WHO ARE WE?
Meet Stefanie Strackbein,
LFDM-shelter and working dog division
Owner & creator, Dog advocate, canine behavior & enrichment specialist, Licensed Family Dog Mediator
Background with Dogs
Stefanie has worked with dogs her entire life, professionally since 2004. She is a Licensed Family Dog Mediator specializing in shelter dogs and working dogs, and actively participates in improving enrichment opportunities for dogs in this population.
She is the creator and owner of What Dogs Want, a center dedicated to promoting enrichment and fun learning of important skills for dogs and their people. Her passion is to help people understand the importance of meeting their dogs' needs, through play, fun educational opportunities, and providing an enriching environment that feeds dogs' souls.
Stefanie has appeared on several media outlets including the PawsGo PAWdcast, hosted webinars for Your Dog's Friend and worked closely with DogTV to discuss the power of, and importance of enrichment.
Early Life
Since then, she has worked in/with the behavior departments of the Arizona Animal Welfare League, The Humane Society, and Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. Stefanie has also worked in humane education, teaching dog-bite prevention classes to kids, and recently received a letter of recognition from the City of Phoenix, acknowledging her vocational skills class, teaching challenged students about dog care and training.
CERTIFICATIONS AND WHAT DOGS WANT HISTORY
Stefanie is constantly learning about dog behavior and the positive effects of enrichment. She has attended the Aggression in Dogs Seminar in 2020, 2022, and 2023 as well as the LEGS in Motion conference in December 2023. She completed a course of study in Play Way for Reactivity and Aggression Challenges and is also certified in Core Behavior Assessment for canines. Stefanie continues to work with several shelters and is a proud partner of #LOVEPUP, providing enrichment for dogs at their shelter and hosting shelter dogs at the Academy while they wait for adoption.
In 2007 Stefanie co-founded The Canine Connection, a rescue organization dedicated to saving dogs that were scheduled to be euthanized at county shelters. In 2008, she started What Dogs Want, to help people learn about and appreciate their dogs’ needs and wants in a fun and effective way. In 2010, she co-founded the program Edu-Care for Dogs, bringing mental and physical enrichment to dogs in a group setting then started the What Dogs Want Academy in 2017 as a bigger, bolder, smarter program to provide great, good things for dogs and their people.
Meet the TEam
Maren Bussey
CFDM, Director of Operations & Creative Director
Maren has been working with What Dogs Want since 2018, where she has grown from the Social Media Manager into the Creative Director and Director of Operations.
She grew up surrounded by dogs, whether it was her own, dogs in shelters, numerous fosters, and so on. Taking care of and helping dogs achieve their full potential has always been a big part of her life.
Maren earned her degree in Film Studies from ASU and initially planned to pursue a job in film production and editing. However, she was excited to merge her creative ambitions with her love of dogs. In addition to running classes, Maren strategizes What Dogs Want’s social media presence and has lead projects such as the yearbook—which she considers the best job ever.
She has dog sat for many What Dogs Want students in the past, and enjoys forming different relationships with the dogs then what comes out only at school. In both settings, she loves seeing the dogs’ confidence grow and their silly sides come out. In 2023, she became a Certified Family Dog Mediator and continues to merge these skills with her role at the Academy.
She currently has one pup of her own, Obie, who is a former #LOVEPUP, and a cat, Sydney. Both of them enjoy playing school games at home, especially the snuffle mat.
Alana Grubb
CFDM, Assistant Director
Alana has been working at What Dogs Want Academy since 2022, where she considers herself fortunate to wake up every day doing what she is passionate about: bettering the lives of dogs.
She has always loved and wanted to help animals, and as a child Alana wanted to be an animal rights activist and veterinarian. Although her career goals changed over time, she was a veterinary technician for about three years before joining What Dogs Want and has previously interned with the Arizona Animal Welfare League and Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. Having gained a background in animal medicine, she sought a way to contribute to animal welfare that wasn’t as heavy as the veterinary field can often be.
Alana’s activist dream was reignited once she started working for What Dogs Want Academy. She was especially inspired by dog professional Kim Brophy. After becoming a Certified Family Dog Mediator through Brophy’s course, Alana attended the annual LEGS in Motion Conference and has brought what she learned there back to the Academy and into the homes of families that are trying to understand their dogs. Now she is responsible for developing and implementing enrichment plans and offers private appointments to help families understand and meet the needs of their dogs. She has written course content for What Dogs Want online classes as well as for a nationwide shelter dog enrichment project. Alana is passionate about how What Dogs Want contributes to the welfare of dogs while teaching better communication between dogs and humans.
David Lueras
Certified Canine Fitness Instructor
David has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a major in Accounting and a minor in Business. He has 20 years of experience in the accounting profession with a comprehensive accounting and business background.
He began his work with dogs 13 years ago when he began volunteering and fostering for the canine rescue group “Marilyn’s Voice,” who focuses on puppy mill rescue. David has helped rehabilitate dogs who were neglected and abused or used for breeding by puppy mills. He found it rewarding to see how proper socialization and training can make even the most timid and troubled dogs capable of becoming loving pets who trust their owners.
This inspired his love of dogs, and he decided to leave the accounting profession to work with dogs full time. He has over 8 years of dog daycare and boarding experience, and is trained and certified through the American Red Cross in pet CPR. David has a thorough understanding of dog behavior and canine communication which helps him keep the dogs safe during off-leash play. He is a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT) through the University of Tennessee and is also a Fitpaws Certified Master Trainer from Ball Dynamics, and he offers canine fitness services.
“I know that a fit pet is a healthy pet and that including canine fitness into a well-crafted enrichment program like we have here at What Dogs Want Academy is very important! That’s why I enjoy working with our students and seeing them gain the confidence to work on the equipment. When I see them progress into more difficult exercises, I know I have done my job. It is very rewarding!”
David currently lives in Phoenix with his two chihuahuas Timmy and Bailey, along with his two cats Pixie and Cleo.