MEET OUR TEAM
Our team are looking forward to getting to know you and your dog.

Lisbeth Borg de Waard
Owner and Manager, based in Norway
Lisbeth is Principal of the International Dog Trainer School and the founder of Nordic Education Centre for Dog Trainers.
She was certified as a dog trainer by internationally-renowned dog trainer and behaviourist Turid Rugaas and has 21 years’ experience with problem solving and behaviour in dogs.
Lisbeth is a former college and university lecturer in Norway.

Eva Navarrete
Executive Assistant, based in Spain

Jonas Christensen
Faculty Member and Quality Manager, based in Norway
Jonas specialises in pedagogy, instruction methods, course quality and first aid for humans and for dogs.
The past 18 years he has worked with developing training courses for the Norwegian Ambulance and Police.

Turid Rugaas
Author and Dog Trainer, based in Norway
Turid Rugaas is a world-renowned Norwegian author and dog trainer. She has published several books and DVDs including the popular best seller On Talking Terms with Dogs.
Turid is famous for her pioneering work in how dogs communicate, and has identified over 30 ‘calming signals’ that have since helped many dog trainers, behaviourists and ethologists understand dog language.
In 2017, Turid was awarded the King’s Badge of Honour by His Majesty King Harald VI of Norway, in recognition of her contribution to the field of canine behaviour over the last 40 years.

Elena Kichinskaia, based in Estonia
Teacher, based in Estonia
Originally from Russia, Elena lives in Tallinn, Estonia and speaks fluent English, French, German and Russian.
She is a co-founder of ‘Redog’ and has worked as both a trainer and a behaviourist. Elena is constantly updating her knowledge by attending in-house training and external courses, including Specialising in Dog Aggression and Sensory Integration.
Elena is currently studying to be Massage Therapist with Galen Myotherapy.

Anne Lill Kvam
Teacher, based in Norway
Certified Dog Trainer and Nosework Specialist
Since 1986, Anne Lill’s passion has been training search and rescue dogs. She has worked as a full-time instructor since graduating from Turid Rugaas’s school in 1996.
From 1997 to 2000 she worked in Angola for the ‘Norwegian Peoples Aid’ organisation for the clearing of anti-personnel mines.
Anne Lill has her own dog training school with branches in Norway, China and Taiwan, and is a highly sought-after international speaker in the fields of scent discrimination, behaviour and problem solving.

Dr. Amber Batson
Teacher, based in England
Amber graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London as a veterinarian and surgeon in 1999.
She has carried out extensive research in the field of companion animal welfare, including subjects relating to responsible pet ownership, and psychoneuroimmunology, a branch of veterinary science that deals with the influence of stress and other emotional states on the nervous and immune systems.
Amber has undertaken voluntary work for international animal charities, including a position as welfare consultant for WPA.

Tanya Vishniiakova
Teacher, based in Russia
Tanya is a Nordic Dog Trainer graduate who has worked with dogs for over ten years.
She has attended an impressive list of courses on dog behaviour, training, communication and health.
Tanya works full time with different projects in Russia including education, training and behaviour consultations, and has been teaching school children about dogs for a number of years.

Lyubov Elupova
Teacher, based in Estonia
Originally from Russia and now living in Tallinn with her rescue dog Heidi, Lyubov is a graduate of Turid Rugaas International Dog Trainer Education in Spain and a co-founder of the Smiling Leash Project.
She has attended a number of additional dog behaviour and training courses, including specialising puppies and canine aggression.

Julia Robertson
Teacher, based in England
Julia Robertson is the global head of the Galen Myotherapy organisation, which she founded in 2002. Since then she has treated over 8,000 dogs and trained hundreds of people in Galen Myotherapy techniques.
She was one of the first people in the UK to treat and understand the effects of adaptive change in dogs, and is recognised as an expert, pioneer and leader in her field of canine myotherapy both in the UK and worldwide.
Julia is a published author of three books and has produced two DVDs, including ‘Tongue to Tail’ which won the Dog Writers Association of America’s coveted US Maxwell Award in 2012.
Nordic Mentors provide guidance and support in 12 different languages to make your learning process as smooth as possible.

Silke Strasser
Austria | German and italian

Sarah Cullen
Switzerland | English

Laura Celmara
Latvia | Latvian

Ieva Romanova
Latvia | Latvian

Stella van Tongeren
Netherland | Dutch

Gerlin Gil
Estonia | Estonian

Evy Kapanieri
Greece | Greek

Sophie Cierpucha
France | French

Sandy Guevara
Mexico | Spanish

Sirle Sillaste
Estonia | Estonian

Janne With Lejstrup
Denmark | Danish

Robert Kotrc
Austria | German

Janne G. Jensen
Denmark | Danish

Britt Purdelo
Estonia | Estonian

Vivian Vermetten
Netherland | Dutch