About

IRITH (“EE-REET") BLOOM CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, CDBC, CSAT, KPA CTP, VSPDT, CBATI, FFCP (Trainer), VSDTA Faculty, DWA Faculty, Co-founder of Porter Labs and the Freak’n Awesome Dog Project.

Irith Bloom, author, presenter, trainer, and teacher, owns The Sophisticated Dog, a pet training company that offers online training worldwide, as well as in-person training to select clients in Los Angeles.

Irith is also co-founder of Porter Labs, which provides technology for next-generation dog training and entertainment, and the Freak’n Awesome Dog Project, which helps people live the life of their dreams with their dogs.

Irith has been training animals since the 1980s and has worked with animals ranging from chickens and rabbits to dogs and horses—not to mention humans. A biologist by training, Irith is fascinated by the science of learning. She is a sought-after presenter at conferences and seminars worldwide, and her writing has been published in countless online outlets, as well as in print media including the recent book “Your Puppy and You: A step-by-step guide to raising a freak'n awesome dog.”

Irith is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA), a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine - Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA), a Canine Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), a Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainer (VSPDT), a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), a Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor (CBATI), and a Fear Free Certified Practitioner (FFCP). She is also certified in TAGteach, a positive-reinforcement method for teaching humans, and is on the faculty of both Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior and DogBiz’s Dog Walking Academy.

Irith has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Member of the Board of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) and on the Advisory Board for Daily Paws, as well as Chair Emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She also volunteers for National English Shepherd Rescue.