Alex Sessa

Peach on a Leash owner and head trainer, Alex Sessa, (formerly Andes) CPDT-KA, CDBC, VSPDT is a pet behavior expert who has been training dogs and studying dog behavior for nearly a decade.Alex is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a certification that requires hundreds of logged training hours and passing a comprehensive exam. She is also one of only five trainers in the state of Georgia to receive full certification as a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. This high-level certification requires a rigorous application process that's assessed by a panel of experts in dog training and behavior, and you must demonstrate the knowledge and ability to handle complex behavior cases in order to be certified.Additionally, she has attained the prestigious Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainer (VSPDT) certification, and has successfully completed Michael Shikashio's Aggression in Dogs Master Course.She attended the University of Georgia, where she began honing her training skills while helping improve the behavior of local shelter dogs to reduce euthanasia rates. She graduated with honors in 2012 and worked as both a pet adoption counselor and an assistant dog trainer before being offered a job with celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog. Alex traveled the world with Victoria and had the opportunity to learn from her in all facets of training and behavior for five years before deciding to pursue her dream of founding Peach on a Leash. Their work together allowed Alex the opportunity to work hands-on with both pet dogs and working dogs, including police dogs and accelerant detection dogs.As the founder and owner of Peach on a Leash, Alex manages our training program as well as our team of ten exceptional, highly qualified training and behavior experts. She leads the training for our VIP Puppy Development program, and has provided professional training for celebrities, athletes, CEOs, corporate therapy dog programs, and other high-profile clientele. She has been featured on HLN, WSB-TV, 11Alive, and various print publications.Alex serves as both a faculty member and a mentor for students in the Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy. She also serves on the advisory board for the online dog training platform Gentle Beast, in addition to developing their training curriculum and serving as the primary on-camera training talent. She regularly consults for other training companies, public safety departments, corporations and non-profit organizations needing guidance with their dog training and behavior-related programs.These experiences have helped her to become one of the most studied, well-rounded trainers in the area, and her results-oriented training utilizes effective and humane techniques that are backed by the latest modern behavioral science.She shares her home with her husband Will, who is a former police K-9 officer, their two children, and their beloved dogs.