Karen is a uniquely qualified professional in the field of dog training. In addition to her experience as a pet dog trainer focusing on a relationship-based approach, Karen has contributed to the areas of therapy animal registration, guidelines for humane training, rehabilitation of shelter animals, and the training of puppies and the people who raise them for future guide dog work.

Karen served as the Director of Training at Delta Society, one of the world's leaders in therapy animal evaluation and registration. Among her accomplishments for Delta Society, Karen was the Project Director of the 2004 edition of the Pet Partners Team Training Course Manual. This course teaches handlers the unique skills needed to visit with animals in hospitals, nursing homes, classrooms, and other facilities.

Karen was the Project Facilitator for Professional Standards for Dog Trainers: Effective, Humane Principals, the first and only book to define humane dog training standards and practices. It has been embraced by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the world's largest organization for training professionals, and endorsed by many well-known humane animal welfare organizations such as the San Francisco SPCA and Massachusetts SPCA.

As the Director of Animal Haven Acres Sanctuary & Rehabilitation Center located in South Kortright, NY, Karen worked to improve the lives of hard-to-place dogs, many of who had been abused.

Karen also contributed her training skills to Guiding Eyes for the Blind as a Regional Manager, where she helped train young puppies and their raisers who foster future guide dogs for the blind.

While living in NYC, Karen was an Animal Behavior Counselor at the ASPCA  (as seen on Animal Planet’s Animal Precinct ), an instructor for Andrea Arden Dog Training, and a founding member of one of the first agility clubs recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

As the director of Town & Country Canine, located in Jefferson, NY, offering dog training and boarding, Karen is thrilled to be focusing her energies on assisting pet dog owners in creating a greater bond with their dogs through a relationship-based approach.