Meet Sarah
Sarah Westcott, Owner & Head Trainer
Sarah Westcott is a professional dog trainer with nearly two decades of experience helping people and their dogs work better together. After moving to the Lehigh Valley in 2020, she has loved working with families throughout the Valley and Upper Bucks County, guiding them toward their own version of success—or as she calls it, their win.
From Brooklyn to the Valley
Before moving to Pennsylvania, Sarah built her career in New York City. She founded Doggie Academy in 2006, and it’s still one of NYC’s go-to training companies for everything from puppy manners to complex behavior work. In 2011, she opened the Brooklyn Dog Training Center—the borough’s first space devoted entirely to dog training. Both are thriving to this day, and Sarah still works with her NYC clients both online and in person while while continuing to grow For the Win Dog Training here in Pennsylvania
Sarah co-authored the award-winning book “Play Your Way to Good Manners,” which offers a unique approach to dog training that focuses on building a strong bond between dog and owner through play-based techniques. The book draws from techniques used in dog sports, games, and trick training, and applies them to a positive-reinforcement manners training program that you and your dog can easily follow and enjoy.
She has also worked as a Trainer for The Good Dog Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and certifying dogs for animal-assisted therapy as well as a Behavior Counselor at a multi-location Manhattan dog care facility. Working with rescue groups like the ASPCA, Sarah has fostered several behaviorally challenged dogs including an aggressive Maltese, a petrified Pit Bull and one puppy that was seized by Humane Law Enforcement after being left for dead in an abandoned house. She and her late dog, Charleston, volunteered as a therapy dog team for The Good Dog Foundation. Her dogs have also appeared in numerous TV shows, commercials and print ads.
In addition to pet training, Sarah trains in a variety of dog sports. Agility is her primary focus and competes nationally and internationally. For more information about Sarah’s agility accomplishments, click Here.
Playful Training with Purpose
Sarah co-authored the award-winning book "Play Your Way to Good Manners," which offers a unique approach to dog training that focuses on building a strong bond between dog and owner through play-based techniques. The book draws from techniques used in dog sports, games, and trick training, and applies them to a positive-reinforcement manners training program that you and your dog can easily follow and enjoy
Experience that Goes Beyond the Basics
Over the years, Sarah has worn a lot of hats in the dog-training world. I’ve worked as a Trainer for The Good Dog Foundation, helping to prepare therapy-dog teams, and as a Behavior Counselor for a multi-location Manhattan dog-care facility. I’ve also partnered with rescue groups like the ASPCA to foster and rehabilitate dogs with serious behavioral challenges—from a fearful Pit Bull to an aggressive Maltese to a puppy rescued by Humane Law Enforcement. My late dog, Charleston, was a certified therapy dog, and together we volunteered throughout New York City. (Fun fact: several of my dogs have appeared in TV shows, commercials, and print ads!)
Finding Joy in the Game
Beyond pet-dog training, Sarah is an accomplished agility competitor who has trained and competed at national and international levels. Her deep understanding of sport-dog communication informs her approach to all types of training, whether she’s helping a new puppy owner or coaching a seasoned agility team.
👉 Learn more about Sarah’s agility accomplishments here.
