. Louis and Chicago.  In 2009, Cinder worked with the Humane Society of Missouri, an ASPCA behavior team and Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB to evaluate behavioral responses of over 500 pit bulls confiscated in an FBI dog-fighting bust.  Cinder has shown her own dogs and client dogs in AKC and ASCA Obedience and AKC Rally, and has trained her own dogs in Herding, Agility and Tracking.  She has extensive experience with Shy, Reactive and Aggressive dogs, and finds great satisfaction in helping these dogs and their handlers learn the skills to lead more normal lives.

Prevention of behavior problems is Cinder's first goal, and to that end she is a big advocate of Puppy socialization and training classes. She also likes to participate in public education events, helping the public learn about dog training, working with children training dogs and dog bite prevention workshops.

Cinder's current goals are to learn more about tracking and nose work, show her two currently working dogs to more titles and continue to build on the progress and success of Greater St. Louis Training Club's current program.

Cinder is also the owner of Best Friend Pet Care, LLC, a private training and in-home pet sitting business.  She has a husband, 4 kids, and several animals.  In her spare time, she likes to read, knit, garden, and run long distances.