About Our Trainers

Susie Aga

Owner/Trainer

Susie Aga is a Certified Canine Behavior & Training Specialist who received her certification from Triple Crown Academy, a world leader in pet education. She has 20 years experience with dogs and is recommended by over 45 Veterinarians in the Metro Atlanta area. Susie was chosen by Turner Broadcasting to be their featured "Pet Expert". You can find her on their web site: Pet Expert Story. From there, follow Susie Aga' Pet Expert link and it will take you to puppy/doggie helpful hints page. Susie Aga is also the host of a talk show called “The Animal Hour". It is on every Tuesday at 2pm on AM 1620. You can listen to the show on-line at www.radiosandysprings.com or tune in here for a live broadcast via Media Player: The Animal Hour. You can also call in for our sessions on Q & A or just to add your thoughts on the topics at hand. The number is 404 -943-1620. Feel free to email her at atlantadogtrainer@yahoo.com. Susie is also the “Pet Expert” for- Pet Doctor Online.  She is interviewed by veterinarians regarding many behavioral issues and there solutions. The discussions are directed towards behavioral problems such as separation anxiety, cage aggression and other hard to define issues facing many owners and their dogs. The shows are also archived for your convenience.  Susie is also a regular expert guest on Dog Cast Radio based out of London England and listened to world wide.  If you would like to listen to an interview on “aggression’ episode 52, click here.

Being a Behavioral Specialist Susie was chosen on several  occasions to be a guest speaker at Georgia State University.  Susie is a reoccurring guest lecturer for the psychology department of the university.  Her lectures on canine behavior and  the similarities of conditioning behaviors in humans and animals are often included in the professors testing at the end their semesters.   Susie has also been asked by several other schools such as The Howard School in Decatur to be the pet expert.  She has been chosen to  teach the professors, at the school,  behavior modification techniques she developed as well as train them in her obedience courses with their personal dogs. Susie was a columnist for Petlanta, Dog’s Life and Dog World magazines and wrote monthly article on training, pet tips and other helpful hints for you and your pet. Her Articles on training and behavioral issue and there solutions are published on various web sites. Susie is a member in good standing with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

Her training includes, but is not limited to Basic through Advanced Obedience, Off Leash, Agility, Aggression Management and Behavior Modification. Susie's specialized training includes Special Odor Detection, Search & Rescue, and Tracking Work. Watch the web site for information on the doggie fashion show, where Susie will be the featured “Animal Wrangler” airing on the Turner Broadcasting Network [TBS] shown nationwide this summer.

She has six rescue dogs of her own and donates much of her time and services to Rescue Organizations. You can truly say her life has gone to the dogs and that is just the way SHE WANTS IT!

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judge by the way its animals are treated" - M. Gandhi

Sonja Thiels

Sonja has an inborn love for all animals especially dogs, horses, and cats. She has been studying dog behavior, and behavior modification for 15 years.  She is a graduate of Animal Behavior College and is a certified behavior modification and obedience training specialist. Sonja apprenticed with ADT and is now an obedience trainer and an aggression management rehabilitator.  She also holds a master level title in agility with her dog Neige. Sonja teaches our agility classes as well as the obedience courses.

She is the board and train department director and head trainer for all the dogs that come into our board and train program. She lives in the  dog-house on our property in Alpharetta where our training facility is located. She has broad knowledge working with a diversity of dogs in a variety of situations.  She has been a foster mom for Miniature Pinchers for many years.  Sonja also donates her time to help abused and neglected dogs.  She volunteers her training services to help shelter dogs so they can be placed in a good home.

Sonja lives with her two dogs Neige and Geronimo and is currently fostering a Min Pin named Gizmo.

" He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."       (unknown)

Angie Tennyson

Lead Trainer

Angie is an Aggression Management Specialist who has been working with dogs for over a decade. She apprenticed with Atlanta Dog Trainer and graduated to being a Canine Behavior and Training Specialist.  She has worked tirelessly to achieve an understanding of aggressive dog behavior and educate owners on how to manage their behavior. Angie is completing her Bachelors of Science in Biology and educates herself on new training methods and techniques by going to various seminars and reading as many books on animal behavior as possible.   She has studied pack mentality and operant conditioning extensively and is very knowledgeable on all types of behaviors and there solutions.

Angie’s life has certainly gone to the dogs; she lives with three dogs and spends her time doing dog related activities. She spends her personal time on moderating a breed specific web site.  She is constantly fostering hard to handle dogs in order to make them more adoptable. She fosters for different organizations and takes in the worse cases and rehabilitees them then finds forever homes for her protégés.

 Angie is a strong animal advocate and she has done a great deal to educate the public on how to handle abused and rescued dogs. She lectures at school, neighborhood meetings, women’s clubs, animal shelter and pet stores to educate children/adults about how to handle a dog’s behavior issues and give realistic solutions.  She also lectures on the importance of socialization and understanding pack mentality and she works constantly to educate adults as well as children on animal behaviors.

Jeff Berens

and his two Boxers, Old Dan and Little Ann

Jeff apprenticed with Atlanta Dog Trainer and graduated to become an Obedience and Behavior Training Specialist.   He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree and has spent years of his life studying animal behavior and aggression management in dogs.   His training includes solutions for many different behavioral issues and his techniques are easy to follow and very effective.

He teaches our group classes, private and will even come to your home to help you with any training or behavioral issues you’re having with your dog.  .   Jeff works with a lot of fearful dogs and animals with issues extending from abuse, neglect and dogs with out the copping skills or socialization to deal with everyday life.  His results are amazing. 

He is presently enrolled at Triple Crown Academy to extend his knowledge and education for Search and Rescue, special odor detection and protection work. Jeff is also the co-host of "The Animal Hour", Atlanta Dog Trainer's weekly radio show. He is also a guest lecturer at Georgia State University. He has lectured and demonstrated his techniques developed to train deaf dogs and hosted guest's from explosive detection handlers to special interest rescue groups.

Jeff has been a trainer his entire life instructing rock climbing, skiing, swimming, and skydiving.  It seemed only natural for him to combine his desire to teach and his love for dogs by becoming a dog trainer. Jeff has enjoyed countless hours volunteering in animal shelters where he worked with dogs in basic obedience, behavior modification, and fear and aggression management.  Recently, he has focused on an obedience curriculum modified to suit the needs of our clients with special needs.     He teaches the dogs over 15 commands to help their owner in their everyday lives.

Recently, he and his wife adopted two deaf Boxers, and over the past year they have developed a communication system based upon obedience signals and American Sign Language.  Today, the dogs each know well over 15 different hand signals, including “Who’s hungry.   If you or your Dog is blind, deaf or if you are confined to a wheelchair he can modify our program to suit your situation. Jeff is a strong advocate for neglected and abused dogs with direct experience training those with special needs. Everyone that meets Jeff says the same thing “"he is just a really good guy and really loves the dogs and it shows"”.

Jaquelyn Gray

Marc Roth

In-Kennel Director Certified Trainer: Marc Roth, the owner, operator and co-founder of Petport Boarding Kennel, is a Certified Pet Obedience Instructor. He received his certification from world-renowned Triple Crown Academy in Hutto, Texas. Marc is the head of Atlanta Dog Trainers in-kennel training programs. Marc has over 30 years practical experience handling and training all types of dogs. He principally teaches basic obedience and behavior modification, but has trained dogs to do everything from getting the newspaper to sneezing on command. Marc and his wife Nancy have operated their kennel in Fulton County, Georgia since 1996. Long time animal lovers, they currently live with five dogs of their own and a cat is trying to adopt them as well.