Welcome to the 4-Legged Friends website!!

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4-Legged Friends Pet Services, LLC prides itself in providing top notch in-home pet care and dog training services since 2007.  It was established in 2007 when Katie Ervin, the owner of 4-Legged Friends Pet Services, LLC, moved to Hagerstown with her husband Bryan and their fur babies to offer area residents and their companions a necessary and unique alternative to boarding.  Since than it has expanded its dog training services to group classes held at their 4-Legged Friends dog training center.  

​The 4-Legged Friends Staff

Katie Ervin, CPDT-KA, PMCT

Katie opened 4-Legged Friends out of a lifelong passion and love for animals.  Shortly, after graduating from college with a BA in Psychology and BS in Business Katie learned that corporate america was not for her and began to explore opportunities that would allow her to follow her dream of working with animals.   
Since 2001 Katie volunteered her free time training and caring for shelter animals and has almost 20 years experience training dogs using positive reinforcement based approaches. In addition Katie has been teaching & coaching people to train their dogs since 2007 in the areas of good manners, rally obedience & tricks.  Katie believes that training should be fun for both the human and the dog.  Katie has been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer since 2009 and believes that continuing education is key.   
Katie is currently owned by 9 fur kids.  Her pups include Harley a hound mix, Brooklyn, a shepherd mix, and Chloe a cocker spaniel.  Harley enjoys competing in Rally Obedience and Canine Freestyle.  He has mastered WCRL Rally Obedience with earning himself an ARCHMX3 which is the highest title times 3 and was nationally recognized in 2009, 2011 & 2012.  He also enjoys sniffing out hides in K9 Nosework.  Brooklyn also competes in WCRL rally and earned her ARCH and was nationally recognized in 2009 & 2012.  She has also enjoyed having fun in agility but her true passion lies in exploring nature on hikes off leash.  Chloe loves learning as well and is continuing to learn that strangers and changes in her environment are not something to be afraid of.  The kitties, Sorry, Silly, Samson also enjoy learning through clicker training as well as the guinea pigs Teddy, Oreo & Mint.  
​Certifications & Accomplishments
Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed
Certified in Pet First Aid 
Pat Miller Certified Trainer 
Certified Pet Care Technician through the ABKA 
Honor Student at Peaceable Paws Intern Academies 
Successful Graduate of a comprehensive apprenticeship under the distinguished trainer and author Pat Miller

Professional Memberships & Affiliations
Association of Pet Dog Trainers 
Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
The Pet Professional Guild
Pet Sitters International
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
Mid Atlantic Association of Professional Positive Pet Trainers

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