About WOOFS! Dog Training Center

WOOFS! Dog Training Center is a full-service training, boarding, and daycare facility with two locations in Arlington, VA. We have a large and well-educated staff that, for the past decade, have helped hundreds of dog owners raise and train happy, well-mannered dogs.

We are passionate about our work and our community:

• We proudly support the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria and many local schools.
• We partner with the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation by fostering pregnant dogs and whelping and raising the puppies until they are ready to be adopted.

Laura Sharkey, Owner, CPDT-KA
Laura Sharkey is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).

Laura has more than a decade’s experience helping dogs and dog owners. In that time, she has taught hundreds of public dog training classes and worked one-on-one with dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperament. Laura’s strong scientific background—she has a PhD in Molecular Biology from Georgetown—drives her approach to dog training. She uses only positive reinforcement training methods based on canine behavioral science, and she stays current on new research and techniques in the field through extensive reading and by attending workshops with experts like Dr Ian Dunbar, Roger Albrantes, Pat Miller, Kathy Sdao, Patricia McConnell, Myrna Milani, John Rogerson, and many others.

Laura lives in Arlington with her three dogs, a cat, a parrot, and an elaborate saltwater aquarium. With her dogs, she competes in Agility.