Tony Lampert, Owner/Training Director
TonyLampert@SitMeansSit.com 314-576-4110
Native to St. Louis, Missouri, always had a love for animals. Looking back, he started his career as a young boy working at Silver Maple Farms while in high school. There he attended to the care and enrichment of the dogs.
After graduating high school, Tony opened his first business, Pets Etc. in Chesterfield, Missouri. There he continued his admiration for animals. Pets Etc. was a full service pets store selling, birds, fish, dogs, cats and supplies. He loved taking care of all the pets and educating the pet owners or consumers.
With the onset of the super pet stores, Tony decided to specialize, opening one of the first strictly exotic pet stores called Planet Reptiles, in St. Louis on the Delmar Loop. Planet Reptiles was a place where animals could roam free and live in the proper habitat, close to their natural environment. He specialized in exotic reptiles and small exotic mammals, increasing and applying his knowledge of animal care to educating the public.
Tony later realized his continued love for dogs. Always having one in the house hold since he was a small boy, Tony started training his dogs. He attended training in Denver at SitMeansSit, He decided to revolutionist the world of dog training by opening a SitMeansSit franchise in the St. Louis, St. Charles and surrounding areas. Rescuing several dogs, which would have others wise been put down, he trained the dogs and they are now the family pets.
As SitMeansSit grew and he felt the needs of dogs and dog owners and opened the first Indoor Dog Park in the area. Providing services for daycare, boarding and training, as well as providing and enrichment area for the dogs
Casey Ray, Head Trainer
CaseyRay@SitMeansSit.com 636-922-9095
Casey Ray is the former owner and Training Director of DogSmarts Dog Training before joining forces with Tony Lampert and becoming the Head Trainer at Sit Means Sit. He enjoys helping clients and their dogs get back on track through his instruction of how to use proper obedience, behavioral modification, canine psychology and overall owner education & awareness. Casey originally earned certification in all facets of canine training through National K9 School for Dog Trainers, in Columbus, OH. Today, he continues to stay current with today’s techniques through continuing work through seminars/workshops, professional associations, working with the Sit Means Sit staff and creating & tweaking new training approaches of his own. He enjoys sharing his expertise through interviews and writing articles for local dog related publications. In his free time, he can be seen challenging his Belgian Malinois’, Ezra & Sally Jo in all aspects of obedience & canine sports.
List of accomplishments:
* Voted one of St. Louis’ favorite dog trainers 3 years running- 2008, 2009 & 2010
* Rescued & rehabilitated shelter dogs from severe behavioral disorders
* Responsible for implementing dog training programs at local boarding facilities
* National K-9 School for Dog Trainers graduate and association member
* American Dog Owners Association member
* Previous owner of www.stldogservices.com
* Continually called upon for his opinions/expertise with local rescue groups
* Featured in “Ask the Trainer” segment for Tails Magazine
* Municipal & Circuit Court Judges have ordered dogs to rehabilitate under his guidance
* United States Army Veteran
* Featured, with his dog Ezra, on the Jumbotron at Busch Stadium
* Repeat guest on the Fox 2 News Morning Show
* Guest on KSDK Channel 5 News
* Repeat guest on 1120 KMOX’s Monica Adam’s Talk show
* Guest on 93.7 The Bull’s Morning Show with Craig Cornett
* The ‘Official Dog Trainer’ of 92.3 WIL’s Bo Matthews’ Big Dawg’s Bunkhouse
* Appeared on TV show “It’s Your Biz with Susan Solovic” on Fox 2 St. Louis.
* Spotlight interview by Unleashed Unlimited, a training firm in Austin, Texas.
* Guest on SBTV.com (Small Business Television) with CEO Susan Solovic
* Interviewed on the set of ‘Lipstick n Laundry’ with Judi Diamond & Kate Frisina
* Professional member- International Association of Canine Professionals
* Training services and behavior consultations that are veterinarian recommended
* AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
* Testified under oath on canine behavior and psychology
* Contacted by an agent for the hit TV show, ”America’s Got Talent”
* Appeared as witness expert in a dog fight case on TV show, “Swift Justice with Jackie Glass.”
Shelly Ray, Office Manager/Trainer
ShellyRay@SitMeansSit.com 888-STL-DOGS
Shelly has been in the dog business for over a decade. From her conformation days to her owning a boarding & training business, she has encountered many opportunities to work with different types of breeds and temperaments. She has worked at the Humane Society, both as an employee and volunteer, has had positions in various kennels and organizations, and has obtained the knowledge needed to offer dog training at a high level.
In 2005, she attended schooling at the That’s My Dog! E-Cademy where she was immersed in hours of real-life, hands on training which has proven vital in working with the DogSmarts staff in turning out a product that is second to none. Once the facility is up, she will have the duties of managing the boarding kennel along with assisting in training and teaching classes. Shelly is a member of the TMD! Dog Training Support Group.
Shelly enjoys working with her adopted Bichon/Poodle mix, Popeye, along with many other of the rescue dogs she has fostered and proving to the general public that a once homeless canine can become an integral part of a family’s everyday adventures once the correct rules, boundaries and limitations are in place
Megan Hamby, Trainer
Born and raised in St. Louis, Megan always had a love for animals.
After graduating high school, Megan attended University of Missouri with the idea of going Pre-Vet. However, during her first semester her aunt and uncle had told her that they brought their dog to an In-Kennel training program and that she needed to check it out. After going just one time and talking to students who were in the school to become dog trainers, she instantly knew she needed to leave Mizzou and attend the worldly known Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers.
There she went through the Professional program, where she learned how to train basic and high obedience, AKC agility, Schutzhund obedience and tracking, narcotic detection among many other things.
After, she was also able to go through and graduate from the Masters program where she focused on search and rescue, more narcotics work, cadaver searches, evidence recovery and even higher obedience and tracking.
Megan has a small pack of 3 of her own. Luna, her golden retriever, Feloyn, her little Belgian Malinois, one of which got her through school, along with her forever favorite Belgian Malinois, Watson. Now Megan focuses on Watson and Feloyn’s PSA (protection Sport Association) training and competing with hopefully great things to come!
Charlotte Furtwengler, Trainer
Charlotte has always had a love of dogs. She volunteered her services at the Open Door Animal Sanctuary where she learned how to help dogs overcome their fears and anxieties, often without the benefit of knowledge of the dog’s history.
Her work at the sanctuary triggered a desire to become a professional dog trainer. She went through an intensive six-month training program at the Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers with her two Lab puppies, Taz and Rascal. The course included:
• Obedience training
• AKC Agility
• Tracking
• Schutzhund
• Narcotics detection
Despite the fact that the rest of Charlotte’s classmates were training their puppies for a month before Charlotte got hers, she was the third in her class to receive her professional dog trainer license.
In a similar vein, Charlotte helped her horse, Rebel, overcome his fears so effectively that they became a part of the Eureka Mounted Search & Rescue team. During her tenure with the group, she participated in a variety of search and rescue operations. She also led one of the more highly-acclaimed field training exercises in the group’s history.
Charlotte’s passion for dogs won out though and her energies today are devoted to creating “happier dogs and owners.”
