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About
Elser Canine Services provides in-home animal training and behavioral services to owners in the Philadelphia suburbs. I am committed to teaching owners how to communicate effectively with their dogs using humane, scientifically founded principles of behavior modification. You and your dog should love learning. I am also happy to work with cats and other animals on behavior modification.
Questions are welcome! Please contact me for more information.
Questions are welcome! Please contact me for more information.
Samra Elser VMD PhD CPDT-KA (she/her)
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I have been involved in dog sports since 2000, when I started agility with my family's ball-crazy Golden Retriever who needed a job. Guided by a Karen Pryor clicker pamphlet and my father's construction skills, we built a set of USDAA regulation agility equipment on my parents' property in Maryland and I taught my very forgiving dog to play the game. I competed in USDAA briefly before meeting Chris Zink, a fellow Golden Retriever owner, sports enthusiast, and now recent president of the ACVSMR. Chris introduced us to obedience, tracking, and hunt tests. In 2002, I acquired my first purpose-bred Golden, a super talented dog who extensively shaped my training skills (and eventually became an agility champion). I was a founding member of Mid-Atlantic MADness, a USDAA agility club, and became an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator in 2006.
After completing my undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, I moved to Philadelphia in 2008 to pursue the Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2009 I became affiliated with Y2K9s Dog Sports Club and was an instructor and later Obedience Director. During veterinary school I gained a deeper understanding of the science underlying behavior modification and this has been a critical element to my training philosophy. Through my work with numerous trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and sports medicine specialists I continue to improve my knowledge of psychology, ethology, and medicine as they relate to training for dog sports. Since 2000, my dogs have acquired over 80 titles in obedience, agility, hunt tests, and conformation.
I completed my PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and my VMD (veterinary degree) in 2017. I passed the Certified Professional Dog Training - Knowledge Assessed exam in 2018. During the week, I work as an associate veterinarian at King of Prussia Veterinary Hospital where I see veterinary behavior patients as well as practice general medicine for cats and dogs. Besides behavior, my medical areas of interest are dentistry/oral surgery and endocrinology. In 2020 my husband and I moved to Worcester Township, where we share five acres and an 18th century farmhouse with our dogs and cats.
After completing my undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, I moved to Philadelphia in 2008 to pursue the Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2009 I became affiliated with Y2K9s Dog Sports Club and was an instructor and later Obedience Director. During veterinary school I gained a deeper understanding of the science underlying behavior modification and this has been a critical element to my training philosophy. Through my work with numerous trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and sports medicine specialists I continue to improve my knowledge of psychology, ethology, and medicine as they relate to training for dog sports. Since 2000, my dogs have acquired over 80 titles in obedience, agility, hunt tests, and conformation.
I completed my PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and my VMD (veterinary degree) in 2017. I passed the Certified Professional Dog Training - Knowledge Assessed exam in 2018. During the week, I work as an associate veterinarian at King of Prussia Veterinary Hospital where I see veterinary behavior patients as well as practice general medicine for cats and dogs. Besides behavior, my medical areas of interest are dentistry/oral surgery and endocrinology. In 2020 my husband and I moved to Worcester Township, where we share five acres and an 18th century farmhouse with our dogs and cats.