Lisa Rapacki, a dog trainer with Churchland K9, will speak on building a bond with your dog at the next meeting of the Suffolk Humane Society on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Magnolia Ruritan Club building, 1029 Nansemond Parkway, near the corner of Nansemond Parkway and Portsmouth Boulevard.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

Rapacki began her career in dog training in 2005 after adopting two dogs, Dixie and Rex. Dixie was aggressive toward men and other dogs. She was “that” dog at the end of the leash, barking and lunging, Rapacki said. Rex had no self-esteem and was beaten up by Dixie.

Rapacki sought the help of a master trainer, Linnea Nicely-Dix. Nicely-Dix inspired Rapacki to begin her new career after she saw the amazing turnaround of her newly adopted dogs.

Soon Rapacki began an apprenticeship program with Nicely-Dix and earned her Master Trainer certification and behavior modification certification from Cavalier Canine in 2007.

During the Suffolk Humane meeting, she will share tips and techniques for building a better bond with canine companions.

“We encourage people to attend and bring their well-behaved dogs with their vaccination records,” said Michele Thames, executive director of Suffolk Humane. “This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and watch Ms. Rapacki conduct an informative demonstration.”

The Suffolk Humane Society is dedicated to promoting the welfare of companion animals in the community through sponsoring spay/neuter programs, placing homeless animals in loving permanent homes, and providing quality humane education with an emphasis on responsible pet ownership.

Visit www.SuffolkHumaneSociety.com each week to get the latest information about the group’s activities and to view the up-to-date photos of the adoptable animals at Suffolk Animal Control, 124 Forest Glen Drive.