About
Elser Canine Services provides in-home dog training and petsitting to animal owners in the Philadelphia area. We are committed to teaching dog owners how to communicate effectively with their dogs using humane, scientifically founded principles of behavior modification. You and your dog should love learning, and we are here to help you on your way. In addition, with extensive experience in petsitting for a variety of species, including dogs, cats, birds, and small mammals, you can travel with the peace of mind that your animals are receiving the most conscientious care.
Questions are welcome! Please contact us for more information.
Questions are welcome! Please contact us for more information.
Samra Elser VMD PhD CPDT-KA
Samra has been involved in dog sports since 2000, when she started agility with her ball-crazy Golden Retriever who needed a job. Guided by a Karen Pryor clicker pamphlet and her father's construction skills, she built a set of USDAA regulation agility equipment on her parents' property in Maryland and taught her very forgiving dog to play the game. They competed in USDAA briefly before meeting Chris Zink, a fellow Golden Retriever owner and sports enthusiast, who introduced them to obedience, tracking, and hunt tests. In 2002, she acquired her first purpose-bred Golden, a much less forgiving dog who has extensively shaped her training skills. She was a founding member of Mid-Atlantic MADness, a USDAA agility club, and became an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator in 2006. While in Maryland, she continued working with Chris in obedience, as well as taking agility lessons from Janet Gauntt.
After completing her undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Samra moved to Philadelphia in 2008 to pursue the Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2009 she became affiliated with Y2K9s Dog Sports Club, where she is now the Obedience Director. Veterinary school also deepened her understanding of the research underlying behavior modification and has been a critical element to designing her training philosophy. She has worked with numerous trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and sports medicine specialists to improve her knowledge of canine learning and the interplay of structure and function as they relate to training for dog sports. Since 2000, Samra's dogs have acquired over 60 titles in obedience, agility, hunt tests, and conformation. Click on Meet the Dogs to learn more.
Samra resides in Philadelphia with her husband, dogs, and four cats. She earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and a VMD (veterinary degree) in 2017. She passed the Certified Professional Dog Training - Knowledge Assessed exam in 2018. During the week, she is an associate veterinarian at King of Prussia Veterinary Hospital where she offers veterinary behavior consults as well as practices general medicine for cats and dogs.
After completing her undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Samra moved to Philadelphia in 2008 to pursue the Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2009 she became affiliated with Y2K9s Dog Sports Club, where she is now the Obedience Director. Veterinary school also deepened her understanding of the research underlying behavior modification and has been a critical element to designing her training philosophy. She has worked with numerous trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and sports medicine specialists to improve her knowledge of canine learning and the interplay of structure and function as they relate to training for dog sports. Since 2000, Samra's dogs have acquired over 60 titles in obedience, agility, hunt tests, and conformation. Click on Meet the Dogs to learn more.
Samra resides in Philadelphia with her husband, dogs, and four cats. She earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and a VMD (veterinary degree) in 2017. She passed the Certified Professional Dog Training - Knowledge Assessed exam in 2018. During the week, she is an associate veterinarian at King of Prussia Veterinary Hospital where she offers veterinary behavior consults as well as practices general medicine for cats and dogs.