Sandy and Carlos Mejias opened the Olde Towne School for Dogs, Inc. in November of 1975. Prior to opening the school, they had trained with Capt. Arthur Haggerty, one of the most respected dog trainers in the country, now residing in L.A. Carlos had also worked with Matthew Margolis, the host of a popular P.B.S. dog training show and author of numerous books. Carlos assisted Mr. Margolis in the writing of the book, The Liberated Dog because of his extensive off-leash training background.
Carlos' and Sandy's knowledge goes far beyond the basic pet training and problem solving. They have each trained several dogs of several breeds through Utility, an upper-level obedience title. They have also each successfully put breed Championships on dogs of different breeds and helped owners do the same. Carlos, who graduated from the New York School of Dog Grooming in 1972, has extensive knowledge of coat management and grooming to the standard of each breed. Recently, Carlos and Sandy have been working with dogs to aid disabled people at school or in the work place. Their interest is genuine, as their 16 year old daughter is disabled and one of the first service dogs they trained was a golden retriever for her. Carlos and Sandy hope to do more of this type of training if time and circumstance will allow as it is very rewarding. Carlos has also been the creator and staunchest supporter of numerous fund raisers for the Alexandria Welfare league, among these are Photos with Santa; the Canine Games, and Olympic event for dogs; and the newest idea, the Doggie Bone Hunt.
The idea of a school that dogs could attend just as children would, with a school bus, lunch, recess, and P.T.A. meetings, was a humorous idea to many people in 1975. No one seems to be laughing anymore, as in the past 23 years the school has turned thousands of canines into wonderful companions for their owners. The popularity of the school is such that dogs and their owners often have to wait several weeks to begin the private lesson program and several months to begin the day school program.
