Rendy Schuchat, M.A.
Owner/Founder and Certified Head Dog Trainer
I bring my life-long love for animals together with proven positive dog training techniques that both you and your dog will enjoy. With nearly two decades of professional experience and a Masters Degree in Psychology as well as a Certification in Dog Obedience Instruction from Animal Behavior Training and Associates, I am committed to helping people build and strengthen their relationships with their dogs. At Anything Is PAWZible we offer puppy, basic and advanced dog obedience, tricks, and therapy dog training classes in the downtown Chicago area. Our behavior modification, puppy selection and adaptation lessons through private dog training sessions are also available.
I created Anything Is PAWZible dog training with the family pet owner in mind. Our methods and techniques are positive and fun for both you and your pet! It is never too late to improve your relationship with your pet because Anything Is PAWZible (and I truly believe that)! Due to my loyal clients, I was voted one of the BEST/FAVORITE DOG TRAINERS in Chicago by Chicagoland Tails Reader’s Choice Awards multiple times and was voted Chicago Magazine’s “Best Dog Whisperer” 2015!
Taking into account all the wonderful dog trainers we have in Chicago, I am very proud of this accomplishment! Anything is PAWZible has its very own home in the heart of the city!!! We pride ourselves on being one of the ONLY facilities in the city of Chicago devoted strictly to training and behavior modification. We focus on what we do best!
Yvonne Feeney CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
Manager of Operations
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Certified Behavior Consultant-Canine
Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
It was a one year old rescue dog named Sasha who changed her life back in 2007. They immediately began taking much needed training classes where Sasha went on to earn her CGC and Yvonne developed a passion to learn about animal behavior. Yvonne had previously been a volunteer tutor to kids through Cabrini Green Youth Programs and found her combined passion for educating and empowering inner-city youth and instilling compassion for companion animals through Safe Humane Chicago programs. By getting to the root of animal cruelty, pet overpopulation, breaking the cycle of abuse and developing community through the human-animal bond, Yvonne and Sasha, an SHC Ambassador dog, have been volunteering with the SHC Lifetime Bonds Program at IYC for 10 years. Yvonne leads that program as well as their Youth Safety and Violence Prevention (YSVP) program working with YMCA teens at Chicago Animal Care and Control. She is also a former SHC Board member. She volunteers with ALIVE Rescue, heading up their Barn Wranglers group of volunteer dog handlers/trainers. Prior to dog training, Yvonne worked as a lab manager for 15 years at Northwestern University’s Robert H. Lurie Cancer Research Center. She received her bachelors degree in Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a graduate of CanineLink Academy. Her certifications require continued learning in the field of animal behavior and she specializes in fear and anxiety issues in dogs. After being involved with Chicago Canine Rescue as a volunteer adoption counselor and foster, she foster failed with a returned pup named Kyle. They do agility where Yvonne also assists in training with Stacey Hawk at Hawk City K9. She also has a cat named Indy.
Alex Urbanski
Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Behavior Specialist
My passion for dogs began at a young age. After several years volunteering in shelters and reading books on training, I finally decided to attend Triple Crown Academy. It was at TCA where I learned skills in Basic Obedience, Scent Detection, Protection and Bite Work, Search and Rescue and my personal favorite, Agility. It was also at TCA where I adopted Roxee and Skylar, the dogs I was assigned to train. Skylar began as an abused pup terrified of her own shadow and is now a Canine Good Citizen and won her first Blue Ribbon at her first Agility trial. Roxee was found on the street at 8 months old and is now a Canine Good Citizen and a therapy dog. I spent my last six years at Anything Is Pawzible Chicago working with some of the most difficult behavior cases with an emphasis in aggression and separation anxiety. In January, I moved to Austin where I will continue to work with individual families that need my help modifying their dogs behavior. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time at home with my family, running agility with my dogs, indulging in a good book, a glass of wine and of course, puppy cuddles:-)
Judit Arroyo, CPDT-KA
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
Judit was only 17 years old when she found herself in over her head with her first dog, Puffy. Always a timid pup, at two years old he became very aggressive and reactive towards people and other dogs. Not willing to give up on her dog and not able to afford training Judit was determined to learn the art of dog training. In 2002 she launched her career as a professional dog trainer when he applied for a dog training internship in one of Chicago’s only training schools at that time and was then hired to be part of their training staff. While other teenagers were hanging out with friends, Judit was spending her Friday nights accompanying her mentor to obedience trials, her Saturdays observing obedience classes, and her Sundays volunteering at shelters and assisting her second mentor certifying therapy dogs.
Fast forward more than a decade and a half, and Judit’s passion for dogs and behavior continues to grow. After receiving her BA in Sociology with a Psychology minor, Judit continued her dog-training career. In her 15 years of hands-on experience, Judit served as Director of Training for a daycare facility in the South-loop for 10 years, led the training program for Animal Career Academy for 6 years, and served as the dog/handler-team test evaluator for Sit Stay Read for 10 years. She writes about dog behavior and two of her articles have been published in The APDT Chronicle of the Dog. Judit’s Reactive Dog class was modeled in The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, and she was the on-set trainer for the forthcoming movie, Beast. She has competed in Rally-O, CPE, and AKC Agility with her Miniature Aussie, Lilu Manai. In addition, Judit has co-authored a manuscript for dog trainers on working with human clients. Judit has also written a manuscript on training urban dogs, and one on troubleshooting problematic dog behaviors.
Education is a big part of Judit’s passion and commitment to the welfare of dogs. She currently sits on the board for the Inner Pup Org as their behaviorist, and travels yearly to New Orleans to volunteer in their three-week education program at local schools. When she is not teaching, blogging, or training, Judit enjoys weekly trips to the forest preserve with her dogs, Lilu and her adopted American Bulldog, Saint. She enjoys her daily fetching outings with Lilu and sign language training with Saint, who is deaf. You can also find her posting photos and running Lilu and Saint’s Instagram page. Puffy lived 15 wonderful and happy years- he will always remain Judit’s inspiration to learn and help other people who find themselves in the same boat she was 16 years ago.
Alison Doubleday, PhD, UW-AAB, CPDT-KA,CCUI
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
A lifelong animal lover, Alison entered the training world thanks to her two Australian Cattle Dogs, Fox and Rocket. Both Fox and Rocket participated in group classes at Anything is Pawzible when they were first adopted. Helping these two rescue pups work through various challenges and making sure they feel safe and happy in the world has been an inspirational experience and has impacted every aspect of Alison’s life. In 2017 Alison decided to explore her interest in dog training further by enrolling in and completing a certificate program in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington. This experience, combined with her background in anthropology and genetics, as well as over a decade of experience teaching anatomy to medical and dental students, reinforced Alison’s passion for education and for the scientific underpinnings of positive reinforcement and force-free methods. She is committed to this evidence-based approach to behavioral training and behavioral modification and is excited to be a part of the Anything is Pawzible team. When she is not working, Alison enjoys playing guitar, knitting, and participating in agility and nosework classes with Fox and Rocket.
Laura Krill
Professional Dog Trainer
There hasn’t been a time where animals weren’t a part of Laura’s life. She grew up with a dog and a cat, had an amazing rabbit, and to her mother’s dismay, even some mice. Laura always wanted to surround herself with animals, so her first job, at 16, was working as a kennel assistant for her local vet. She moved to Chicago after college, and for the last 18 years, Laura has worked in the Veterinary field. She started as a Veterinary Assistant and Office Manager for a practice on the North side. For the last 8 years, she’s been working in the field of Canine Rehabilitation. In addition to being certified in canine rehabilitation, she’s finishing her certification in canine massage therapy.
Laura is active in the rescue community with fostering being one of her favorite roles. She’s fostered over 30 dogs and through this has seen so many different personalities and behaviors. There’s nothing more special to Laura, then seeing the turn around of a foster dog who was shy and shut down. She loves when they “learn to be a dog, again!” Because of her interest in behavior and training of her own dogs and her foster dogs, Laura felt that there was room to add another skillset. To complete all things canine, she started interning and observing classes at Anything is Pawzible, in May. She is excited to learn the science behind training, and loves to see the pride that the owners have when they bring their smart pups through our doors!
Elizabeth Emelene Jefferis, VSPDT
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
Elizabeth Jefferis grew up on a horse farm in Southeastern Pennsylvania training, competing, and hunting with her family’s hunter/jumper horses. Teaching has always been so rewarding for Elizabeth, from college sociology professor to property rehab mentor to certified yoga instructor to dog trainer. (Don’t tell anyone, but “dog training” is really “people training.”) She has been teaching private and group clients for several years and enjoying it all!
Elizabeth is VSPDT certified through the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior, a rigorous program including hands-on practice, mentoring, online and in-class lessons, subject-matter expert lectures, and extensive examinations. As a VSPDT degree-holder and Fear Free Certified trainer, Elizabeth engages in positive training methods designed to build people’s relationship and communication with their dogs. Currently, she is working towards attaining her Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA®), an advanced certification offered by CCPDT for dog trainers who offer canine behavior modification. Elizabeth is also working on her PhD in human-animal interaction from University of Chicago after attaining her master’s degree in sociology, also from U of C.
When not training other pupkids, Elizabeth is busy training her own working dog, Desdemona von Fidelis. Desi holds advanced tricks dog titles and scent work titles. Elizabeth and Desi are also part of K9 Search & Rescue teams in Illinois and Indiana. Every weekend, Elizabeth and her husband participate with Desi in K9 SAR team trainings, preparing to assist law enforcement in finding lost persons.
Justyna Buettner
Office Manager
Professional Dog Trainer
Justyna has fostered and helped rescue several animals since her early 20s and is completing her certification with Animal Behavioral College. Jusyna has been training puppies with Anything Is Pawzible for the last two years. When not at work she likes to spend time with her three kids, her fur babies Cooper (dog) and Ziggy (cat) and her reptile babies Ocho (bearded dragon), Pearl (snake) and Brazilian black tarantula. She also loves to go hiking, camping, on road trips to new places and take on new adventures.
Tamara Gansz
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Owner of Pets-Chicago
Tamara Gansz has been obsessed with dogs since her earliest days. While her degree is in Art History, she started Pets-Chicago, a dog walking company, in 2003 and has been humbled and learning every day through the beauty of the animals she cares for. Leeloo, Jinx and Sevro are Tamara’s three rescue dogs and each has been a beacon for her to dive deeper and learn more. Leeloo, a therapy dog with Canine Therapy Corp, started and learned all of her fundamentals through Anything is Pawzible and for Tamara, the ultimate success was being able to be a part of AIP’s team. There is not a day that goes by where dogs aren’t at the epicenter of Tamara’s universe (much to the chagrin of her husband and two wonderful teenagers). 18 years of dog walking and boarding gave Tamara the landscape to see the amazing complexity of dogs and training is a stepping stone to communicate and understand our furry companions on a deeper level.
Rachel LaMere, CPDT-KA
Certified Professional Pet Dog Trainer, Certified Fear Free Trainer, Animal Behavior College Certified Trainer, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
I began my career in pet care in 2004 when I moved to NYC with a degree in opera/classical voice from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA and I started walking dogs as a side hustle while I pursued a career in the performing arts.
My grandfather was a veterinarian, so growing up, our home was never short on animals with behavioral and/or medical challenges, which may explain why I quickly gained a reputation for handling more…challenging dogs.
Eventually I realized that handling challenging dogs wasn’t enough, I wanted to learn how to help them.
Early on, I worked with traditional, punishment-based trainers and gained a working knowledge of those methods, but it wasn’t until I began volunteering at local rescues that I was introduced to positive reinforcement and force-free methods. Over the years, I slowly but surely began to make the shift. First working as a “balanced” trainer, then finally transitioning to force free.
In 2012, I completed the dog trainer certification program through Animal Behavior College, and founded The Positive Pup, dedicated to offering compassionate, effective and fun training for dogs and their humans.
In the winter of 2022, I moved to Chicago with my husband, Ryan, our cantankerous, geriatric cat, Roxie (AKA Doodle) and promptly foster failed a chihuahua called Guillermo.
I’m honored to be working with Anything is Pawzible to continue to bring proven, positive training methods to the people and pets of Chicago!
Lin Barrett
Certified Professional Pet Dog Trainer
Lin has always been passionate about all animals. Having grown up in a small town in Connecticut, they grew up around dogs, cats, horses, goats, chickens, you name it! Their passion for dogs stumbled into their life with a tiny Westie puppy their parents adopted for the family. Lin took every opportunity to learn about dogs and training after that. With this passion in their back pocket, they moved to Chicago for college in an unrelated field, and when they adopted their first dog, a Doberman German Shepherd mix named Theodore, they realized that they needed to go back to what they really love: dogs. Lin was a dog walker and sitter in the city for a while, and even a manager at a dog boarding and daycare facility. When the pandemic hit, they decided it was finally time to pursue their true passion for dog training and enrolled in Animal Behavior College. Practicing constantly on their tiny Chihuahua named Chiquita Banana, Lin never stopped trying to improve their skills. During this program they were able to intern with Anything is Pawsible, and gain valuable knowledge and insight from their expert trainers. Now that they have graduated, they are finally are able to do what they love, and look forward to continuing learning about these amazing animals and helping pet parents cultivate a loving relationship with their fur-babies.
Mario Rodriguez
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
I’m a life-long animal lover and my introduction to formal dog training was in 2011, attending a Basic Obedience class at Anything Is PAWZible with my first girl, Willow. The delight Willow expressed during training and the connection we made in that class led us to pursue additional training classes, opening up an incredible level of human-canine communication and creating a stronger bond between us. I sought out dog training books and worked with her at home to improve our bond, provide her with enrichment, and ultimately, to have fun.
We adopted our second girl Winifred in early 2021, shortly after I started volunteering at the One Tail at a Time Behavior Center. While I have experience training my own dogs, I was inspired to pursue my dream of becoming a certified dog trainer after working with rescue dogs in need of a little extra attention and training.
I graduated with honors from Animal Behavior College and completed the Training Shelter Dogs Program. I’m committed to positive reinforcement methods and use (LIMA) least invasive, minimally aversive training techniques. My goal is to help dogs and their humans communicate and forge that special bond that lasts a lifetime.
In my spare time I like to read, bike, volunteer, play games, watch movies, go to concerts and hang out with my furry best friend, Winnie.
Jess Kupsik, CPDT-KA
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
I developed an interest in training when I adopted my first American Bully, Kona, in 2017. While we bonded quickly, our relationship flourished once we started training and speaking the same language. Shortly after adopting Kona, I started fostering bully breeds for various Chicago rescues. I realized how much training helped these dogs find homes and stay in those homes.
While fostering, I began studying at CATCH Canine Trainer’s Academy to gain a better understanding of how dogs think and learn and to master the art of positive reinforcement. I fostered over a dozen dogs, many of which had complex behavior issues, before adopting my second dog, Francine, who’s a deaf pit bull mix.
I’m a passionate bully breed advocate and enjoy working and volunteering with Chicagoland rescues. Not only can training foster dogs help make them more adoptable, training is a great way for fosters and adopters to bond with their dogs. My favorite aspect of training is watching people begin to connect with and understand their dogs.