A New Way to Train.
The revolutionary Leash & Teach model was developed by a group of school teachers from the PK-12 sector who combined their finely tuned teaching techniques with their expertise in the dog training arena. Although our classrooms may be virtual, Leash & Teach instructors sharpened their teaching chops through years as dedicated educators, giving us a greater ability to TEACH YOU the tools to build a positive, beneficial bond with your dog that lasts a lifetime.
Hannah Forstall
General Manager & Head Trainer
Hannah has a degree in education from the University of Southern Mississippi and is a licensed K-12 teacher who taught for five years in the public-school sector. Dog training has long been part of her life, and she decided to make it a full-time career in 2021. Specializing in service dogs and obedience trainings, Hannah’s favorite skill to train is retrievals for mobility/medical alert purposes. She attends frequent training workshops, participates in continuing education, and stays informed on innovations and standards in the field. Outside of work, Hannah can be found crafting or on an outdoor adventure with her family – husband Perry, daughter Ida, standard poodle Siegfried and shelter rescue Rosco.
Claire Kane
Training Methods Development & Continuing Education
With bachelor’s degrees in education and special education, as well as a master’s degree, Claire served as an elementary special education teacher before her lifelong passion for dogs led her to full-time dog training. She owns two working Labrador retrievers and one standard poodle. As a search and rescue K9 handler, she works in tandem with K9 Grady, specializing in human remains detection, and K9 Maeve, specializing in live find air scent. Claire also raised and trained a task-trained service dog named Milo, a standard poodle. Her experience includes training working dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs and pet obedience. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, being outdoors and painting.
Carrie Igondjo
Owner & Curriculum/Program Development
Carrie devoted 25 years to the field of education, serving as a preschool teacher, general education teacher, elementary special education teacher, inclusion specialist, preschool principal, special education administrator and ultimately, director of special education. She has a bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology, as well as master's degree in special education. Carrie’s family includes her husband of 22 years, two amazing daughters and two shepadoodle siblings who are extremely loving and smart.
Amy VanHouten
Obedience Trainer & Group Training Consultant
Earning her degree in deaf education and a graduate degree in criminal justice, Amy spent 15 years teaching criminal justice. She has been training for the past three years, where she has found a soft spot for rescue pups who’ve had a hard life and display some quirky behaviors. Amy’s favorite training at this time is group sessions where she can watch the dogs progress. She has two dogs and one cat – Ari, Lucy and Delilah.
These trainers are phenomenal! They helped with my rescue dog Buddy. He used to get overexcited and jump and bark at guests arriving. He learned so many new skills through their program and is now the best pet! I loved how I was able to schedule sessions virtually at my convenience. Being a teacher myself, I was impressed at the way the trainers were able to teach me (someone who had never owned/trained a dog) and communicate effectively over video conference sessions. It made me feel more confident in my abilities to handle my dog since I was the one doing the commanding while the trainer coached me through it!
Renee & Buddy
