About Synapse Canine Learning Center

Synapse Canine Learning Center works from Eagle Mills Road in Hamptonville, at the far western edge of the metro, and is led by Stasia Dempster, CDBC. It runs two quite different programs from the same place.

The pet dog side

Published pet programs are obedience programs, behavior modification, puppy training, group classes and specialized training. The center's stated position is empowering owners through education, and the site offers an interactive program selector rather than a fixed package list. Places in group classes are capped and reserved on booking.

The working dog side

This is the unusual part of the business. Detection dog training is broken out into human remains detection, wildlife conservation, bed bugs and termites, and explosives. Search and rescue dog training has its own SAR club. The center also sells fully trained detection K9s, runs handler schools, and operates a K9 partner pairing program.

Method

The stated approach is explicitly multi-disciplinary: applied psychological principles and learning theory combined with neuroscience, ethology, anthrozoology and biology. The site argues that research into domestic dogs has moved fast in recent decades and that the practical job is to apply those findings.

Reach and resources

In-person programs cover central North Carolina – the site names Statesville, Winston-Salem, Elkin, Mooresville and Troutman – while virtual programs are offered to owners and handlers globally. A YouTube series, "Let's Go For A Walk!", articles and videos sit alongside the paid work.

Credential note

CDBC is issued by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, which publishes no North Carolina registry we can check against, so it is recorded as a claim.