Meet the Faculty of “I Said Sit!”

Elisha Stynchula
CPDT-KA, CNWI, CTDI, FDM, AKC CGC Evaluator

Certified Trainer, Owner

Elisha met “I Said Sit!” founder, Jonathan Klein, in 2006. Elisha joined “I Said Sit!” as General Manager and partner bringing her knowledge in dog day care facility management and years of dog training experience. Upon Jonathan’s passing, Elisha took over ownership of “I Said Sit!” in 2017.

Her business sense was founded with a Bachelor of Business Administration and she furthers her dog training and behavior education by attending various seminars in dog sports, training and behavior. Elisha is also actively involved with her own dogs in dog sports, particularly in Nose Work and handling in conformation dog shows. Experts consult Elisha for media articles and training dogs for advertisements and music videos.

She shares her home with her husband, her daughter, and their three dogs Ludo, Westley and Misa.

Schedule a Discovery Call to learn more about how our training programs can help you.

 

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Lexi Brabant
CPDT-KA, CBATI-KA

Head Trainer, Certified Trainer

Lexi is a CPDT-KA and CBATI-KA and has been working with dogs of all kinds since 2018 when she started working at I Said Sit as a kennel attendant, where she realized what her dream career was - training dogs & their people. She believes that dog training is about understanding the instincts of dogs, how to read their body language, and how they learn.

Committed to providing the most convenient, effective solutions to her clients' dog training needs, she avidly pursues continuing education and professional development by attending several seminars per year and keeping up-to-date on industry literature. She believes that each dog is an individual and, just like people, they have different learning styles that require a unique approach. When not helping clients to enjoy easier lives with their canine companions, Lexi spends time going camping and training her cat Phoebe new tricks.

Sean Miller
KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, FDM

Certified Trainer, Certified Behavior Consultant

From a young age, Sean has lived with and cared for many species of animals, and has been interested in their behavior.  His spark for animal behavior ignited when he adopted and started training his first dog, Finn. Soon after discovering his passion for dog training, he began working at a dog daycare and volunteering with the local animal control office in order to gain real-world experience working with dogs, while reading every book on the subject he could get his hands on.

After some time,  he went back to school, at the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. While there, he gained technical knowledge, and hands-on skill teaching pet owners and training pet dogs, which he continues to hone and improve at “I Said Sit”, and through his commitment to continuing education. Sean currently lives in West LA with his fiance, Raquel, his two dogs, Finn and Potato, and his cat, Toothless.

Chynna Arias
CPDT-KA, AKC CGC Evaluator

Certified Trainer

Chynna has been training dogs and an AKC evaluator since 2018. She quickly noticed the benefits of training your dog. A confident trained dog makes your day easier and better. When dogs go through training it's as if they learn a new language they can use to speak with us. This communication tends to make life easier and happier for all involved.

Animals play a big part in Chynna's life. She believes that every pet deserves to live their lives to the fullest, especially dogs! Every dog is different so training them is constantly making small adjustments and celebrating individual victories. Over the years she has developed the passion and the patience required to bring out the best in our canine companions, while also ensuring the experience is positive and enjoyable for them.

Chynna's goal as a trainer is to make sure all dogs live happy, fulfilling lives and to make sure all owners know how to make that happen. Training science is constantly evolving so she eagerly keeps up on her own studies. Her current pets are two chihuahua mixes named Gertrude and Ethel, two turtles, three guinea pigs, 7 frogs and 12 parakeets who all coexist in the same room.

De'Jane Walker

Trainer

De’Jane’, called DJ for short, was born and raised into a hardworking family who migrated from Belize to LA .  DJ started training dogs in 2020 and is passionate about helping dogs and their owners build strong, trusting relationships. She utilizes positive reinforcement and specializes in obedience training, agility, and behavioral adjustment training. Her approach focuses on understanding each dogs unique personality and needs to ensure that the training is both effective and enjoyable. Fostering a positive environment where learning is fun for both dogs and their handler is key to her training process.

She has come to recognize the urgent need for comprehensive support for all animals in our communities. Her long term goal is to establish a sanctuary that provides shelter, rehabilitation, and education for all animals in need.

When not training dogs, you can find her swimming or hiking with her fur friend Pepsi, a 12 year old Yorkshire Terrier. He enjoys boiled chicken and swimming.

Marlen Manriquez

Trainer

Marlen has always admired animals, especially dogs. She grew up in a household that had many different dogs throughout the years. It wasn’t until Max, a Pitbull Terrier mix, that she learned she had a natural affinity for dog training. Without the help of any resources or knowledge of dog training, she taught him how to do basic obedience skills like sitting and waiting for his food bowl. Due to only being 11 years old, she was never able to take such a big, strong dog on walks. It is something that has always stuck with her to this day. Not being able to let him experience the world turned into a desire to help owners enjoy their dogs in all aspects of life.

When it comes to training, Marlen finds it important for dogs to be able to thrive and experience life. She knows from personal experience what an amazing feeling it is to be complimented on how well-behaved your dog is, as well as being able to see them achieve things that you started to lose hope in. At the end of the day, she wants owners to feel proud of their dogs. She sees training as a wonderful tool to create a good relationship with your dog. Marlen is invested in being able to be a fountain of information and tools to owners, so for that reason she is currently working towards getting her CPDT-KA in spring 2025. She is also attending school to be a certified animal nutritionist as well as looking forward to becoming a CGC evaluator and continuing her education with seminars and workshops.

Danielle Winslow
Bachelor of Animal Science, CPDT-KA

Trainer

Contact

"I Said Sit!" School for Dogs
3368 S. Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-9037

(310) 558-9039 Fax

Hours

Sat. & Sun.: 9:00am - 2:00pm