About us

Hi. This is Joan Lisi-McCoy, the K9 Interpreter. This little home-based business is my leap off the cliff!

​

Once, years ago, while going through a rough patch, I noticed that the time I was the happiest in my work was while I was working at a Humane Society as the Emergency Agent. Anyone who has worked in animal welfare knows what heartbreaking work it can be. Nevertheless, I truly was happiest doing that work. I knew I was making a contribution! As the K9 Interpreter I do the work I really enjoy!

​

I'm a Minnesota girl. My sisters and brother and I grew up in Rochester MN. Mom is from the Iron Range and Dad grew up in Chicago. Our first dog, Clancy, was a black and tan standard Dachshund. He was rather rotund. So it's remarkable that he could sit on his back legs for long minutes; begging for whatever it was you were eating. He wasn't insistent though. If you ignored him he went away.

​

That was my first lesson in Dogspeak. Ignore a dog; he'll go away. Play with him; he's your best friend!

​

We always had a dog in the family so you could say I grew up training dogs. You could say that, but I didn't really learn how to train until I met Wendy VanKerkhove of Fresh Air Training in Minneapolis. At that time Wendy was the Area Pet Trainer for Pet Smart and I was applying for the job of Pet Training Instructor. I became the Senior Pet Training Instructor at Pet Smart for five and a half years. When I left Pet Smart, Wendy invited me to join her team at Fresh Air Training.

​

I continue to work with Wendy and Fresh Air Training and I'm actively building the services I offer to the human parents of the dogs in my training classes.

​

Thank you for visiting our website! It's a work in progress, so check back and see what's new!

 

We are fluent in English, Dog and American Sign Language