About

• Our History
• Our Mission

Bios

• Crystal Dunn ~ Founder & Training Director
• Audrey Weir ~ Pet Care Manager
• Ann Kiel Buchanan ~ Pet Care Specialist
• Krystyna Harper ~ Pet Care Specialist
• Marilee Weir ~ Pet Care Specialist
• Snow Bickley ~ Dog Trainer – Coming Soon!
• Maida Barbour ~ Dog Trainer
• Jason Dunn ~ Computer Guru & Puppy Snuggler

Our History

Crystal Dunn started Leaps N’ Hounds as a small one-woman private training operation.  Later we added our Pet Care service with the help of Audrey Weir, Pet Care Guru.   We continue to expand our services and team to serve the city, however we pride ourselves on being a small company that fosters close professional relationships with our clients.   No call centers and no mass production approach; we take training and pet care seriously and personally.  Our company is built on a passion for pets, professionalism, accountability, and long term dependability that our clients love.

Our Mission

To teach kind training techniques and deepen the bonds between our clients and their pets.
To give our client’s peace of mind knowing that their pets will receive the best care when they are away.

Bios

Crystal Dunn ~ Founder / Training Director

Specialties: Canine Behavior, Obedience, Feline Behavior, Canine Fitness, Canine/Feline Nutrition, Senior Dog Care, Writing, Learning Theory

Crystal has a natural connection and instinct with animals that is at the core of what she does.   Driven to rescue and help from a young age, she started her training career as a volunteer at shelters and quickly fell in love with the idea of teaching these “unwanted” dogs new tricks.  Her patience and  drive to connect with the most challenged dogs paved her way as a trainer and has guided her toward wonderful educators and mentors over the years.

As an obedience trainer Crystal taught upwards of 14 full training classes per week.  The fun factor and effectiveness of her classes made her one of the most sought after trainers in Houston, recommended by veterinarians and rescues across the city.

Crystal has also served as lead training and shelter adviser to the city of Conroe, working with the Chief of Police and Animal Control towards a no-kill solution.  This resulted in a complete re-design of ethical policies and procedures for the Conroe Animal Shelter which put an end to breed restrictions, provided veterinary care to the animals, and educated staff on animal handling and safety protocol.

She has also worked with The Healing Species of Tx as instructor and adviser, working with therapy dogs in schools and detention centers in Houston.  In Austin she works extensively with Love-A-Bull as teacher for their their Pit Crew therapy dog program and lead behavior consultant for their dog adoptions program.

In 2008 Crystal started Leaps N’ Hounds so that she could spend more one-on-one time with her students and develop a more holistic training approach that would address the root causes of behavior problems and teach practical obedience in real world environments.  Crystal’s approach is influenced by many trainers, especially greats like vet and behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar and Dr. Patricia McConnell.  She notes her biggest training assets as instinct , constant study, her training team,  and the fantastic dogs and clients that she works with.

Crystal’s furry posse of rescues include:

Lyla: Rottie & Shepherd mix, MoHawk (“Mo”): Ridgeback/Lab/Pit mix, Jack Jack: Border Collie mix.  Her cats, Olive, Dennis, & Beito  are a feline powerhouse of purrs, cuddles, and lovable snobbery.

For Leaps N’ Hounds Crystal does training, behavior consulting, some pet sitting, and manages back end operations.

 

Audrey Weir ~ Pet Care Manager

Specialties: Canine Exercise Programs, Small Animal Care, Feline Care, Obedience

Animal magnetism? Audrey has it -literally.  All creatures big and small seem to gravitate to her. She has a calming effect that has helped her gain a reputation

for bonding with even the toughest and most anti-social animals.   Audrey has a long history of volunteer work  and has worked directly in pet care since 2008. She has also instructed for Healing Species, an anti-violence and character outreach program that teaches compassion to children in the classroom with the assistance of rescued dogs.  Audrey is cross-trained in positive reinforcement based obedience techniques.  She is happy to help our furry clients maintain happy and healthy habits in things like potty training, avoiding destructive chewing, and encouraging polite jump-free greetings.

Audrey is the proud parent of Dee Dee, a 2 year old Chihuahua, and Cody, a 1 year old Husky/Cattle Dog mix – both rescues, and both completely perfect in every way (as she will tell you). Her favorite restaurants and Austin spots begin and end with a list of places she can hang out with her dogs. Why is Audrey in pet care? There’s nothing else she would rather do, of course!

For Leaps N’ Hounds Audrey manages most of our pet sitting endeavors.  Her keen eye for detail, gift with animals, compassion and dependability make her a truly gifted caregiver.   She is also experienced with more exotic small, scaly, &/or feathered clients.  She can be found taking some of our more energetic dog friends on hikes near Mount Bonnell and on long runs to burn some of that fun energy.

Anne Kiel Buchanan ~ Pet Care Specialist

Specialties: Canine and Feline Care, Dog Walking, and Chickens

Anne grew up on a farm in Iowa and has always enjoyed taking care of family pets including her goats “Salt and Pepper” and her very first cat, “Bear-Bear”. She feels that pets bring out the best in people and are without a doubt members of the family that deserve quality care and attention. Anne and her husband are the proud parents of Juanita and Lolita, two sister-kitties from Town Lake Animal Shelter and Ernie Carl Sagan, a black lab mix from Austin Pets Alive.

 

 

 

 

 

Krystyna Harper ~ Pet Care Specialist/ Training Intern

Specialties:  Dog Walking, Feline Care, Horse Care, and other farm animals.

 

Marilee Weir ~ Pet Care Specialist

Specialties: Senior Dog Care, Farm Animals/Horses, Overnight Care

After growing up in the Pacific Northwest with a menagerie of pets on her family farm, pet care is a natural fit for Marilee.  Her personal rescue efforts often entail rounding up mud covered dogs and cats in the middle of traffic. She has even been a dedicated “Cat Mom” assisting in weaning kittens brought to local shelters during the busy Spring months – a full time job well suited for those who thrive under sleep deprived conditions.

Marilee’s furry family consists of:  Heidi: a 13 year-old Welsh Corgi/Shepherd mix with a kind gray face and a slight touch of Napoleon Syndrome and Usagi: a 1 year-old long haired Chihuahua who snorts like a pig, romps like a big dog, and has never met a stranger.

2 pillow weights named Grimmy and Kacey.  These lazy kitties mostly like to lay and eat and will do this simultaneously whenever possible.

For Leaps N’ Hounds Marilee does overnights, in home care, and loves caring for our “sexy seniors” who may requires regular meds or shots.  Also if you’re a horse, pig, cow, goat, or chicken – you can count on her to be your pet sitter and friend!

 

Maida Barbour ~ Dog Trainer

Maida Barbour began training dogs professionally in 2011.  She has spent her life caring for and training animals.  Over the last decade she acquired a variety of training skills to manage her own dog’s fear-aggression and helped to certify her partner’s service dog using techniques like operant conditioning, leash work, T-touch and clicker training.  She also interned in a veterinary clinic as a teenager, where she used both traditional and holistic medical practices to care for the patients. She approaches each dog she meets with a combination of ideas she gained from her academic degrees in Cognitive Psychology and Information Theory, and a gut instinct for animals which she learned from her mother.  Maida currently lives with her own dog, Violet, a Shar-pei/German Shepherd mix; Evita, her partner’s pit bull mix; and Butter Bean, the cat they chose together.

Jason Dunn ~ Computer Guru & Puppy Snuggler

From vacuuming the fuzz off the fan of our computers, to keeping our website and phone apps afloat – Jason is the great and powerful Oz behind the curtain.   Keeping us ahead of the curve and organized in the pet care industry is key to our success and the safety of the pets we love and care for.  Oh, and did we mention he gives a great dog massage?   Mo thinks he is the best.