Danielle Smith- Administrator

Danielle Smith is the Administrator for the Family Dog Mediation (FDM) Education Center, where she helps lead educational initiatives, supports the FDM professional community, and works to advance welfare-centered approaches to living and working with dogs. She is a Licensed Family Dog Mediator in both the Training and Sheltering Divisions (LFDM-T,S), a Certified Behavioral Diversity Welfare Analyst (FDM-BDWA), a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) with more than 20 years of experience in canine behavior, welfare, sheltering, and education.

As Administrator of the FDM Education Center, Danielle plays an integral role in developing educational programs, supporting students and licensed professionals, coordinating community initiatives, and helping expand access to science-based, welfare-focused canine education. She is passionate about empowering both professionals and families to better understand dogs through the lens of behavior, welfare, and individual diversity, fostering relationships built on communication, compassion, and respect.

Danielle's professional journey began in the animal shelter world, where she further developed her knowledge while working with Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. After relocating to the Atlanta area in 2018, she spent two years managing a local rescue organization before returning to her passion for helping dogs and their families through training and behavior consulting. She has also completed Michael Shikashio's Aggression in Dogs Master Course, further strengthening her ability to support dogs displaying complex aggressive behaviors.

In addition to her work with the FDM Education Center, Danielle continues to work directly with clients as a professional dog trainer with Peach On A Leash Dog Training & Behavior Services. Her areas of focus include helping families better understand their dogs as individuals, supporting dogs experiencing separation anxiety, and guiding clients through behavior challenges using evidence-informed, welfare-centered approaches. She believes that meaningful behavior change begins by improving welfare and meeting each dog's unique needs. Few things are more rewarding to her than watching people discover what their dogs are capable of when they are truly understood.

Danielle lives in the north Atlanta area with her husband and their three rescue dogs—Rover, a Dachshund mix, Cora, an English Mastiff, and Millie, a French Bulldog mix, who continue to remind her every day that every dog has their own story, needs, and strengths.