Lisa Blanchard BA, LVT, CMT, CCRP, CCFT
Lisa has had dogs her entire life. She began formally training dogs in 1991 when she started her Labrador Retriever puppy, Sergei in obedience classes. After one class she was hooked and thus began her foray into the dog show world. Since then, she has been actively competing in multiple venues since 1993. Sergei got her started competing in obedience and agility and from there she moved onto competing with Doberman Pinschers. With the Dobermans she has achieved titles in conformation, agility, rally, obedience, lure coursing and scent work. Her competition background has been a complement to working with athletes.
Lisa started her formal journey into the world of canine physical rehabilitation because she felt that her own competition dogs were in need of bodywork. She became certified in canine massage therapy in 2004 which sparked a desire to learn more, so she changed careers and became a Licensed Veterinary Technician and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner through the University of Tennessee’s Canine Rehabilitation Program. From the time of graduation in 2008 until July of 2016, Lisa worked exclusively in the field of rehabilitation.
In her quest to expand her knowledge base Lisa discovered the FitPAWS® Master Trainer ™ program. She was intrigue by how the program blended physical and mental fitness together to offer a “total” challenge to the dog. Lisa completed the FitPAWS®/University of Tennessee, CCFT (Certified Canine Fitness Trainer) program in 2016. She has since been added to the team of FitPAWS ® Master Trainer Instructors and has joined FitPAWS® full time as their Education Program Consultant.
In her years of veterinary practice Lisa has had the pleasure of working to help with the rehabilitation of family pets, service dogs, show dogs, and canine athletes. As a fellow competitor she understands canine sports and their rigorous requirements. Through her own business, K9 Fitness Coach LLC she develops customized fitness plans, seminars and classes focusing on the importance of fitness, balance and core strength for the canine athlete. Her classes and seminars aim to teach the significance of injury prevention and stress the importance of foundation exercises and behavioral cues.
Lisa has been married to her high school sweetheart Tom, since 1990. They enjoy traveling and riding their Harley together. They share their house with 2 Dobermans, Rylan and Dante.
Lisa Blanchard BA, LVT, CMT, CCRP, CCFT
K9 Fitness Coach LLC
Lisamblanchard.lb@gmail.com
