About Us

Chesapeake Dog Training started in 2009 when owner Linda Stallings realized that there was a need for a different kind of dog training in the Annapolis area. With an academic background in Animal Science and the practical experience of working on farms, vet hospitals, zoos, and a couple dog training companies, she set out to create a dog training program that combined the best aspects of all of these “worlds”. Her passion for helping people to understand and connect better with animals played a big part in creating the mission and goals of the company. CDT grew over the years to match the growing demand for services and in 2014, began consulting with the SPCA of Anne Arundel County to create a training and socialization program for its most difficult-to-adopt dogs. This experience provided the CDT team with much more insight into the lives of dogs in shelters and many of the reasons dogs are surrendered. We worked diligently to figure out simple, but effective training methods and exercises to help get dogs adopted and transition better into their new homes. CDT trainers also realized through the SPCA experience the critical importance of dogs socializing with other dogs. Social dogs understand how to communicate with their own kind and are usually more balanced and happy! Our staff learned a lot from the shelter dogs in terms of assessing which dogs were social and the safest and most effective way to help the ones that were not. By 2015, we developed our Board & Train program at our Annapolis location to provide overnight, immersive training for more difficult dogs and dogs whose owners wanted to achieve a higher level of training, but were pressed for time. By 2019, CDT expanded again and opened a beautiful indoor facility in Millersville, Maryland. Here, we were able to provide group classes and daycare with training. Trainer Paula Blair launched a comprehensive Puppy Program that helped over 400 puppies get off to a good start. Lindy Burkhart created a Nosework and Scentwork program that delivered numerous lectures and demonstrations and honed the scent detection skills of hundreds of dog/owner pairs. The space was also home to many AKC Canine Good Citizen tests, giving local dogs a chance to demonstrate all that they had learned. When the lease was due to expire in 2024, CDT staff decided that despite the success of the location, the heart of the company was with the very personal and individualized results achieved with our Board & Train program at the Annapolis location. Our Millersville location had closed, but had gifted CDT staff with even more insight into the balance of training dogs and improving the relationships with owners. Seeing a much higher volume of students go through the programs had really proven which techniques work well and solidified the programs we have today. CDT’s staff have learned so much from all of the opportunities over the years. Our goal has always been to serve Annapolis and surrounding communities with whatever services and methods best serve the mission of Connecting People and Dogs Through Training. We have a unique training style that is holistic, yet gets to the heart of behavior problems quickly and simply. We look forward to a future as bright as our history and will continue to expand our knowledge and methods to match the needs of our students.