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About Leash Free Living

At Leash Free Living, we believe the best pets are ones we can communicate with on and off the leash, at home and when out in public. Located in Annapolis and Millersville, we use a relationship based training method in order to provide you with a well-mannered, happier dog.

We offer a variety of training programs designed to fit any dog at any level. Choose from group or private lessons and we also offer advanced electives, daycare and train programs and more.

Our wonderful staff is dedicated to continuously learning and honing our training skills. We hold regular staff trainings and everyone on our team is working through the Leash Free Living Certification Program.

Meet the Trainers

Samantha Miyamoto

Sam started training dogs in 2008, after her first dog was killed by a larger dog. Inspired to use training to keep dogs safe (and alive), she apprenticed under the late Margot Woods, a nationally renowned dog trainer (and founder of Fido's for Freedom). Sam graduated in 2011 with a BS in Biology from UMBC, and graduated from Margot's Professional Dog Trainer program shortly after. Sam opened Leash Free Living in 2012, where she has been able to assist thousands of dogs along in their training journey, and continues to be inspired to use training as a gateway to fun and exciting adventures with dogs. While training pet dogs to behave for their owners in a home and community setting is her main goal, she also competes in AKC Obedience and Rally competitions with her own dogs and client dogs to continuously challenge and refine her training skills. Sam has put titles on nine different dogs (listed below), including earning Rally Championship Titles with two Golden Retrievers and earning the first and only Obedience Trial Championship with a Maltese.
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Jayna Fenton

Jayna has been working professionally with dogs since 2009. She started her career managing a large boarding kennel and day care, and became certified to teach Pet CPR and First Aid.  When she rescued an aggressive Pit Bull (Star) that was abandoned at the kennel, she discovered that she loved rehabilitating dogs and using training to make dogs better companions. Star made great improvements training with Jayna and after that rehabilitation was able to pass the Canine Good Citizen test. Jayna then fostered a Toy Poodle that had spent years in a puppy mill. He had extreme noise sensitivity, was anxious and shut down in new environments, and was not potty trained. That dog was also able to pass the Canine Good Citizen exam after his rehabilitation and was successfully adopted into a new home. She joined the Leash Free Living team in 2013 and has completed our Certified Trainer, Instructor and Behaviorist programs. Jayna is our lead instructor for behavior cases, and advanced classes, and is a mentor to other LFL Trainers and Instructors.
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Jacqui Rudisill

Jacqui started training dogs in 2013 when she trained her family German Shepherd Dogs, Maya and Zeke, to be therapy dogs and complete visits with Pet Partners Therapy Dog. While in college, she started teaching training classes, and training PTSD and mobility service dogs for veterans with Hearts of Gold. Jacqui graduated from West Virginia University with a Biomedical Engineering degree, and began working with Leash Free Living in July of 2021. Jacqui has completed the Leash Free Living Trainer and Instructor program.
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Becky Archer

Becky became interested in dog training when she started preparing her dog to become a service dog for her daughter. She took several lessons from Leash Free Living, and enjoyed it so much that she joined the team in 2017. Becky is our Training Manager, and keeps all the lessons, classes, Tag-Alongs and instructor schedules running smoothly when she isn't teaching or training dogs. Becky has two dogs of her own: Strider (10 year old GSDxDoberman), and Winnie (4 year old Blue Lacy)
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Paige Garrison

Paige started training with Leash Free Living as a client when her family got a new Akita puppy, Mako. Paige successfully trained Mako through all of our programs, including off-leash skills and retrieve training. Paige started part-time with Leash Free Living in 2018, then moved to full time in 2020 after she graduated from South River High School. Paige has completed the Leash Free Living Trainer Program, and is an Apprentice Instructor while she completes the last requirements of that program. Paige still owns Mako. They are training and prepping to enter the obedience ring later this year. When they aren't training, you can find them hiking and traveling together.
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Raechel Francis

Raechel has been working with dogs professionally since 2009. She started as a kennel tech at a local boarding kennel, and quickly figured out that she wanted to make working dogs her career. Over the years, she has worked with trainers, rescues, kennels, veterinarians and groomers. Raechel completed a paralegal degree in 2013. Raechel started with Leash Free Living in 2018. She has completed the Leash Free Living Trainer Certification program and is working towards the Leash Free Living Instructor program.
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