About Stephanie’s Sniffers

<h2>Nose work as behavior work</h2><p>Stephanie's Sniffers, at 1301 S Lewis Ave in Waukegan, describes itself as "using nose work, enrichment, care and compassion to improve the lives of our dogs". It specializes in dogs with behavioral challenges: reactivity, resource guarding, aggression toward humans or other dogs, fear, anxiety and separation challenges. The argument the site makes is that dogs with these challenges are usually missing something in daily life, whether enrichment, the ability to make their own decisions, or clear communication from their people, and that the job is to work out what each dog needs.</p><h3>Classes and private work</h3><p>The menu lists nose work classes and nose work titles, reactivity classes, puppy and manners classes, a manners and more class, private training, and behavior privates, plus an events calendar and a vaccine upload page. The site also encourages owners of puppies and adolescent dogs to build a prevention plan before problems appear.</p><h3>About Stephanie</h3><p>The about page says she is the former owner of Two Paws Up Dog Training, which she took from Lake Bluff to Lake Forest and then Waukegan and which closed permanently at the end of May 2026 – the change that led to Stephanie's Sniffers, LLC. She has been a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) through the NACSW since 2012, and is also a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC-KA) and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). The site credits her with close to 20 years of living with dogs with behavioral challenges and over 15 years of working with them professionally, says her nose work journey started in 2010, and notes a Master of Science in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University.</p>