‘This is where I am of most service’ | Suzanne Bryner

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Submitted by Lucky Fido Dog Training.

“My passion, my purpose, is to build deeper understanding and relationships with dogs and their people,” Suzanne Bryner, owner of Lucky Fido Dog Training, said. “I have created a community of dog guardians who truly understand the incredible species we are so lucky to live with. To live our best lives together, heal past traumas and avoid future problems, understanding dogs at their deepest levels and meeting their needs is the only thing that creates true long-lasting change.”

Bryner is the local go-to for professional behavior and training for dogs and their people in the San Juan Islands. “I came to this profession after being adopted by a delightfully sparky street dog while staying in Mexico,” she laughed. “I say adopted by, because I was not looking to fall in love with another dog – having just lost both my dog and my cat.”

Little did she know that Foxxy was to lead her to her ultimate career, passion and service in her community. “She became everything I needed, teacher, inspiration, and companion,” Bryner said.

Taking all types of behavior and training cases in both group and individual sessions, she has specialized education in puppies and adolescent dogs through the first critical two years of development, as well as in behavioral challenges such as reactivity, fear and aggressive behavior.

“I have ongoing education in these areas because I believe this is where I am of most service, and I love these case types. Dogs up to 2 years can be challenging, and this is a time when we set the stage for the rest of our lives together!” Bryner said. “That is powerful, and the mountain of misinformation about this time leaves the humans trying to figure out what is real and what is not. Fearful, reactive and aggressive dogs are hard to live with. They and their people are under an enormous amount of stress. I love helping committed guardians through these challenges and helping them back to all the good parts of living with dogs!”

Though these professionals may literally hold the lives and well-being of their multispecies clients in their hands, Bryner says dog behavior and training are completely unregulated professions with absolutely no standards for education and no licensure.

“Your hairdresser has more rigorous standards for licensing and education than many people calling themselves trainers or behavior pros,” she explained. “For now, the standards must be set by ourselves, and I am absolutely devoted to the highest degree of ongoing education and certifications that I can attain.”

To keep abreast of the growing body of research in the sciences of behavior, ethology and neurobiology of canines, Bryner completes yearly mentorships with the best teachers in her fields. “These bring together professionals to learn from the best of the best, as well as with and from each other. Apart from working with people and their dogs, learning about them with my incredible peers is my favorite thing!”