This full-time mom/full-time dog trainer has a strong passion for what she does. She is grateful that her purpose in this life was found. She lives everyday motivating people to interrupt the miscommunication between them and their dogs. Anastasia didn't always think she'd be a dog trainer, she actually set out to be an actress when she "grew up". That path was interrupted while she was filming a Purina Dog Chow commercial. She became so distracted by the four yellow labs and the dogs' trainer that this spark ignited the light that would guide her the rest of the way.
At age 18 in 2003 she met Russ Avison, founder and owner of Canine Logic who trained and mentored Anastasia in ethology, learning theory and canine behavior. Her eyes were opened to the world of positive reinforcement which was in direct contrast to the training she grew up using with her dogs and horses. Looking back, it was so sad what the lack of knowledge in understanding animal behavior did to her relationships with her animals. Preventing these kinds of mistakes for others is what motivates her today.
In 2006 she met Jeffery Brian Leibowitz and is still working closely with him and Karma more than 10 years later. She believes so strongly in reward-based, positive reinforcement techniques and is so grateful to be able to practice and teach these techniques daily. Anastasia is a huge advocate of clicker training and was thrilled to be able to study with renowned animal behaviorist Karen Pryor (the woman responsible for bringing the clicker into the dog world) in 2007.
Before having children, Anastasia was responsible for hiring, training and accrediting fellow trainers.
In 2011 Anastasia rescued pitbull/boxer "Brazil" from the shelter. "Brazil" suffered from severe aggression towards people and dogs and Anastasia was forced to expand her tool belt vastly. (Reluctantly and resentfully at first because she thought she deserved the most well behaved dog ever) Now in hindsight she is forever grateful to "Brazil" because Anastasia specializes in aggression cases thanks to "Brazil's" recovery. Anastasia was able to train "Brazil" to pass TDI's preliminary therapy dog test, a feat she did not see possible given the way "Brazil" started out.
Currently, Anastasia leads monthly conference calls for all Karma trainers to participate in. She is the director of Service Dog Training in Los Angeles where she trains and administers Public Access tests as well as AKCs CGC test. Whether it's severe behavioral private training sessions or individualized service dog task training, Anastasia loves the relationships she gains with the dogs but says her first commitment is to her fellow human.
Kathlyn's innocent kid-like charm is pure and comes from her heart, allowing her intuitive communication with dogs. When Kathlyn meets a dog her intuitive skills give her an understanding about each individual dog without being told anything about them. Kathlyn's first adventures with dogs happened at the young age of 7 years old. Kathlyn lived on sixty acres of land in the backcountry of northern California. She had horses, chickens, turtles as well as four black labs that her family had rescued. With each passing year Kathlyn gained experience from her daily observations watching these dogs roam as a semi-wild pack of dogs, collar free and never on a leash. These experiences planted a seed inside her that blossomed with passion to understand dogs’ behavior in depth and how they are evolving with us. Kathlyn's family always adopted rescue dogs with some sort of behavioral issues and Kathlyn's desire for knowledge expanded with every growing year.
In college, Katherine studied Marine Biology. As she soul searched to figure out if that was the path for her, she decided to become a trainer at Sea World in San Diego for the show "Pets Rule"; a show that rescued animals and then trained them to do behaviors on stage. As a trainer at Sea World Kathlyn enjoyed clicker teaching cats, dogs, pigs, ducks, exotic macaws and pigeon's to run behaviors without a trainer on stage. Kathlyn ventured on to help local humane societies rehabilitate dogs, as well as run local workshops to help educate the dog parents in the community. Kathlyn was asked to be trainer for the only dog water rescue team in the country, training dogs to save lives out in the ocean. Kathlyn has trained over a dozen service dogs that are now saving lives every day. Kathlyn has enjoyed teaching behavior modification (helping dogs heal from past experiences), Basic obedience, Search and Rescue, Scent, Diabetic assist, Seizure assist, and dogs to assist for PTSD.
Kathlyn's on going passion to help people and their dog's has become even more recognized in Colorado where she now resides. The local news has interviewed her a handful of times about service dog regulations, as well as service dogs in public schools. Some of these stories have even been broadcast outside of Colorado in Boston and California. Kathlyn current involvements are community Q/A workshops, Goodwill workshops, and blogging. In 2016 Kathlyn started working with a well known bike manufacturing company in effort to bring productivity up in the work place. To this end, the program Kathlyn introduced is a "Bring your Dog to Work Program". It has been researched and proven that productivity goes up when employees are allowed to bring their dogs to work- they are happier, and so is the dog.
Kathlyn loves working with Karma Dog Training where she says she feels at home with family. Kathlyn comes from a place of knowing that dogs are pure beings and so very vulnerable in a world lead by humans. Kathlyn always comes from the heart which emanates her passion to help dogs and their owners live more in-tune with one another so day to day life just flows.
Kathlyn specializes in Positive Training, Service Dog training, Basic Obedience, Agility, Interrelationship Therapy, Behavior Modification/Rehabilitation, Deaf dog training, local workshops and classes.
Maida Barbour's dog training philosophy focuses on the relationship between humans and dogs, and prioritizes methods that enhance this bond. She believes that the best training tools increase communication and trust between the two species.
Maida's passion is for training service dogs and therapy dogs. She lives with a service dog that she trained for her partner, and was an apprentice trainer for Texas Hearing and Service Dogs (now Service Dogs, Inc.) from 2012-2013, where she learned to train a variety of mobility and hearing assistance behaviors. During this time, Maida also assisted with training Pit Crew, an all pit-bull therapy dog program run by Love-A-Bull, and was the site contact for a local hospice where the dogs visit monthly.
As well as training service and therapy dogs, Maida also loves working with pet dogs. She provides in-home dog training for behavioral issues, has taught basic and advanced obedience classes, and created behavior workshops to address leash-walking skills, dog-to-dog reactivity, and anxieties and phobias for a number of Austin dog rescue organizations.
Maida received a B.A. With honors in Psychology from Wesleyan University, and an M.F.A. with a concentration in Advanced Communication Technologies from the University of Texas at Austin. She has a CPDT-KA in dog training from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, is certified to perform Canine Good Citizen tests, and has taken seminars with Ian Dunbar, Sue Sternbeg, and Patricia McConnell. She is also certified in Animal First Aid and CPR, and as a teenager, she worked in a veterinary clinic that treated both domestic and farm animals with traditional and alternative medicines.
She lives in Austin with her partner, Seven, their two dogs, and a cat named Butterbean.
Traci Murdock, CPDT-KA, is a Master Trainer, Canine Behavior Specialist, and Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and she is a Talent Scout and Wrangler and Barn Hunt Judge. She has trained dogs and their humans for since 2000. Traci's expertise includes pet dog issues, nutrition, behavior issues, dog sports and activities, and rescue and adoption, and she has experience in just about any dog-related subject. Traci volunteers as a behavior consultant and trainer for rescues and shelters.
Traci’s competition in dog sports and experience in print and film media has allowed her to broaden the set of skills and tools that she uses to train dogs and their humans. Lessons learned while training for Flyball, Agility, Rally, Obedience, Conformation, Herding, Freestyle, Frisbee, Barn Hunt, and Therapy work translate into enhanced methods of teaching pets to be better companions and family members AND allow us to have fun with them. She is a member of the 4 Dog Flight flyball club and her dogs hold titles in several sports, including flyball and agility, and work in the community as therapy dogs and in community and pet education.
Traci created the Hollywood Dog™ class to teach owners the skills necessary to break into show business and Reactive Dog™ classes to help people learn to manage their dogs’ out of control behaviors and teach the dog the skills needed to have more normal interactions with the world around them. She prides herself on creating rewarding relationships between dogs and owners by equipping them with the knowledge to lead a happy and healthy life together.
"I take pride in providing my clients with personalized attention and professional instruction that is based on the most up-to-date science about dog training and behavior. My goal is to help you better understand and teach your dog so he or she can be a valued, lifelong companion.
My training methods are non-force-based, progressive, and very dog friendly. You'll love the simplicity, your dog will love the attention, and you'll both love the results. No more struggling to get your dog's attention and cooperation. You'll be delighted with your dog's progress and will look forward to each lesson."
Reed Villarreal was born and raised in San Francisco. An avid animal lover Reed was known to bring home random strays and try to make them her own. As renters, Reed's parents were not allowed to have dogs but not to be dissuaded Reed memorized the book "The Encyclopedia of the Dog" back to back, soaking up all of the information she could on different dog breeds. Reed often pet sat, walked the local neighborhood dogs, and had various other small animals as pets. As a child Reed volunteered with various dog rescue organizations and at the Randall Museum in the animal room working with wildlife.
Reed's interest in animal and human behavior led her to earn her Bachelors in Psychology from San Francisco State University, where she graduated with honors. Reed began assisting with puppy socialization playgroups at SF Puppy Prep. From there Reed began working more deeply with two dog rescue groups, eventually joining the founding board of Northern California Family Dog Rescue where she helped to establish behavior protocols, organize classes specifically for shelter dogs, and preformed behavior evaluations to see if shelter dogs were a good fit for Family Dog's program. Reed fostered and trained countless dogs in her own home, ranging from day old chihuahua puppies to 100 pound American bulldogs, and loved the challenge that each individual dog presented.
Wanting to expand her knowledge of canine behavior Reed attended Marin Humane Society's Canine Behavior Academy 1 and 2 under the tutelage of Trish King. Shortly after she was invited to participate in the newly formed SF SPCA Behavior and Training Dog Internship Program where she was lucky to be tutored by Kim Moeller, one of the current leading experts in dog reactivity.
During that time Reed began assisting with classes ranging from basic puppy classes to more advanced classes like tricks and Reactive Rover. She also became widely known in San Francisco as someone who is an expert in deaf dogs and began providing private lessons for all dogs covering various issues. Reed has worked with an extensive variety of behavioral concerns ranging from basic obedience to dog/dog or human aggression.
Reed's personal dogs are a deaf and vision impaired Australian Shepherd named Argus and a Cattle Dog/Border Collie mix named Lakshmi. Both dogs have attended countless classes and compete in various dog sports. Argus has earned his Canine Good Citizen as well as an APDT Rally Obedience level 1 title with an Award of Excellence. Lakshmi also has her Canine Good Citizen and holds various agility titles.
Reed still has a passion for deaf dogs but her other interests include shy or fearful dogs, helping owners to understand their high energy working breeds, puppy socialization, reactivity, separation anxiety, human and dog aggression, reactivity prevention, and she loves to teach fun creative tricks. Reed is a CPDT-KA certified trainer.
Francine grew up with an assortment of pets from parakeets to hamsters, to rabbits, to dogs (and even a duck named George that she raised from a duckling and walked on a leash!) After working in advertising and marketing for more than 30 years, she decided it was time to do something that she was passionate about and that meant working with animals. Francine really wanted to make a difference by doing something that would help animals remain in their loving homes, instead of relinquished or worse. Since most relinquishment of dogs and cats is caused by behavior problems, she decided that would be the best field to pursue.
Francine quit her full-time job and first earned her diploma in Canine Behavior Counseling from the American College of Applied Science (ACAS) in 2007 and then decided to further her education and pursue a Master of Science degree in Applied Animal Behavior Science and Family Counseling for Companion Animals. She completed all coursework and requirements except her thesis. Studies included canine and feline behavior, ethology, animal behavior, animal learning, conditioning, animal psychology and veterinary psychopharmacology. Additionally, Francine studied ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) toward a certification as an aBCBA (Associate Board Certified Behavior Analyst) with the Florida Institute of Technology, which led her to part-time work for several years as a Behavior Therapist for autistic children.
Ms. Miller has been working with companion animals since 2005. She started with five years of clinical experience in the private practice of Dr. Patrick Melese, DVM, DACVB (a board-certified veterinary behaviorist) treating dogs and cats with behavior problems. She has since consulted on hundreds of cases for every type of aggression, separation anxiety, barking, phobias, fear reactions, destructiveness, inappropriate elimination, escape, urine marking, scratching, housesoiling, compulsive disorders and others in dogs and cats. Francine teaches clients various humane and force-free approaches to dealing with these problems that include behavior modification techniques based on learning theory, suggested environmental changes, as well as some obedience training techniques – all part of a behavioral treatment plan.
Francine is a Certified Associate Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Certified Animal Behavior Consultants with this association are required to demonstrate competency in five core areas including assessment and intervention strategies, counseling skills, behavioral science, knowledge of animal behavior, and species-specific knowledge.
Certified by the Council for Professional Dog Trainers, an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and a member of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Alyssa Lapinel is also a graduate of Triple Crown Dog Training Academy's intensive four month program for professional dog trainers. At Triple Crown, Alyssa studied under two internationally renowned trainers and learned the full spectrum of obedience training methodologies, behavioral issues, and canine sport work: agility, search and rescue, scent detection, tracking and protection.
Alyssa entered the world of professional dog training with a degree in Psychology. She spent four years studying the science of learning, behavior and motivation and built upon this foundation as a counselor and case manager for children and adults that suffer from psychiatric and emotional disorders. For this reason, she is most passionate about working to rehabilitate dogs that exhibit fear, anxiety and/or aggression.
She utilizes a specialized form of behavioral rehabilitation that focuses on integrating canine and human health by improving communication and environmental factors. Alyssa believes that the dog-human relationship is one that has great potential to mutually promote emotional and behavioral well-being.
Alyssa resides with her two dogs; Kodi and Fritz.
Heidi Kerr is a certified Canine Behavior and Training Specialist, CCPDT-KA, and holds a certification from Animal Behavior College.
Heidi began working with dogs at the young age of 15. She continued her passion with several years of training -- all stemming from a gift she has from connecting with animals which showcases an almost immediate response from them.
Her unique approach has been developed through years of research and hands-on experience working with a variety of dogs varying in breed, gender and age.
Heidi will teach you what you need to know to ensure your animal's training is properly maintained. Throughout the process she works with you so you have a chance to apply what your pet is learning and are 100% comfortable in affirming his/her training.
Proudly, Heidi has been a valued volunteer at the Agoura animal shelter since 2004 where she is currently a critical member of the Evaluation and Canine Coaching Teams.
Tasha Miner moved to California in August of 2010 from Michigan, where she had been a volunteer trainer for a greyhound rescue, offering advice to recent adopters helping greyhounds adjust to life in their new homes. Tasha has always been passionate about rescue, and when she adopted Dolce, an Italian greyhound and border collie mix, she began the path to force-free training from a balanced approach. His sweet and intelligent, but shy, traumatized soul taught her to think from the dog’s point of view, and has never looked back to using any forms of aversive again.
Tasha hold Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Eastern Michigan University in Music Performance, also focusing on Education in her undergraduate years. When she moved out to California, she needed some supplemental income, so started dog walking. It wasn’t long that her passion for dog training emerged as a much more appropriate use of her education skills and desires. She’d been training her own dogs since she was 10-years-old, why not make it a profession? She taught herself positive-reinforcement and marker training, with some support from Pamela Johnson of Pam’s Dog Academy and Emily Larlham of Dogmatics Dog Training, also known as KikoPup on YouTube. She became a Certified Trick Dog Instructor in 2013, and enjoys working with puppies and dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds, and temperaments. She founded Irvine Dog Owner’s Group for Socialization (IDOGS) on MeetUp.com, where she hosts weekly walks for either socialized or reactive, fearful, and aggressive dogs. She’s worked with many of the nearly 500 members (at the time of this writing, it continues to grow!), and has experience with a wide variety of breeds, issues, and owners.
Tasha has trained professionally for Wags & Wiggles of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA as a Staff Trainer. She got to experience the daycare environment and work with Board & Train clients’ dogs, as well as help teach group classes for puppies, obedience, and sports like agility and tricks. The most rewarding part of her experience there was working with the foster dogs Wags would rescue on death row from local shelters or desperate-owner surrenders. She also used her tech savviness to redo their entire website and bring it to the 21st century.
Tasha’s ability to see a dog’s true goals with their behavior has been praised by clients and fellow trainers alike. She has a special knack for shy, fearful dogs, and has a great ability to remain fearless with aggressive dogs. Tasha is then uniquely able to use her education background to pass her deductions on to the owners, so they may better carry on the homework and achieve whatever their goals may be. She herself has struggled with PTSD, and has trained her own dog, a greyhound named Maya, to be her service dog since the passing of her first service dog -- whom she also trained largely herself, another greyhound named JoJo. Tasha has had a few clients she has volunteered to help train their prospective service dogs if they are low-income and cannot afford training otherwise. She is passionate about dog training, and equally passionate about sharing her love of these creatures with the human end of the leash.
Carrie Rebekha Morse is a Certified Dog Trainer/Behaviorist, Certified Evaluator for Therapy Dogs International, Certified Evaluator-Instructor for American Kennel Club and a Member of American Behavioral Society. She is also a Member of the American Counseling Association and holds a Masters of Counseling in Pet Therapy. Carries is also an Evaluator for Service Dogs International and as well as an Evaluator for Child Family Services - Potential Pet Abuse Cases.
Carrie has been training dogs, cats and birds for over 20 years and believes in and uses all positive, force free training techniques, which consist of lure and reward, clicker assisted training and clicker training. She teaches Therapy Dog classes, obedience and basic training for puppies and adults. She also counsels clients on various dog behavioral issues.
When Carol's not busy training dogs, she also spends her time working with cats and parrots!
Donna Wasielewski has been training dogs since she was 15 years old, when she entered her first dog into a 4-H obedience competition. That experience sparked a passion for dog training that has continued to grow for the 20 years since. Donna pursued Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice Studies and Applied Psychology Behavior Analysis and also has a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Studies. During her time in college, Donna completed an internship at the local shelter where she developed and implemented a volunteer dog training program to increase adoptability.
Though her original goal was to become a police K9 officer, Donna ended up finding her passion in a different arena; working with at-risk youth and shelter dogs. In 2008, she founded Kids-N-K9s, a 6 week dog training therapy program for at-risk teens and shelter dogs at the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. As the program director and lead trainer, Donna instructs the youth on how to train the dogs manners, skills, and tricks to improve their adoptability. To date, over 100 homeless dogs that were considered not very adoptable have completed the program and found homes (a 100% adoption rate!). Through this program, Donna has learned a lot about how to improve the human/animal relationship in addition to skills working with a variety of breeds, energy levels, and motivation issues. She has learned to be creative and resourceful in her methods as dogs living in a shelter can be a challenge to motivate and train. She has presented at four large professional conferences, as well as a University of Texas Social Work class about the program, and has been instrumental in helping several other similar programs around the state get their start as well.
In 1999, Donna started training and competing in dog agility with her Pomeranian, Mindy. Though her career was short, Mindy, with some patience and perseverance, became a very successful agility dog with a box full of blue ribbons. Since then, Donna and her Border Collie, Siryn, have had a very successful career competing all over the country including being a 3 time National Finalist, 2 time Regional Champion, and Top 10 in the nation two years in a row. They have earned 7 Championships and also the highest career award possible, the Platinum Lifetime Achievement Award. Recently, Donna found a new, really fun training challenge and hobby--nosework--where the dog is trained to find odors for sport (like birch and clove) like police dogs are trained to find drugs and bombs. With just 6 weeks of training, Donna and Siryn scored 2nd highest in the trial at their first show. At her second trial, Donna and Siryn became the first team in the nation to earn the Level 2 title with two first place ribbons. She has been an instructor for agility and currently teaches nosework.
In addition to competitions, Donna loves to teach dogs manners and skills where they can be better incorporated into life activities. She enjoys taking her dogs hiking at many off leash parks, eating at patio restaurants while her dogs lay by her feet, and can be found kayaking on Town Lake with her dogs during the summer. She uses positive methods to teach because she believes the goal is to retain the dogs' spirit and personality while just teaching them the appropriate ways to interact, behave, and ask for what they want. Donna also enjoys working with people and seeing the excitement they have when they accomplish something positive with their dogs.
Donna currently lives in Austin with her two dogs, a spunky 13 year old Pomeranian named Puppy and her 10 year old competition partner, her Border Collie, Siryn.
Briana Stringer was born and raised in the wonderful city of Austin, Texas.
She has always had a love for animals and a fascination with animal behavior. Growing up, she managed to bring an array of them home with her to "study". Her childhood pets included dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, a red-tail boa, a king snake, ferrets, a cockatoo, an African gray parrot, macaw parrots, horses, chickens and even a water dragon!
Working at the Town Lake Animal Shelter in Austin, Texas, motivated her to become a dog trainer. It became apparent that dogs were being brought to the shelter by their owners because of bad behaviors, which could have been easily corrected with proper dog training. She also had the opportunity to work with a variety of breeds by providing foster care for some of these abandoned dogs.
After working at the shelter, she trained at an Austin area boarding/training/agility facility where she learned the fundamentals of dog training. She then began providing all levels of dog training at a national pet superstore, where she had the opportunity to work with even more wonderful dogs and their owners. After a year of teaching group dog classes there, Briana wanted to provide a wider range of services and activities, including agility classes. In 2003, she started Sublime Canines to better serve her canine friends and their humans.
Today Briana uses modern, proven, positive reinforcement training methods grounded in learning theory in all her dog training classes. She is a strong believer in marker training and in building a relationship with your dog by learning what truly motivates him in life - praise, toys, food, a ride in your truck "Together we'll create a thinking dog, a dog that makes good decisions on his own without you having to micromanage his every move", she says. Briana finds the dog training method that works best with your dog's personality and learning style and teaches you how to easily implement it into your daily routine.
As dog trainer, her goal is to create a respectful and loving relationship between you and your canine companion. She states, "Having a well-behaved dog enables you to include your canine companion in your daily activities and in turn gives your dog the opportunity to become more socialized to the world around them. Socializing your dog reduces the risk of unwanted behavior, including aggression."
Briana’s passions in dog training are working with the anxious, rowdy, reactive or "aggressive" dogs. She loves the challenges and the variety of skills it takes to find what works best with each dog/owner team. "Teaching them how to go through life as a cooperative adventure instead of a test of wills is much more fulfilling for both the dog and owner, and I love seeing it when it all just clicks. It really makes life with a dog much more enjoyable. I know that first hand, by my own experiences, and I want all of my clients to experience it as well", Briana says.
In order to better serve her clients, she has traveled to numerous dog training seminars and workshops to continue her education, including Ted Turner, Ian Dunbar, Terry Ryan, Pat Miller, Jean Donaldson, Gail Fisher, Kathy Sdao, and Trish King, just to name a few. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), the largest organization of positive dog trainers in the world, and a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Briana was voted "Most Awesome-ist Dog Trainer" in 2012 by the Austin Pet’s Directory.
"I truly love what I do! I am deeply committed to improving dogs' abilities and their relationship with their owners through proven positive methods".
Briana shares her home in Austin, Texas with her ten-year old Border Collie, Seal AX AXJ AAD, her former agility dog and now mountain bike riding partner, and her one-year old Border Collie, Camber. Briana’s favorite hobbies include wake-surfing, kayaking, mountain biking and camping and you can rest assured that her Border Collies accompany her every activity. In her free time she also volunteers as a dog trainer with the Williamson Country Kids-N-K9s program, helping at-risk youth improve their lives by training shelter dogs for adoption.
Ashley is an Arizona native and has lived in Austin for just over three years. Her passions include working with food at local Austin restaurants, dancing whenever possible, and becoming in-tune with the delicate relationships life has to offer; the most exciting being the spiritual connection between humans and dogs that Ashley experiences.
With a major in Anthropology (the study of humans and their biological/cultural essences) and a minor in Communication from the University of Arizona Honors College, Ashley very much understands how humans interact and transfer messages. She also strives to bring light to the fact that dog training is just as much teaching humans to convey distinct body languages as it is training the dogs themselves. By combining her educational background and her deep rooted love for dogs, Ashley works to inspire both dogs and their owners to achieve an expressive and affectionate relationship.
Ashley has been with Karma Dog Training for a year now. As a lead trainer in the company she offers expertise in puppy kindergarten, basic obedience requests/communication, and has recently delved into behavior modification. Ashley firmly believes in training through positive reinforcement only, and through a constant process of studying, hands-on experiences, and exploring in depth human-canine relations, she continues to strengthen her understanding of dog and human communications.
Ashley thanks you and values the opportunity to spend time with your dog; every pet has wisdom and love to offer, expanding the minds and hearts of everyone who interacts with them.
Caitlin Lane began training in 2005 for a pet rescue organization in Arizona while completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona. Over the next few years she trained for a number of different doggie daycare and boarding facilities until ultimately deciding to establish her own dog training company.
Caitlin became a CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed) and a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers in 2007.
In 2008, Caitlin became an AKC "Canine Good Citizen Evaluator" and also started working as a Mentor-Trainer for student trainers studying with Animal Behavior College, which she continues to do today. In the Fall of 2010, Caitlin was invited to film and present a training video for Dog Star TV, a web-based series featuring select trainers called "America's Dog Trainer."
Caitlin's training philosophy is based on developing both human and canine communication skills, through the use of "brain-based, not pain-based" training techniques. In other words, Caitlin aims her focus on every dog's natural intelligence and unique skills to succeed, without using against them their desire to avoid fear, pain and punishment.
Caitlin believes that every person's relationship with their dog can thrive when they help their dog understand (through training) the necessary ingredients for a canine to live a long, happy life in a human's world. Caitlin refers to these ingredients as "Canine Life Skills," which are similar to Karma Dog's "7 Requests for Success."
Possessing strong qualities of a "people person" and "animal person," Caitlin has found that dog training ultimately becomes successful when every lesson is not only easy to learn, but extremely enjoyable for two and four-legged students alike!
Caitlin offers in-home boarding and training and sees clients privately throughout the week. She also not only trains companion dogs, but also works with a variety of therapy dogs and service animals.
Mel is happy to be a part of the Karma Dog Training team. She has two training philosophies: always make training fun and quality care is about more than training without force. Her canine training methods are based on an understanding of what motivates the dog and use of positive reinforcement to achieve the desired outcomes as inspired by Dr. Ian Dunbar and Victoria Stilwell. She operates under a "train-the-trainer" mentality. Mel is dedicated to helping pet parents create an exceptional relationship with their dogs and aims to empower dog owners with the tools and techniques needed to continue training for the lifetime of the dog.
Mel has expertise in a wide variety of solutions to dog behavior problems such as leash reactivity, separation anxiety, and impulse control. Each dog is unique and responds differently to certain techniques and Mel customizes her training to fit the dog’s learning style.
Mel believes that every good trainer should have a mix of experience and education. She keeps her knowledge in the field up to date by attending seminars, workshops, and reading books taught by the industry’s leading dog trainers such as Grisha Stewart, M.A. / CPDT-KA, Emma Parsons, KPA CTP, APDT, CDBC, and Claudia Fugazza, Ph. D. Mel holds the following certifications and professional affiliations: CPDT-KA, AKC CGC Certified Evaluator, C.L.A.S.S. (APDT Evaluator) and is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).
Rebeccah Kleinberg, ABCDT, PTI, grew up in California near the San Francisco Bay area. She relocated to Texas in 2006, which she now calls home. She has always loved all kinds of animals, especially dogs, and is fascinated with how they think, how they communicate, and how they are so lovingly devoted to their humans with unconditional love and forgiveness.
Rebeccah has been in the pet industry for 15 years doing dog training, dog walking, pet sitting, and board and training dogs out of her home. She earned her professional dog trainer certification from Animal Behavior College in 2003 (ABCDT). She is a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator for the AKC, is also a Certified Pet First Aid and CPR Instructor (PTI) for Pet Tech, Inc., and proficient in pet nutrition and preventive pet health care.
She knew her niche was working as a dog trainer after watching the bond between dogs and their owners grow as they learned through her in-home private dog training sessions, teaching dog training classes, and training dogs while they board with her and her pack at home. She has taught all levels of training, including puppy kindergarten, socialization, beginner obedience, good manners, intermediate obedience, loose leash walking, advanced obedience, tricks and advanced tricks. She prepares dogs to pass the CGC exam to further their jobs for service work and/or therapy work. She is motivated, enthusiastic, and makes her dog training sessions fun and entertaining.
She is a professional member of the APDT, and a member of The Behavior Education Network. She is constantly advancing her dog training skills by reading anything "positive dog training", attending seminars, webinars, etc., in order to keep up with the latest force-free training methods. However, her real teachers are all the dogs she has owned her whole life, as well as, her current dogs, Jason, Tina and Michael.
Steve Debono's training approach is based on Suzanne Clothier's Relationship Centered Training (RCT). This philosophy emphasizes compassion and communication as a means to creating a healthy relationship.
He specializes in Dog-Dog Socialization, Leash Reactivity / Aggression, Household Problem Solving, and Preparing Your Puppy for the Real World.
Steve strives for achieving those special moments when you and your dog are in complete understanding and cooperation with one another. Using positive reinforcement techniques that help the client watch, listen, and learn from their dog, he puts the family in a position to experience those moments more and more frequently. This helps them take their lives together to heights they never thought possible!
Steve holds certifications in dog training by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA), Pet First Aid, and as an Advanced Pet Care Technician by the Pet Care Services Association. He teaches the Karma Dog Training Advanced group classes.
Judy is an internationally certified Professional Dog Trainer and an AKC certified Canine Good Citizen Trainer and Evaluator. She has attended intensive courses in both Canine Nose Work and a Canine Agility course with one of the top Italian agility professionals, Marco Giovanni. Judy currently teaches 6 dog training classes a week and studies under her mentor, Kyle Rayon, who specializes in teaching calming techniques and impulse control using positive communication, reinforcement and training techniques. The goal is simply to teach your dog to want to do what you want them to do and the rest is easy!
"Dog Training is one of my greatest joys in life", says Judy. "I believe key to building successful relationships with our dogs is to recognize, reinforce and reward them for the positive choices they make. In doing so, we create not only much better lives for our companions, but also strengthen the relationship, connection and appreciation of people for all life forms that share our planet and are essential components in the cycle of life for us all."
For Judy Becker, dog training is in her nature and is part of her calling to contribute to a better, healthier and kinder planet. In addition to her interests in Dog training, she also volunteers as a facilitator for the Pachamama Alliance leading symposiums titled "Awakening the Dreamer" with the mission statement of "Creating an Environmentally Sustainable, Spiritually Fulfilling and Socially Just Human Presence on the Planet Earth". At home, Judy strives to provide vegetarian and vegan meals for her family, and hosts a distribution sight in University City for the Be Wise Ranch organic farm in Escondido. Judy is an active participant in The Unity Center church with the mission statement of "Inspiring Personal Greatness and Transforming Our World with Love".
Today, Judy is an excellent teacher who thrives on her ability to make a positive difference in the lives of dogs and their families, as well skill building in all areas of overcoming challenging problem behaviors, applied canine learning theory and understanding canine communication and body language. Judy lives in a home that shares her love of animals and opens her home for "Doggy Daycare", extended "Boarding" and "Board and Train" in addition to teaching "Private Lessons" in the clients home.
Tracy Klein's interest in dog training began over 13 years ago after her and a Newfoundland named Bodhi got involved in Therapy dog work. She soon found herself and Bodhi visiting children in schools and patients in Alzheimer's facilities together. From there, she started volunteer training and eventually helped train and test therapy dogs. She also served on the board of members for The Foundation For Pet Provided Therapy for many years.
She rescued a feral German Shepherd, Carly, who had a multitude of behavior issues, including but not limited to aggression towards men, dogs, and severe separation anxiety issues. In Carly, Tracy saw a dog who wanted to please so she began taking her to one class after another and after time and patience, eventually helped earn Carly a Certified Therapy Dog title!
Under Tracy's tutelage, Carly and Bodhi began visiting facilities together. Carly and Tracy were even featured in an article written by Liz Palika in 2001 for Dog Fancy Magazine about her amazing success story.
In addition, Tracy has worked for a holistic Veterinarian, where she learned a great deal about natural medicine and chiropractic treatments for animals and the benefits of each. She was also supervising at a boarding facility, The Animal Keeper, where she learned about the care and management of a diverse group of animals, as well as continued training.
She also volunteers with a local German Shepherd rescue helping to train dogs for their forever homes. She also has a certificate in DAD-Diabetic Alert Dogs to train and place dogs in the for diabetic clients.
Tracy's philosophy for training dogs is to train in a natural and positive manner, which creates a positive relationship between owner and dog of mutual respect. She currently reside in North San Diego County with her 3 children and 2 dogs, Nemo, a Malamute/Husky and Bobby, a boxer mix.
Nikki Pulone is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (Knowledge Assessed) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. With five years of professional experience, she is strongly committed to improving the lives of dogs and their families through fostering mutual understanding, communication, and respect.
Nikki was born and raised in South-Central New Jersey where she grew up riding horses and exploring the pine barrens. Animal behavior has fascinated her for as long as she can remember, however as a young child she was not allowed to have a dog of her own. Instead, she enjoyed walking and training the dogs of her neighbors, friends, and family. She taught dogs to perform tricks and complete obstacle courses, including once training a neighbor's dog to play Max in a local rendition of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. After high school, she went to Monmouth University and began to work towards a degree in political science. To support herself financially, she found a job as a trainer at a local pet store which re-ignited her passion for training dogs and eventually lead her to branch out on her own and earn the title of CCPDT-KA.
Although she has since completed her degree, Nikki knows her true passion lies in the "dog world". She now finds fulfillment by helping fellow dog lovers resolve the behavioral issues of their pets in a positive, humane way (but she still enjoys teaching tricks, too!). She is constantly striving to keep up with the latest dog-related research and training philosophy conversations. Her training methods focus on dog friendly and practical solutions that can be easily absorbed into the routines and lifestyle of each individual family. Her goal is always to provide training techniques that both dogs and their people can be successful with in order to promote favorable and long-lasting results.
Nikki has a particular soft spot for dogs who are classified as "reactive", as well as the families of those dogs. After working through these issues with her own dog-reactive dog, she empathizes not only with the panicking dogs who are not able to cope with the environment around them, but also with the family who love their dog but may feel shame, guilt, and frustration about their dog's behavior. To Nikki, witnessing and being a part of these dogs' rehabilitation is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a trainer. When she's not helping others and their dogs, Nikki loves to spend her free time outdoors with her Staffordshire Terrier, Cupcake.
Teresa is native Oregonian, growing up in the Portland metro area. Teresa has been a life long dog lover growing up with dogs and horses. Teresa was always assisting friends and neighbors care and train their own dogs. Knowing her career was going to be with animals and began taking classes from dog trainers with her own dogs.
In 1993 Teresa competed the Veterinary Technology Program passing her national boards for Veterinary Technician, continued on in the animal care field as a Licensed Veterinary Technician, (CVT).
Teresa began to see the lack of communications skills between dog and owner, she began to see just how much she loved to train dogs and wanted to help the pet parents and dogs to communicate better. In 2009 she attend Animal Behavior College to increasing her knowledge of positive reinforcement method based training. She used the knowledge to help the local shelter with some of the dogs they receive increasing the adoptability.
Fascinated by the science of dog behavior and wanting to better understand the method and science behind clicker training, in 2013-2014 Teresa attended the Karen Pryor Academy for Clicker Trainers receiving her certification as a Certified Karen Pryor Clicker Trainer in March 2014.
With dog training being her true passion in life, and life gave her some personal challenge, she didn’t let it slow her down, she went on to make dog training her full time career and continues as a Veterinary Technician on call in and around the Portland metro area. Teresa Volunteers at Portland Community College for the Veterinary Technology program working with the students to train their kennel dogs. The dogs are donated from local shelters and from September to the following June, Teresa meets weekly for training class with students. Each June all dogs are adopted out to forever home with advanced skill. Taking the summer off, students start over each September with a new batch of dogs from the local shelters.
In her spare time, Teresa enjoys spending time with her horse Charlie, trail riding, the sport of working cow, and team penning. She also enjoys training her own dog Hero and spending time with her two grand children.
Teresa shares her house with; 5 horses, 5 dogs (4 of which are under 10 pounds), 3 cats, 2 birds and one very large goat.
A lifelong dog lover, Carol Morabito finally took heed to her passion as an adult and adopted her first dog, an Australian Shepherd mix from Tijuana. When Sadie was only six months old, Carol's job changed and she was required to travel non-stop for almost a year, living in hotels and corporate apartments around the country. With a consistent trainer an impossibility, Carol had to take on the challenge of training Sadie on her own.
Like most rescues, Sadie had some phobias—but hers were extreme. Fearful of mailboxes, the sunlight, garden tools, crates, and at times, other dogs, Sadie's most difficult fear to overcome was of men. When at a year old, Sadie finally allowed a man to approach and pet her, Carol realized that all of her hard work paid off and that her dog would live a more peaceful life because of her tenacity. Now when working with other dogs, carol specializes in leash pulling, leash aggression, phobias, and separation anxiety.
Carol is also the author of Back on Four Paws: The complete guide for caring for your dog after orthopedic surgery, inspired by five major knee surgeries Sadie endured in only an 18 month span, and the difficult road to recovery that ensued. She is also a volunteer for Colorado Canine Rescue and founding board member of the All Creatures Holistic Animal Sanctuary(ACHASI), the first virtual animal sanctuary.
Believe it or not, Carol's passion for and work with dogs is outside of her primary career. A corporate training and business development professional with a degree in technical writing and a master's in social work administration, Carol's primary career has been as a training and business development professional in the private sector. She specializes in designing and implementing sales and service training programs where none exist, and helping organizations achieve growth projections through careful strategy and well-defined business processes.
Uyen-Anh Dang has always had a love and passion for animals since she was a child. Growing up, she took care of many family and friend's pets, from dogs, cats, to even small animals. She read many books about animals, especially dog training, canine behavior, and canine development. She always knew she wanted a dog, however, at the time, her family did not allow her to have one. She continued to read, watch videos, and do a ton of self-study from professionals like Dr. Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Sophia Yin, Pat Miller, Victoria Stillwell, Emily Larlham, Turid Rugaas, and more in order to prepare herself for her own pup. Finally, in her senior year at the University of Texas at Austin, she was able to rescue her first dog, a 5-year old Chihuahua/Terrier mix renamed Eevee. She now also lives with a year and half old light, orange Tabby kitten named, Tom.
After graduating college, she became an educator in elementary schools. However, she always knew she wanted a career in helping animals. In order to gain more knowledge and experience in her dog training passion, Uyen-Anh joined Karma Dog's Apprentice Program. She strongly believes in positive training and had a connection to Karma Dog's philosophy. She quickly excelled in all the readings, exams, and shadowing sessions and became top of her class. She even mentored with different trainers to gain more insight on different techniques in dog training. Uyen-Anh had finally found her calling and was graciously accepted into Karma Dog's staff. She excels in all aspects of puppy development, Basic Obedience and tricks with puppies and adult dogs, behavior modifications, and has detailed knowledge about training a dog for the Canine Good Citizen test.
As a former teacher, Uyen-Anh enjoys being an canine educator and helping people and animals communicate and understand each other harmoniously and plays an instrumental role in the success of Karma Dog.
Jessica is a Colorado transplant who finds serenity in all things nature and outdoors. Dogs represent a direct line to the purest state of being, and Jessica’s life and career has been profoundly influenced by the relationship she has with her own canine. She hopes to utilize her gifts and passion to facilitate entrain deeper relationships and understanding between individuals, regardless of differences in DNA.
Work experience in non-profit rescue and foster programs in LA lend to her holistic perspective and approach towards enhancing the bond between human and animal through conscientious understanding and trust. She has successfully rehabilitated many rescue dogs with various issues caused by neglect, abuse, ignorance and misunderstanding. Jessica strives to be as compassionate and loving as her beloved, Catahoula companion, Adeline (full name: Miss Adeline Princess) and to emulate her light – not always easy!
Seeking sustainability amongst all living things, she is passionate about the spiritual relationship between humans and their pets, bridging the gap between owners and their companions. The lessons that a dog teaches can be acquired if we listen, and Jessica provides the language.
Rich Hansberger and his wife, Erica Klein, are attorneys in the Orange County area of greater Los Angeles. Their practice focuses on charter schools, and Rich is also a partner in an educational training company headquartered in Anaheim. They first came to Karma Dog after reading the great reviews online and hearing from neighbors and friends about its unique, caring approach.
Early in 2012, Rich and Erica decided to adopt a bulldog from a local Southern California rescue center. Online, they found a wonderful candidate whose name was "Tank." Poor Tank had been abandoned by his first family, and he was living in a shelter. Tank was loving, kind and had one of the saddest looking faces they had ever seen. They placed a call to let the shelter know they were coming for a visit and within days had adopted Tank and brought him into their home. They renamed their newest family member, Norman, and Norman quickly grew to become a member of the family…and a neighborhood attraction.
Numerous vet visits and lots of baths and walks later, Norman grew into a healthy 80 pound Olde English Bulldog. His snoring is legendary, as is the amount of drool he can produce in a day. He is the sweetest, most loving do in the world, but Norman, much like a mule, can be stubborn! When he doesn't want to walk, he likes simply stand still, and when he wants to play, he has a tendency to jump. Given his size and bulk, either option is not a good one!
Rich and Erica attended Karma Dog group trainings and, right away, were amazed at how quickly they learned to work with Norman, instead of against him. After the group lessons, Rich and Erica took some one-on-one lessons with Karma Dog Trainer, Erica Lake, who showed them some really simple but amazingly helpful tips to keep Norman happy and on track. Given that Norman is just about as big as his mom, Erica, the family has really grown to love the Karma Dog approach and how it helps everyone – not just Norman – learn new and better ways of interacting for the benefit of all. They can't recommend Jeff and the entire Karma Dog team enough!
Aimee Burton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Growing up with a Veterinarian for a father, she was never without several animals in her household. Adopting both her Grandmother and Mothers' love for horses, Aimee started riding and eventually training horses as a teenager. Working at her parents' Animal hospital from junior high school through college, she learned hands on animal behavior and handling, as well as a complete spectrum of animal care.
After getting her own dogs as an adult, Aimee began studying the teachings of top animal trainers such as Paul Owens, Pat Miller, Nicole Wilde and Cesar Milan, taking only what felt right from each method of training.
Soon after, Aimee met Karma Dog Training founder, Jeffrey Brian, after hiring him to assist her with her very frightened, neglected and abused 4 lb. Chihuahua she had rescued from the city pound. She instantly felt a connection to Jeffrey's kind and loving approach to dog handling, and after their first session was invited to accompany Jeffrey on his group and in-home sessions to learn the "Karma Dog" method.
Since that time, Aimee has gone on to become one of the most sought after trainers in the country. She is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #75652) and never stops learning. Aimee believes that a positive approach to training combined with setting what she refers to as benevolent boundaries, is the key to a well-behaved, happy dog.
She lives with her 3 dogs; a 7 yr. old Doberman Pinscher, a 3 year old Dachshund/Chihuahua rescue mix, and her little 4 lb. lucky charm that introduced her to Jeffrey, Ginger.
Mandy is an Iowa City native who began working Karma Dog Training when she moved to Los Angeles. After a year in LA, Mandy decided to move back to Iowa and bring Karma Dog Training back with her! She is excited to share Karma’s positive teaching methods with Eastern Iowa!
Mandy's path in life has always been centered on animals and education. She worked with horses and trained students to ride, lead summer campers into various Iowa wildlife habitats, researched native bee species, educated the general public at a SoCal aquarium, and taught Biology and Ecology for three years to high school students. Through her experiences, Mandy became a very effective communicator to both human and domestic animals. She has her Bachelors of Arts in Biology from Truman State University and her Masters in the Art of Teaching Secondary Science from the University of Iowa. Her love for science, passion for animals, and belief in quality education led her to Karma Dog Training.
Prior to Mandy's formal education and professional experiences, her love of the family dog, Misty, started her on a journey towards understanding and respecting dogs. As an only child, Mandy spent most of her free time at home playing with Misty. Misty was a very expressive, patient, and intelligent dog; she always seemed to be able to read different people and adjust her behavior to fit them. Mandy's experiences with Misty fostered and fueled her interest in dog intelligence and communication. Mandy's mother noticed Mandy's passion for dogs and decided to encourage Mandy to help her train their Vizsla, Blue Heeler mix, and Lab mix. Through these experiences Mandy began to develop her training repertoire.
When Mandy graduated from college, she wanted a dog who needed rescuing and a forever home. She heard about rescuing greyhounds and, after a bit of research, decided they were the type of dog for her. Mandy was able to rescue a greyhound straight the racing breeders, who were planning on culling their dogs. After viewing many dogs in need of a home, a very special, skinny puppy caught Mandy's attention; she was completely blind and so curious about the world around her. Mandy instantly fell in love and named her Leda.
Immediately after adopting Leda, Mandy realized that training was going to be difficult. Leda had not been handled by a human before, was very sensitive and insecure, and also required unique training methods. Mandy began to only use positive reinforcement training with Leda, and saw her full potential. After many months of consistent and patient work, Leda blossomed into a friendly, happy, and eager-to-please dog. Most people that met Mandy and Leda on the street never noticed that Leda was blind. She seemed to be in-tune to Mandy, but more importantly, Mandy felt in-tune with Leda. She felt as if she finally understood how dogs communicate and respond to training.
Today, Mandy applies what she learned with Leda to all aspects of her life. She uses positive reinforcement in her relationships and interactions with all animals. She is currently training her new Australian Cattle Dog puppy, Dash, the basics and hopes to eventually certified him as a Diabetic Alert Dog. She also is working as a Veterinary Assistant at a local clinic with the goal of learning good pet emergency skills and gaining further knowledge in animal husbandry.
Mandy believes that in order to have a well-rounded relationship with your dog, you must respect your dog and understand that your dog is an individual with a distinct personality. You must also be a good teammate, be willing to try new ideas, break concepts down into simple steps that work for both, and most importantly, have fun!
Katie Lingerfelt comes from the small coastal fishing town of Fort Pierce, Florida. Even as a child Katie was an avid animal lover. Katie took in a wide array of creatures such domestic house pets - stray dogs and cats, exotics animals - a triplet of sugar gliders, a squirrel, various snakes and lizards, a tortoise, and even a day old wild boar. With her giant heart and motherly instincts she successfully nursed them all back to health.
Katie's career in animal training began with horses at the age of five. Katie attended events all over the states of Florida, and Georgia in the Arabian Horse Association and 4-H. She competed in saddle seat equitation, halter classes, western pleasure and trail, show ring jumping, hunter equitation, bareback, and dressage. As an experienced equestrian, she "worked horses from the ground up". The old methods of throwing a rider on a horse's back and "breaking" them in were never her style; instead she preferred to build a relationship based on trust and praise.
Katie has been a Texas resident for several years, and currently resides in the heart of Central Texas. Her family and her enjoy the outdoors and you can frequently find them hiking at the lake, out at a park, or hanging around dog friendly shops in town.
Katie studied dog obedience training formally through Animal Behavior College. She has been working as a head trainer for Karma Dog Training for the past several years and she is now one of the most sought after trainers in the state of Texas. Not only does she teach Karma Dog's most popular class in the city of Austin, but she sees clients in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. She is also the go to trainer for all of the military soldiers and their families in the Fort Hood/Killeen area when they need Service Dog Training. Her drive to be the best she can be, along with her enthusiasm and upbeat personality is the reason she is quickly establishing herself as the #1 Karma Dog trainer in entire the state of Texas.
Emily has been a passionate and driven animal lover her entire life. She grew up in a house full of animals including dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, and horses. Emily’s love of dogs was evident from the age of one when her parents got a black lab puppy that she was immediately in love with. Her lab, who her two year old sister named Boog, lived until Emily was 15 years old and had been like a sister to her. From the time she could talk Emily said she would be a veterinarian and spent a lot of time playing pretend vet with her cousin Madison, a fellow dog enthusiast. At the age of 8 Emily became involved in dog training and it began to lead her down the road to her true passion.
Emily’s grandfather (who she affectionately calls Pompaw) retired when Emily was four years old and has since dedicated his life to breeding and training German Shorthaired Pointers. When Emily was 8 years old her Pompaw gave her a 10 week old German Shorthair puppy and told her that if she trained him he could be hers. Emily named the dog Jennings and spent all of her free time training him in basic obedience for competitions with the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association. She and Jennings went on to receive a prize one in the Natural Ability competition and numerous others. Jennings is now retired and lives with her Pompaw as a companion. Emily has continued to train German Shorthaired Pointers with her Pompaw and competes with NAVHDA once a year. Emily’s Pompaw taught her to respect and love animals in addition to teaching her that dogs and people are meant to be a team.
Emily’s passion for working with dogs grew even stronger when she adopted a one year old collie mix named Trooper. He had been abandoned at a boarding facility as a puppy and had spent the first year of his life in a kennel. When she brought Trooper home he was afraid and reacted to every movement as though he expected to be struck. Emily dedicated herself to working with him and their bond is like nothing she had ever known. In the year that she has had him Trooper has taught Emily so much and genuinely changed her life. There is not a doubt in her mind that they were always meant to be in each other’s life. Because of Trooper, Emily is passionate about working with animals that have had difficult lives and have emotional or behavioral problems because of it. She feels that her purpose in life is to help these animals recover.
When not working, Emily enjoys reading books about animal health and behavior in addition to spending time outside. She lives in Azle with her four dogs Megan, Missy, Ellie, and Trooper and her cat Dexter. Walking her dogs to the lake and spending time sitting outside together is a daily part of her life. Emily feels that spending time in nature with her pets allows them to connect and relax together.
Originally from Canada, Emily has always felt a special kinship with animals, especially dogs, but was never sure how this would play a role in her life. In 2008, Em was diagnosed with a disability, leaving her uncertain and afraid about the rest of her life. It would be her third oldest dog, Frankie, who would come to the rescue, teaching himself how to recognize mom’s symptoms and determine what kind of assistance would be needed. From that day, Em realized that the true potential of her dogs was not being unleashed; she needed to do better for them. Quitting a successful marketing career, Em dedicated herself to a career focused around helping guardians develop deeper relationships with their dogs, thereby doing better by our canine companions. Leave no dog behind!
Emily has a Masters degree, has completed the rigorous intern behavior training program at the Boulder Valley Humane Society, is a professional member of the association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), and is currently completing her certification through the Karen Pryor Academy and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). Having received her initial training working with ‘complicated’ canines, Em is comfortable rehabilitating dogs exhibiting fear, food/generalized guarding, dog-dog reactivity, and separation anxiety; but she also enjoys working teaching basic manners, agility, and tricks to dogs of all ages.
Currently, she works with dogs enrolled in the Behavior program at the Boulder Valley Humane Society in Bolder, CO. She adores aiding dogs with serious behavior issues work towards becoming loving, life-long companions, increasing their odds of finding amazing forever homes. Even on the worst of days, coming to help these dogs bring her endless joy. Em’s hubby says her life has truly go to the dogs!
Em’s philosophy on dog training is simple, household harmony comes from simplified training plans designed to allow for consistent implementation; dogs thrive in situations where praise is given, which in turn builds long term results, and stronger bonds with their guardians. That being said, like humans, dogs have unique and diverse personalities, so all of her training plans are created taking into consideration realistic expectations of each client; no dog can ever be ‘perfect’, but neither are we!
And remember, Emily has been in your shoes before; she has felt overwhelmed and frustrated when it comes to dog training. Let her experience with both canines and their humans serve as a calming force as you both head towards having a mayhem-free life.
Emily doesn’t just walk the walk, she barks the bark having used her skills with positive reinforcement training to turn her two ‘troubled’ Lab mixes, Deano and Frankie and severely abused Pug, Ella into thoughtful, caring, and creative canines. Deano has evolved from having severe separation anxiety, to asking for ‘kennel time’; he is currently completing K9 nosework classes with mom and works as a therapy dogs in hospitals. Frankie is transforming from a terrified superstitious boy, to working with mom to become her service dog. As for Miss Ella, after being caged for 6 years and being blinded by her previous humans (ick!), she has learned to overcome her fears, even tackling stairs.
Emily feels blessed to work in such a fun yet challenging field which never ceases to make her happy. She enjoys sharing her knowledge, passion, and unending upbeat personality with dogs and their humans. Are you ready to develop a one-of-a-kind relationship with your dog? Well, Emily is excited to you and your dogs, adding them to her extended family of well-mannered canine.
Angela Forster originally hails from Minnesota, but has also lived in England, Scotland, and Houston, TX before relocating to Huntington Beach, California. She holds a BA in Philosophy, and an MA in Human Rights. She has been an avid animal lover her entire life, and grew up begging for a pet until she was finally allowed to adopt a kitty from the Humane Society at 9 years old. She went on to adopt her first rescue dog over 10 years ago, which ignited both her love for understanding canine behavior, and her love for rescuing and rehabilitating dogs.
While living in Houston, Angela and her husband became heavily involved in local rescue groups, eventually successfully fostering over 20 dogs over a 3 year period, as well as volunteering as adoption counselors at weekly events. Angela quickly realized that many of their fosters had never been taught any positive behaviors by their former owners and realized that the key to successfully adopting these dogs out to safe and loving homes involved re-socializing them, as well as establishing positive communication by providing obedience training.
Angela has also previously worked as a 4th grade teacher for the Houston Independent School District. Her experience with public education taught Angela that teaching children and training dogs is surprisingly similar! Both children and dogs tend to learn best when open and honest communication and trust are established, and when their learning is reinforced in a fun and positive way! As a trainer, Angela’s goal is to create a strong bond between owners and their pet, and to give owners the tools for understanding and addressing their canine companion’s behavior.
Angela works with clients in the Orange County area, teaching puppy kindergarten classes, providing obedience training, and working with owners to address more challenging issues like resource guarding and housebreaking. In her free time she volunteers with her local animal shelter by walking and training dogs who are kept at the shelter. Because behavior problems are the number one reason dogs are surrendered to shelters, Angela strives to reduce pet homelessness by helping provide homeless dogs with the training foundation they need to be successful in their new home.
Jennifer uses rewards based training methods that focus on creative problem solving and incorporate the latest science and research in animal behavior. Jennifer's goal is to bridge the communication gap between dogs and their human counterparts, and to create a harmonious relationship that is based on mutual trust and respect. Her training experience stems back over ten years as a result of her lab/boxer rescue mix named Rocco needing a professional trainer in 2003. Jennifer was enthralled with the training process, and has been training ever since. Her experience includes volunteering at the local SPCA throughout college, working at a dog kennel, over 300 hours of canine behavior observation as well as thousands of hours teaching basic obedience, canine good citizen, and puppy kindergarten classes. Jennifer is a certified Canine good citizen evaluator, a certified complex pet partners international therapy dog team with her dog Rocco, a CPDT-KA qualifier, and a member of APDT. Her background includes a Masters degree in Psychology, and she is the creator of a dog therapy program called Puppy Love in which she facilitated therapy groups in recovery centers throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. She works with individuals as well as extensively with kids and dogs providing private in-home training lessons, group classes, and has successfully rehabilitated leash reactivity, dog-dog aggression, dog-human aggression, separation anxiety, as well as a spectrum of other behavioral issues. She also helps individuals throughout the dog adoption and rescue process to ensure that both the humans and the dogs find their perfect match. Jennifer's enthusiasm, patience, and exuberance are infectious, and she makes the training process a fun, enjoyable, and rewarding experience for all parties involved. She not only trains the dog, but she also trains the doggy parents so that they can continue to reinforce the new, more preferable behaviors for a lifetime of happy dogs and happy families.
Britany Nield was born and raised in California but also grew up from a young age spending summers on her grandparent's farm in Ohio where she learned to care for the various animals they raised. While observing the animals, she noticed how they would communicate to each other, and after some time she learned she could communicate with them in the same way.
She has been a professional animal trainer for the past 12 years, working with both exotic and domestic species. She also worked behind the scenes as an animal trainer for two animal rental companies training animal "stars" for television and movies. Her real passion however is training service and therapy dogs where she feels the experience and bond between a human and the service dog is so beautiful it is indescribable.
She really has been involved with animals virtually her entire life and actually thinks she can pin-point the exact moment her affinity for animals (dogs especially) began. When she was 2 yrs old her golden retriever Brendan saved her life by barking incessantly until her mother came outside when she fell into the family pool!
Britany Nield has always had a love for dogs and a desire help animals, to be their "voice". She really loves ALL animals but dogs and horses are her passion. She has been working hard since a young age to make her dream of working to rehabilitate animals come true. As a young adult she volunteered at Joleen's Horse Rescue in Chatsworth Ca, where she helped to educate the public on the horrible reality that we were slaughtering horses in the USA. There she would rehabilitate as many of the poor horses who almost had that same fate, and then find them loving FOREVER homes. Out of high school she worked as a Veterinarian technician and then ten years ago she enrolled at a private "hands- on" animal training school. Britany was taught handling/training techniques, including preservation and conservation efforts for exotic and/or endangered species, and graduated as a certified exotic animal handler in 2004. She then moved on to working with many different types of animals including Tigers, however she always specialized in training canines, including obedience as well as trick training animal "stars" and finally service dogs. Needless to say she has a lot of hands on experience, every job she has ever had has had to do with animals!
She now lives at home in Santa Clarita Ca, with her Husband Andy, son Noah and one year old daughter Lily; and 6 fur babies! Her oldest is her 13 year old "Angel in disguise" Pitty named Kaya, a huge 7 year old lovable Yellow Lab named Charlie, their two newest rescue additions Bubba and Luna; plus her kitties, Johnny-Drama and McLovin.
She believes that animals are here as teachers and healers. She is someone who really wants to make a difference whenever possible, to be able to make as many positive, significant changes in as many lives as possible, both animal and human! She wants to do this by helping animals and people connect, to be able to relate to each other in a positive way that both can understand.
Meet Debbie! She loves to work with every size, age, and breed of dog and human!;) Her favorite part of training is helping dogs and owners unlock their full potential and achieve a stronger bond with one another.
Debbie hails from the Twin Cities in Minnesota. She has a BFA from University of WI, Stevens Point. She is a proud member of APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainers). She is also PetTech First Aid and CPR Certified.
Although Debbie has taught (and/or continues to teach) Group Class, Beginning Agility, and Reverse Board & Train, her primary focus continues to be Private In Home Training with individuals, couples, and families in the Valley and throughout Los Angeles. Debbie has a kind and sunny disposition that appeals to clients, of both the two and four legged variety. It is clear that Debbie really cares about the work she does and the level of service she offers.
Debbie works very hard to stay up to date on the latest and greatest in Positive Reinforcement techniques, whether meeting with other trainers, attending professional conventions or seminars, or studying books or videos in the field. She has undoubtedly learned from many of the best trainers in the dog training industry!
When Debbie isn't training, she loves to play with her own dog, an Aussie Shepherd named Bailey. She also volunteers with local animal shelters and enjoys doing anything creative and artsy, including drawing, singing, and playing the ukulele!
Originally from Long Island, New York, Sam grew up in the dog world, never having less than three dogs and three cats. Her mother read her The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds as a bedtime story many nights. Together, they would sit on Sam’s bed and discuss what breed they might want next.
Sam’s parents bred Golden Retrievers and participated in obedience trials with their Golden, Sheltie and Cocker Spaniel. At the age of 7 Sam found herself in the ring doing "junior handling" with their Cocker, Justice. The youngest, by several years, of all the participants, Sam did so well she earned second place.
As Sam grew up her focus changed and she began working with persons with disabilities. She attended the University of Kansas, studying Music Therapy and specializing in children with Autism. It was there that she learned positive behavior modification techniques and the true art of being patient.
In 1998 Sam moved to LA, continuing her work with children with disabilities. However, by 2000 Sam found she had lost her passion and went in search of a profession that was not a job. In 2001 Sam found what she was looking for. She began working at a doggie daycare and boarding facility in Laguna Beach. It was there that Sam learned about pack behavior and how to manage a large group of dogs. She also learned to better understand the language of dogs. After one year, Sam was managing the facility and wearing many hats. One day the groomer didn’t show up and several dogs needed haircuts. So, Sam picked up a grooming book and a pair of clippers and discovered a new aspect of caring for dogs that she loved.
Sam began grooming for a mobile grooming company in 2006 and six months later was training potential groomers from all over the country. Many of Sam’s clients were dogs who had been refused by other groomers. Sam’s patient and gentle manner always allowed her to get the job done and many of those same clients asked Sam if she would please train their dogs. Those requests were always in the back of Sam’s mind. So when she sustained an injury that would mean the end of her grooming career Sam knew right away what the next chapter of her life would be.
Sam began professionally training dogs in 2009, specializing in obedience, in-home behavior issues and teaching humans to understand the language their dog speaks. In 2013 Sam earned her CPDT-KA from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She is continuing her education and is always eager to learn more to pass on to her clients.
Sam has just moved back to LA and lives with her eleven and a half year old Shepherd Akita mix and her crazy cat, Zuli.
Kat (Kathryn) Hoohuli was raised around animals her entire life. She recognized at a young age what a unique and powerful bond we can have with animals, especially dogs. Always driven by her love of animals, she has now made her house a home filled with 3 dogs, 2 cats, a parrot, chinchilla, and fish. She loves caring for all her animals and helping others care for and better understand their pets as well.
Kat has always had a love of psychology and how the mind works, humans and animals alike. She studied psychology at California State University Northridge and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelors in Psychology. For over two years, she worked as a behavior therapist for children with special needs, working one-on-one with children in their homes and with their families. Kat understands that positive reinforcement and a fun environment are keys to creating successful learning.
Kat’s childhood dream was always to work with animals. So in 2014, she made the switch to Karma Dog Training - a great match to go along with her love of dogs, psychology, and spirituality. She has a unique joy for teaching group classes, and is currently leading puppy socialization and basic obedience classes. Kat’s enthusiasm is one-of-a-kind as she loves to help from your dog’s point of view. Following Karma Dog Training’s philosophy, Kat is happy to be using only positive reinforcement methods, which means lots of yummy treats!
While Kat has been happily working with Karma Dog Training, she is always excited to learn more and continue with ongoing education. In early 2015, Kat became certified by the Karen Pryor Academy as a Puppy Start Right Instructor. Just this year (in 2016), Kat attended 2 Tellington TTouch workshops and has chosen to pursue her credentials as a TTouch Practitioner. The TTouch method uses different touches, body movements, and learning exercises to help animals learn and cope through behaviors in a positive way. Kat is excited to apply the TTouch method to look at the overall wellbeing of the animal to help regain their physical, mental, and emotional balance.
The special connection that Kat has with dogs is like no other. Through firsthand experience, Kat has seen how dogs can positively affect people of all ages, from children to the elderly. She believes that as much as we can teach and help dogs, they can teach us and heal us even more.
Julia Marquand has had a passion for helping animals since childhood, where she raised two Labrador retrievers, cats, hamsters, turtles and a hedgehog. She was able to turn her love for pets into a full time job in 2009 when she created a dog walking and pet sitting business in Seattle. Around the same time, she adopted a 4-year-old Chihuahua mix named Spartacus. When she first adopted Spartacus he was incredibly fearful and completely untrained. Julia began to read everything she could about dog training from top animal behaviorists to help out her new member of the family. At first, Spartacus had no potty training, did not know a single command, would barely eat and was constantly nervous. He howled when left alone, was afraid of strangers, flinched at his own leash during walks, and he required two people to hold him during nail trims (he’s 5 pounds). Being a very smart dog with a very dedicated trainer, He now knows the following commands: sit, down, stay, come, go to bed, yoga (downward dog stretch), spin, shake, stomp your feet, and quiet. He also is much more confident, is comfortable being alone, he sits patiently and happily during nail trims, and he even rings a bell when he needs to go outside!
Armed with new information and practice about how to better train and communicate with dogs, she tried her newly learned techniques on her clients’ dogs to great success! She has helped many dogs to walk nicely on the leash, stop lunging and barking at other dogs (and skateboards and bicycles) and overcome fears of people, dogs, and the occasional garden gnome.
Julia then volunteered with top dog trainers in Seattle for 2 years to become an expert in dog training techniques and learned how to best deal with behavior problems. She has worked with just about every kind of dog, including puppies, rescues, older dogs, blind dogs, and all kinds of personalities, from the extremely shy and fearful to the stubborn and rambunctious. She assisted in puppy socialization, puppy training, basic training for adult dogs, advanced training (including fun tricks), and on-leash aggression. She also helped dogs that had problems adjusting to group classes, whether they were too fearful to focus or too aggressive with the other dogs or people.
Julia’s training philosophy is rooted in developing a positive and trusting relationship between dog and owner. By trying to understand the dog’s perspective, she is able to communicate effectively with the dog while ensuring that the dog enjoys the training process. Although Julia can help dogs with a wide variety of behavioral issues, she specializes in helping shy and fearful dogs gain confidence and overcome their fears. She also loves to teach dogs clever tricks and help owners with their new puppies.
Julia currently lives in Seattle with her two rescue dogs, Spartacus (a Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound mix) and Urza (a Chihuahua/Terrier mix). Spartacus is currently learning a "say hello" command (to greet strangers on cue) and Urza is learning to howl on cue.
Beth has been fascinated with dogs since she was learning to walk, although being a native New Yorker; it was a dream for after she left the city.
Beth’s passion is helping companion dogs and their human families. While it is important to understand the science of how dogs think and learn, educating humans to clearly see their dog is vital. Not all dogs are alike and not every dog learns in the same way. Working as a team, the goal is to build clear 2-way communication built on trust and respect.
Beth is a graduate of Triple Crown Academy and a professional member of CPDT and Professional Pet Guild, both force-free training communities. Committed to providing effective and convenient solutions for her clients’ and their canines, she continues to avidly pursue ongoing education and professional development by attending seminars, workshops and keeping current on the latest in science. She is currently studying CARAT and Relationship Centered Training with Suzanne Clothier.
In her spare time, Beth enjoys Rally and other classes with her own dogs. She is also a long-time Yoga/Meditation student and teacher.
Ashley Schmalz is a graduate of George Ranch High School and is currently enrolling in Wharton County Junior College, majoring in Zoology and specializing in animal behavior. Committed to providing the most effective, convenient solutions to current pet owners’ dog training needs—by using positive reinforcement, Ashley avidly pursues continuing education and professional development by constantly furthering her knowledge in the dog training world and keeping current on all industry literature. When not helping customers to enjoy easier lives with their canine companions, Ashley spends time working with her own five year-old Shiba Inu as well as her six year-old Rescue.
Ashley’s journey into the dog training world began when she first received her Shiba Inu in 2010. All was well with the spunky, female dog until she reached sexual maturity at 6 months of age. The family quickly noticed a change within their beloved canine companion. The small spitz-like canine soon developed an owner-possession as well as fear-aggression towards other family members, lashing out at any person who dared to come near her—including a small 2 year old toddler. After several weeks of frustration and noticing no positive change, Ashley’s family confided in a local animal behaviorist at their vet—who suggested that the Shiba Inu be put down.
Discouraged, yet driven, Ashley disregarded the advice of the animal behaviorist and instead turned to dog training techniques. Working hours a day with her Shiba Inu, Ashley attempted various techniques to find out what truly work best with the dog breed she was handling. Ashley found that positive reinforcement had better results in the long-run rather than old outdated methods such as: choke collars, prong collars, and alpha rolls. She also found that the latter usually resulted in escalated aggression. By solely using positive reinforcement, she noticed a major improvement in her dog. In just a matter of a few months, the fiery-tempered canine had managed to improve her behavior and respond to new environments in an entirely new light. She is now a proud family-member who manages to get along great with her family including a Greyhound/Lab mix that joined the family a year later as well as the newest member of the family, a German Shepherd/Husky mix. For Ashley, training has been an on-going experience that has provided the biggest reward for her—getting to keep her dog.
Ashley truly believes that dog-training can potentially save a life and hopes to ease any frustration between a family and their dog by using positive reinforcement and by strengthening the bond between pet-parent and animal.
Erica Lake has been training professionally in Los Angeles for the past 15 years. In addition to private training, she has worked with various local rescues and shelters; providing training to animals to increase their chances for successful adoption and reintegration into a loving home environment.
Erica’s approach is simple: Each dog and owner is unique, and most importantly, each relationship between dog and owner is unique. Her training method is to develop techniques that the owner can use to form the best possible relationship with their dog. Living with a dog should be enjoyable. Erica likes to think of training as teaching dog and owner to speak the same language.
Erica grew up in Carmel, New York, about an hour or so north of New York City. When she was seventeen, her Dad brought home a Cock-a-poo they named Claude. A little teddy bear of a puppy, she taught him to sit, lay down and roll over. He in return taught Erica patience and that she really loved training dogs.
In 1992, she moved to Florida and rescued her first shelter dog, Aida. She was a little mixed breed, about 7 months old. It was a no-kill shelter so she'd been returned three times before Erica came to adopt her. She was shy, scared of men, not housebroken, and would roll over in submission every time she went to pet her. She was quite a challenge. It was a year before Erica could touch her head without her running to a corner. It was slow going, but with patience and training, she worked it out. Aida turned out to be the greatest dog, happy and friendly, and a joy to all who met her.
In 1995, Erica moved to Los Angeles, looking for a change of scenery. She worked in the corporate world for a few years, but got burned out and was looking for a new career. Her boyfriend suggested that she become a professional dog trainer. Her friends and co-workers were always coming to her for dog advice, so it made a lot of sense.
Erica started with a course she found on the internet run by a well-known trainer she had seen on TV. Unfortunately (or fortunately), she found the techniques just weren't her style. She didn't like the choke chains, and the "corrections" that went along with them. It was a very harsh program, and she was very uncomfortable with it. Erica decided that she would have to find her own way.
Erica then began educating herself on canine behavior. She bought every book she could find, and also looked at her own dogs and thought about how she had helped them to become happy and well-adjusted. She found training was in the everyday living. Consistency is key. Routines and practice are crucial. No leash corrections, no pushing around and absolutely no pain. She realized that training behaviors didn't have to be done at the same time every day. Learning comes easier and faster if you practice training intermittently and in many different situations.
In 2001, Erica took her little Pit Bull, Clara, to Cinimon Clark's DWI (Dogs with Issues) class. There she received a lot of insight into the breed. After graduation, she started working with Cinimon, helping with classes and going with her on in-home appointments. It was at this time she became really interested in managing aggression and it's causes, not just in pit bulls, but in all breeds. She learned that treating aggression begins with the everyday life of the "aggressive" dog. Fear is the bottom line and aggression begets aggression. Teaching your dog to trust your judgment before his own is number one in creating a safe environment for your dog, whether at home or out in the world.
Erica's feeling is that if we want our dogs to respect us, we need to use respect in training them. Most problems with dogs arise because they are trying to tell us something: I'm scared, I'm bored, I'm frustrated, I'm hurting. Dogs, by nature, want our attention. As long as you are acknowledging their behavior, good or bad, they will continue that behavior. If we give them the guidance and direction to do what's acceptable to us, then everyone will be much happier in the end.
Today, Erica believes she has the greatest job in the world. She gets to dress in play clothes and spend her time helping dogs and their families. She feels that training can be fun, for both you and your dog; and with just a little bit of work, you can end up with a great friend who is happy to do things for you just because you ask.
"I can help you achieve the relationship that both you and your dog can enjoy, every day", Erica says confidently.
Rose Ybarrondo was born and raised in Southern California and couldn’t imagine a life without her dogs and the relationships she and her family share with them. They have had different breeds of family dogs from Golden Retrievers to Jack Russell Terriers and currently have two mixed breed dogs and a Chihuahua they adopted from rescues. Rose is inclined to work with anxious, shy dogs who have been neglected and volunteers at adoptions for Second Chance Dog Rescue. She enjoys reading books and learning the body language of dogs and is knowledgeable in animal behavior as well as human behavior.
She believes in continual learning through all the phases of human and canine life. She returned to college at 30 to finish her BA at SDSU in education and went on to receive her MA in Counseling. She feels that teaching and learning is a reciprocal process just like trust and respect, and believes we all learn best from people we respect. She feels that dogs are no different and forcefully training dogs is not the way to develop a relationship. Her greatest strengths are her patience and understanding of each dog and their individual needs.
She has an intuitive way with children and has been a wish granter for Make A Wish since 2010. Understanding human behavior and helping people through difficulties in their lives while combining her love of dogs is her hope for the future. Learning the Karma way to train is an opportunity for her to expand her knowledge and belief that dogs can learn without punishment. She plans to build on what she has learned from her years of raising and fostering dogs and hopes to train service and therapy dogs as her next endeavor.
A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Virginia, Shyaam Karra has been working with dogs since he was a child. At the age of ten, he began volunteering as a dog walker at his local shelter. Throughout high school, Shyaam devoted time every week to provide behavioral therapy and socialization to dogs throughout shelters in Northern Virginia, learning different methodologies and techniques through professional trainers. He also began fostering dogs and was lucky enough to be able to find all his animal companions permanent homes. At the University of Virginia, he led a weekly expedition to the Charlottesville SPCA, where he taught fellow students how to walk dogs properly and provide basic behavioral training. After graduating, he worked with animal rights organizations, traveling the country to educate college students about multiple facets of animal rights, including the value of spaying and neutering pets and adoption through shelters.
Not held to one passion, Shyaam is an actor who has appeared in several commercials, and he is expecting his first nationwide theatrical release this coming year! He has worked for Congress, an affiliate of the FBI, and has managed a bar. He is also an avid tennis player, having been ranked top thirty in the country as a junior. In whatever he does, he holds himself to high standards. His personable nature, hard work, and compassion shine through.
Growing up always dreaming of working with animals Andy found his niche with dogs. Growing up Andy and his family were faced with a tough challenge that truly brought out his character, Andy was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, which really changed the way Andy viewed the world. There was a moment in Andy's experience with childhood cancer that shaped his decision to become a certified dog trainer. A dachshund by the name of Toby was a therapy dog and was allowed on the hospital floor to help keep everyone's mind off treatment. Toby brought smiles and joy to the young patients and Andy knew what he wanted to do, work with dogs.
Andy is a recent transplant from Austin to San Antonio. While in Austin, Andy worked for a local dog training, boarding and day care facility to gain more experience with dogs. Andy's ability to communicate well with dogs led him to eventually help run their facility in Lakeway, Texas. Andy spent his time training and interacting with hundreds of dogs helping build pet/owner relationships. Andy continued his education becoming a certified dog trainer and behavioral specialist at the Triple Crown Academy for dog trainers. After departing from Taurus dog training Andy pursued a dog trainer position at the Triple Crown dog Academy. Through his path, Andy has met many great mentors and has had a chance to work with some of the best trainers in Austin. Andy then moved back home to San Antonio to be closer to family and decided to train on a more personal level in owner homes and in his own.
Andy believes that dog training is really about strong communication, and making it a fun experience for the dog. Training is fun and all dogs learn different therefore, Andy likes to set up a plan that works best for you and your dog. With Andy's fully positive approach to dog training Andy's main focus is to have your dog learn because he/she wants to, rather than because he/she is forced to. His passion is helping people understand their dog and bringing out the best in every dog. He loves what he does and he wishes to continue to build great relationships in the San Antonio area. Andy's house pack includes 4 dogs, Hank, Boomer, Daisy and Jak, Odie the cat and of course, the love of his life Amanda.
Ashley Sotolongo graduated cum laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in Health Science. Following graduation, she embarked on a journey from coast to coast which led her to Karma Dog Training. She may be new to California, but she is no rookie when it comes to her passion for and experience with animals. This love (for dogs, especially) dates back to the 4th grade when Mrs. Gregory would bring her Yorkshire Terrier to class for the student’s enjoyment. After that first day of school, Ashley began her pleading for a puppy of her own. With persistence and enthusiasm, she landed her very own golden retriever puppy and from that day forward, the dream of working with animals took flight.
Ashley is devoted to the science of dogs and interspecies relationships. She avidly pursues ongoing education and professional development by keeping current on the knowledge of animal behavior from the leading researchers and field scientists. Her goal is to breakdown the communication barrier between species. She applies this extensive knowledge to further enhance the human-animal bond. Her commitment to the most efficient, suitable solutions for her clients’ dog training needs drives her. She is an expert at eradicating bad behavior and receives the most joy from witnessing the overall progress and success of her puppy families. When not helping clients to enjoy easier lives with their canine companions, she spends her time hiking and visiting the beaches with her own dog.
Olivia has worked professionally with dogs since 2007 as a groomer, walker, daycare handler, and most importantly, as a trainer. Her interest in behavior was peaked in 2011 when, as a handler at a doggie daycare, she was required to take an intensive two month course on canine body language and force-free handling techniques with Turid Rugaas. She joined the Karma Dog Training team in 2013 and has dedicated the years since to growing her skills and extensively researching the science of animal behavior and learning. She currently instructs Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience, and Canine Good Citizen classes, and also helps clients one-on-one with everything from puppy basics and obedience to behavior modification.
Olivia is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and an AKC Evaluator. She strongly believes education is an ongoing process, and constantly seeks out opportunities to expand her knowledge to offer clients the best information available. She has recently attended the 2016 IAABC Conference, the 2017 Karen Pryor Clicker Expo, and has completed Dr. Ian Dunbar's Training Academy Program.
Brooke Farrand has grown up with animals all her life. Her mother’s soft spot for all animals was contagious and she could never say no to any animal Brooke or her brother brought home. From an early age Brooke loved all animals, especially dogs. While in high school, Brooke, got a puppy that she later trained to be a therapy dog for her senior project. Now looking back training her dog, Brando, was therapy in itself and a jumping off point to her life as an animal trainer.
Brooke enjoys working with fearful and skittish dogs. She loves to see the transformation and the progress of dogs getting to experience a whole new world once they are not afraid of it. She also likes working with dogs that have a stubborn side because it often takes a different training approach and keeps her constantly improving her training skills.
Brooke graduated with a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has been a marine mammal trainer and a research assistant at the Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory in Santa Cruz, California, for the last two years. Here, she has learned the principles of operant conditioning and applies them to her husbandry and veterinary training sessions with the resident sea otter, sea lions, and seals. The knowledge Brooke has gained using positive reinforcement as a marine mammal trainer she applies to her skills as a dog trainer. Brooke’s goal as a dog trainer is to help dog parents understand their dogs. Brooke knows that every animal’s personality is different and she approaches each animal training case with that in mind. With 5 years of experience training dogs and marine mammals she is fascinated with training as it is a way to communicate and understand animal behavior.
Joyce Brew was raised on Oahu, Hawaii- the youngest of four siblings and four dogs in the occasionally rough and tumble oceanside town of Nanakuli. Whilst competing for attention amongst her siblings proved occasionally challenging, she learned there was no need to compete for attention (or affection!) from Fifi, Toby, Spunky or Charlie. Although, she lacked the vocabulary as a child, Joyce recognized that dogs had the capacity to reflect the best qualities of life: love, loyalty and companionship. It was then, Joyce nurtured a love and devotion toward all animals, however, dogs have always held a special place in her heart.
Joyce earned her CPDT (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) credential from Animal Behavior College and is a current member of Association for Professional Dog Trainers. She also holds BAs in Child Development and Theatre from CSU Sacramento and an MFA from Penn State University. While some of these credentials may seem unrelated to dog training, Joyce would posit that her formal education is the perfect complement to dog training. Her years as a middle school teacher, behavior therapist and actor has built a solid bedrock of patience, observation, communication and animation- all fundamental tools for working with animals of all shapes and sizes!
She believes the key to establishing a fulfilling relationship with a dog begins with understanding the psychology and DNA of the dog- by attempting to perceive and understand the world through their eyes, therefore, diminishing the tendency to superimpose our own human emotions and values onto our pet. Once we understand our pet, developing a language through verbal/audible cues, gestures, body language and vocal tones will set the foundation for a life long friendship.
Joyce volunteers with the Pasadena Humane Society where she feels humbled each time she passes through the corridors of homeless animals. Joyce believes that fostering communication and understanding between human and dog and will not only improve one’s quality of life, but proper training will result in fewer abandoned and euthanized dogs. Although her efforts are clearly inspired by the love of dogs, she is also passionate about eliminating the practice of euthanasia on all shelter animals by means of training, spaying and neutering.
She currently resides in Los Angeles with her fiancé and two dogs: Margaret (center) and Samson (right) meanwhile pursuing a BS in Nursing.
Comora Tolliver grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee. From an early age she was fascinated with the animals around her and her love for making art. Her family called her Ellie May Clampett because there was never an animal she didn't find fascinating and deserving of love. Comora grew up with many types of animals and her passion only grew. During her time at her family's home, she was able to work with dogs, parrots, horses, and cats. When Comora went to college, it was time to make a decision. She was torn, but decided that she must follow her other passion, art. Comora and her animal friends moved out on their own to begin art school.
Comora graduated from undergrad, got married to her amazing husband, Britton, and went on to receive her Masters of Fine Art from Cranbrook Academy of Art. During her college education, she was always on the sidelines, rescuing animals in need and caring for her own fur babies. After graduating, Comora, her husband, Great Dane (Vegas), Bulldog (Bolliver), and cat (Coco), moved to Los Angeles. After going through so many years of hard work to earn her place as an artist, she still felt something was missing. Sometimes as her mother would say, "if it had been a snake, it would have bitten you". Her paintings almost always involve animals and everyone who knows her, knows it is the passion for working with animals that drives her to do most things. This was the part of her that was still yearning for more. The desire to grow and expand on her life long experience of working with animals was knocking at her door.
Her dogs were ageing and she became even more obsessed with caring for them. How could she increase the lifespan of breeds that are known to have a short amount of time with us? How could she keep them mentally stimulated? How could she help her neighbors and friends who had issues with their own dogs? What could she offer to the dogs around her that would improve their quality of life? Realizing that most dogs are euthanized because of behavioral issues that owners don't have an understanding of, she decided that training was the one ability she could use to help a larger number of dogs and save many more lives. The number of unwanted pets is an epidemic in this country. Pets are dropped at overcrowded shelters and most of the time, sadly, they have very little chance of sharing their love or seeing the outdoors again. This is heartbreaking to Comora. She decided that the best way she could benefit the creatures she loves so much, is to become a dog trainer. She didn't want to be just any kind of trainer. She believes that Positive Reinforcement training is the best way to have a healthy and happy relationship with your dog. When she found the perfect program in Los Angeles, she jumped at the opportunity to begin a new journey in dog training.
Comora is very passionate about her work with dogs. She has witnessed the rewards of positive reinforcement training and wants to help others experience the rewarding relationship you can have with your dog.
Comora is embarking on a new path with a new friend. After losing her beloved friends Vegas (11 year old Great Dane) and Bolliver (13 ½ year old Boxer/ English Bulldog mix) this year to old age, she has a new friend to share her passion and love with. She is now the proud momma of Archie, a young standard poodle. Archie has given her a lot of practice working with fearful dogs. He was terrified of people, the vacuum cleaner, the stairs, the cat, you name it, he was afraid of it. Through Positive Reinforcement he has become bolder and more confident everyday. She is so thankful to have him in her life and the ability to give him the reassurance and confidence he needs to enjoy the world with her.
Kitty is a native Houstonian and graduated with a BA from the University of Texas at Austin. After returning to Houston upon graduating, she taught 8th grade for three years and volunteered at animal shelters every free moment she had.
Kitty realized her true passion was working with animals, so she gave up her teaching position for a chance to work at the Houston SPCA, and began dog sitting and dog walking on the side. The harsh realities of the shelter led Kitty to realize that better and earlier dog training might lead to less dogs being surrendered daily, so she took a position at Petsmart and began their positive reinforcement/clicker-based training program to learn more about how to better guide and shape a doggie family member.
Kitty began to practice everything she learned through the program on her recently adopted Schipperke-mix, Blackberry, and took such joy in it that she realized this was what she was meant to do. Kitty taught both Puppy and Adult Obedience classes at Petsmart before being hired by Peace Love & Dogs to be a daycare attendant and assistant trainer.
At Peace Love & Dogs, Kitty was around groups of dogs 6 days a week and trained under the tutelage of one of Dr. Ian Dunbar's apprentices in positive reinforcement obedience training and puppy socialization and training. She began educating herself as much as possible through books and videos on how to best socialize and shape a dog into a calm and loving family member, using force-free training methods.
Kitty currently enjoys dog sitting in her home in Houston and providing training services through Karma Dog Training. Kitty shares her home with her five cats, her husband, her 6 year old daughter, and her two dogs. She is currently working towards her CPDT certification.
Kryst'n King's obsession with animal behavior began at a very young age. While other little girls were imagining that their Barbies were flirting with Ken or driving the Corvette, Kryst'n's were "training" toy dogs and piling them in the Barbie Corvette to go to the dog park. Her first love was a Dalmatian named Rosco who patiently helped Kryst'n begin basic obedience. A bookworm, she delved into as many books as she could get her hands on (and still does). Years later, the death of Sasha, another Dalmatian, left Kryst'n dogless for the first time. Her father brought home Rusty, a Rottweiler/Pit mix who was quite a clown and very loveable. But it was Rusty's severe dog aggression that began Kryst'n's research in something more than tricks and obedience.
Kryst'n began heavily researching solutions for Rusty's issue and his rehabilitation began. Aversive methods were outlined in so many pages. When she finally stumbled upon an excellent mentor who recommended some great books, Kryst'n eagerly began a new positive approach to Rusty's aggression. He progressed quickly and in time became a well-mannered and welcomed visitor to Petsmart and local dog parks. Eager to learn more about positive training and behavior conditioning, Kryst'n continued to research canine behavior and began training professionally in 2009.
When Zeke, a Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog joined Kryst'n's household as a young pup, she knew he would be a challenge already. Extremely timid and fearful of people, dogs, noises, and life in general, Zeke was definitely not a confident or curious pup. His puppyhood was rocky, and together they worked through separation anxiety as well as fear aggression. To most people, Zeke now seems to be a "normal dog" as he approaches strangers and offers a paw to shake. He happily lives with Kryst'n and her husband and their menagerie of other animals.
Kryst'n's training philosophy is a combination of her learnings from Patricia McConnell, Turid Rugaas, Jean Donaldson, Pamela Dennison, and six years of horse training. Although they are two very different animals, her training approach with horses and dogs are very similar and have proved successful with both. She is passionate about helping dog-aggressive and/or fearful dogs. After owning both types of dogs, she understands the tug-at-the-heartstrings moments when Cujo approaches another dog with a wagging tail, or a fraidy-cat dog actually enjoys a vet visit. It is incredibly rewarding for both the trainer and the owner and a feeling that she believes cannot be matched.
She has worked with everything from a dog herding Border Collie, to a toddler-hating Schnauzer, to a fearful Italian Greyhound mix and many more. She is a firm believer that the dog-and-owner relationship should be a partnership in which both partners enjoy working together in a stress-free manner. Along with behavior conditioning, she also thoroughly enjoys trick training and basic to advanced obedience. Her desire to find more tricks to teach her dogs led her to a dog training website in 2007 in which she quickly became a moderator. In 2012, she helped design an online training program that was launched later that year. It has been a huge success and continues to help the website grow.
Kryst'n now lives in Killeen, Texas with her husband, their five dogs (Harley, Gypsy, Mudflap, Zeke, and Daisy), Elli the cat, and their horses, Concrete and Spirit. Her spare time is often spent teaching any one of them a new trick or advancing their training, or burying her nose in yet another animal behavior book.
A native Texan, Lauren grew up in San Antonio with a menagerie of pets from cats to goats and everything in between. Her passion for training started when she was 10 and found Salt, a young Great Pyrenees/ Chow Chow mix, wandering around the streets. He was very under socialized and was afraid of everyone he met. With a lot of time and patience, Lauren won him over and they bonded closely. It was because of Salt that Lauren has a special love for fearful and nervous dogs. Once she was old enough to drive, she spent every weekend at her local Humane Society, socializing the scared and hard to adopt animals.
Lauren is always eager to learn all she can about training and behavior and attends as many seminars and conferences as she can. She also spends a lot of her spare time reading about dog behavior and how they learn. She became a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, CPDT-KA, in 2012. While studying for her certification test, she taught and assisted in as many dog sport classes as she could at the facility where she worked. Her favorite was Agility, though Domino, her Siberian Husky, seemed to prefer Nose Work.
When she isn't taking her dogs to parks and rivers or teaching them useless but fun tricks, she is probably at the Austin Humane Society. She works with dogs of all shapes, sizes and temperaments while there. A majority of her time is spent with the more difficult to adopt dogs. Lauren loves the dogs that present a challenge and works with them on all kinds of behavior modifications to make them the dog they have the potential to be.
Dave Dreyfus obtained his Certification as a Professional Dog Trainer while attending the Animal Behavior College. After educating owners and saving the lives of dogs in Connecticut, Dave relocated to Santa Monica, and is eager to help others here. He has been surrounded by dogs and enamored with them since the time he was born. His goal is simple - to help dogs and their owners live together happily. He has the perfect blend of knowledge and interpersonal skills - two important components to making a complete trainer.
Dave has volunteered for shelters and pet adoptions for many years. He is a former Humane Commissioner for the City of New Haven, CT, former Director of CUDA (Critical Urgent Donations for Animals), a wonderful non-profit organization, and was an integral part of the planning committee for Connecticut's National Pit Bull Awareness Day. His aspiration is to open a non-profit organization that will serve as the middle ground between owners of seriously-ill pets and the care that they need and deserve. He believes that in order to get to there, he needs to make his mark in the animal industry. Training is his first love - and first step. He approached each canine and human interaction as a valuable part of this journey.
Dave is married to his beautiful and loving wife, Desi, and together they share the love of Halo, their Jack Russell-mix, shown on the right in the picture with Dave. In his free time, he enjoys being with friends and family, and spending time outdoors with Halo.
Cindy Aragon has been an animal lover since childhood, growing up in a household bustling with everything from Rottweilers to reptiles. She later earned a degree in biology and pursued a career in public health, which took her across the globe to battle problems such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. While in Africa she met Coco, the perfectly imperfect dog who opened her eyes to the world of dog training and who would change her life.
After several years working overseas, Cindy returned to Los Angeles and is focusing her attention on helping people improve their relationships with their dogs through better communication and mutual understanding. Cindy believes that dog training should be fun for both dog and human, and her gentle but effective methods have made remarkable differences in dogs dealing with issues ranging from fearfulness to nasty habits.
Cindy works with clients in the San Fernando Valley, offering lessons in puppy manners, addressing behavior challenges, and teaching fun tricks. In her free time she volunteers with her local animal shelter and rescue group, fostering dogs and puppies and promoting pet adoptions. Because behavior problems are the number one reason dogs are surrendered to shelters, Cindy strives to reduce pet homelessness and euthanasia by helping puppies get off to the right start, and giving older dogs a second chance.
Born into an-all creature caring family, it was only natural for Jessey to find a career focused on helping animals. At an early age she realized how much she could learn from animals by just "listening" to them. Surrounded by pet: Toucans, Bearded Dragons, Dobermans, a Cocker Spaniel, and a Persian Cat; she developed an eye to recognize animal behavior and body language which was suggestive to their individual needs and their temperaments. After graduating high school in Thousand Oaks, she faced some of life's harder realities which resulted in her having to live in her car with her Minpin, Petrie. She knew it was up to her to fix their living situation and knew it was not going to be easy since she couldn't leave her canine companion in her vehicle for 8 hours a day while she worked. Determined to make a better life for the two of them, Jessey got a job as a kennel attendant at a veterinary hospital where Petrie was welcomed to accompany her into the kennel area as she worked. Within a few months she was able to move her and her dog out of the car and into a room that she had rented. She has come along way since then and has worked at several animal hospitals, a doggie spa, and she continues to pet sit and dog walk. She understood that her own situation could've easily resulted in another dog ending up at the shelter and so she began to explore the world of animal shelters.
She would help no kill shelters by making yearly donations to them, volunteering at a few, and placing as many animals as she could into loving homes. She even adopted a skittish chihuahua named JellyBean. The poor guy was so overwhelmed with fear that it was crippling his ability to function and live a "normal" life. He was terrified of everything and didn’t trust humans at all. After a couple of weeks in his new home, he began to show signs of relaxation when in the presence of Jessey's miniature pinscher. One day she observed JellyBean mimicking Petrie by laying on his back for a belly rub and scratching his ear ever-so slightly to encourage head petting. A lightbulb went on for Jessey and she was soon able to teach JellyBean simple training cues such as "sit" and "stay" through her interactions with Petrie. Eventually she was able to establish a trusting bond with JellyBean that would allow her to work with him alone and then gradually work with him outside. It took a lot of baby steps but when Jelly showed he was ready to progress she began to accumulate strangers into the picture by counterconditioning his apprehension. Working with fearful animals takes a lot of patience and is a big commitment but the outcome is priceless. Looking back at all of the obstacles that they had to overcome together, inspires Jessey to help other dogs and their owners who face similar challenges. It is such a rewarding experience when you are able to help a dog adapt into the best version of themselves. Jessey looks forward to helping pet owners so that they and their dog can get the most out of their companionship. She continues working with rescued dogs that display behavioral issues and educating herself by studying the works of positive reinforcement trainers such as Pat Miller and Paul Owens. She is certified in Pet First Aid and CPR and feels honored to become part of Karma’s Dog Training Team.
Taylor was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas with a full house - she is one of seven children! As such, dinner time always seemed like a party. Growing up, Taylor always loved animals, especially dogs, so she was the child always bringing home stray dogs, kittens, and even a couple injured birds. This passion for animals never wavered through the years and she knew that whatever career she chose, it would unquestionably include working with dogs!
Even in elementary school, Taylor would often set up obstacle courses in the yard with anything she could find, from trash cans to PVC pipes, and lure her dog through these homemade agility courses. Just before she started middle school, Taylor’s parents took her to a shelter to pick out a new family dog. It was there that she found the cutest (and fluffiest!) Comfort Retriever. She was the once in a lifetime perfect dog - they could not believe someone would dump her in a shelter! Her name was Lady and she immediately became Taylor’s best friend.
Lady is the wonder-pup who inspired Taylor’s passion to help others in need, and led to her volunteering at a ranch that helps disabled or special needs children and adults through hippotherapy (therapeutic and rehabilitative horseback riding). Taylor finds so much joy and happiness in helping people and animals, and by being a dog trainer, she gets the best of both worlds!
Currently, Taylor is co-leading Karma’s Plano Puppy Kindergarten classes as well as conducting private in-home training sessions, Board & Train and "Reverse" Board and Train programs. Along with Lady, Taylor trained her current personal dog, Jack, who also assists with some of her private clients!
Taylor’s main goal as a dog trainer is to teach dog parents how to be the best dog parent possible and she brings her many years of dog training experience to draw on to fulfill that worthwhile goal.
From as far back as he can remember, Mike Underdown has been convinced that there had been some sort of mix up in putting his soul into a human body. Somewhere out there was a very confused dog, wondering why he wasn't walking around on two legs and going to school.
While growing up in Tennessee, this philosophy was reinforced by a loving mother who adopted a dalmatian puppy when Mike was five years old. This puppy was Amos, and it's impossible to explain Mike's connection to dogs without talking about him.
They grew up together, side by side- (Mike's mother soon started referring to Amos as 'Mike's twin') jumping into the same mud puddles, chasing the same wild animals, and getting into equal amounts of trouble all around. Mike and his mother embraced the belief that family was not and would never be a species-exclusive word.
Their connection was soon put to the test and the idea of this 'family' was irrevocably solidified for all time. Mike was diagnosed with cancer at age 7. There was a major surgery, 3 weeks in the hospital, and seemingly endless rounds of chemo therapy. During his hospital stay, the rules were bent so Mike could see his 'brother'. They wheeled him outside on a bright day in June and Amos leapt around him in circles, licking his face and causing a lot of chaos among the nurses. From this point on, Amos was no longer a pet- he was a pillar that Mike and his mother leaned on. Amos was always there- asking for nothing in return but to be close to those he loved and guarded.
Needless to say, this had a profound effect on Mike. He continued to become more involved with dogs- pet sitting around the neighborhood and dog walking. It wasn't until his senior year of high school that he became very interested in dog behavior. A competition in his Ecology class offered the reward of getting to visit a small wolf pack being fostered in the Tennessee Hills around his home. He was the only student that made a full-blown class presentation about why he should go, so the reward was his- During the visit, Mike recognized movements in the wolves that he'd seen in dogs for ages. At that moment, it really clicked- this is where dogs came from. and, at that, they weren't too far removed from this origin after all.
He continued to volunteer with the wolf pack until they were relocated. Mike also continued to study dogs on his own, but it wasn't until LA that he received the chance to really learn from them again. In 2007, he became an employee of Wagville, a dog care/training facility in East LA. The job started slowly, but soon Mike was tossed into the deep end. Over the next two years, Mike learned more about body language, communication, and problem solving than he had anywhere else. Each dog presented a new lesson- the most important through-line of them all being Patience. He became involved in rescue efforts ranging from: driving a pit bull named Bosco up to Ohai, California to meet a family- and then picking him up when it didn't work out; taking part in a community outreach program that informed neighbors on the benefits/necessities of spaying/neutering; and many other rescue opportunities that came up either through his work or through his community. From 2009 to current, Mike applied the lessons he learned at Wagville to more pet sitting and walking, as well as assisting volunteers at his local shelter.
In 2012, Mike was finally introduced to Karma's positive reinforcement training- and there has never been anything else that made so much sense. He continues to study and learn from Eric Weise, his connection to Karma. He is currently assisting in the weekend puppy classes and branching out into more training and boarding opportunities. Secretly, Mike is still convinced that he'll wake up with a fur coat and paws instead of these silly hand-things.
Lydia's passion for dogs has been an ever-present force in her life. It began with a deep connection to her childhood dog and best friend, Harry. Their bond reinforced Lydia's intrinsic need to give love and guidance to all animals (especially those of the canine variety!)
Lydia began her professional career by working at Paws Pet Resort, one of the top dog daycares in Orange County. While there Lydia had the opportunity to explore her passion for dogs and work with a high- end clientele. Lydia quickly rose through the ranks and became the top assistant to the head trainer who introduced her to positive reinforcement. From that moment on she had an insatiable hunger for knowledge on all things dog and training related. She read every book and article she could get her hands on. She spent the next year applying her newfound knowledge to the pack of 60 dogs that she would guide.
Since her relocation to Los Angeles, Lydia has been working for Karma as a trainer, and more recently as the Director of Public Relations. In February 2016 Lydia adopted her second dog, Traeger, who had some fear and anxiety issues. Through working together, Lydia and Traeger were able to develop a strong bond, learn many fun tricks, and build his confidence. This solidified, in her mind, that positive reinforcement, patience, and love is the best way to achieve success.
Lydia specializes in new puppy set-up, basic obedience, specialty tricks, leash excitement, socialization, and resource guarding.
It is her life's purpose to act as the translator between dogs and their humans. Every day of training is a new adventure for her that she cannot wait to embark on with you and your beloved pet!
Growing up as an only child in Maine, Nici’s passion and adoration for animals began at a very young age. Her grandparents’ outdoor dog was her constant companion- splashing in the lake, dashing across the yard, basking in the sun, and traipsing through the forest; Brandy chomping protectively at any bee that dare near them, Nici found in the canine kind the ideal best friend and kindred spirit. While working to convince her mother to allow her a puppy of her own, Nici joyfully raised a bunny and a chinchilla. When the chinchilla passed early and suddenly of respiratory problems when Nici was 11, her mom granted her greatest wish: a pair of Malamute/Wolf mix puppies.
Through these two soulful sisters Nici learned patience, compassion, commitment, communion and loyalty. She also developed an innate ability to meet a dog at it’s level, see it’s soul and know it’s heart. It was also her relationship with these two beautiful beings that first made her aware of BSL when Maine passed a law discriminating against wolf hybrids, claiming there was no proof rabies vaccinations worked on them. Nici was aghast- and though she didn’t know it, a seed was planted.
As Nici grew so did her love for animals. She built a habit of forming a relationship with all of her friends’ family pets and began to find she felt the strongest bond with large canine breeds stereotyped as mean or aggressive. (One such example was a friend’s Doberman Pinscher, who Nici joked multiple years was her Valentine.) This fact was further cemented in college when she met her first Pit Bull - an adorable little goofball named Zeus - whose pet parent had rescued him from being put down for refusing to be trained to be vicious. The gentle beast’s glowing spirit, radiant love and docile nature - in light of and despite the atrocities he had suffered - stole Nici’s heart and left a paw print on her soul. Nici became aware again of BSL around this time and began to realize her life’s purpose was in helping to make a change. The deal was sealed a short time later when she fell for and moved in with a boy and his sassy rednose Pit pup. Pitbull type dogs were officially Nici’s "breed" of choice and she would soon dedicate her life to ending breed prejudice for all targeted breeds.
Nici’s dog family quickly grew to three; LowD the rednose Pit, Lockford the rednose Staffy, and LowD’s son Dub, the Catahoula/Pitbull were her own pack where she honed her training skills, reveling in the opportunity to observe pack behavior and how dogs communicate with one another. She became highly adept at canine communication through this observation and mediating her boys’ jealousy over her. Eventually she found she could have complex conversations with all dogs and moved on to mediate her friends’ interrelationships with their dogs with a high rate of success. As Nici’s skills grew, so did her popularity with dogs - reaching a point where she became frequently singled out and approached in public by unknown dogs with something to communicate, an ache that needed attention, or just to share space - much to the amusement of her friends and the nearby pet parents.
Nici sees dogs as she sees humans- as individuals with specific needs, desires and personalities. She believes that dogs are our most dedicated and selfless servants and companions - pure light beings that help us maintain our connection to nature and our own highest potential - and that they deserve love, respect, understanding, and patience far greater than that they often receive. She finds a healthy and strong bond between pet and parent to be one of the most beautiful and rewarding experiences in this life and enjoys helping people and their pooches achieve that level of connection, comfort and understanding. She has a special love and affinity for targeted, large, and misunderstood breeds. It is her lifelong dream to found one to three rescues to serve targeted breeds and fight BSL. She has a positive, supportive, patient and compassionate approach with dogs and their humans alike.
Melissa has always known that she wanted to work with animals. In kindergarten, when asked the question, "What would you like to be when you grow up?" Melissa would always answer, " A veterinarian!" Although Melissa has changed her career goal, she has not lost sight of why she wanted to be a veterinarian in the first place, and that is to help animals in any way she possibly could.
Melissa’s was given her first puppy, a minipoo named Kussie, at age 10. Although Melissa did not know much about dog training as a young girl she worked with her pup to get her house trained by keeping and eye on her every sniff and taking her outside whenever it looked liked her pup need to wee. Melissa and Kussie (she’s 15 years old now) still enjoy cuddling and playing outside. Kussie has inspired Melissa throughout the years to dedicate her life towards helping pups everywhere.
In 2010 Melissa began her college career at UC Santa Cruz where she double majored in Psychology and Anthropology. In 2012, Melissa became a volunteer at the Marine Mammal Physiology Project, which is a volunteer program offered by UC Santa Cruz allowing students to work with and train marine mammals. Melissa began as a husbandry volunteer at the project where she learned what it takes to take care of large exotic mammals. After a year Melissa was given the opportunity to attend an animal training lecture series offered by the Marine Mammal Physiology Project. The ten-week course covered the basics of positive reinforcement training methods and hands on experience allowed Melissa to grow as a trainer. Melissa volunteered at the project for three years and was an assistant marine mammal trainer for two years. Through animal training, Melissa found her new passion and a new exciting way to help animals live better and less stress filled lives.
During Melissa’s senior year of college, she became a professional dog bather at PetSmart. Other than volunteering at the Santa Cruz Animals Shelter, PetSmart was a place where Melissa was exposed to a variety of dog behavior. Melissa noticed how stressed some pups became when they entered the grooming salon and worked with them as best as she could to make their experience at the salon less stressful. Melissa enjoyed working with the pups at the grooming salon, although at times it would be tough, she would always put the animals’ health and safety first.
Melissa is a recent college graduate and has moved back to Southern California with her pups Kussie and Bruzer (a pitty pup). For the future Melissa plans on continuing her education and finding other ways to work with animals.
In her free time Melissa likes to play tennis, paint, cook, and hangout with family and friends. Melissa is fluent in English and Spanish.
Laura Fennell has dogs professionally for more than 10 years. Her initial focus, which was competitive obedience, expanded into other dog sports as well as pet dog training and resolving common behavior problems. In addition to a 3-year dog training apprenticeship, Laura has attended workshops, seminars, and conferences focused on dog training and behavior from trainers and behaviorists such as Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar, Suzanne Clothier, Kathy Sdao, Terry Ryan, Pat Miller, Patricia McConnell, and Karen Pryor. In February 2014, Laura will complete her certified professional pet sitter certification (CPPS) from Pet Sitters International.
Laura particularly enjoys working with clients in training shy and under-socialized dogs. She also likes helping people with high-energy dogs find ways to meet their dogs' needs through training and counseling. More than anything, she loves to help people find new ways to have fun with their dogs.
Lalanya Maestas was born and raised in California among an absolute menagerie. Among her beloved childhood pets included Dude the Afghan, Christy the cat, BBQ the alleged miniature pig, Boozer the miracle dog and Whiner the horse.
After doing pet sitting for nearly ten years, Lalanya moved to Austin in October 2008 to complete a dog training internship with Karma Dog. She graduated with excellent marks from Animal Behavior College and trained directly alongside Founder of Karma Dog, Jeffrey Brian, for over 6 months as his assistant in his puppy and group classes.
Since that time, Lanlanya has spent two years teaching puppy kindergarten and basic obedience classes to all different types of breeds. Additionally, Lalanya has become a student of Tallgrass Acupressure for animals.
When Lalanya is not doing dog things, she spends her time bicycling, doing yoga, exploring Austin with her family of five and adoring her dogs Milla Cacao and Dr. Gonzo.
Raised and educated in Southern California, Valli Aman has an ABCDT Degree from Animal Behavior College, is Mentor Trainer for Animal Behavior College students, Trainer for the East Valley Shelter Dog Training Program, writer for Valley Scene's PetPourie Section and a Professional Member of APDT (#74601), IACP (#P-4049), and ASPCA. She also has a lifetime of knowledge and study into metaphysical and spiritual thought.
Producer/Host of the 15 year Radio and Television project "Visions", as Human Potential Reporter, she interviewed and studied with over 1500 New Age and Human Potential experts, including the Dalai Lama, Ram Dass, Bhaghavan Dass and Ted Andrews (Animal Speak).
"I've done so many things in my life, known so many people, sat in the "seat of the learner" and become more humble over time to the vastness of energy! It is to this basic understanding and vibration that I work with dogs. I am placed in a perfect position to help animals and to understand stresses that go along in the life of the human as it relates to pet ownership."
Structure, Focus, Consistency, Calm, Breathing, Listening, Timing, and Love. These are the qualities that Valli says makes her successful with dogs.
"It seems that love has jettisoned me into a career as a "dog intuit" according to clients who tell me that. I am told, after most first visits, that there is a transformative effect on the dog or pup immediately. All I am doing is breathing, feeling and listening to what the dog really is trying to tell us, taking time, training and making minor corrections in behavior. I do what I can to facilitate what we all can do which is understand what another living being truly needs to be happy in all its simplicity."
When Valli is not training dogs, she spends her time photographing dogs as she is also the creator and owner of Visions Photography, a Pet Photography service.
All her life Jericha Griffin has felt a particular kinship with animals of all kinds. Growing up an only child in Las Vegas, it was the four family cats and dog, Ellie, with whom she happily kept company. When she was ten, Jericha got to live so many little girls dream of getting her very own horse. She continued to ride in shows and small rodeos through high school, spent mostly in Twin Falls, Idaho. Within months of getting her drivers license, she began to trek two hours north each weekend to intern at the Boise Zoo, where she was blessed to work with gifted trainers and handlers, not to mention animals ranging from porcupine to panther - the big cats being a favorite.
The Griffin family menagerie had grown to five cats, three dogs and two horses when Jericha began a new adventure - raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Through Guide Dogs, she earned a skill set of tools and a consistent, practical approach to dog training. Working with both groups and individual pups, she was able to work through a large variety of behavior issues with large breeds such as labradors and shepherds. Somehow, in the midst of it all, Jericha was convinced by her best friend that they should audition for the school play. The theater teacher called her a natural, gave her a lead, and that was it - the acting bug had bit.
Circumstances prompted a move back to Las Vegas, and Jericha continued her education at the University of Nevada, declaring a major in Film with a minor in Behavioral Psychology. That little bug had taken a pretty big bite though, and she left college for LA just six credits short--math just isn't much her forte, is the thing. Having worked a few years in various positions throughout the film industry, Jericha decided to turn back to something with a little more heart - dogs.
Today, Jericha is one of LA's top Basic Obedience and Puppy Trainers and is in charge of the Karma Dog Glendale and Burbank Puppy Kindergarten Program. She is also a go to trainer for Karma Dog's Board & Train program, as clients consider Jericha to be an outstanding teacher and guide when they need their little one cared for and trained while they are away.
Jericha eagerly continues her education through reading the best dog books in the world, as well as attending seminars from industry leaders. She finds the most joy however, in learning hands-on with friends of the four-footed variety; always ready to figure out what that dog needs to get where their two-legged friends need them. She loves nothing more than a happy dog with a happy owner.
Jericha shares her home and life with two very happy dogs of her own, a chihuahua, Buffy, and a cocker spaniel, Chandler.
Rita Bolla-Lapinel is a Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant, using positive reinforcement training techniques only. She is a member of the American Pet Dog Trainer Association, AKC CGC evaluator, certified in Animal First Aid and CPR and a Mentor Trainer for Animal Behavior College as well as "Teacher Trainer" at the Karma Dog Training Apprentice Program.
Rita was born in Budapest, Hungary, where she studied Visual Art and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2009. Her deep love for animals began at a tender age, for she was lucky enough to be raised with a rescue dogs and cats. In 2006, she officially started her career in the animal world at a local shelter in Budapest.
Upon arriving in New York City in 2010, she jumped into the Dog Training and Walking business as she subsequently studied positive reinforcement training techniques at the Animal Behavior College. Shortly thereafter, she moved to California with her partner and their two rescued pooches. Since that time, Rita has provided her professional dog training services in both San Diego and Los Angeles. She works with all kinds of dogs, regardless of breed, age and issue. Her focus is always on communication and understanding.
In her spare time, Rita continues her painting, volunteers at Lucky Pup Dog Rescue and never stops reading training books. She is truly inspired by the training philosophy of Patricia McConnell, Karen Pryor and Dr. Sophia Yin, as well as the training techniques of Leslie McDevitt or Emily Larham.
Michael P. Alden, an El Paso, Texas native, loves working with all types of dogs. Big, small, aggressive, shy, even big goofy dogs are a joy to work with according to Michael. "Any kind is just fine with me," he says with a big smile.
Michael first got his professional start with animals in 2004 when he volunteered with Animal Rescue League. In 2005, they offered him a full-time position based on the number of lives saved and professionalism exhibited. In December 2009, Michael excelled in his first professional pet training course in California, which lead to his hiring at Petsmart.
Due to his determination and strong work ethic, during his career at Petsmart, Michael quickly moved up the ranks to Head of the Training Department and was nominated for Area Pet Trainer. He also worked directly with the Canine Good Citizenship program and was trained in how to administer the "CGC" test. As Michael puts in, "I think there is always room to grow and I love learning new things."
Throughout this time, Michael studied many different dog breeds and their contrasting behaviors. His goal was to better understand each individual animal as best he can. This helps today as he thrives within the context of Karma Dog Training's Reverse Board and Train program.
Michael currently works on specialized therapy dog training with his yellow Labrador, Addison. He lives in Austin, TX.
Kelly Dies was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California where her passion for dogs began after she got her first dog at the age of five. Since then, she has always had all kinds of different types of dogs in her life. Kelly started training her family dogs when she was just twelve years old by enrolling in classes at a local park. In her very first dog training class, she received a trophy at the end of the six week course to represent the dog and owner who excelled the most in the program. This experience sparked her passion and interest in the training of dogs and how they learn.
As a young adult, Kelly continued to follow her passion for animals by taking a job at a local pet store and shortly thereafter, at a local animal hospital. With these experiences, she gained valuable knowledge about healthy foods, medications and also how to care for dogs with various medical issues. Continuing to pursue her interest in dog training, she took it the next level by working at DoggieTown U.S.A., a local doggie daycare , as a kennel attendant/supervisor for four years. It was there Kelly learned about canine behaviors in a social environment, as well as in controlled settings. Kelly went on to become a "Police Explorer" for the city of Westminster where she volunteered countless hours of her time in the interest of becoming a K-9 Police Officer. She was promoted to Captain of the Police Explorer program and during the four years she was there, Kelly learned how to be a true leader of dogs and a compassionate teacher to pet parents. Sadly, after tragically losing her two dogs due to serious behavioral issues, Kelly dove head on into learning the behavioral aspects and training of dogs so that no one else would have to be put through the same pain she had experienced.
In 2008, she enrolled at Animal Behavior College, where she learned about the various positive dog training methods, as well as the many great trainers in the dog world. After finishing the accredited program, she began working under a successful Los Angeles-based trainer shadowing in-home basic training sessions, as well as running her own basic obedience class. Soon after, Kelly then began working as a dog trainer at a very large dog daycare in Orange County. During her two years there, she was able to learn the mechanics of clicker training, how to train tricks, training for special needs clients and how to resolve behavior issues such as resource guarding and separation anxiety.
Kelly has been inspired along her journey by an extensive list of trainers/authors such as Terry Ryan, Pamela J. Reid, Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Dr Ian Dunbar and Caesar Milan. She is now applying the experience and knowledge she has obtained over the years to to help clients and their dogs live in harmony. She is thrilled to be a valued member of the Karma Dog team and believes each new dog she meets continues to further her skills as a trainer.
Fun-loving and energetic, Lindsay Dye has always had a strong connection with nature. Not permitted to own a dog as a child, she acquired an intense fascination and appreciation for all animals, owning fish, a hamster, a turtle, a rat, a cockatiel, three cats and a sugar glider. At 19, she adopted an under-socialized Australian Shepherd, named Rusty Bear, who became her best friend, personal shadow and inspiration. Moved by this strong canine/human bond, Lindsay dedicated her entire life and career path to helping others improve and maintain a healthy relationship with their dogs.
Lindsay graduated from the Taurus Training Apprentice Program in 2007 where she also acquired status as a Level II Certified Advanced Pet Care Technician through Pet Care Services Association. In addition, she is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (#78334) and has graduated from Animal Behavior College. She is also near completion of receiving certification from the Council of Pet Dog Trainers. With over 4 years experience in the Austin animal community, she is is a strong believer that any animal can be trained with motivation, love, and patience
In addition to her Australian Shepherd Rusty Bear, Lindsay's family includes a rescued Hairless Chinese Crested named Jack Jack, a rescued Brussels Griffon mix named Wooly Bully, and a toilet trained feline named Damien. An avid vegan and lover of the earth, Lindsay wishes to make a positive impact on the world, one paw at a time.
Heather Mesmer always had a special attachment to dogs from the time she could walk. On her 12th birthday, her mom got her the best gift that she ever received: a puppy from the animal shelter. She named this puppy Mandy and the two of them entered obedience classes. Heather learned how training could bond a human and canine, and quickly became immersed in the world of conformation shows, junior showmanship, and competitive obedience. Her first show dog, an Australian shepherd named Violet, had extreme fear issues. For the time she was with Heather, however, she gained confidence and overcame many of her problems.
It was Heather’s next dog, a German shepherd named Jayde, that changed the way Heather looked at dogs forever. Jayde and Heather joined a YouTube group of agility juniors, took obedience classes, and learned together. It was with Jayde that Heather learned the power of positive reinforcement and a true connection with a dog rather than just how to control a dog. Together they competed in obedience, agility, and trick training before Jayde passed away from a heart condition. In her relationship with Jayde, Heather learned how deep a connection can get with a dog, a connection not set on leashes, punishment, or coercion.
Heather has a Bachelor in biopsychology. She plans to work toward the prestigious CPDT (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She is also certified in basic dog first aid and CPR, and is always looking for opportunities to extend her knowledge base. Heather’s passion is to show others what true communication with a dog can do for the human-canine bond, and to learn as much as possible from each individual canine she comes into contact with. She believes there is no creature on Earth as kind, loving, and soulful as the dog.
In her non-dog time, Heather loves photography, reading, and coffee. She provides a foster home for German shepherds in need from the Front Range German Shepherd Rescue and attends agility classes weekly with her current German shepherd, Hawkeye. She also volunteered as a dog walker and dog photographer at the Siouxland Humane Society in Sioux City, IA, and the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs, CO.
Kayleigh was born and raised in Hermosa Beach and for as long as she could remember, her love for dogs was the driving force behind what would turn into a lifelong curiosity and admiration for animals of all sizes. She was the child asking every skateboarder on the strand and jogger on the beach if she could pet their beloved companions.
Although her home was always riddled with guinea pigs, hamsters, hermit crabs, and fish-there was a void in her heart that only a dog could fill. Her dream of becoming a dog-owner finally came true in adulthood when she rescued her two furbabies, one a rambunctious Terrier-mix, and the other a majestic Husky. Those two opened her eyes to the importance of the human-canine bond and utilization of positive reinforcement to bring trust and understanding to that sacred relationship. Since then, her home has always been open to strays and lost dogs looking to find their way home. She keeps an extra leash and bag of treats handy in her car at all times, should she happen to encounter an animal in need while she’s out and about. After rescuing her two previously-stray pups and experiencing the unconditional love and grateful energy they exuded, it's impossible for her to bypass any animal in need. She swears there is no greater joy than finding the homes of lost and lonely pups, or even better, a forever family for a stray to join.
However, her love for our four-legged friends reached beyond the walls of her home. Wanting to give back to the facilities that united her with her two best friends, she began volunteering at local shelters. The number of owner-surrenders due to behavioral issues and cases involving physical abuse broke her heart. This is also where she developed a soft-spot for the bully-breeds, seeing how they were often misunderstood or misused by people who hadn’t yet found their compassion and understanding for animals. This experience truly solidified her decision to dedicate herself to becoming more educated in positive-reinforcement training and a non-violent approach to behavior modification so that these unfortunate cases could be prevented.
Kayleigh graduated from a dog-grooming program in 2015 where she was lucky enough to work with breeds of all shapes, sizes, and personalities while learning extensively about animal handling and breed history. This sparked her academic interest and since then she has earned certificates in Animal Behavior and Welfare, Dog Cognition, and Pet Nutrition and has begun to build her own personal library on any and all topics canine-related.
Currently, she is an Animal Science Major and is completing her prerequisites to join the pre-vet-med program at Pierce College. She is overjoyed to have taken the first few steps in the long path to eventually graduating Medical School as a veterinarian. She believes that there is no limit to what our animals can teach us once we bridge the species gap and learn to speak the same language.
She is very excited to assist in the training classes and proud to be a member of Karma Dog Training. She counts herself as lucky to have found a company that shares her views about always keeping a peaceful approach when working with man’s best friend and truly treating them as part of the family, because they deserve nothing less.
Sofia has always been so grateful to being fortunate enough to be raised around her amazing horses and farm animals. Little did she know that loving, caring and training one of nature's most amazing gifts to human kind will become her passion and lifestyle.
Sofia moved to United States from Russia when she was 10 years young and the first thing on her list was to get a dog. Luckily, Sofia's parents understood her passion and did not hesitate to fulfill the strong desire of caring for her four legged best friend. It was evident to her family that Sofia was going to dedicate her life to her beloved dogs and not excluding her love for horses. Now she is doing exactly that, fulfilling her purpose in this lifetime.
Sofia dedicated the majority of her time and energy studying dog psychology, behavior, and positive reinforcement training. She was greatly inspired by positive reinforcement trainers such as Pat Miller, Victoria Stilwell and many others. To excel and polish up her skills and knowledge Sofia went on to completing Animal Behavior College and becoming a certified dog trainer. Sofia continued to volunteer in rescue and animal shelters in an effort to give the dogs a chance at having a family and escaping the unfair regulations of euthanasia.
Sofia feels that discovering Karma Dog Training is a true treasure, she strongly believes that the universe had led her to this point. All of her life experiences with animals she is now able to utilize in a greater and more broader aspects. She also lives by the philosophy that with Love, Patience and Positive approach to training there are far greater and lasting results. It does not stop with dogs though, she uses the same philosophy with her two boys ages 6 and 20 months and it works wonders for her.
Sofia feels extremely blessed to have the opportunity to pursue her passion and work in a positive environment filled with fun, challenges and rewards. Sofia is driven by the rewarding outcome when she helps humans connect and understand their dog's behavior thereby, allowing training and caring for their furry family member to become a joyous experience.
Chelsea Joubert has carried a life-long love of animals, wanting from the age of 5 to be a vet. Although that dream was crushed after attempting to dissect a frog in 7th grade, her desire to work with animals never ceased. She grew up with one dog, a rescued Siberian husky who was brought into the local Humane Society as a wild stray and put into a program to be rehabilitated. When her family finally adopted him, he was the most polite dog she'd ever seen. This was her first glimpse of the wonderful world of dog training. Since then she independently studied dog training tricks and tools through high school, consulting resources from books, TV, and occasionally from a working certified professional.
After entering college with a major in Performance Theatre and a minor in History, she volunteered for the Capitol Humane Society in Lincoln, Nebraska where she learned the importance of TLC, health concerns, and basic handling for cats and canines alike. In the last two years of college, she pursued it further, practicing with her own pet (proving that an old dog can learn new tricks) and taking animal behavior classes. From here, her knowledge bloomed from studying zoo animals, educating herself on animal mentality, and learning the breed standards and life stages of companion animals. The subjects included mice, cats, reptiles, dogs, ferrets, etc., and she was able to work hands-on with many of them. She aced the class and surged on forward.
After graduating, she spent almost a year volunteering for the Taysia Blue Siberian Husky Rescue, fostering four neglected dogs with behavioral concerns ranging from shyness, pathological fear, and severe lack of focus and discipline. She spent most of her days working with them on basic training and doggy manners. She found success in this, having all 4 fosters go on to new, permanent homes, and decided to pursue it further, along with other passions, in Los Angeles. Her desire is to become a behavior adjustment instructor and aid troubled dogs through rehabilitation for a much-deserved second chance; the same one her dog was fortunate enough to receive, and one she is forever grateful for.
Levi Moore was born and raised on a 500 acre farm in Kansas far from the city. Levi started working with animals as early as he can remember; taming all the barn kittens so they would be socialized and ready for adoption was his first task that came rather frequently.
Living in the country it was easier for a lot of people to release their dogs into the wild rather than taking them to a shelter or even a vet. This meant that there were quite a few dogs that would wander up onto Levis parents’ property. Levi and his family would then take in these dogs as their own and give them a loving home, these dogs ranged from an old Irish setter that only had a few month to live to an unruly Labrador-chow chow mix named Christmas (who arrived at his house a few days before Christmas in 2002). Levi’s first puppy was a Border collie named Sweetie, she came into his family in the year 2000 when Levi was 8 years old. Levi spent most of his time hanging out with Sweetie and Christmas; during the days he would go on hikes through the woods, by the creek and through the plains spending countless hours roaming the land playing fetch and finding serenity within nature and the love with his animals.
Levi went to College in Kansas and got his Associates degree in Liberal Arts before moving to Los Angeles to achieve his Bachelor’s Degree in Viticulture and Oenology (Winemaking). The first thing Levi did when he moved to LA was adopt his German shepherd named Desmond. Levi then was hired as a Pet Trainer for Pet Smart in 2013. This is where he was able to learn canine behavior, and the true power of positive reinforcement training. Levi loves working with all breeds. Levi strives to achieve a balance of happiness in a family’s house. He believes that dogs are not pets, they are family.
Ariana is a proud new member of the Karma Dog team! Born into an animal loving, holistic minded family, Ariana has always been an avid advocate for positivity training, organic food for humans and animals alike, as well as alternative treatment. Her late labrador Schatzi was a certified animal therapy dog, and together, Ariana and Schatzi traveled to hospitals, retirement homes, and centers for the mentally disabled bringing smiles to everyone! She continues to volunteer at animal shelters around Los Angeles and is the proud owner of a five year old dachshund named Ludwig. Ariana is delighted to be a part of sharing Karma’s unique values and teachings with you!
Melanie has a unique and creative energy that has fostered her spiritual and intuitive connection to the animal world since she was a very young child. She spent most of her youth growing up in Houston Texas, surrounded by both domestic and exotic animals. She has owned dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs, birds, lizards, turtles and she even hand-reared a baby squirrel! Through out her life she has continually surrounded herself with nature and animals small and large. She has a long history of professional experience in the animal field particularly with dogs, cats and horses.
Starting at Kearny Mesa Veterinary Center directly out of high school, Melanie worked as a veterinary technician assistant for 5 years. While she attended college at the Art Institute of California where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design and a Bachelor’s in Advertising. Upon graduation she worked in the commercial art field, but all the while she remembered feeling something missing in her life. Her passion for the natural world began tugging at her heart again and she decided to devote herself to learning everything she could about the relationships that humans share with the special animals that enrich their lives. Ever since then, she has directed her creative and problem-solving energies to the handling and the study of man’s best friend.
She began working at a canine boarding & daycare facility where she structured and supervised large play groups of dogs and also began practicing basic obedience training with the dogs in her care at the facility. She began to study canine group socialization and realized the facet intriguing her most was the dog-to-dog communication and the communication between canines and their owners. Her driving focus then became to master the art of Dog-Human Communication. She adopted a two and a half year-old greyhound who was a retired racing dog from Arizona. His name was "Zero." She began training and socially conditioning him to every aspect of his very new life as a pet. In the beginning of his life with Melanie, Zero wouldn't approach or walk on a flight of stairs. As of today Zero has been sailing on boats, hiking mountains, and is now CGC certified! Zero and Melanie are now in the process of becoming certified by Therapy Dogs International (TDI) and are visiting hospitals together so that Zero can serve as a companion animal and put smiles on the faces of people who so very much appreciate his affection.
In 2008, Melanie became a groomer’s assistant and began learning all there was to know about brushing/bathing/washing/drying/trimming and proper care associated with all breeds of dog. She began to apply her knowledge of handling and training techniques to her job and within a short time she began grooming professionally, which in addition to the training she currently does for Karma Dog, she has been doing for the past 5 years. Known for her ability to positively affect the behaviors of "difficult or fearful" dogs and puppies, she became a standout individual in the professional world of grooming. A common thread holds her separate experiences together, making her an unusual "breed" of trainer - she has always had her heart focused on the training aspect of her many opportunities to work with the animals she adores.
She has spent a lot of time studying the signals, sounds and body language of dogs. Her intuitive ability to understand the canine’s communication and social systems, has allowed her to successfully apply her comprehensive knowledge to many different areas of the Dog-Human relationship spectrum. She enjoys thinking outside of the box when it comes to implementing creative solutions for behavior modification and socialization. She also finds the greatest satisfaction in helping owners to understand their dog's language and strengthening the bond between dog and owner.
Shayla Moss was born and raised in Southern California and has grown up surrounded by animals of all shapes and sizes including dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles, and hamsters. Her mother was always a huge animal lover, having lived on a farm, which in turn made Shayla an animal lover as well.
Since Shayla was a child, stray dogs would randomly show up in front of the family yard as if they knew that was the place where they would be loved, cared for and sheltered from the unpredictability of life on the streets. Her mother would always take them in and try to find them a good home but that didn’t always work out, so the family would end up keeping them. They could not imagine letting them end up without a loving home so they’d end up becoming a part of the family and of course, they would end up falling madly in love with each and every one of them. All of their dogs that are part of their family now, have been rescued from the streets, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
After receiving her high school diploma from North Hollywood Zoo Magnet in 2005, Shayla found herself instilled with a solid understanding of animals in terms of feeding habits, pack tendencies, female courtship and animal cues interpretation. In addition she took animal science related specialty classes, including Marine Biology and Animal behavioral Studies.
After high school Shayla went on to do numerous pet sitting and walking jobs, working at a dog daycare/boarding facility and then on to dog training at a location in Canoga Park. She learned the importance of dog obedience and discovered the satisfaction of knowing that she is helping shape a better behaved dog by giving the owner an understanding of their four legged life companion. She approaches her work with patience and dedication.
"Dogs and animals in general have special needs and I realize different dogs have different needs as well. Knowing this and catering to each dog’s needs has made me a successful animal communicator. Simply put, being in an environment with animals, especially dogs, has always made me the happiest. I believe it is a blessing and as a result, my talent for understanding and caring for them followed suit."
Shayla is currently working to earn the CPDT Certification and hopes to expand into working with and training therapy and search and rescue dogs.
Lauren has been passionate about animals her entire life. She grew up in a home where strays were given a forever home with a loving family. Lauren has always felt that dogs teach us valuable lessons with their unconditional love and kindness. Because of this, she has dedicated her life to bettering the lives of animals.
Lauren rescued two Lhasa Ahpsos, Charlie and Lucy, her junior year in high school. As puppies they had been dropped off in a ditch in the freezing rain. Two years after rescuing Charlie and Lucy, Lauren rescued Obi Wan Kenobi. Obi was fostered by Lauren’s in laws for a year until she could find a home for him. Lauren decided she couldn’t imagine life without Obi and he is now 3 and living life to the fullest with her.
Lauren found her love for training dogs after rescuing her heeler mix, Daisy. She found Daisy in a parking lot in bad condition. Lauren took her home and gave her a new life. Daisy had severe separation anxiety and was fearful of new people and other dogs. Using positive reinforcement training Lauren was able to completely rehabilitate Daisy. This experience showed Lauren that helping a dog make a positive turn around was the most rewarding experience possible. Daisy is now a well-adjusted and happy member of Lauren’s family.
Before working with animals, Lauren went to school to study nursing. Lauren worked as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant at Baylor All Saints Medical Center on the Transplant floor. She has since changed her career path and decided to focus all of her energy on working with dogs. She loved working with her patients and watching them get better, but she has found her love for her furry friends outweighs her desire to become a nurse.
Lauren lives in Azle, Texas with her four dogs. In her spare time she enjoys going camping with her fur babies, going on walks, reading a good book, and spending as much time outside as she can.
Chelsea Brown has been a dog lover since she was a little girl. She had two Miniature Schnauzers growing up, along with fish, turtles, bunnies, hamsters and a cat. Chelsea was raised mainly on the East coast, living in 5 states over the course of a few years. Moving around so much at a young age was difficult at the time, but in the long run it gave her great social skills and she sought friendship in her pets.
When Chelsea was a teenager she adopted a Lab mix named Sydney from the Santa Barbara Humane Society shortly after her family moved back to California. Sydney brought so much joy and happiness into Chelsea's life and her family's life as well. She worked day and night to train her new family member. Teaching Sydney right from wrong in a very calm, kind and loving environment gave Chelsea a very satisfying and rewarding feeling. Chelsea hopes to help many other dogs connect and bond with their owners so they too can experience life's simplest pleasures as man and best friend unite.
While attending college for Vocational Nursing, Chelsea realized her calling was not in nursing, but in helping people and their beloved animals. She is currently registered at Palomar College to complete her studies in Zoology. Chelsea will be assisting in the Puppy Training Classes and has a great desire for learning more in this field of work and will be attending upcoming informational classes and seminars.
Katherine Gronseth assists training classes at Karma Dog Training. As a Colorado native, she has always enjoyed the outdoors and has naturally formed a connection with all things living. She has been an animal enthusiast since she was very young. Since she can remember she as felt a spiritual connection with them, and has a strong passion for helping animals receive the love, care, and leadership they deserve. At the age of six she got her first family dog, a brown lab named Bo, and was immediately in love with him. The pair grew to be best friends and she was amazed at the unconditional love he was willing to give.
As she grew older she began attending camps and caring for horses, eager for horseback rides and grooming whenever she could. As she worked with Bo and the horses she recognized how each animal had a unique personality that affected the way they learn. When she was thirteen Katherine began pet-sitting and walking dogs, which she still continues today. After spending more time with dogs she realized they were her true calling.
Karma Dog Training has provided her with an expansion of knowledge in training techniques. Although she is currently an assistant, she hopes to become a trainer and lead classes once she learns more. Katherinehas always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian and is now in college at UW-Madison pursuing a pre-vet track. When she is in Colorado she cares for her two family dogs, a charming brown lab and a sassy husky-retriever mix, who make every day brighter. Every year her passion of caring for and researching animals grows, as does her desire to make a difference in the animal world.
When she isn’t with animals or in school, Katherine enjoys dancing, baking deserts, and volunteering at local elementary schools.
Laura Bates loves all animals and has been drawn to dogs for as long as she can remember. At a young age, she knew that she wanted to work with dogs in some way and began that journey by first working in a pet grooming shop. Shortly thereafter, she began working at a veterinary clinic, and doing some pet sitting and dog walking for any of her friends that needed it.
Friends and family have always come to Laura for advice when they were stumped as to how they could train their dog or to help their dog with specific issues. She has had great success in helping all the dogs that have come into her life, and if she didn't immediately know how to help, she would find a way. Laura understands there is more to understanding dogs than just instinct and has always had the desire to know as much as possible about how dogs see the world. She is always determining how we can improve our ability to communicate with them and improve their quality of life.
It's Laura's belief that dogs were meant to have a powerfully positive impact on our lives and teach us important life lessons, such as how to have more patience and how to lighten up and really enjoy life as it should be enjoyed - in the moment.
Laura has a soft spot for dogs who are stuck in a fearful and stressful state of mind. Being able to help dogs to gain confidence, be happy, and put their fears behind them is something that humans can use a bit of too! In showing your dog how to loosen up and enjoy life you may, by default, learn to do the same. This is part of the powerful effect that dogs have had on Laura's life and she would like to help as many dogs as she can.
She currently resides in Orange County with her boyfriend and two dogs, "Cosmo" and "Luna". Laura has been teaching Puppy Kindergarten classes for 2 years in Anaheim for Karma Dog Training. Her clients and students have had an amazing experience working with her and seeing her transform their dogs; you can see some of her written reviews on Yelp.
Even as a young child, Krista had a great love of animals. She joined her Ohio 4-H group Totally Dogs at the age of 6 and has continued training and raising dogs with 100% positive methods all her life. Competing in obedience trials led her to raise seeing-eye service dogs, study dog training in France, and show with the American Kennel Club. Although Krista loves all dogs, toy breeds hold a special place in her heart. After saying goodbye to her beloved 10-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Char-Char in October of 2015, she adopted a second Cavalier named Kiko who is now about a year old and lights up her life. Kiko has been trained from puppyhood without punishment, and he can roll over, play dead, cross his paws, give a high-five, and spin in a circle.
Krista’s favorite method of training is behavior capture or "clicker training" where dogs are rewarded for doing the right thing rather than punished for misbehaving. She believes that when behaviors are broken up into pieces and there’s enough encouragement and consistency, any dog can excel no matter what their bad habits are.
Helping dogs who have a hard time walking on leash and staying calm around the house (jumping up on people, barking, housebreaking, waiting their turn) is Krista’s specialty, and she’s happy to help with private in-home sessions and group classes. There are far too many dogs who don’t have loving homes, and no dog should ever be given up because of a behavioral problem. No matter how over your head you feel, Krista can help guide you and your dog to training success.
Starting as young as six years old, Tawni was always asking her parents for their permission to take in as many of the dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, and even horses, as possible, that needed a loving and caring home; her unconditional love and passion for animals was evident. By age twelve, she had multiple dogs, cats, horses, chickens, guinea pigs, and rabbits but always had the deepest bonds and connections with her dogs as well as any other dog she met. As soon as she turned sixteen, she got a part-time job at a dog grooming salon as a dog bather as well as volunteering for the local shelter. Tawni excelled at her job and as a shelter volunteer due to her loving and gentle approach to each and every animal she encountered. Due to her approach and her ability to connect with each individual animal, she quickly became one of the only ones at her local shelter to be able to take out the dogs that had been labeled as having behavioral issues. Tawni’s experience with all of her own animals, her part-time job bathing dogs, and from her hours of volunteering led her to getting a position at a dog training, boarding, and day camp facility as a Day Camp Supervisor at just eighteen years old. Shortly after, she found a series of online courses that specialize in Dog Training and Animal Health and Behavior. Just a year into working as a Day Camp Supervisor and taking the online courses, she had been promoted to the training department at that same facility. During her time training there, she received the full hands-on experience of the positive reinforcement only method of training and got the opportunity to use that method to train many different breeds of dogs, dogs from all backgrounds, and a countless amount of rescue dogs who needed someone who could understand them, connect with them, and work at their pace to get the best results possible. After a total of two years working at this facility, Tawni had realized that the dogs were learning best when in an actual home rather than at the training facility and soon after, she came across Karma Dog Training.
Tawni had seen how Karma Dog Training’s methods completely aligned with her methods - all positive reinforcement only, trained out of trainers’ own homes or in the dog’s own home and environment, and most importantly, consciously understanding the needs of each individual dog while always putting their best interest first and she immediately knew that is where she needed to be training. She applied that same day that she found Karma Dog Training and joined the team within the next week. Tawni became one of Karma Dog Training’s Dog Behavioral Specialists, Puppy Kindergarten Lead Teacher at the Chatsworth location, and became one of the Board and Train Program Specialists. Tawni has now been a part of the Karma Dog Family for nearly five years. She is a valued member of this team and continues to focus on her passion for animals.
Ashleigh was born in London, England and moved to Brooklyn, New York to live with her mother and 6 cats in their small studio apartment. It was here where she was raised to love all animals. Ashleigh's aunt also had 8 cats of her own and was constantly helping orphaned animals in the neighborhood, nursing them back to health in her backyard. Her grandmother was similar in nature having a consistent array of animals around and gifting Ashleigh books about dog breeds and animal encyclopedias. Ashleigh soon decided that it was just simply a part of her nature to be surrounded by animals in need. She felt, from a very young age, that it was her purpose to help animals in anyway she could.
By 8 years old Ashleigh decided she was going to become a Veterinarian. Throughout the next ten years Ashleigh volunteered with various dog adoption organizations as well as help raise and find homes for many of the abandoned cats in her neighborhood. When she was a senior in high school she began a year long internship at an emergency veterinary hospital. She was so moved by her experience and excited to further her pursuit that she graduated and began studying to become a veterinary technician in college. After two years of study she sadly decided that euthanasia was not a topic she could manage. Nevertheless, the amount of knowledge she acquired during her years of education was immeasurable.
In 2009 Ashleigh moved to San Francisco, California where she pursued a different teaching approach and turned her attention to working with children. The chance to work with humans as well as animals has always been equally as important to Ashleigh. Through her work with young children she was able to recognize the similarities between dogs and children with how they interpret and handle life’s scenarios. Ashleigh feels a strong urge to show children how to interact properly with dogs and would like to create a project in the future where we are able to teach children how to train dogs themselves using only positive reinforcement.
In 2015 Ashleigh moved to Los Angeles and soon after adopted a German Shorthaired Pointer mix puppy. After a very traumatic first experience at the vet Ashleigh was advised to "get the puppy proper training." Leaving very disgruntled, her first instinct was to hire a trainer, so she began her research. Karma Dog Training was her number one choice for training. Yet, instead of hiring a trainer she felt inspired to continue learning on her own through Karma's training approach of positive reinforcement.
She continued to explore sites such as APDT.com and CCPDT.com. She watched a plethora of videos, and read books written by positive reinforcement trainers, all the while training her puppy in the process. About a month after adopting her puppy everything sort of "clicked" for Ashleigh and she had an "a-ha!" moment where she realized "she was supposed to be the trainer all along!" Soon she began taking an online "Dog Trainer Foundations" course by Karen Pryor. Once completing the 3 month program she then found a CCPDT certified trainer in her area and began apprenticing beneath him in aims to become certified.
Ashleigh likes to keeps her training knowledge up to date by reading books by trainers such as Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Victoria Stilwell and the like. She also enjoys attending seminars/webinars and lectures as well as continuing her education through various online courses/material.
Ashleigh currently lives in Los Angeles and has an Australian Cattle Dog, a small Chihuahua, and two cats. She believes that a positive approach to training is the key to creating a symbiotic relationship with your dog and all animals. Ashleigh's focus is to help people see that we as humans have a responsibility and duty to our dogs to show them how to coexist with us. She believes that a truly harmonious relationship is possible and wants to help facilitate that between man and dog.
Zión has felt called to the Animal Kingdom as a whole since she was a little girl and views animals as the dharma of the earth. She would often imagine herself living amongst the Gorillas just as Sigourney Weaver’s character did, in the movie Gorillas in the Mist. Zión marveled at how amazing it would be to live in a troop of Gorillas! Then that marvel spread to other animals…Chimps, Tigers, Lions and on and on she would dream of training, caring for and above all learning from animals of all walks of life.
Regarding dogs specifically, Zión has immense respect for the canine family. She sees our dogs as gifts and beautiful teachers for us humans and she feels they can teach us so much if we will take the time to tune into them. They are always communicating; all we need to do is learn their language. After all, they are more than eager to learn ours!
Zión initially began her work learning about dog behavior and dog psychology when she was a part of a rescue organization in Colorado in 2001. During her time there, she was able to really see what makes dogs tick…why they do the things they do, act the way they do, how to reshape undesired behavior and maintain desired behavior.
Zión loves dogs of all ages, while holding a special space in her heart for puppies. She views puppies as so full of life, innocence and wonderment! They are also a blank canvas. She has found creating from a blank canvas, allows for building positive behavior on a solid foundation, which makes for a happy, well-balanced pup and a content and successful puppy parent!
Educating the moms and dads how to set their puppy up to WIN is a passion of hers. Building a solid foundation of positive-based training can better ensure a lifelong home for the pup and a joyful relationship between them and their parent(s). Zión feels a strong motivation to help as many parents as she can to start their pups off on the right paw!
Amber is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is the youngest of 4 siblings and is also a big sister to 3 step-siblings. Amber has had a passion for working with and helping animals for as long as she can remember. From rescuing and rehabilitating a grackle that was attacked in her front yard, to feeding and nurturing every stray in the neighborhood (despite her parents objections), to caring for all the cattle and other species at her granddad’s 250 acre ranch in Seguin, Texas; Amber’s passion for animals is not only something she pours her heart into, but it is apart of who she is. She rescued animal after animal throughout her young life, including many stray dogs, several cats, and even two domesticated rats by the names of Green-bean and Casserole who had belonged to a close friend that "forgot" to mention the purchased rats to her parents.
Amber has a tremendous work ethic. At age 16, she started working at a local San Antonio pet store, by the age of 17 she became the assistant store manager. It wasn’t long after, that Amber also became the neighborhood pet sitter and dog walker, which was the inspiration behind starting her very own pet sitting business. Years later, Amber moved to the North Dallas where she and her boyfriend purchased a 6 week old German Shepherd by the name of Lambo Jet (named after Lamborghini). Shortly after moving to Frisco TX, Amber started managing a fairly new local pet resort / doggie daycare. Her passion for dog training emerged while working at the pet resort as a result of the slew of frustrated owners and frustrated animals she encountered daily.
Of the many dogs that came in and out of the resort on a daily basis, Amber will always have a special appreciation for one in-particular by the name of Rocky. He was a 4 year old German Shepherd and also a former law enforcement K9 candidate. Rocky stayed at the resort quite often for extended periods of time and was known by staff to be highly uncooperative, and especially upon arrival. That information only encouraged Amber to spend more time getting to know Rocky, building his trust and companionship and learning how she could help make every stay as comfortable and stress free as possible. In that pursuit, Amber allowed Rocky to be a part of as much of her work days as possible, she personally conducted all of the extracurricular activities requested by his family during each stay, and ensured that she was always on staff on Rocky’s scheduled arrival dates. Ultimately, through time and continued effort, Amber (as she explains it) became Rocky’s second family, and he became hers. Their bond allowed Rocky to look forward to and enjoy each and every future stay, resulting in happy and fully cooperative arrivals.
It is cases such as Rocky's that inspired Amber to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She knew that she could make a great impact on both owners and dogs just by taking the few extra minutes during drop off or pick-up to break down communication barriers and help owners better understand their dog’s behavior and how to resolve it. The thanks and gratitude Amber received on many occasions from clients was more than enough to assure her that dog training was her true calling. needless to say, she hasn’t looked back since!
Shyra Berish has had a love for dogs since she was two years old and her parents brought home their first family dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy named Dixie. Several years later when she was six, she received her first very own dog, a black lab/shepherd mix named Spike. Shyra then discovered her talent for working with dogs, by training Spike. When she was in high school, she began volunteering at the local animal shelter, giving dogs baths, taking them out to play, and later providing free haircuts to get the animals ready for their forever homes.
After high school, she worked as a veterinarian technician for about eight months before deciding she wanted to start her own business working with animals. In 2009, being purely self-taught, Shyra started her own mobile dog grooming business and has since groomed, trained, and pet-sat a wide variety of breeds from Round Rock down to San Antonio. Grooming dogs (and training them so they could be groomed) earned her the nickname, the Dog Whisperer, because dogs seemed to love her and listened to her right away.
After going through several years of fostering and training dogs from multiple rescue organizations and not having a dog of her own, Shyra decided to keep one of her hardest fosters, a dog named Patches. After recent flooding in Austin, she went up to one of the Georgetown shelters and said, "Give me your worst case." That’s when she met Patches, an eight-and-a-half-year-old Pit-bull mix who had such bad anxiety he had chewed most of the hair off his own back. After getting him healthy, and allowing his hair to grow back, he went through two forever home trials before coming back home to her. It was then she decided this old man was going to stay and receive the love and stability he deserved. He is now going on eleven years old and couldn’t be happier or healthier, and is the love of Shyra’s life.
Although Shyra still grooms, trains, and pet-sits in her spare time, she decided to go back to school in 2011 and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders. She hopes to one day have a Speech therapy practice for all ages that includes some doggy helpers to ease any client anxiety while participating in therapy. She also currently enjoys helping her family, who foster Military Working Dogs out of Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. As her parents and sister have raised several of these Belgian Malinois dogs, Shyra assists in training on and off the military base until they are old enough to be turned back into the program for puppy basic training.
Shyra believes in a positive approach to dog training that almost always begins with some human training. She does this by teaching others how to calmly interact with their dogs, for the best results in behavior modification and obedience. Her methods include clicker or "Yes" training, while keeping any negative energy/commands out of the equation. Her motto is, "A happy dog is a healthy well-rounded and obedient dog!"
Lauren is a Southern California native, who has lived in Los Angeles, and Santa Clarita her whole life. She has had an immense passion for animals since she can remember. Growing up, she had everything from dogs, snakes, fish, rodents, and even a silkworm farm. One of her fondest memories was hand raising a baby squirrel on her own, and successfully releasing him into the wild. Lauren loved to read at a very young age, she remembers going to the library and reading countless books about animals. She used to rent books about dog breeds and dog care, and memorize the information.
Lauren's love for animals, and specifically dogs, developed when her family got their first dogs, a pair of beagles named Shiloh and Sadie. She was very involved in training and socializing them, one of them even went on to win awards such as best in show from the American Kennel Club. These beagles were her best companions growing up, they taught Lauren responsibility and true love, as well as contribute to her decision to dedicating her life to animals. As soon as she could, Lauren began volunteering at various animal shelters and barns. Any opportunity she could get to be around animals, she would take it, and this still holds true today.
After high school, Lauren studied Equine Science at Pierce College. She worked at PETCO for years and gained experience in pet retail, dog training, and animal nutrition. She assisted in the obedience classes, and this sparked her desire to become a dog trainer. When Lauren was younger, she had always said she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, but as she got older, this desire changed. She realized she didn't want to see any animals suffer, and so this motivated her to pursue animal behavior instead.
Today, Lauren lives with her 2 rescued pit bulls, Bronson and Deakin, and an English bulldog named Petey. Lauren enjoys working with all breeds from small to large and has a special place in heart for bully breeds because of the fact they tend to have a stigma around them, and people are often misinformed about them.
In addition to working with Karma Dog, Lauren hopes to one day start her own rescue. Her desire to help educate the public in a positive way, and help make a difference in people's lives is her driving force.
She is extremely excited and thankful to be the Karma Dog team, and wakes up each day looking forward to helping people build better, and more meaningful relationships with their animals.
Janika was born and raised in a small village in the south of Germany. She grew up among all kinds of animals, but horses and dogs were her favorites. An equestrian byte age of five, "Janny" gained great experience working for many different ranchers and ranches. She rode competitively, but training horses and riders was her main focus.
During this time there was always at least one dog at her side, and she person-ally trained all of them. While carefully observing their behavior, she found a way to encourage them to obey without force. She learned this from her uncle who bred German Shepherds for the police and border patrol. Janny tried to find each dog's talents and then helped them to achieve his or her maximum potential. Spending time working on a horse-riding therapy farm, Janny found that she wanted to train one of her own dogs to serve in animal assistance therapy. An energetic Papillon pup grew up working with Janny's mom (a social psychologist) as a therapy dog for handicapped children, elderly people and as a connector for those living in broken family situations. After a bad horse riding accident in 2009, Janny found that she could no longer return to her former equestrian level. She then focused on training and working with dogs. What started as therapy dog training quickly gave her the opportunity to work with different cases such as modifying behavior issues, obedience training, puppy classes, fear-based trust problems, Shepherd work and guard dog training. The end of 2009 brought a female Rottweiler pup into Janny's life. Knowing that many people are afraid of this breed of dog, she made it her goal to prove people wrong. Today Leonie is seven years old and is licensed as a guard dog and a therapy dog. Leonie is an example of how peoples' minds can be changed when their fears have been put to rest.
Difficult cases gave Janny a big overview concerning the many different dog personalities, and those of their owners. After moving to the United States, one special case helped clarify the certainty she felt towards helping people who misunderstood their dogs. This case showed her that knowledge, understanding and her passion for dog training could save lives.
From an early age, Mo Whitefox had a tremendous interest in sea otter behavior and care. This fascination, dating all the way back to elementary school, quickly grew to include marine mammals, farms, zoos, animal companions, animal behavior, and, naturally animal care. Mo seized every opportunity to learn in hands on environments. Whether it was helping out at friends’ farms, pet sitting for neighbors, or even eventually adopting her own first pet (a cat, name Kitty) at the age of twelve, Mo wanted to learn all she could about animal behavior and care.
Mo continued to learn and explore different facets of the animal world, developing a specialized interest in the psychology of animal training. When she observed a poor interaction between a dominance based trainer attempting to work with a rescue dog who had a past history of abuse, Mo knew there had to be a better way. This interaction led to a multi-year exploration in service and therapy training, prompting Mo to explore training and behaviors that could bridge the divide between human and animal mental illness, allowing rescue animals and humans to work symbiotically to combat mutual trauma.
Mo’s professional experience includes kennel assistant at a groomery, involvement with Petco on track to become a certified dog trainer, and significant experience working with pet owners of all ages. Mo is especially interested in family dynamics, combining her expertise as a former pre-school teacher and camp counselor and her knowledge of animal behavior to create a curriculum uniquely designed to help every member of the family teach and bond with their pets in a firm, loving, and successful way. Mo’s work extends to members of her own family, adopting both a Bengal mix named Winston and a rottie/shepherd mix named Daisy with her partner, also an advocate for persons and animals with disabilities. Additionally, Mo is also pet first aid certified, and is pursuing both behavior certification and APDT certification.
Although a native Californian, Mo (and her best pal Winsti) recently made the cross-country move to the East Coast, and settled in the quiet little town known as Manhattan. Currently, Mo can be found studying psychology and art therapy at the New School. Some of her other hobbies include creating rad projects out of needlework, glamming up her roommates and friends with her latest esthetics find, and running a university art collective, giving her and her friends a collaborative space for new work and ideas.
Rochelle grew up an avid animal lover. Having a grandfather that owned a farm in southern Louisiana only enhanced her love and knowledge. She considers herself blessed to have experienced such a diverse range of dog and cat breeds as well as livestock and horses. Rochelle grew up training free-to-roam collar and leash free packs of dogs everything from how to herd to good manners in the house. Rochelle rescued and adopted numerous dogs and cats from death row at the local kill shelter to try and give these pets a new leash on life. A large amount were found new homes while some loved farm life and spent their days happily herding livestock.
Today, Rochelle's interest in animal and human connection and psychology keeps her researching new and innovative methods to help bridge the gap between human and animal communication. While living in Louisiana, Rochelle trained and rehabilitated dogs of all breeds, sizes and behavior quirks. She quickly became known as the go to trainer in her area and began studying more and providing more intensive training for reactive and at risk dogs. The joys of watching them progress and grow were exponentially satisfying for Rochelle then, and now she's excited to be branching out into lovely Austin. Rochelle has a passion for working with all dogs but her focuses currently are basic obedience, teaching hyper dogs the art of calm, trick training, new puppy training, high energy working breeds and owner dog communication. Rochelle's main mission is getting and keeping dogs in their homes, making sure both dog and owner understand each other well so that they may each enjoy the happy healthy sanctuary that is their home. A dog that can make good decisions on his own is a dog that will always have a home.
Growing up in a small mountain town in Northern California, Justin was born into a family that bred, raised and trained golden retrievers and labs for various services, ranging from search and rescue, the ATF, The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and other therapy services. Basically, Justin was raised part by his parents and part by the plethora of dogs surrounding him from the time he was born.
At the age of 8, he began to learn from his parents how to safely and properly interact with large groups of large dogs and to be able to read their behavior and act accordingly. By the time Justin was 13, he was actively engaging in the training of the dogs for these various services and truly getting hands on experience in the world of dog training, so experience does not lack for him in the least bit.
He got all of his knowledge through this training and took it with him to college where he got a degree in Psychology, where he continued training dogs privately for behavioral modification. He specializes in basic obedience, and any behavior modification from aggression issues to anxiety issues, to fear and excitement. The knowledge of psychology has helped him better understand the behavior of dogs as it is eerily similar to that of humans. He is able to read a dog without ever judging, no matter how severe a case may be, Justin has the confidence to take it on knowing that within due time, that he will be able to help the dog and just as importantly, the owner of the dog as well.
His confidence with dogs of all sizes and breeds shows the first minute he begins interacting with the dog in a sense of becoming one with the dog as opposed to "feeling it out" before he starts engaging with the dog. Making sure the dog is comfortable and confident is his number one goal in the beginning stages of training.
He has worked in many dog day care and boarding facilities throughout his lifetime, but his true passion is working one on one with dogs that need more specific help, as the fulfillment level is much higher for him that way. Seeing the success and knowing he has changed the lives of the dogs and owners is the most gratifying thing for him. His love and passion for dogs is like no one else. He relates to them in a way that most people do not.
Justin has recently relocated to the Dallas area from Southern California with his Golden Retriever 'Rooney' and his Boxer 'Sugar Ray'. This is where he will continue his training with Karma Dog.
Taira Lynn Harer was raised in Orange County, CA. Her family’s household always had many animals that played a very large part in the family. She has never owned a pet in her life; she’s just been blessed with many furry family members. Taira had a deep connection with her four-legged friends from an early age and always hoped to one day be lucky enough to work with them.
It is Taira's belief that everyone should strive to ensure that their dogs are having the most positive and fulfilled experiences in life as possible- including while training. For this reason she does everything possible to make sure your dogs are learning in a fun, happy, and loving environment. Her disposition is always very friendly and enthusiastic.
Taira has worked with animals in a wide range of environments. While in California she was employed as a certified Veterinary Assistant and Animal Care Specialist for two busy practices. After witnessing the dramatic impact that proper socialization and positive reinforcement could have on a dog’s demeanor, even on the most unpleasant of visits, she found herself inspired to expand her education, redirecting her focus toward training and behavior. She went on to earn her certificate in Animal Training and Enrichment at the Animal Behavior Institute, which focused on the works of Karen Pryor, Jennifer Zeligs and Ian Dunbar.
Taira currently lives in Central Texas with her husband, two dogs, and two cats, all of which she rescued (including her husband). She’s always been exceedingly empathetic and generous; never turning away from a chance to help someone, especially when an animal is involved. Any time a stray animal is spotted, you can rest assured that she’s going to pull her car over and do everything in her power to catch that pup or cat and get it safely home. Moving to Texas has given her the chance to work with all new critters! Taira volunteers at a local ranch and gets to help out with horses, cows, chickens, and of course, a few ranch kitties. In fact, her family’s most recent addition was one of those kittens, who she took in under her roof and bottle raised. She enjoys taking advantage of all the great hiking trails and swimming holes that Texas has to offer but, prefers any activity that allows her to spend time with her dogs.
Taira firmly believes that with a little positive training, patience, and a lot of love, we can keep more fur-babies happy at home and out of the shelter. She loves working with any size or breed, but admittedly has a soft spot for Bully breeds. Taira so grateful for the opportunity to help you and your four-legged friends live a more harmonious lifestyle together.
Meet Ciara! An animal advocate who has dedicated many years to studying animals and conservation. Kindergarten was the first time she realized that she wanted to have a career working with animals. Year after year, her love for animals grew and so did her collection of pets- by the time she was 8 years old she already had her own zoo! Seven guinea pigs, two turtles, three dogs, chinichillas, frogs, turtles, and birds took over her home and her life. She learned how to care of animals and also learnt how much time and dedication it takes to give an animal what it needs to be happy.
Attending the LAUSD Zoo Magnet, Ciara was able to gain more insight and experience with hands on training and observation of both domesticated and exotic wildlife species through various courses like animal behavior and animal husbandry. She would work with her dog Nala onsite everyday to improve her separation anxiety as well as other behavioral-related issues. Through this experience, Ciara has learned to be understanding, patient and loving to all animals during training and practices.
In addition, she has also worked at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens as an Assistant Zookeeper. Here, she worked with a broad range of exotic species from monkeys, African Wild Dogs, Giant River Otters, Bat-Eared Foxes to Big Horned Sheep. Throughout her time at the zoo, she spent time focusing on animal husbandry and animal behavior and realized the significance and impact that animals make to both the ecosystem and people worldwide.
Now, Ciara lives with her partner and her two cats, Billy and Pixie. She also enjoys meditating, running, yoga and going on hikes with her great dane, Nala.
This is Stephanie! She is a born and raised true Texan. She was born and raised on a farm just south of the Ft. Worth area. She grew up with her family dogs, on top of dogs being dropped off on the farm by random people whom no longer felt they wanted to be responsible dog owners.
Her favorite part of training is helping dogs and owners connect, keeping dogs in homes. Stephanie has always had a love for ALL animals but dogs are her passion. She believes that dogs are great teachers and are very loyal companions. She loves the fact that she can train dogs and their humans, which makes a better life for everyone. Stephanie uses rewards based training methods that focus on creative problem solving.
Stephanie is a very successful business operations manager in the dental field. She has been in the dental industry for many years. She is very involved in her church, and decided to go to a weekend retreat called "ID", it was a retreat that she knew was going to change her live forever, After the weekend she came home and told her husband, Tom that she feels her calling to be a dog trainer, Tom agreed that’s what she needs to be doing and so the next week she became a student with ABC (animal behavior college) to become a dog trainer. She knew that she was meant be a dog trainer. People would tell her that they wished they were her dog. They are spoiled, well trained, and actually have manners.
Stephanie currently volunteering with Operations Kindness and the local SPCA /Shelters, with teaching students to save lives. At the shelters and Operations Kindness, she teaches dogs to sit, stay and walk on a loose leash, this helps make dogs more adoptable. She also helps individuals throughout the dog adoption and rescue process to ensure that both the humans and the dogs find their perfect match and connection. She is someone who really wants to make a difference whenever possible, to be able to make as many positive, changes in as many lives as possible, both animal and human! She wants to do this by helping animals and people connect, to be able to relate to each other in a positive way that both can understand. She works with individuals as well as families with children. Stephanie also providing private in-home training lessons, group classes, and as well as specific dog behavioral issues such as digging, chewing, barking, etc. She always working on continuing her training skills, she is currently reading books written by Karen Pryor and Dr. Ian Dunbar for continuing education.
Stephanie lives with Sophie, her 5yr old Mastiff/Grey hound mix, Herman, her 1 ½ yr old Staffordshire Terrier/Rottweiler mix, and her husband Tom! Stephanie and Tom enjoy traveling to places that are dog friendly. You can usually find them hiking on trails, hanging out by the pools, and shopping at dog friendly shops.
Lauren Winchester was born and raised in Southern California. From a very young age she has had an undying hunger to communicate with animals, always wondering what they thought and how they communicated. From the age of 14 she successfully trained her own family pets, including a Boxer named Ginger, and three beautiful Great Danes Toulla, Oddie, and Wilson.
When she later moved to the San Bernardino Mountains she adopted 3 new canine companions. She also began to train dogs locally and gained practical experience working with exotic breeds, further spiking her interest in canine behavior, communication and ways to work with specific motivations and personalities. In particular, the Wolfdog became one of her favorite breeds to work with due to the challenges experienced and the knowledge she gained from problem solving, which helped her to identify which training methods best worked to train different personalities and breeds. She also learned the value of properly socializing puppies and dogs, exposing them to new experiences and challenges without pushing them too far and always at their own pace.
She soon started her own small non-profit rescue organization, taking in fosters and teaching them basic obedience and resolving behavioral and security issues before finding them forever homes. She also offered community outreach to help families resolve issues with pets that they would otherwise have relinquished. A serious hiking accident that resulted in a permanently damaged ankle catapulted Lauren to a new level: Service Dog Training. Lauren trained her Aussie to perform over 15 tasks pertaining to her disability, some of which included body blocking, guiding for disassociation, waking from night terrors, bracing and deep pressure therapy (DPT).
She then opened her scope to help others in her community in need of service dog task training, socializing and public access training. In addition, she runs a popular group on social media for all types of working dogs, their training, and support for the awareness of Service Dogs and their Handlers. One of her growing passions in the service dog community is to help stop the discrimination of service dog handlers in public and housing situations by raising awareness of ADA & FHA laws and by working to peacefully get out the proper information to business owners, service dog handlers, and others to diminish the rate of this growing issue.
Lauren recently relocated to the Los Angeles area where she is now helping families to better understand their dogs behavioral issues by creating individual training curriculums that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of each family and pet, helping them to understand their relationships from the dogs perspective and helping them to build a strong, trust based relationship between humans and their best friends.
Lauren recently started the Exotic Animal Management and Training program at Moorpark College and is Pet First Aid and CPR certified.
Julie Brady is a life-long animal lover. Raised in Huntington Beach, CA, her first business was formed at age nine. Hats and T-shirts were made and "Animal Rescuers" was created! This consisted of Julie riding her bike around surrounding neighborhoods in search of an animal in need. Though she never found even one helpless puppy or a kitten stuck in a tree, her heart was in the right place. Later in her teen years, many dogs were brought home to bewildered parents wondering where their child had picked up this fierce desire to help animals. Horses were also a strong passion in her life. Julie spent her pre-teen and teen years at the stable riding, training and just loving being around horses. To this day she still dreams of owning a training ranch for horses and dogs someday.
Julie went to work for her parents after high school and went on to take over the Hat Trick; a family owned and operated computerized embroidery company that created logos for business. Hat Trick specialized in screen-printing and embroidering logos onto items such as shirts, hats and jackets. After owning and managing the business for over 10 years, she realized her burning desire to work with animals was not going away any time soon.
Julie bravely decided to sell her business to pursue a career in animal care and dog training. Julie has been dog walking and pet sitting for over five years and trains and handles many different breeds. Julie is now volunteering for a German shepherd rescue working with rescue dogs with all sorts of different issues. She has a passion for working with homeless dogs that desperately need positive reinforcement training to overcome any issues before being placed in loving forever homes.
Karma dog training was a natural choice. Julie shares in the common belief that dogs deserve our respect and love and has dedicated herself to taking the gentlest approach possible to dog training. Knowledge is a very important part of Julie’s life, she keeps current by reading articles, attending seminars, and watching as many videos as possible on positive training techniques. Julie possesses a deep belief that early training and socialization sets a dog up for a happy, stress free life and she enjoys teaching new pet parents all they need to know so their new puppy can get the best start in life.
Julies currently resides in Anaheim, CA with her boyfriend and their year old Chiweenie, Ruca.
Growing up in a home full of rescued dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, iguanas, snakes, and occasionally bull frogs and pet mice, compassion and a love for all animals comes naturally for Crystal Dunn. She studied her cats at age 10, writing stories and drawing pictures about their interactions with each other. She borrowed friends' dogs when she could not have her own, and started learning to train while volunteering at a local shelter. Animal behavior and training didn't seem like a career option in school, so she established herself in comfortable corporate career for a few years and resolved herself to someday getting back to the animals. Thankfully lay offs are inevitable in modern corporate America, and Crystal found herself with three months hiatus to think. Clarity followed, and so did a new career, reborn from her childhood self.
She started with the shelters, working with some tough dogs and learning from some fantastic people. Two years mentoring under some of Houston's best trainers and a rigorous study program followed. Eventually Crystal was teaching upwards of 14 full training classes per week, becoming a highly sought after trainer recommended by veterinarians and rescues across Houston.
In 2008, she started her own company, Leaps N' Hounds, but moved to Austin in 2010 so that she could spend more one-on-one time with her students and develop a more holistic training approach, one that would address the root causes of behavior problems. Crystal's approach is influenced by greats like vet and behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar, however, she notes her biggest training assets as instinct, constant study and some tough dogs that have taught her a lot through the years.
Some of Crystal's career highlights include: Serving as lead advisor to the city of Conroe, working with the Chief of Police and Animal Control towards a no-kill solution and working towards a complete re-design of ethical policies and procedures for the Conroe Animal Shelter. Crystal has also done extensive work in therapy programs, visiting assisted living centers, schools and detention centers. She was an instructor and advisor for The Healing Species of Tx, and works extensively with Love-A-Bull of Austin in training and pit bull behavior.
Crystal's furry posse of rescue dogs include: Lyla, a Rottie & Shepherd mix who assists in socializing client's dogs and manners lessons, MoHawk ("Mo") a Ridgeback/Lab/Pit mix who is her "Demo Dog", Obedience Champ and Classroom assistant and Jack Jack, a Border Collie mix.
Since she was 7 years old, Wendy Wang has been working with dogs at her uncle’s farm in Canada. She started her canine education in Montréal, Canada, by shadowing a Staffordshire Terrier breeder, who showed his dog regularly. From dog shows, she was immersed into the world of AKC standards and AKC Conformation events. As she moved to the United States, her family’s first stop was Miami, Florida. The local atmosphere allowed her to befriend her high school biology teacher, who introduced her to the zoologists at the Miami Metro Zoo. Learning wolf behavior and body language opened a new chapter in her life, and she firmly decided to pursue dog training to open the communication barrier between humans and dogs. When she moved to California to attend college, she double majored in both biology and psychology, and graduated with honors from UCSD. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Health Administration at USC, but she refuses to take dog training out of her life.
Wendy has worked with service dogs, FEMA stress-relief responders (canines), therapy dogs (Pet Partners), and also AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluations. She is very adamant about following the science behind positive reinforcement, and her applications of those facts to dog training shows in the results of each class. Her favorite behaviorist is Dr. Ian Dunbar, for his scientific approach to training a dog. Currently, she is researching canine genetics at UCLA to look for genetic markers of aggression, and other congenital disorders. Wendy is also very well versed in cat and dog nutrition through taking a non-credit course from UC Davis’s veterinary school.
Wendy focuses on animal behavior, and using her understanding of the behaviors to fix a dog’s personal behavior issues. In 2010, she adopted her Havanese from an abusive situation, where as a puppy he was confined to a crate all his life. The separation and isolation distress was heartbreaking, but a few months later, he gained more confidence and independence that really helped his mental health. Another focus is leash aggression, which in some cases turns into dog aggression. Her most memorable case was a senior shepherd-mix who turned her fear of the world, into aggression. Her behavior modification case took almost a year to reintroduce and socialize her, using all positive reinforcements. It became her longest case, but it was the most rewarding case as well, as she saw how all the positive energy turned a beaten dog into a glorious beach romper.
The devotion and passion that Wendy brings each day to her students definitely resonates in her dog training. Wendy credits her patience to her wolf studies at Yellowstone National Park, where observing the wolves’ own patience inspired her to always uphold that same calmness with dogs. She wants to continue her wolf education to help understand the behaviors of domesticated dogs. All training is strictly based on a fun experience for the dog, using toys and treats for continuous motivation and reward. Wendy knows that even though she falls in love with every single dog she meets, at the end of the day, she just wants to further the bond between pet parent and fur-child.
You can often find her hiking at Eaton Canyon or Griffith Park on her down time, as well as volunteering with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ dog therapy team with her own dog. Wendy also loves to figure skate, paint, and visit Canada as much as possible! Her strict rule in life is to never interpret a bad situation as "rock bottom", because rock bottom only exists once you stop trying.
A New York native, Kaitlin Buckley has always been fiercely passionate about improving the lives of animals. Growing up, there were always multiple pets in her home, including cats, fish, birds, snakes, lizards and at least one was always a dog. Kaitlin spent most of her time at home playing with her dogs, and trying to learn how to "speak" to them, by closely observing the way they interacted with one another, and their environment. Her family was never surprised to see her on all fours, mingling with the dogs. Ever since she was little, Kaitlin has always had an uncanny ability to read a dog’s body language and energy, most likely due to this desire to learn their language.
Kaitlin’s father had a huge influence on her way of thinking from the beginning. He is a great lover of nature, and animals, and always tried to impress upon her the concept that all living things should be valued. They frequently took nature walks with their dogs in the wooded areas of long island, and when they couldn’t be outside, they enjoyed watching nature shows together. A memory Kaitlin has, that truly inspired her, was when Kaitlin and her parents found a bird tangled up in fishing line at a pond while they walked their dog. While other people walked by and didn’t give the animal a second glance, Kaitlin’s father and mother grabbed the bird and cut the fishing line from around its neck, and body. She was only five years old, but the impact from that moment has lasted her entire lifetime. Ever since that day, her greatest desire has been to help any animal in need that she encounters. It instilled a deep respect for all life, and taught her, that even the littlest of us deserves to be valued as a living being, and treated with respect.
When she was about six years old, Kaitlin began riding horses, and has stuck with it ever since, going on to compete in gymkhana events, and working on ranches. Horseback riding has taught her the importance of being a team, and working with the animal to reach goals in a fun, positive way. Being on ranches her whole life also exposed Kaitlin to working dogs, and showed her the importance of giving high-drive breeds a job to do.
Once she graduated high school, Kaitlin got a job working in a no-kill shelter, where she was exposed to a wide range of behavioral issues, and new training techniques to manage them. She began familiarizing herself with issues such as resource guarding, human and dog aggression, and extremely fearful cases. Working in a no-kill shelter lead Kaitlin to what she considers to be her true calling in life; helping dogs overcome behavioral issues that if left untreated, could cost them their homes, and even their life. After Kaitlin left her job at the no-kill shelter, she worked at a boarding facility, and a dude ranch. At the same time Kaitlin adopted two rescue dogs. Both dogs came to Kaitlin with a variety of behavioral issues, from human aggression to severe separation anxiety, and were last chance dogs. They are now successful members of Kaitlin’s pack of four dogs, after lots of time and effort. Throughout the years Kaitlin has come in contact with several homeless dogs and cats, and has done her best to find their owners, or re-home them if that was impossible. She feels a strong connection to all animals and simply can not turn away from one in need.
When Kaitlin was younger, she battled her own demons for several years, and in doing so obtained a new found spirituality, and a loving Higher Power, that has guided and helped her along her path in life. Kaitlin practices yoga and meditation in her daily life, to help keep her in touch with her spirituality, and to help her maintain a calm, centered energy while she works with her clients and their dogs. She also recommends this practice to all of her clients, attributing her success with animals largely to the fact that she maintains good energy around them.
When she was 23 years old Kaitlin was blessed with her first child. After her son was born, she began training dogs on her own, and worked on educating herself on the most effective, up to date training methods. This past year she relocated to Texas, where she continues to stay up to date on training philosophies and techniques of all kinds by attending seminars, reading well known trainer’s books, and working with her fellow trainers. Kaitlin’s goal in life is to improve the lives of all the animals she works with. Her main focus is helping dogs stay out of shelters by addressing behavioral issues, and helping their owners to fulfill their pet’s needs. Kaitlin is a firm believer that the human-canine bond should be based on mutual trust, respect, and love; she tries to pass this concept on to all of her clients in an effort to help them have the best possible relationship with their dogs.
Trainer Angela Lebo is a 7th generation Texan and has lived in Austin for the last 15 years. Angela has an Associate's Degree from Texas State University and is certified to assist with all levels of obedience, behavior modification, all types of aggression, puppy socialization and clicker training. She is a member A.P.D.T. (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), volunteers at various animal rescue organizations and is certified in First Aid and CPR for dogs.
There are two driving forces in Angela's life keeping herself fit and healthy and the love and caring of dogs. One simple fact is that 50% of all dog behavioral problems can be solved through exercise. For the last several years, Angela has spent most of her spare time working with her beloved companions, Xena and Gabby, while keeping up with her own physical fitness. She has been successful at combining these two goals for herself and is anxious to help other dog parents realize the joy and satisfaction of doing the same. Her vision is to transform both the dog parent into healthier, happier and more confident lifestyles. Best of all, a well-trained dog will be able to go anywhere its owner goes! No worries about the dog misbehaving. Dog lovers can have the best of both worlds, whether it's exercising or running errands, their dog is well-behaved and by their side. This as Angela states, "Is An Awesome Feeling!"
Since joining Karma Dog Training, Angela has excelled at training all types of dogs, big and small, and has become one of Karma Dog's board and train and new puppy specialists. Karma Training Director, Aimee Burton, was so impressed with Angela during their first interview that she immediately hired her on the spot!
Animal care and training is deeply rooted in April's blood. Her father worked with and trained many zoo animals in his prime, so it was only natural that April herself would fall in love with the joys that come with working with animals. All through her childhood, she believed that she would become a veterinarian, helping sick or injured animals. While animal care and health are still very important to her, April found a different path that truly clicked for her when her first "stubborn" dog found his way into her lap - and ultimately, her heart.
Lobo was an Akita mix that caused her to stop and think outside the box. He was like any stubborn dog - he didn't care about her happiness, and only thought of what benefitted him. Always looking to improve herself, April quickly began learning about dog behavior and dog training, and found clicker training. Using these methods, she completely turned Lobo around, transforming him from a dog that couldn't care less about her, into a dog who was genuinely excited and eager to learn, and loved training. She discovered that training could - and should - be fun, and that by making training fun, even the most disinterested of dogs were learning the concepts she taught quickly. She believes very strongly that animals can and should be taught using positive reinforcement methods without physical or verbal corrections. When training, April focuses on teaching dogs what to do. She uses marker training to quickly and accurately tell the dog, "Yes! This is what you should be doing!" and keeps training very upbeat. She focuses on building a relationship based on mutual understanding and respect, and using safe, effective methods to guide her furry clients down the road of success.
April finds joy in being challenged. Working with difficult dogs is fun for her; it provides an opportunity to come up with very creative solutions - something she excels at. Dog training has allowed April to put all over talents to use - her creativity, her desire to learn, and her natural affinity for animals. She is lucky enough to now be owned by a hard-working, eager Australian Cattle Dog mix that will be involved in sports. When April isn't training others' dogs, she's training her own dog and getting her ready for trials.
April is primarily self-taught, reading books and watching videos and webinars by trainers like Dr. Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Emily Larlham, Sophia Yin, even books by anthrozoologist John Bradshaw, in addition to several online courses on animal behavior through Coursera and Udemy. She continues to improve her education by reading as many scientific studies as she possibly can, reading many other books by other authors, and is working toward earning her CPDT-KA. April does best with dogs that are often difficult to manage - whether that means so high strung they can't focus for two minutes, or so disinterested in training that even a treat can't pique their interest, or behavioral problems such as fear or separation anxiety. She primarily works with puppies and young dogs to teach them acceptable house manners and basic obedience behaviors. Her goal is to work with aggressive dogs and dogs that would otherwise be put to sleep, rehabilitating them and giving them a second chance.
Brett Ann, hailing from Salt Lake City, UT, grew up in a home with no dogs. It wasn’t her early twenties that her family, quite by accident, acquired a severely emotionally damaged rescue, leading Brett to open her heart and her life to dogs. Brett received a BA in cognitive neuroscience from Occidental College in Los Angeles and became fascinated with comparative psychology. It was this that led her, like several other teachers on the Karma staff, to the Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz, where she interned for four months helping an experienced team of trainers conduct bioacoustics experiments with seals and sea lions. Not only did Brett receive an intensive crash course in operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training, she also discovered a unique gift for animal communication.
Brett joined the Karma team in August of 2014 as a Puppy Kindergarten assistant under district manger Jessica Gore. In January of 2015 she joined the Karma administrative team full time as a canine behavioral consultant and new client coordinator. Brett currently resides in Orange, CA and is finishing her prerequisites for veterinary school at Chapman University, as she believes that those who have an understanding of animal behavior and psychology should be the ones caring for them. Though she does not have any dogs of her own, she is a doting "auntie" to her roommates’ dogs: Brewer, a 7-year-old Spaniel-Retriever mix, and Jäger, a 2-year-old Weimaraner.
Kate Bannon has always dreamt of working with dogs. As a newborn, she was introduced to her first dogs, 2 Golden Retrievers, and has ever since been a lover of animals. Although her parents worried about how the large dogs would interact with such a tiny being, the gentle giants came to look after Kate in a way. Throughout her childhood, she also recalls her mother often pulling the car over to pick up a stray animal of any kind and together they would bring them home and nurture the animals to health or at least relocate them somewhere safer. It was always very important to her family that Kate learns to appreciate all life forms while also learning how to care and nurture.
Being an only child was lonely at times for Kate but only with the companionship of her dogs, did she find comfort in being alone. She recalls spending endless hours during summers making up and teaching pool games for her and her dogs to play. These dogs were a huge part of Kate’s life, exposing her to the deep connections humans make with their four-legged companions. While other little girls would be scared of such big dogs, Kate would proudly prance over to any dog she saw and introduce herself. To this day, she insists that she’s never met a dog she didn’t like, or vice versa.
Born in Florida and raised in Louisiana, Kate loves living in the South where you can wear tee shirts in January and spend summers in the water. After getting her BS in Communications Studies from LSU, Kate moved to Austin, TX in hopes of expanding her horizons and exercising her passions for film. She has found great joy working freelance in the Art Department on commercials, TV shows, or even features films. After coming in contact with a local animal wrangler, Kate discovered she could potentially unite both her passions for dogs and film. She would like to someday work as an animal wrangler, casting and training animals to be camera ready.
When not working, she enjoys spending time outside exploring, doing yoga or even just relaxing with a book or listening to a record. During college, Kate decided to adopt her own dog, an alleged teacup Pomeranian which she named Foxy, from a family who was neglecting her. She found incredible joy in nurturing Foxy to health and teaching her to be the perfect companion. Despite her ultra petite size, Foxy has a huge personality and enjoys hiking along the Greenbelt and is often known to jump in the river for a dip on hot days. Kate believes that Foxy, along with all other dogs, are not only angels in disguise but also possess souls that give them very human-like qualities making them capable of deeper intellectual thought than most people attribute. Just because they have smaller brains and occasionally enjoy sniffing butts, doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of understanding and learning. She truly believes that ‘all dogs to go to heaven’.
Her gentle and compassionate nature makes her a great contender for working with dogs. Besides just being extremely comfortable around animals, Kate also has experience with dogs of all sizes in dog walking, grooming, pet sitting, and puppy training. Kate says she has a thing for anything tiny and therefore prefers working with smaller breeds, but she also enjoys being able to run around and play fetch with bigger dogs.
Rick is a Certified Trainer graduating from The Animal Behavioral College in Northridge, California, and a member of the National Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Rick has been training dogs (and humans) in both group and private settings since 2009. His mission is to strengthen the bond between you and your dog by providing the knowledge and skills needed to help ensure your dog becomes a well mannered, socialized and obedient member of the family. Rick wants both owner and dog to thrive. He helps owners understand what their dog might be "thinking" and "why" they might have behavioral challenges. Rick’s strongest desire is for owners to learn how to prevent or remedy the types of behavior that lead to owner’s frustration. Rick believes that all dog owners can learn the skills that will help them fully enjoy the miracle that is the bond between human and canine.
Rick provides dog owners with a comprehensive understanding of canine behavior, as it applies to their dog’s breed, and he provides the techniques and tools necessary for the owner to become fully in tune with their dog and its needs. Rick believes that dogs not only provide us with unconditional love, but they can teach both adults and children valuable life skills: patience, kindness, consistency, responsibility, and sacrifice.
Rick was born in Cooperstown, NY and grew up in the Central New York area. As a child he spent much of his free time on his grandparent’s dairy farm. It wasn’t all play. In fact, Rick spent a lot of time helping with the farm chores. This exposed Rick to various farm animals like cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys, rabbits and goats. Regardless of the many farm animals, Rick was particularly drawn to the family German Shepard named "Nelly". The bond that Rick had with Nelly was the beginning of a lifelong passion for dogs. Before too long, Rick talked his parents into getting the family’s first dog- a German Shepard that he named "Lady". Still a young boy, Rick spent countless hours with Lady and taught her how to become a great member of the family. Looking back on this, Rick now knows that even at a young age, he was using the training methods he now uses as a professional trainer; Gentle and Reward-Based methods.
As an adult, Rick and his wife and daughters shared their lives in Central New York with dogs of all different breeds; a German Shepard/Beagle mix, a Border Collie, a Lab/Pit mix, a Australian Shepard, two Dachshunds, and a Miniature Rat Terrier. With so many dog "personalities", Rick and his entire family were able to improve their understanding of dog behavior and how each breed has its own needs and desires in order to thrive.
Perhaps the most impactful life lesson for Rick was taught to him by an Australian Shepard. "Madison Helen Keller", otherwise known as "Maddie", was born deaf. Rick’s daughter Jaimi adopted her at the age of 9 weeks, with full knowledge that she was deaf. Jaimi knew she could count on her dad to help train Maddie. They knew they were going to have to think outside the box in order for Maddie to thrive. Together, they developed their own version of dog sign language which Maddie responds to with ease. Though she lives in silence, Maddie is a happy, healthy, energetic and loving dog who is thriving. Maddie has taught Rick and Jaimi that sometimes you just have to do things a little differently in order to thrive. So, in the spirit of doing things a little differently in order to thrive, Rick and his wife Jackie, along with their two dogs Tessie (Rat Terrier) and Billie (Lab/Pit Mix), recently moved to the Phoenix area for something different; for a new beginning, for the sunshine, and to thrive… just like Maddie.
I am currently a full time dog mom of two smart, kind, and loving doggies named Apollo and Atlas that I adopted. I have been here in Austin, Tx since I was ten years old but my passion for animals and dogs imp-articular had started way before then. While growing up I had many furry and non furry companions from turtles and hamsters to cats, ferrets, and of course dogs, which really helped spark my passion for animals. It was training my dogs as I grew up and eventually training other people and their dogs that made me feel like I was really making a difference in people's lives and helping them properly understand how to communicate with their dogs and how to build a healthy and trusting relationship with them as well. I always loved (and still do) going to shelters to volunteer and give some love and exercise to all the dogs that I can't own because if I could I would take them all. Dogs help people through so much whether it be providing a companion for someone who is lonely or helping people with PTSD, they are always there for us with wagging tails and flopping tongues eager to lick our faces, they always know how to make us feel better. I want to make sure that we treat them with the same patience, love, and respect that they show us on an everyday basis and especially so when training with them. I have experiences with organizing playgroups safely and reading dogs body language to prevent any bad behaviors or experiences, basic dog training such as house training, sit, stay, recall exc. I also have been pet sitting and dog walking since I can remember and always treat the animals as if they were my own. I have a very small amount of experience with behavior modification but can't wait to further my skills with Karma Dog!
A native of Southern California, Shelley has been surrounded by animals her entire life. She grew up around dogs, bunnies, hamsters, and lizards. From a young age, her parents encouraged positive animal treatment and she carried out those beliefs into her adulthood. Shelley advocates for positive animal treatment in petitions and through protests.
Since 2012, Shelley has been volunteering at an animal rescue focusing on German Shepherds, but that accepts all breeds. Unfortunately, many rescue adoptions fall through due to dog behavior. Thus, it is here that she saw the need for dogs to be positively trained in a loving environment in order to secure their adoptions. This experience also allowed her to interact with multiple breeds and understand a variety of dog’s behaviors and reactions to positive training.
Due to her involvement with the rescue group, in the spring of 2013, Shelley fostered a terrier mix, named Lilo, from a shelter. Through interactions with Shelley’s Golden Retriever, Dakota, Lilo was able to adjust to life in a loving home. This experience helped her to realize how important it was to properly train and socialize dogs with people and other dogs, and began her desire to train dogs in basic obedience. It also confirmed her convictions in positive reinforcement, as Lilo’s aggression subsided with care and positive treatments.
Shelley has also been teaching middle school students since 2013 in the Garden Grove Unified School District. Her experience as a teacher has transferred over to training dogs. In both student and dog training, enjoying learning is a big part of the process. In order to promote motivation and mutual assistance, there must be a bond formed between dog and owner (or teacher and child) from honest communication and mutual respect. Through dog training, Shelley’s goal is to assist owners in building a loving, caring, and mutually respectful relationship with their canines.
Originally from Austin, TX, Kaleigh has been an avid animal lover since she was little. Growing up with animal loving parents, meant a household full of paws, claws and hooves. She had originally focused on becoming a big cat keeper and trainer with the San Diego Zoo, but soon her dreams grew to involve more domestic animals. Throughout her life she has owned dogs, cats, macaws, peacocks, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, mice, rabbits, and just about any other domestic animal you can think of. She currently has a Doberman Pinscher, and a Border collie mix.
Her training career began while working with a breeder of Australian Shepard's, in the little farm town of Kearney, MO. These dogs were trained for guardianship, hunting, and ranch work. The unspoken link between animal and human, as they both worked throughout each day was remarkable. Based on these practices, she began to train her own pets, as well as friends' pets.
Her focus then shifted toward the equine world, where she became a well respected Gymkhana and general horsemanship trainer, and she still trains these magnificent animals today. She volunteered with BLM in Nevada to assess wild mustangs, and to insure their general health and well being, while fostering and rehabilitating horses who had Ben cruelty treated and neglected.
Kaleigh continued to learn about animal behavior and assessing body and vocal cues while working with a Las Vegas animal shelter. Many of the animals she worked with were neglected, abused, and unsure of human interaction. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn how to help animals with aggression, possession, and fear tendencies. After studying the techniques of Dr.Dunbar and Clinton Anderson, she was able to work with these animals, saving many lives by correcting issues with a calm and reassuring hand. Within a few months of working with the shelter, she began fostering through them, and had continuous rescue cases, many times a few at a time, for years to come. These cases ranged from puppies who weren't old enough to adoption, to rescued animals who feared any human interaction.
After the shelter, Kaleigh went on to work in the veterinary field, alongside trainers and veterinarians of many exotic animals, including but not limited to big cats, camels, birds, snakes, large lizards, and of course dogs and cats. During this time she found meditation practices helped not only those who had been in extremely negative situations, but also those who were dearly loved, but suffered from illness, old age, or general insecurities while in a vet environment. Even the calmest, sweetest dog can react unusually when introduced to an unusual situation, and many times knowing how to help an animal remain calm and relaxed insured the safety of the animal and vet staff while the animal was receiving treatment.
After returning to Austin, Kaleigh immediately started the search for a company or organization that shared her views of mutual respect, and a loving relationship with animals. She was so happy to find the Karma Dog Training team, and to be able to work with some of the most wonderful and kind trainers in the Dog training world.
Growing up in rural CT provided Susan with a backyard of wild animals including bears, raccoons, deers, rabbits, skunks, opossums, and other critters. Susan felt a natural kinship develop with not only the wild animals but her own dogs, cats, mice, birds and turtles. Positively influenced by her father, an outdoorsman, she was always inspired by nature and the animals. The animals seemed to speak to her.
In 2000 Susan had a mystical experience with her Black Lab/Doberman mix and knew that working with dogs was her life's purpose. But it wasn't until 2004 when an aggressive Doberman came into her pack that she became initiated into the workings of the dog's mind. Susan learned from a number of sources including being a client of Cesar Millan's and Brandon Fouche's. Integrating what these two aggression experts taught her about how dogs think she has created a virtual course called 5 Steps to Unleashing Your Dog's Best Behavior. This course is meant to be a study aid with videos, m3's and guidebooks to supplement private Karma Dog training which addresses many common behavioral issues with dogs.
Susan believes that most dogs are misunderstood and that it is our relationships with our dogs that need to be corrected, not the dog. By learning how to effectively communicate with our dogs Susan believes that all behavioral issues can be cleared up without harsh punishment, correction collars, bribes or confinement. Susan specializes in difficult cases such as multiple dog fighting (same household), leash aggression with transfer to handler, fear aggression, elimination in the home, feces eating and teaching clients how to handle and control large, powerful dogs without any special collars by controlling dogs mentally not physically. Susan uses behavior modification techniques to help dogs learn to become balanced without any obedience training.. She also teaches people about how to short circuit a reactive nervous response which is problematic in certain breeds.
Susan has been serving Ace of Hearts Rescue in Los Angles, CA and has prevented some of the adopted dogs from being returned through teaching their guardians how to clearly communicate to their dogs in a language they can easily understand as well as Westside German Shepherd Rescue. Many of these dogs like others in shelters across the nation have had aggression issues due to learning to communicate their frustrations, fears and instabilities the only way they know how.
Recognizing that all beings are spiritual in nature she's enrolled in a distance program with Emerson Theological Institute in Oakridge, CA, to become an Animal Chaplain, or a member of the clergy who serving families facing the loss of a beloved animal companion find peace. Additionally she has a master's degree in metaphysical science.
Susan believes that within every dog lies a hero with exceptional abilities and intelligence. She teaches each person how to be their best leader self to bring out their dog's follower instincts. She believes that every dog is a mirror of the way we see the world. Natural horseman Buck Brannaman says that horses are only a reflection of the way we live our lives. And so Susan also believes that our dogs are extensions of us. If we are effectively communicating to them what we want and expect and also listening to them and what they need from us, she believes we can create a beautiful synchronistic relationship based on respect and acceptance.
Jessica "Jessi" Amundson has been groomed to be a fantastic dog trainer. Having grown up in rural Wisconsin in a black lab breeding family, Jessi is highly acclimated to high strung animals in large numbers. Since she was a little girl her household chores included dog walking, feeding, exercising, and developing the basic traits that make for a good family dog, and in her families case, an adoptable dog.
In her early twenties, Jessi had found her way to Chico California where a slough of young adults were making their way in the world as college students. Such young freedom is often accompanied by a new dog to break the pressures of college and a life away from home. This opened many doors for Jessi due to the stress often associated by the college experience. As students went off to class to broaden there horizons, Jessi managed to split her time between classes and the needs of her fellow students new pets. At any given time, Jessi could be see at the rivers and beautiful parks of Chico with up eight dogs in her reigns. It was an amazing site sight to a number of full grown dogs behaving and knowing there place within the pack. Having the confidence to lead and the patients to cope has made Jessi an excellent dog trainer for both behavior and health.
Along with managing positive behavioral traits in the K-9 community, Jessi has studied many health benefits for dogs of all sizes. From key ingredients to a healthy meal to simple remedies to help with flea and tick control.
Now in her late twenties, Jessi has two dogs of her own and is always looking to expand the family. Dogs are a wonderful extension of ones life. With the right training and good healthy practices a dog can be a wonderful companion and dear friends for many years to come.
Please consider Jessi and the rest of the Dog Karma family for a friendly experience and a well trained dog.
Rianna MacMillan grew up in a small town in Texas, where she spent most of her time helping her parents care for their large menagerie of animals. She has always been close to dogs and has been working with them for most of her life. She first got her start in the dog world volunteering in shelter and kennel environments working as a caretaker, bather and play facilitator. She then graduated to working with fellow dog parents in their homes and at the facility to address behavioral issues and teach basic obedience skills. She is a 100% positive based dog trainer and subscribes to the methods used by such top experts as Patricia McConnel and Karen Pryor.
Rianna also spent a summer in Bulgaria, volunteering on an operation to preserve a rare and ancient breed of herding dogs integral to the survival of the shepherd communities that still exist there today.
Today, Rianna has a terrier-sort-of-dog named "Snowfeet" who is by far the coolest "person" she knows. When she is not training dogs for Karma Dog, she spends her free time playing bike polo, sewing weird costumes and developing an interest in chirography.
Answering her calling has been a life-long pursuit, but ever since Cara was a child, she dreamt of working with animals. She first demonstrated her compassion and deep respect for all living beings at an early age by creating and caring for a cricket circus. Her love for creatures big and small grew as she began to scour the newspaper for missing pets and bring home lost dogs. As she entered her teenage years, she began a pet sitting business. She continued to grow this enterprise, becoming a reliable caregiver and companion for her clients’ beloved pets.
In 2012, Cara made a life-changing move from Connecticut to Arizona to pursue what brought her the most joy in life – dogs. Cara began working in a pet boarding and dog daycare facility where she learned the ins and outs of daily interaction with a variety of breeds and behaviors. She was passionate about providing the best possible care to the guests at the facility, and dedicated to ensuring a healthy, safe, and comfortable experience. She has been a volunteer for a Rat Terrier rescue since 2012, serving as a Foster Parent, Transport Coordinator, Home Visit Coordinator, Adoption Application Coordinator, Fundraising Team Member, and Behavior Modification Team member. Cara has logged more than 4,000 hours of canine behavior observation and canine language interpretation. She has managed groups of up to 20 dogs at play, and has served a crucial role in socializing fearful dogs. Over the years, Cara has developed a wealth of knowledge regarding a wide range of breeds and their associated common behavioral issues. In 2014, Cara graduated from Animal Behavior Institute as a Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist (CCTBS). She continued her education and became a Certified Advanced Canine Training Professional (CACTP) one year later, earning a 4.0 GPA.
Cara considers herself a ‘canine liaison’, using intuition to connect with dogs, identify their needs, and resolve their issues in order to enhance and facilitate a healthy, optimal human-canine bond. Her training and behavior modification style utilizes clear and simple communication of both the human’s and the dog’s needs and wants, making it easy to follow through and resolve issues. She has a talent for cultivating a strong human-canine bond through the use of play, enrichment, and prevention that both the dog and their human, enjoy. Cara believes in a holistic approach in her training and behavior issue resolution. She looks at her client’s lifestyle, and assesses all parts creating the whole when training and modifying canine behavior.
Shannon grew up in San Diego in beautiful Southern California on the water. From an early age, Shannon was dedicating her time to learning about our animal cohabitants both on land and in water. At the age of 8 Shannon entered Marine Conservation summer education camps and began to grow her knowledge and experiences with marine mammals. As she continued to grow in her knowledge, Shannon persuaded her not so enthusiastic parents to allow her to bring home numerous pocket pets, until she was one day able to convince the family to allow her to have her first dog – a dachshund puppy named Mercedes. Shannon taught Mercedes everything she knew and spent countless hours training and working with her.
Although Shannon spent her childhood dog sitting, training the family hound-dog and educating herself about animals, when the day finally came that she was old enough to pursue her first job at 16 years old, it was no surprise that she ended up working at the local animal shelter in adoptions and daycare. It was here that Shannon had her first taste of dog training by working with board and train clients on basic obedience of all different kinds of breeds, sizes and ages. Shannon was educated under the shelters trainer and quickly realized the potency and power of positive reinforcement training.
After spending a couple years working at this small-scale rescue-type shelter, Shannon was ready to move on to a larger scale operation and took up a job as an Adoptions Counselor at the cities Humane Society. At the Humane Society, Shannon found herself facing a new challenge every day, as this was her first experience with being a part of the actual rehabilitation process for stray, abandoned and abused animals. Shannon has been faced with many fear-related and dog-related aggression cases of animals living under highly stressful situations. Some of the breeds she has encountered and worked with most are American Pit bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, Chihuahuas and poodle mixes. On a day-to-day basis Shannon counsels guests through adoption with the societies available animals that she has come to know through the rehabilitation process of positive reinforcement training and socialization with other dogs. Shannon also helps to run play groups and is a part of the Behavior Assessment team that behavior assesses incoming animals with basic handling and other dogs to determine their path and the parameters for adoption in the adoption process. Shannon has had both a formal class-based and experience-based education at the Humane Society in handling, dog-aggression, fear-aggression, reactivity and positive reinforcement training. Shannon has witnessed the success and the power of the reward-based techniques the society employs transform dogs. Working with stray, abandoned and abused animals and fostering them out of a place of fear and doubt and in to a place of peace has become one of the many passions of Shannon’s life. Shannon hopes to continue expanding her knowledge of training and dog behavior through training, opportunities at the Humane Society and perhaps with other rescue groups and shelters in the future.
Dave Way lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From an early age Dave had a deep love for animals of all kinds. It was dogs, however that truly captured his soul. He spent to years learning to train at K9 Companion where earned several certificates for graduating therapy dogs. During that time, Dave developed a deep passion for helping "last chance" shelter dogs find their forever family. Helping people not only find the dog for them , but also have the skills to have a happy healthy relationship with their dog.. Soon after, Dave joined the Friendly Paws Grooming family. From washing to grooming, even working in the front office, he learned all phases of the grooming business. He loved to see how happy people were to pick up their pets with a new doo!
The belief that all dogs can be great dogs with proper training and love, brought three rescued dogs into "Ways World". Doodles is a sheltie that is deaf and partially blind. She was rescued from a puppy mill. Taco the Bell is a spitz mix that was found running down a major road. He quickly became one of the best dogs that dave has ever know. Last but definitely not least, there is Alice. The feisty little min-pin was found abandoned and starving, and is know a very important part of the Way family.
Karma Dog Training and the services they offer are a perfect match for Dave's training style. Whether it's classes, private lesson, board and train, or any Karma Dog Training services, Dave looks forward to helping you and your dog have the best relationship possible!
Deborah Bollman's lifelong career training horses in show jumping and Dressage, is complimented by her decades of experience training, breeding, and showing dogs, as well as grooming, and doing canine nutrition consultations.
Deborah bred and owner/handled her own Golden Retrievers in AKC shows in the North East. She was the Editor for the Long Island Golden Retriever newsletter, and ran the spring LIGRC’s Spring Match Shows. She has participated in AKC, UKC and NADAC trails, and was very active in the Suffolk Obedience Training Club, Port Chester Obedience Training Club, Contact Agility and L.I. Agility Club, and taught breed (conformation) handling classes.
Deborah has extensive experience with a wide variety of breeds, and has personally owned several Dobermans, Golden Retrievers, Rat Terriers, a Chihuahua, a variety of mixed breeds, miniature Daschund and her true love, Border Collies.
Some of Deborah’s accomplishments include: training dogs in obedience - all the way to AKC Utility Dog Excellent Title - with multiple High in Trials and Training Club awards for Highest Scoring Dogs; having done field work with retrievers; tracking; started a Doberman in Search and Rescue work; therapy dog work; and having taught CGC classes, agility, and sheep herding with Border Collies. She also handled one of her own Rat Terriers to Best Of Winners at the Rat Terrier National Specialty,
Deborah’s dog training experience goes back to the 70’s and 80‘s, when slip collars and compulsive dog training were standard. It was just how things were done at the time. Since then her training philosophies and methodologies have changed drastically, as the compulsive style of training just never felt right to her. Her quest to find training methods that strengthen the human/dog bond, has enabled her to become well versed in the work of Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Susan Clothier, noted animal behaviorist Jon Baily, Jean Donaldson, Susan Garrett, and Pat Miller, as well as Kevin Behran’s work on energy and a variety of other teachers. Once she discovered Positive (reward based) Training she never looked back!
As a lifelong student of the dog, Deborah is in a continuous pursuit for knowledge to learn as much as she can about dog behavior, training, holistic health and nutrition, raw diets for dogs, herbs, canine body awareness and gait analysis. Her training methodologies are constantly evolving, and she learns from each and every dog that she has the honor of working with. She attends workshops and seminars regularly, and has had the honor of working with some of the best canine practitioners in the country.
While Deborah does train using operant and classical conditioning (positive reinforcement and shaping), she has a knack for assessing the energetic dynamic between the dog and owner that can ultimately manifest itself in the behavior of the dog. She feels that dogs are here as our teachers, and that they are a conduit for our own energy. In working with dogs it is very important to try and help each dog succeed by centering ourselves first, and finding a clear intention for what we are asking them to do. This helps set the dog up for success. She loves developing training programs geared towards the individual dog, while accommodating the learning style and training commitment of the owner/handler.
Deborah feels that this next stage in her journey with dogs is to learn as much as she possibly can about our spiritual bond with the dog, and implement that knowledge into her teaching and training. This path was lit up for her by her previous Border Collie, Tess, who was a tremendous teacher, and Deborah's heart dog.
Deborah now has a young Border Collie rescue named Nora. Her goal is to teach Nora using only shaping. Deborah creates the highest value for herself in her dog’s eyes, and builds drive (with cookies and toys) and marks (with clicker and "yes") good and wanted behaviors while ignoring the unwanted behaviors. She has been developing a blog called Namaste Dog where she shares the experience of training Nora, with the intention of enlightening people to the connection between energy, intention, and how it all relates to our relationship with the dog, and our own growth as spiritual beings.
Deborah and her son have recently moved to the Austin area from New York, where she hopes to become involved with Border Collie rescue. In addition to her work with dogs, Deborah is a working artist, specializing in painting dogs and horses. She maintains a daily yoga and meditation practice, and loves to hike with her dog.
Since childhood, Julee has had a passion for animals. It started in Las Vegas with the neighborhood cats, until she got her own pets. Harlee Quinn and KC Jones are her first dogs, and first opportunity to train animals. Growing up, Julee helped her mom teach Harlee and KC obedience and tricks like sit pretty and dance.
When PetSmart hired Julee, she couldn’t wait to be around all the animals in the store and the guests that visited. She learned about reptiles, fish and other animals that furthered her passion for all animals. Julee volunteers at the Lion Habitat Ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she is learning about lion care and training.
Julee became an Accredited Pet Trainer through PetSmart’s dog training program in 2015. She learned about dogs’ instincts and how to positively correct behaviors through the program. Each student along the way has taught her more about dog’s behaviors and different personalities. Teaching basic obedience classes and behavioral training came easy to Julee because of her strong background in public speaking. She is currently at College of Southern Nevada studying secondary education.
In her free time, Julee takes her dog Pickles on adventures. Some days they play at the dog park with other dogs. Other days they travel to Red Rock Canyon for hiking and rock climbing or Searchlight for cliff jumping and swimming in the Colorado River.
Every day, Julee loves to take on new challenges. She enjoys teaching, and working with all breeds of dogs. She especially likes to work with puppies and teaching basic obedience. She loves to see dogs understand basic obedience and work with pet parents to enjoy their puppies. Her ultimate goal is to create a lasting, positive relationship between the pet parent and their new family member.
Gentle, fun and effective are words that describe Karin’s approach to dog training. She uses rewards-based training to jumpstart positive communication between pet parents and their four-legged best friends, giving them a valuable skillset that fosters a spirit of teamwork, collaboration and trust.
She is a graduate of the highly respected Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Training and Behavior, a rigorous program that focuses on positive-reinforcement training methods, learning theory and hands-on dog training. In addition to training, she has expertise in canine body language and basic behavior modification.
In 2000, she first witnessed the power of training while working with a trainer to address her own dog’s behavior issues. She quickly became a training enthusiast, attending Obedience, Tricks, Agility and Rally classes with her dogs and joining a canine drill team that performed at dog shows, nursing homes and parades. She also started volunteering at the Austin Animal Center – which is now the largest no-kill shelter in the country.
A desire to become a professional trainer began growing in Karin, and after much soul-searching, she decided to follow her heart and pursue a new career goal. Before entering the pet services field, Karin worked as a magazine writer and editor, a technical writer and a corporate trainer after earning a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Karin lives in Austin, Texas. Her pet family includes training superstar Squiggy (a skateboarding Border Collie mix who was adopted from the Austin Animal Center), Tillie (a lovable Lab who is a reformed leash lunger) and shy Brooklyn, a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix.
Louisa believes that training is communication and that every interaction one has with their animal is a training experience. Dogs are very intuitive and can sense the energy from their human cohorts. Because of this her reassuring presence and natural calm demeanor makes animals very comfortable and at ease in each session.
A recent graduate of the very prestigious Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College Louisa has the education and training of the new and advanced positive reinforcement training techniques. Only utilizing positive reinforcement and Operant Conditioning applications she makes sure the animal is not only being trained but enjoying each and every session.
Even as a little girl she has always been enamored with animals from horses to dogs and everything in between. Growing up in a house with reptiles, dogs, cats, and small pocket pets she knew her calling was to work with animals. As she matured into a young adult she found her path into the animal industry through school by way of training. In her years of training she has worked with many animals including Spotted Hyena, New Guinea Singing Dogs, Alpaca, Mini Horse, Parrot, Bird of Prey, Rodents, Lagomorphs, Hedgehog, Serval, and African Lions. Her training expertise has no limits to what she can train.
Animal welfare and safety is of utmost importance to this very compassionate and experienced trainer. Not only can training make your dog content and manageable but it can strengthen the bond between pet parent and dog companion. Louisa understands that your dog is not just a pet but apart of your family and therefore will always treat your dog most respectfully and with compassion. Louisa regards training as a way to get your dog to understand what you want from it. She has trained animals to willingly cooperate in their own medical care, she has trained calm behavior in overactive animals, basic obedience, and the list goes on. With Louisa you are guaranteed to see results and a positive change within your new furry companion.
Louisa’s strengths include her gentle demeanor, patience, compassion, respect, safety, and welfare of the animal in her care during each and every session. She believes training should be fun and something your dog looks forward to. Training is one of the greatest forms of enrichment because it incorporates so many different factors such as exercise, mental stimulation, and elicits natural behaviors. Training makes a dog healthy and a dog in good health is a happy dog which in turn makes a happy home for both the dog and his human family.
Lastly Louisa is a Cleveland Ohio native currently residing in Ventura County CA, offering Basic Obedience and Puppy Training sessions. Not only is she training for Karma Dog making dog owners lives easier and making both dog and dog family homes a better place to coexist in but she also works as an animal show presenter and animal trainer of domestic hoofstock in Moorpark California. She is currently the only Karma Dog Trainer in the County and is available for in home private training. With her you can put your trust and confidence in her ability to ease your new furry friend into its exciting new life with it’s loving new family.
Fia Melkerson was born and raised in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California. Growing up, her parents rescued dogs from the streets and shelters. Her first family pet, Lola, was a 3 month old Rottweiler puppy her parents rescued. Lola quickly became Fia's first best friend. As they grew up together, Fia felt her connection grow stronger. Not only with dogs, but with all animals. Fia's family continued to foster dogs throughout her upbringing. When she was about 10 years old, a German Shepherd named Hank came into their lives. Hank was aggressive and reactive towards humans and cats. Her parents sought out a dog trainer to help Hank. This is when Fia was first introduced to positive reinforcement training.
As Fia got older, she started taking training into her own hands. In 2008, Fia's mother rescued Maggie (pictured). Maggie was deathly malnourished and didn't have much time left. Together, Fia and her mother nursed Maggie back to health and began leash training and basic command work using treats and verbal praise. Since then, Maggie has been happy and healthy living with her mother and younger brother. Fia's mother recently adopted a Chihuahua mix, Herman, from a kill shelter. Herman had hours left before euthanasia. Fia lead the introduction of Herman and Maggie on leash down the street from her mother's house and assisted her mother with the integration into the home.
In the summer of 2015, Fia found herself unhappy working as a receptionist and started looking for a new job. After a few weeks of searching, she stumbled across a listing for a dog boarding and training facility that was hiring. A week of phone interview later and she had been hired. Here was where she learned most of the knowledge she has on dog breeds and their characteristics, how to safely introduce dogs and different training methods and tools. Fia mainly worked with and trained dogs that were under socialized and fearful, had severe separation anxiety and aggression towards other dogs or humans. She built so many great relationships with the dogs she worked with, having learned as much from them as they have from her. Fia believes you must build a strong, positive relationship with your pup for any training to be effective.
Fia is most skilled with reactivity and/or aggression with other dogs, humans or things such as skateboards, bikes, runners, etc. and puppy training. When working with dogs, she prefers to use the method of detachment. Staying detached is simply not adding any unnecessary affection or stimulation until they are being rewarded for the behavior being asked of them. She feels using this technique is best for dogs with separation anxiety (codependency) and human aggression. During the training process, any added affection or stimulation can be seen as the reward and may be associated with a behavior other than what is being asked of them. Fia has great success working with detachment. Giving verbal praise and minimal treats is the best way to build a positive learning experience for your dog.
When she's not working with dogs, Fia enjoys playing music with her friends in their band, going to art shows, taking care of her succulent garden and riding her bike through Los Angeles. She is currently a part time student at LACC with plans to transfer to a 4 year University, majoring in Linguistics. Fia would love to have a dog, but unfortunately can't due to her apartment being pet free. She is very excited to be apart of the KARMA team, and can't wait to work with you and your pup!
Skyler began his love for all animals at a young age living with his Grandparents. He got his first cat at the age of 6 named Shadow, the two of them were best friends from the start. Sky loved to find stray cats and bring them home giving them all so much needed TLC. With the help of his grandparents he found these loving creatures new home and continued to take in animals that had no place to go.
At the age of 11 his grandparents gave him a gift that would change his life; a little Pug that he later named Pugsly. He began researching to find everything he could about the breed. While doing so he came across the Colorado Pug Rescue and was set that he had to be apart of this organization. With the blessing of his Grandma she allowed him to apply to be a foster parent. As soon as the first foster came through his doors he was in love. He spent his days learning about animal behavior and simple training techniques for the little guys who were in his home. Over the next 10 years Skyler would foster over 50 pugs from all walks of life. Never a day went by that he wasn't amazed at the way love could transform animals.
In 2015 Sky moved to LA, to enjoy some warm weather and to soon decide that everything dog is his truest passion. He aspires to open his own doggy day care that helps fund his own rescue in the years to come and train therapy and service dogs for the people in his community.
Shelby grew up in the small town of Simi Valley. She is one of 5 sisters and quickly discovered her love for animals at a young age, in a household full of pets and quickly became the neighborhood dog washer and walker. She has worked with people for the majority of her adult life, but has always had a connection with dogs. She has volunteered with local organizations and rescues. Since finding Karma Dog Training and their positive reinforcement training, she has found a love in helping dog owners to better communicate with their fur babies. Educating owners and making happier puppies is a dream come true! All dogs are different, learning how to read each dog and help their owners have a better understanding is extremely rewarding. Shelby loves all dogs, but has a soft spot for the often misunderstood bully breeds. She currently lives in LA with a husky puppy named Mako and her pitbull, Delilah.
Samantha was raised an avid animal lover, growing up with four large boxers and helping every stray dog her family came across. Throughout her childhood, she could be caught napping in the floor with the dogs, helping the occasional injured bird in the road, or outdoors trying to bring home random critters like toads and caterpillars. Eventually, two of the dogs became ill, one was diagnosed with epilepsy and the other with canine cancer. Although the diagnoses saddened everyone, it taught Samantha how to properly care for animals with severe medical conditions.
Once the original four pups passed, Samantha’s family felt compelled to foster for DFW-based Legacy Boxer Rescue. Over the course of roughly four years, the family opened their home up to nine different boxers in need. Fostering gave Samantha an opportunity to be around dogs of different backgrounds, from neglect and abuse cases to lifelong strays to owner surrenders. Each dog required some flexibility, compassion, and a strong foundation of trust. The experience of volunteering and fostering for Legacy Boxer Rescue gave Samantha hope that one day she could start her own non-profit rescue and play a much bigger role in alleviating the suffering of all animals. Her time with the rescue showed her that not everyone loved their pets as much as her family did. Fostering taught her a lot about shelter overcrowding and the causes of it, which provoked her to become an outspoken animal activist.
The summer before Samantha began high school, she met her "souldog." He was just another stray she picked up in a neighborhood. After months of trying everything to find his owners with no luck, she decided to add him to the family, and named him Coda. He was the first dog that was solely hers, not a family pet. Samantha learned a lot about the responsibility of being a dog’s primary caretaker. Once his time with her was up, she decided to put her love for animals to work instead of adopting another dog. She started a job as a Kennel Tech at a vet clinic. There, she put her lifetime of caring for dogs to practice in the professional world. After a few months of gaining experience in a clinic setting, she received a job offer for an Animal Caretaker position from the SPCA of East Texas. Her responsibilities there included being the main caregiver of all animals in facility. Since she was the main person interacting with the dogs, she was assigned the task of introducing all of them to clicker training which gave her an introduction into the world of positive reinforcement training. After nine amazing months of working for the SPCA, Samantha relocated to Fort Worth and is trying to establish herself as a professional trainer in order to gain skills necessary to eventually live her dream and start her own non-profit animal rescue.
Samantha is currently putting herself through college for a degree in Biology and wishes to work in the renewable energy field someday, another one of her passions. When she's not at school or working with pups, she spends her time with her fiance, his dog, and their two ferrets. Because of her background in rescue, Samantha has been exposed to and enjoys dogs of all breeds and sizes. She understands that every dog has different needs but is passionate and determined to help people build the most trusting bond with their furry friends.
A native born Texan, Noelle has been surrounded by animals her entire life. Since a very young age, she has always had a deep emotional connection with animals. Growing up, she was raised around the family dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, horses, and goats to name a few. After working her way up from her own goldfish, to hamster, to sugar glider, she was given her very own dog, a Jack Russel Terrier named Gervin. She trained Gervin and channeled his high energy nature into being an obedient and loyal companion who loved to run and perform agility tasks for fun. Since then, she has always had a passion for working with animals. She began pet sitting and dog walking regularly. She would volunteer as a dog walker and kennel hand at local shelters, and it always made her sad to see how many dogs were brought in simply due to a lack of proper training and care.
After graduating high school early, she proceeded to go to college for Child Psychology. While in college and shortly thereafter, Noelle developed an interest in Reiki, a form of deeply rooted spiritual healing, and became a practitioner. In doing so, she began to realize the interconnectivity of all living things.
Noelle has worked with everything from cats and dogs, to more exotic animals like Kinkajous and Boa Constrictors. Her realization of the importance of having a personal connection with your animal became especially clear when she lived with her roommates who had a marmoset, Liam. She could tell that he was just like any other being, human or animal. He had feelings, a need for trust, a need for companionship, a need for a purpose. As this principle grew clearer and clearer, it became obvious to her that she wanted to work with animals.
Implementing both her background in Child Psychology and in energy work, she believes that establishing a personal relationship with each individual dog is imperative for positive results. To put it simply, if you project fear and aggression, your dog will reciprocate that energy. If you project understanding and compassion, you will get that in return. "Every dog deserves to live a happy, stable and love-filled life. With this, they will be able to enjoy the world around them just as any dog should," Noelle says.
Noelle currently resides in Houston, Texas with her beautiful Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix, Bluebell. Bluebell is a rescue with a questionable background, but was believed to be a bait dog at some point or the recipient of serious abuse. Since rescuing Bluebell, Noelle has worked with her extensively to overcome her fear, and she now has a wonderful demeanor and is very loving and well behaved. Noelle has a bumper sticker on the back of her car that says "who rescued who?" in the shape of a paw print. As much as Noelle rescued Bluebell, Bluebell rescued Noelle ten fold. Now she and Bluebell enjoy doing art, yoga, making music, camping, fishing and hiking in their free time.
Melissa Kara is an exquisitely intuitive and passionate human. A continuously evolving woman; in love with nature, animals and humans. Everybody who knows her can instantly tell that her greatest and most profound passion is caring for and teaching animals (and their humans.) Melissa moved to Colorado Springs in August 2015 from Chicago, Illinois. Melissa lives with her fiancé, Nick, her oldest boy cat, Binx, her fantastic catch with fetch German shepherd/beagle mix, Frankie and her service dog in training Italian mastiff, Gypsy. She just recently joined Karma Dog Training with a focus on positive reinforcement, leash aggression/excitement, fearful/skittish, separation anxiety, dog-to-dog aggression, service dog training and resource guarding. Currently, Melissa is learning more and more everyday about service dog training, while dog training for the deaf, scent training and training for the Good Canine Citizen test with her one and a half old, baby girl, Gypsy.
Growing up with five cats and five dogs, Melissa has always been one to observe everything around her. This ability allows her to instinctively pick up on emotions and behaviors. Melissa is continuously learning and adding to her animal training knowledge. She truly understands behaviors beneath the surface. So as you may have already guessed, Melissa has infinite care and respect for animals. The level of respect allows her to make outstanding connections with all animals.
The passion Melissa has for dogs and their health really took off when her father opened a dog boutique back in 2004. The dog barkery provided the healthiest foods and food related products for our furry family members and the surrounding community. Melissa assisted in making the treats as well, so she has all the best recipes for the healthiest treats! She also was the go-to pet sitter in the surrounding towns, for 10 years.
Melissa’s way of life and communication vibrates with positivity. She worked as a CNA for a few years and went on to get her phlebotomy certification a few years later. The way she handles her patients, clients, and all animals is honorable due to her exceptional personable demeanor. After some more incredible experiences throughout her life, Melissa discovered her main goal for the future: to build self-sustainable orphanages and shelters for animals.
In 2013, Melissa moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Melissa met Michael, her mentor with all things animals. Michael owns a working ranch with over 80 different animals and has vacation rental homes. He offered Melissa the most informative and fulfilling position of her life, thus far. Melissa was the animal husbandry manager of all the animals including, chickens, turkeys, ducks, two pigs, two cows, five goats, 17 alpacas, and 11 dogs. Melissa instinctively cared and raised each and every animal as if it were her own kin. She assisted in all of the births on the ranch including four alpaca births and the births of 9 Kangal/ English mastiff pups. Melissa was asked to train all the pups to be livestock guardians. After doing all the research on livestock guardian training, she became interested in training the pups all kinds of behaviors. She being a human always intrigued to learn more, self-taught through positive reinforcement success and the help of Cesar Milan training videos. Melissa trained all 9 pups to be livestock guardians, their basic obedience and leash aggression/excitement. She also trained with achievement, a few of the pups that were displaying resource guarding. Melissa also successfully helped Kona (English mastiff) her best friend and #1 helper on the ranch with her separation anxiety. She additionally trained another adult dog on the ranch, Kane (Kangal) to be comfortable with new people and sounds, as his nature was a bit fearful when they first began. Furthermore, on the ranch Melissa was the housekeeping manager for the vacation rental houses. As the gardening manager she had fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs daily for the guests renting the vacation homes. Melissa also built a huge garden of vegetables for the animals. Her knowledge from the ranch position continues to grow with each and every day.
Melissa continues pet sitting and training pets. She works on a daily and weekly basis with over 10 clients and admires maintaining her relationships with so many great furry friends. Reinforcing the doggie parent’s rules, adding a little bit of her own training techniques with the dogs, simultaneously teaching the doggie parents. Melissa has had over 60 clients and made so many great furry friends.
All the positivity and success encouraged Melissa’s self-sustainable ideas to grow. Melissa is quite unique in ways that she has dedicated her life to building self-sustainable shelters where she plans to train the animals. For the future, Melissa and her fiancé, Nick plan to build a training facility for their own fur babies on their property in Southern Colorado.
Melissa will positively reinforce behaviors, with treats and happy sounds. Constantly displaying and providing clear commands with positive energy to keep the training in session. Melissa will handle any situation with her calm, intuitive personality. Be prepared for motivation, accomplishment and a "Yes we can" attitude as you train with Melissa Kara!
Meli got her first dog at the age of 34, and the experience changed her life forever. She attributes her happiness today to the relationship she has built with her dog and what it has taught her about herself, the power of intention, living in the moment, and living life to the fullest.
She used to think that having a dog would limit her lifestyle, be expensive, and be too much work, but through unexpected circumstance, she became a dog owner. In the beginning, having a new puppy was a challenging experience. After two weeks of feeling frustrated and incompetent, she decided to intentionally change her relationship with her dog and learn everything she could to help him have a less anxious experience in the world.
This desire to learn became an obsession, and the more resources she found, the more she enjoyed time with her puppy and the more her life changed for the better. Not only that, she started loving spending time with all dogs. Inspired by the changes in her life, Meli changed her career.
Before Karma, she spent 15 years in the fitness industry. She uses her knowledge and experience in human movement and behavior change with dogs daily and believes the most compelling point of behavior change is helping the owners understand to communicate and relate to their dogs differently. Meli’s mission is to help others foster trusting and positive relationships with their dogs, and she is excited to meet you and your pup!
Margie came to Colorado from Canada 17 years ago, Finally to a place she could have what she considered a real pet, a dog for the first time ever. Margie decided a Blue heeler who she named Black jack was what she longed for. BJ was the first of many dogs to come that brought out the love and connection she had in her.
Margie was certified through Animal Behavioral College in Dog obedience, and pet safety and CPR. Once she started, she really noticed the passion and fire that began in her love and understanding for dogs. The connection that vastly grew, and the joy of seeing the growth and change in the dogs she was able to work with, is when she knew she had found her calling and her purpose for why she was put here, that because of the dogs, she could be of some service in such an amazing was, to be able to give back to others and their dogs, just like God had done for her all her life. Progress and Success is what keeps her going. Margie was offered a job with the trainer she was set up with during her externship, before she graduated and was given the opportunity to be able to pass 3 Veterans dogs and their Good Citizen service dog training. Loving all breeds and temperaments, she sees how there’s so much more meaning, love and concern for dogs and their people, so that they can keep their forever homes. She strives in any and every humanly possible to be sure to keep the love and compassion alive.
Margie currently has a 7 year old Hungarian Vizsla/ Black Lab mix named Jazmine who has truly shown her the true meaning of und=conditional love that dogs can/ will show those who they adore, it was at the hardest time in their lives that they really joined together over the loss of their dear friend, encourager, and fellow animal lover, as if an unspoken forever, never ending love was shown. Her spirit and deep care for dogs is purely driven by love. There’s nothing more worth while then being that strength for others and their dogs, to only have that everlasting, never changing love that her clients and their dogs as well get to experience and the relief and light that gets lit when you can realize that anything is possible as well as that there’s hope yet still for any dog. The key to success and cooperation is being able to read a dog and what it is their really trying to say, that’s what she strives for in every case she encounters. If not for the dogs, she would be lost and still in doubt and question. God gave us dogs because he cant be physically with us, to show us that there is to love in ourselves, each other, and all loving creatures. There’s no greater loving assurance then that of dogs.
Although living her life around horseshoes, which she does through the family business part time, nothing compares to the feeling you receive from working with other dog lovers. When she’s not working she enjoys finding new places and cues to work on Jazmine with because she finds nothing more rewarding then seeing the confidence that Jaz Exudes when she takes the time to teach her new things she can show off and flaunt. When it comes to the dogs, it’s all about the interaction, and making your dog want nothing more then to obey, and pay attention to you, because that’s ultimately the glue that holds that companionship, trust, and greater connection between people and their beloved fur babies. She believes anything outside of a positive approach is worsening and makes it a point to prevent any dog to be set up for any failure or for any triggers (either previous, or newly underlying) to be addressed. If present already, to take them head on, and to be prevented if not quite formed, so that they too can join together to make the perfect stress, and worry free bond.
Corissa Griggs discovered her passion for animals at an early age in her hometown of Clinton, Maryland. When her brother wanted his first dog, her parents stressed the responsibilities of caring for animals and the uniqueness of all living things. If he was to have a dog, he would need to learn about the breed and prove that he was capable of caring for it. From that moment, Corissa decided she wanted to learn as much as she could about animals to help her brother train and care for his first dog Lil’ Bits. Corissa and her brother set out for the library every chance they had. It was at this library that they learned about all kinds of animal species, from dung beetles to whales. It was during her research as a child that Corissa indulged her youthful curiosities and discovered what would become a lifelong passion.
Several years later, Corissa’s brother came across Kimmy, a dog lost along a highway with a large chain around her neck. It was clear that Kimmy had suffered from years of neglect and abuse. Determined to care for her, he brought her home to introduce her to the family. It was not long after Kimmy was brought into the home that she began showing signs of aggression towards everyone except her brother. After much deliberation, Corissa’s family decided it would be best to take Kimmy to the local animal clinic to seek advice. However, because Kimmy was exhibiting aggressive behavior, the veterinarian recommended euthanizing Kimmy. With her previous research and awareness of animal cruelty, Corissa was determined to find a way that could keep Kimmy a part of the family and safe from euthanasia. She knew only that she wanted to help people and encourage positive change with animal treatment and sought advice from her sister who encouraged her to pursue certification in animal training.
In 2013, Corissa relocated to San Marcos, Texas where she studied American Sign Language and received her dog training certification from the Animal Behavior College (ABC). While studying at ABC, Corissa volunteered at the PAWS Animal Shelter in Kyle, Texas where she worked with a variety of dog breeds of all ages and backgrounds. Here, her unyielding attention and appreciation of all dogs in her care led to numerous adoptions. Since receiving her dog training certification, Corissa’s training efforts have been focused on basic dog obedience and is also Pet First Aid and CPR certified.
As a former teller and call center representative, Corissa has gained invaluable communication and customer service experience that she is able to apply to a diverse set of situations, individuals, and animals. Currently, Corissa is the proud mother of Ezra and Kisa, a loving Yorkshire terrier and a quirky tabby. In the future, Corissa plans to work in rehabilitation of animals that have suffered from abuse/neglect and training service animals. She also hopes to educate pet owners on the importance of preventing aggression at an early age, advancing non-aggressive behavior modification models, and promoting abuse intervention.
Liuba Brown grew up in Siberia and since early childhood was fond of animals; she rescued stray cats and dogs and helped them to find a new home.
Soon after she moved to New York she met her mentor and best friend, a dog named Lola. Lola inspired her to learn about animals and study psychology and animal behavior. Liuba began by volunteering in an animal shelter and training her friend's dogs, and than she got her own clients and requests for consultation. Liuba conducts several researches specializing on animal behavior, dog's emotions and neuroscience. She loves all the breads and believes that every dog is unique and deserves respect and love. Liuba wishes to help as many dogs as possible to find a home and peace around people. She would fight for every dog's wellbeing, because she knows how loyal and loving dogs are.
The attached picture is a year old but I chose it, because Lola is on the picture (the white pit bull). If you prefer a current picture I can redo it with my friend's dog.
Leon has always had a deep love for animals, which began when he was young and observed animals at the local park. His interest in animals led him to an educational career where he taught science at museums, science centers, and aquariums. He used his passion for the living world to instill a sense of wonder and curiosity for nature in all those around him. Leon hopes to combine his appreciation of animals and education by joining Karma Dog Training to further develop positive relationships between humans and canines.
Kristy is a SoCal native, born and raised in the beautiful City of Los Angeles. From the day she was born and throughout her childhood she was constantly surrounded by loving Pit bull's and other animals(cats, birds, iguanas, turtles, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs); that is where her love and passion for animals began. There is not a time in her life where her family did not have some type of animal companion.
Although she has always felt a unique connection to animals, especially dogs, she did not pursue working with animals until later on in life. While attending a local community college, Kristy volunteered with an organization whom aimed to help local shelters increase adoptions and decrease overpopulation. During her volunteer experience, she was responsible for socializing the adoptable animals, assisting in transportation for adoption events, pet photography and online marketing, administering medications, as well as assisting in adoption counseling. Her time as a volunteer allowed her to create an even more unique connection with dogs who may have a hard time getting adopted. This is where she was first introduced to positive reinforcement training and first handedly saw the results. Dogs who were having a hard time being adopted were finally being adopted thanks to the positive training they received. During Kristy’s time as a volunteer she came across a very timid and shy puppy, Layla, whom she then adopted and trained herself. She also came across a starved, flea infested kitten who was still in need of nursing. She fostered, Bo, the kitten and soon after adopted him. Her pup, Layla, and cat, Bo, are her constant reminders of why she continues to pursue her passion working with animals, which she now realizes was her destiny all along.
Kristy pursued her bachelors degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she had the opportunity to volunteer with a non-profit organization that aimed to reduce overpopulation, prevent animals from ending up in shelters by providing affordable spay/neuter and vaccine clinics, and improving the quality of life for pets and their families. Although she had to balance a job and school, she managed to provide marketing translation services for the non-profit organization to reach out to communities whom primarily speak Spanish. She felt that it was important to be able to reach out to people of all backgrounds and educated them on how to live a healthy, fun and safe life with their four legged family members.
After graduating college, Kristy gained experience in non-profit management/fundraising and business management; finally making the decision to transition to pursue her destiny, working with animals. This is where Karma Dog Training stood out to her, positive reinforcement training is the most effective and humane way to train. Kristy’s experiences, knowledge and passion continue to motivate her to work with animals and their families so that they can all live happily and healthy. She aims to make a difference in as many animal lives as possible whether it involves animals whom have families, shelter pups, or any other species of animals by using her knowledge of basic training and obedience, puppy kindergarten, dog walking and socialization.
Originally from the small island of Saipan, Kelsey Wallace has lived in several cities in Texas and abroad finally settling in Houston, TX. She loves reading anything she gets her hands on, running, and playing tennis. After seeking out travels for much of her adult life and recovering from the loss of the family German Shepherd, she is now ready to start a new dog family. She grew up in a dog-loving household and had taken an interest in dogs and other animals early in life - teaching her Lab many tricks while she was in elementary school, reading all she could about horses, and attempting conversation with her grandmother’s African Grey Parrot. This carried over into later years when she was called upon by countless family members and friends to watch their beloved animals including dogs of all sizes, donkeys, horses, and birds.
She has also fostered a deep interest in behavior having worked in the social services and education fields for many years, and read books and taken classes on conditioning and learning. Caring for people with brain injuries and teaching children made her realize that focusing on the good rather than the bad brought out much better results from people and enabled her to get closer to those under her care. She is a firm believer in using positive reinforcement wherever possible, not just with dogs, but with all other creatures large and small. Allowing space for proper behavior and rewarding those actions harbors positive energy, comfort, and confidence in all animals.
Kelsey has much experience caring for others’ pets while they are away. She enjoys bonding with them and having their individual personalities revealed to her. She understands the need to be an extra comfort for them while their pet parents are away, and loves to give extra treats and play with them to ensure that their time separated is lively and safe.
Kelsey loves working with a variety of people and animals. Her experiences traveling and living overseas and working in the social services arena has inspired her to work with groups of special need, children, and all sorts of different cultures. She works especially hard to make sure that those she is working with understand her and others they are working with to create a positive and communicative environment.
Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Katya discovered her passion for animals at an early age. Her home was always filled with all sorts of furry friends; dogs, birds, bunnies and chickens. Growing up she began to understand that humans and animals, especially dogs, have a strong life long bond, and that animals should be cherished and appreciated.
Katya always felt that her calling in life was to work with animals. As soon as she was able to, she started volunteering at her local animal shelter. There is where she became passionate about shelter and rescue dogs. She began to see how much these dogs and cats needed homes and loving families; it also became very apparent how important it was for families to train and socialize their dogs so they would not end up in shelters. After Katya’s 14 year old family dog passed away, she knew that she wanted to adopt. Her and her family adopted a 4 year old Labrador Retriever named Luke. Her entire family and Luke share a powerful bond, Katya believes that life without Luke would not be the same and having Luke in her life was always meant to be. A couple years after Luke, Katya decided to adopt another dog in need. Katya began searching her local shelters until one day she came across a floppy eared German Shepard/Lab mix and instantly fell in love. She met Rex, and a week later he was home. Katya did not realize the hardships that followed this adoption. Rex was never properly socialized and lacked any type of training; he seemed to have been abused, never been on a leash, and dog to dog aggressive. This is how she began to realize the only way to train a rescue dog was using only positive methods. With a lot of patience, staying positive and open minded, Katya began training Rex, starting at square one. Now Luke and Rex are brothers living happily together, and Katya has two great dogs that she loves and shares a strong bond with. Karma Dog Training has given Katya the chance she has always dreamed of! Being able to help dogs and their families create life long bonds, Katya can now say she is fulfilling a lifelong dream, a dog trainer in training!
Katya believes that animals are not here for anyone’s amusement or pleasure. She believes in having compassion and respect for animals and the environment and that cows, pigs, chickens, and all farm animals are no different than our family pets; for this reason, Katya became a vegan, and has never felt better. Becoming a vegan has empowered her physically, mentally and spiritually.
When not having fun with her furry friends, Katya enjoys meditating, martial arts, eating amazing food, nature and traveling the world.
Karah Wilkes was born and raised in DFW. She has been an avid animal lover all of her life and has always felt a special connection with dogs. As an adolescent she was always bringing home stray pets that she would then find forever homes for (sometimes in her own home, often to her parents’ dismay). After high school she worked at veterinary clinic and experienced responsibilities in all areas, including teaching new dog owners about puppy care and behavior. She later moved away to Oregon for a few years, where she fell in love with and married her husband and volunteered at a doggie daycare that taught job skills to homeless youth. She has also worked in a boarding facility where she took care of the kennel and helped with grooming.
Karah has always known that she wanted to work with animals, but she first became greatly interested in training dogs when she picked up a book on positive dog training by Pat Miller while living in Oregon. The methods she read about made sense and seemed much kinder and more respectful than many traditional training methods. This clicked with her and she decided at that point that she wanted to be a dog trainer one day. She has since been inspired by other books and teachings from Karen Pryor, Dr. Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, and Emily Larlham to name a few.
In 2015 she got the opportunity to become a certified positive dog trainer with Petco. After an apprenticeship with a wonderful mentor who really set her off on the right track, she began teaching obedience classes of her own. She taught basic puppy obedience all the way through AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) courses and even got her own dog CGC certified. After spending two years teaching classes at Petco she decided to branch off on her own and expand her knowledge and skills in dog training and behavior. In Fall 2017 she earned the title of CPDT-KA through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
Karah currently lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Jason, and their two daughters, Margot and Juliet. They have two mixed breed rescue dogs, Panda and Ziggy, and five cats. Karah also owns a pet-sitting and boarding business and has been doing that for 11 years. When she’s not working with dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, reading and improving her photography skills.
Josh is a native Texan, originally from Houston but has been in Central Texas for more than a decade now. He has always been a lover of anything furry, he was constantly bringing home stray cats and dogs, feeding squirrels and raccoons and begging for a horse. He got his start training when he convinced his family to finally get a dog, that he could keep. He went to the local library where he checked out books on dog training and trained the family’s American Eskimo when he was only 11 years old. After successfully training the family dog he became hooked. Loving the bond that is created when two different species can communicate with each other, Josh started trying to train every dog he would meet, even a couple of cats.
While that love for animals never went away as he got older, he became more focused on getting an education and career in a "high paying" business field. After graduating from Texas State University with a business degree in Marketing, Josh dove into the real world as the business professional that he thought he wanted to be. Many years, positions, and a few companies later he decided that while the corporate world was rewarding in many ways, something was missing. It was passion that was missing, he wasn’t following his passion and so he decided to transition from his successful marketing career and set forth a path to make his life long love of dogs his new career.
Josh took it upon himself to learn everything he could about modern, science based, positive dog training. He read books, watched videos and listen to podcast from the world’s best positive dog trainer. Wanting experience working with a variety of dogs of different ages, breeds and backgrounds, Josh starting volunteering at Austin area animal shelters. While volunteering provided great experience for him as a trainer, he found that it was very difficult to leave each day without bringing home the dog he had just worked with. It didn’t take too long before Josh’s friends and family members were requesting his training services. As word spread, he was officially a professional dog trainer. He was then introduced to Karma Dog Training and found that Karma’s training philosophy was right in line with his and it was a great match. Josh teaches Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience and does private training for a variety of different issues. While he loves working with pet dogs and their pet parents, he hopes to soon start working as a service dog trainer. Wanting to give back to those that protect us, Josh is currently studying PTSD service dog training for our military veterans.
Josh lives in North Austin with his wife Jessica and their 8-year-old pit/Weimaraner mix, Boston. Boston is the smartest, funniest and most challenging dog Josh has ever been around and he loves every minute that he gets to spend with this crazy canine. Josh and Jessica are expecting their first "human" baby in the mid-February 2017. They are looking forward to bringing another animal lover into this world.
Jessica is an animal lover of all kinds who recently moved to Colorado Springs from her home state, Ohio. Since an early age, it was apparent that she shared a special bond and the ability to communicate with dogs from all backgrounds. She has been around dogs her entire life and has immensely enjoyed every opportunity given to her to train them and break the barrier between canine and human interaction and communication. Before becoming a trainer, Jessica adopted a 1 year old yellow Labrador Retriever named Luke from the shelter who had obvious issues trusting people and who was also very child-aggressive. She realized how much of a liability he was but she was determined to try to train him and help him become the wonderful dog she knew he could be. After years of hard work and reassuring him there was nothing to be scared of, he had become her main inspiration to become a trainer. Nine years later, they still share a wonderful bond. Jessica realized the importance of communicating effectively with her dog and how vital it is for shelter dogs especially to have the ability to interact positively with potential new families. She decided to volunteer much of her free time at the local animal shelter training dogs that lacked basic obedience skills therefore making it much more likely that they would be adopted. It was there that she decided it was training and interacting with dogs that fulfilled her most of all. She began teaching for Karma Dog this year and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with others in order to create a more communicative and harmonious human/animal bond with fellow dog owners.
Based in Houston, Texas James has an excitement and passion for animals since volunteering and fostering in the Behavioral Program at Friends For Life animal shelter, where he worked with dogs who had been living on the streets or were abandoned by their owners. Through these experiences, James found that through positive reinforcement training we are able to better understand and relate to our pets, fostering stronger bonds. He came to believe the two main tools you need for dog training is Love & Patience.
James has been working with dogs professionally for over 5 years, providing Board & Train programs and Private Training Sessions, as well as dog walks and pet sitting. He uses a reward based system that helps his pets achieve success quickly when working on loose-leash walking, crate training, basic obedience, fun tricks, and more!
James' mission is to to develop a strong sense of communication between dog and owner as this is a strong key to a successful training regimen. He sets up his students for success by ignoring bad behaviors and rewarding good behaviors.
James has enjoyed success working with a myriad of dogs- with personalities ranging from fearful, to reactive and high-energy. He believes that a routine based on kindness and repetition is key for creating a strong bond between the owner and their dog. Staying positive and not getting discouraged is paramount for the owner to achieve the level of success they are looking for within their pet/owner relationship.
He lives by the mantra that “Cold Noses and Warm Hearts Make This House A Home.”
Jack grew up in Colorado Springs with a passion for animals and nature. At the ripe age of 12 he got his own pup, a golden doodle named Katie. The bond they built became the building blocks for Jack's relationship with animals in the coming future.
Fast forward to 2015, when Jack left Colorado and moved to Chicago where he eventually became a dogwalker. He felt such immense sadness seeing the lives of dogs in the big city, with no yards, exercise, or freedom. Jack dedicated himself to positively impacting dogs lives throughout the city. That summer, he biked and walked nearly 20 miles a day, caring for 8-15 dogs at any given time. Needless to say, his knowledge and compassion for dogs rapidly grew.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the winter was the culprit for Jack's dogwalking. But when one door closes, another opens! Fleeing the frigid Chicago cold, he moved back to his home town of Colorado Springs, where he decided to continue his canine quest as a Karma dog trainer. Jack believes that all relationships ought to be based in compassion. He utilizes his empathy and problem-solving to find creative solutions for dogs and their owners.
Hannah was born and raised in San Antonio Texas. She has a B.A. in History from the University of Dallas. Hannah’s passion for animal care and training started early, as she grew up in a family who raised multiple animals including rescue dogs and cats, cows, donkeys, goats, rabbits, pigs, hamsters and hermit crabs. She appreciated from an early age just how special the relationship between human and animals can be.
As a child, Hannah would spend her time training her dogs and creating puzzles to keep them entertained. As she got older, Hannah volunteered at various animal shelters, regularly dog-sat for friends and family, and later also through a dog-sitting company. It wasn’t until almost losing her beloved chihuahua Chiquita to cancer, that she considered the possibility of animal care - specifically dogs - as a profession. She set about studying canine nutrition in order to prevent any other illness and prolong her chihuahua’s life, and the lives of her other pets.
While in college, Hannah became a Petco Certified Dog Trainer, where she began her Positive Reinforcement training journey. It was there she realized dog training was the best way to educate herself and others on man’s best friend, and that this profession was definitely the one for her. From there she decided to further her education and study, along with positive reinforcement, the domestication of dogs and dog behavior so that she may better understand and communicate with them. Hannah uses the educating skills she obtained while in college and the communication skills she obtained from traveling the world to better communicate with pet parents. It is Hannah’s hope that she can help teach pet parents to understand their dog’s behavior so that they can create a lifelong bond with their pups.
Hannah currently lives with her long-hair chihuahua (Chiquita), a terrier mix (Jack), a chiweenie (Bruno), a German shepherd mix (Peanut), a Rottweiler (Klyde), and two cats (Fluffy and Louis). She has worked with all types of sizes and breeds of dogs and excels at communicating with both dogs and their pet parents.
Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Emma had one foot in the animal kingdom from the very beginning. When she wasn’t building makeshift agility courses for her Brittany Spaniel puppy, Emma’s childhood was spent devouring books on animal care and behavior as she worked her way through the local library’s entire zoology section. She considers herself lucky beyond measure to have grown up to live out her childhood dreams of working with animals--she is now a seasoned animal welfare professional, a creative dog trainer, and a passionate behavior educator for pet parents.
After spending the past four years managing a no-kill animal shelter in the Chicago suburbs, Emma has a diverse experience working with dogs and their families. She loves mentoring fellow pet owners as they learn to understand their dog as an individual with their own set of needs, life experiences, and learning styles. She’s also deeply committed to supporting the rescue movement by helping adopters overcome the unique challenges of bringing a shelter dog into their home.
Emma and her husband are the proud parents of a partially-deaf/blind Border Collie with an infectiously happy personality, a brilliantly smart Australian Cattledog mix who suffers from separation anxiety, and a bossy Catahoula/Am Staff mix who’s a world-class snuggler. Sharing their lives with working-breed dogs who don’t have "a real job" lead Emma to become a master inventor of training games. By channeling their working drive, intelligence, and athleticism into fun and mentally-stimulating activities, she’s helped many herding and working-breed dogs live happy, fulfilling lives as pets.
Although she’d been using positive-reinforcement methods for years, a revelation came when Emma fostered a young Basenji named Jonah, a completely unsocialized dog who had been found living in the mountains with a pack of stray dogs. Emma and Jonah joined A Sound Beginning, a unique training program designed to help newly-rescued dogs connect with their human caregivers. As she learned about canine body language, the psychology of a fearful dog, and how simple changes in the home can be life-changing for our pets, Emma dedicated herself to helping undersocialized and anxious dogs succeed at the shelter and in their adoptive homes. She went on to use the simple tools she learned at A Sound Beginning to help countless shelter residents find their confidence and connect with humans. Emma’s beloved "project dogs" ran the gamut from puppy mill survivors to street dogs rescued from a Puerto Rican garbage dump; she’s proud to report that every one of them are now living confident, happy lives with their adopted families!
Emma holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development & Family Studies from the University of Missouri; an education that introduced her to the fascinating ways our genetics, upbringing, physical environment, interpersonal relationships, habits, and individual personalities shape our lives and behavior- a concept that she has carried into her holistic dog training philosophy and can’t wait to share with her students.
Emma was raised on the island of Oahu where she grew up in a household that always had at least three dogs, allowing her to gain valuable hands-on experience learning all about dog behavior and training over the years. Before moving to Santa Cruz she resided in San Diego and assisted in training her family’s rescued Pit Bull puppy, Lilly, who had social anxiety and human aggression.
Emma is very interested in helping other pet owners with dogs going through the same issues her puppy went through as well as assisting them in all aspects of dog training. This past year she has been dog walking and house sitting for families in the Santa Cruz area and loves being able to be surrounded by dogs while in school. She is currently attending UCSC, majoring in Marine Biology, and is a research assistant at the Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory at Long Marine Lab. The past year at the lab she has gained knowledge on training techniques, in particular positive reinforcement, with marine mammals. Through this experience one thing she has come to realize is that Sea Lions behave much like dogs, and training techniques stand for all types of animals. Her greatest strengths are her love for animals, her will to keep learning, and her willingness to try different approaches for each dogs needs.
The education and hands on experience that Emma has received in positive reinforcement has allowed her to look at animal training in a whole new light and has showed her that there are so many ways to go about training dogs. She is very excited to work with and continue learning alongside dog owners and their dogs.
Darci is a California native who loves animals, yoga and exploring the outdoors. She is an avid traveler who has explored over 30 countries. While traveling, Darci volunteered at animal rescues and sanctuaries in both Ecuador and Australia; helping rehabilitate abused dogs, cats, and horses. These experiences have shown her first hand how love and positive reinforcement can build a trusting, life long relationship between humans and animals.
Darci grew up with dogs her whole life and has trained everything from German Shepherds to Chihuahuas, puppies to senior rescues. Knowing that dogs are eager to please their human companions, Darci teaches only Karma Dog positive reinforcement training methods. She works to empower pet parents to listen to their pups and anticipate their needs. Through consistency, patience, and rewards she’ll strengthen the bond with your pet for a happy household. After all, everyone, pet and human alike, will repeat behaviors that are rewarding!
At home Darci has a lovable eight-year old golden retriever rescue named Rocky. Adopting him at age 6 came with a host of challenges from "teaching an old dog new tricks" to working with a specialist for dog aggression issues. Seeing the transformation Rocky has gone through gives Darci a unique perspective and allows her to relate to other rescue parents who are dealing with similar situations.
Darci is also a dog walker and pet sitter who loves to shower pet parents with regular updates and pictures of their fur baby having fun. She knows that it’s hard to leave your pup and never too busy to answer questions or provide reassurance.
Brittany Quon, CPDT-KA has been an animal lover for as long as she can remember. At the age of 5 she fell in love with her aunt's Bichon puppy and knew at that moment the rest of her life had gone to the dogs. in a good way of course!
Brittany earned a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in Psychology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. As part of this education in animal care and training, Brittany learned the importance of developing interpersonal skills and advocacy techniques. Brittany began working in customer/guest service related fields to supplement her learning, while cultivating a deeper knowledge of animals through schooling. Brittany's thirst for unique development opportunities led her to a 6-month paid internship through the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom in Florida. Upon returning from this internship, she was even more driven to find the perfect career that offered opportunities to enrich the lives of animals in the same way that she was able to infuse a touch of magic into every interaction with human guests while with Disney.
After moving back home to Southern California in 2011, Brittany's life returned to focus on dogs full swing. Her boys, Toby and Buster (a mini Australian Shepherd and Corgi/Terrier/Pure Crazy mix) led her to work at one of Orange County's largest dog boarding, daycare, and training facilities where they had happily been members for almost a decade. In this environment she was able to observe the different play styles and body language of hundreds of dogs. After a year long apprenticeship she earned her CPDT-KA dog training certification. She cherished the opportunity it gave her to bond even more closely with the furry clientele.
In 2014 Brittany began working as an Animal Behavior and Training Specialist at SpcaLA in Long Beach. By teaching and working with the volunteers she was able to help homeless cats and dogs learn to relax and enjoy the shelter as much as possible until they found their forever home. She put together enrichment programs for the dogs to enjoy food puzzles and games in their kennels, and also led classes to educate volunteers and staff on training exercises to help the dogs learn polite manners and impulse control outside of their kennels. In this position, Brittany worked with dogs presenting more serious behavior issues that stemmed from a history of abuse and/or neglect. It was truly an inspiration to see dogs who couldn’t even be safely touched by humans light up and become excited about positive reinforcement training and find homes that would give them the love they needed and deserved.
2016 brought about a huge surprise for Brittany - twins! The human kind :) She now finds herself feeling a special connection to families and new parents with animals who need a little help sharing the spotlight with their 2 legged brothers/sisters. Whether you need help getting your pup started in basic training, working through a difficult issue, or strengthening the bonds between everyone in the family, Brittany is happy and eager to help you achieve your training goals.
Bob Fisher comes to Karma Dog Training from Chicago, IL where began working with dogs as a day care attendant. He says: "There were times I was in charge of upwards of 40 dogs. My research taught me that this was more than one attendant should be in charge of alone, but it really put me in tune with what the dogs, individually and in the group, were telling me. Out of necessity, I became very adept at reading each dog."
From there, Bob ran a successful pet services business that he began in 2007. West Loop Dog Walking began as a dog walking and pet sitting business and expanded into dog training as Bob’s education progressed.
His method of training is a positive, rewards-based, voluntary method. "We find what the dog loves and what he/she will work for, and we are very generous in rewarding for the desired behavior."
Bob graduated from Boca Raton High School in Boca Raton, FL, then attended college at Michigan State University. An overseas study program afforded him the chance to move to Paris, France, during which time he found a job and apartment and lived for 1 1/2 years, learning French along the way. "Spanish wasn’t too hard to learn after that," he says.
Bob’s philosophy of dog training takes these language skills into account: "Dogs and their pet-families learn to speak a common language. Rewards-based training confirms to the dog that they are correct in their behavior, -that the pet-parent has successfully communicated their desire. And through observation of their dog’s body language, the pet-parent is learning the dog’s language. When both are on the same page, learning is not only easier, it’s fun, satisfying and for the dog, so delicious! They can’t wait for the next class."
From his years of patience and observation, Bob has learned much of what our dogs are trying to tell us, through their body language, and loves to share his insights. "Our dog really wants to please us, and when we learn how to communicate with each other, we live in harmony."
Maria has been always an animal lover. However, it wasn’t until 7 years ago when she rescued Ginger, her first dog, that she discovered her passion for working with dogs. It was her experience with her second dog Luna that led her to focus on canine communication and behavioral problems: fear aggression and leash reactivity. In Spain, her home country, Maria was a researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela College of Education involved in developing new and better methods of teaching and learning. The insight gained in this work has aided her in improving methods for better teaching and learning in both dogs and owners. After moving to the US in 2010, she began applying her background more specifically to dog-training, studying intensively to improve her background in animal behavior and specifically in canine science.
After gaining a great deal of practical experience volunteering at the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter and working at a dog day care; and after some time as an apprentice with one of the top dog practitioners in Atlanta, GA Maria started teaching obedience and Nose Work® classes. She also earned an Associates of Science in Chemistry/Biology at Atlanta Metropolitan State College where she studied biology and behavior in several animal species.
Since moving to Seattle in 2014, she has been Dr. James Ha's CAAB primary intern with experience now in dozens of pet behavior cases. She has also obtained a Certificate of Applied Animal Behavior at the University of Washington, and an Associate Nose Work Instructor Certification. Maria continues to extend her training in animal behavior research and training.
Maria shares her life with three dogs: Ginger, Luna and Jack, and three cats: Linux, Maxwell and Tabatha.
Mary grew up in the Iowa City area and is a former elementary teacher. She inherited her love of all animals from her father who had a variety of dogs, cats, and birds growing up. As a child, Mary was always rescuing and bringing stray dogs and cats into her home, much to her mother’s chagrin. Mary begged and pleaded for a dog of her own, and with her dad’s help she got her wish. When she was in third grade she worked and trained her first puppy, a Pomeranian she named Sparky. She and her friend created obstacle courses and would run them with their dogs. Mary and Sparky formed a special bond and became inseparable companions.
Much to her fiancé’s dismay, Mary discovered their first puppy, Dusty, a cocker spaniel. She completed obedience training with Dusty and later joined the Iowa City Dog Obedience Club where she successfully trained her chocolate lab, Bear. Together she and Bear earned an AKC Companion Dog Certificate (CD). Mary was heartbroken after Bear passed; her husband encouraged her to adopt Misty, her sweet little black lab puppy. Misty was the best companion. She was eager to please and wanted to learn. Side by side they were a great team, and they were rarely apart. Mary intended to show Misty in obedience trials as she had with Bear. Soon, a sweet little bundle of joy came along and Mary’s focus shifted from dog shows to caring for their precious Mandy.
As an educator and dog parent, Mary knows the importance of teaching children how to love, care for, and respect their dogs through positive training. She showed Mandy how to care for Misty, and when their vizsla, Molly came along, Mary included Mandy by showing her how to welcome Molly, how to understand Molly’s personality, and how to train her with kindness, love, and compassion. Mandy successfully taught Molly how to stay in the yard off leash. Mandy and Mary continued to work together training Shadow, their blue heeler mix and Mandy’s blind greyhound, Leda.
Mary is committed to ensuring that an adopted dog has a good home. Over the years she progressed from purchasing AKC registered dogs to rescuing abandoned or unwanted dogs. Mary feels in order to train a dog and form a special bond it is vital to understand each dog as an individual with a unique personality. When Mary discovered Jazzy at the shelter, she knew right away that they needed each other. She adopted Jazzy who came to her new home with many phobias. Mary truly believes that positive reinforced training has helped Jazzy adapt well to her new home and surrounding environment, and to overcome many of her fears.
Mayra Luna is a passionate trainer who strongly advocates positive reinforcement dog training. In her experience, following a behavior with a reinforcing stimulus is a powerful tool that ultimately creates an incredible bond between pet parents and their pets. Mayra explains that through positive reinforcement a dog is far more willing to listen to and trust their humans. (Which is exactly why she finds these techniques especially beneficial when working with dogs with anxiety and mild aggression issues.)
Mayra believes that the bond between dogs and humans is a beautiful one and works tirelessly to ensure that her clients understand their dog's actions and why it is they are exhibiting such actions. She sees dog training as a way to close the language barrier between people and their dogs. Through dedication, patience, and understanding Mayra aids people in developing a strong connection between themselves and their pets. By creating rewarding scenarios for both her clients and their dogs, Mayra helps provide the opportunity for the pups to reach their fullest potential, while also giving the client the knowledge they need to create a stress free and fun home environment for all.
Growing up in a home where pets were not allowed, Mayra became obsessed with gaining knowledge on animals in an effort to fill the void of a physical pet. She found herself reading countless books on dog breeds and gaining a great deal of knowledge on dog behavior. Her fascination and respect towards animals began then and endures today. She’s fostered dogs, cats, hamsters and even mice.
In addition to her studies on dogs, Mayra was also drawn to gain knowledge on a variety of reptiles and small animals. She joined Petco, where she extended her knowledge on pets; quickly moving up the latter to reptile specialist, aquatic specialist, Head Dog Trainer, and Small Animal Department Manager. Mayra gained an extended amount of knowledge through dedication and determination in her positions at PetCo, but as her true passion is in dog training, she ultimately left management and continued on the road of positive reinforcement, becoming a Dog Training Mentor. Through this program Mayra was given the privilege to teach upcoming dog trainers dog behavior as well as basic dog obedience.
Mayra has trained breeds from all sides of the spectrum - Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Labradors, German Shepherds, Maltese, dachshunds, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, and Akitas - to name a few. She has taught AKC Canine Good Citizen and AKC S.T.A.R Puppy courses and has also administered the corresponding tests. Ms. Luna continues to study dog behavior and strives to gain knowledge from the best in the business in order to help dogs overcome obstacles and ensure that new pet parents and their pets thrive together.
Mayra strongly believes that through proper dog training people and pets can learn so very much from one another and grow closer together. She is inspired by dogs’ ability to understand us, motivate us, and give us unconditional love. She is humbled to have the ability to help this selfless and caring species reach their full potential.
Nicole Lounsbury has lived in the Dallas Fort Worth area her entire life. She also has been an animal lover for as long as she can remember. In fact, animals have always played an important role in her life. As a young child, she had a dog named Mandy, with whom she loved to play. Mandy would chase after a tennis ball as long as someone would throw it, and Nicole would happily throw it for her. She taught Mandy several commands together they formed a fast friendship.
As Nicole grew older, more animals entered her life. At eight years old, she spotted a dog at a shelter over fifty miles away. She fell in love with the little dog named Bridget and convinced her parents to drive her to the shelter to meet her new best friend. Even though she was young, Nicole worked with Bridget and helped her master many commands. Her approach then was the same one she still uses today. She trained Bridget with love and respect.
Nicole still enjoys training different behaviors to all of her pets in her free time. Currently she has two dogs, Zoey and Grace. Zoey is a 14-year-old black Lab Blue Heeler mix, and Grace is a one-year-old Chihuahua Pug mix. She also has one cat, a hamster, and a fish. Zoey has mastered many commands through Nicole’s training, and Grace, who just joined the family, is rapidly learning how to understand and follow commands too.
Since a young age, Nicole knew that she wanted to work with animals professionally. To that end, she started school at the University of North Texas in 2011, where she majored in Applied Behavior Analysis with a minor is Psychology. This is where she started to learn about the methods and background of behavior change. The techniques learned in her courses are the same ones she uses to help animals develop good behavioral patterns that draw upon the philosophy of positive reinforcement.
In 2012, Nicole started working at a dog kennel where she bathed, fed, and administered medicine to the dogs who were boarding. She also gave the dogs lots of love and attention. After working there for two years, Nicole received an internship at an exotic animal sanctuary which had big cats, lemurs, and even some llamas! There, she realized that animal behavior was her true passion. In 2015, Nicole became a Petco Certified Dog Trainer. She loved teaching basic obedience and Canine Good Citizen classes to puppies and dogs. This is where Nicole really started applying what she was learning in school about positive reinforcement techniques.
In May of 2016, Nicole graduated from the University of North Texas and was ready to focus completely on a career of training dogs with positive reinforcement techniques. Animals, just like humans, respond best when treated with respect and kindness. Good behavioral patterns are developed through positive, nurturing training that focuses on rewarding good behavior. Animals thrive under this approach, and this approach is the only one Nicole has ever used.
Now Nicole is looking forward to working with pet parents and their fur babies to help them reach their behavioral goals.
Roseanna has always had a love for all animals. She grew up raising dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, small animals, birds, and pretty much whatever her parents would allow. That passion grew even more after adopting her first Siberian Husky. She has raised and owned just about every domesticated animal you can think of and worked with many exotics. She currently volunteers with the Dallas Zoo and has some experience doing exotic animal shows with The Gentle Zoo in Forney, Tx. She owns 4 Siberian Huskies (Asia, Russia, Persia, and Pompeii) which are her world. She is very active in Rescue and Networking Northern Breeds in the Dallas Ft. Worth area.
Roseanna attended Texas A&M Commerce and got her bachelors degree in elementary education. During her time in the classroom she realized she wanted to pursue teaching a different type of classroom- training dogs and their owners. She thoroughly believes the key to a successful and happy relationship with any pet is understanding and knowledge. Research is power. Owning huskies has opened her world to the working dog class in understanding the breed inside and out. She feels it is so important with every individual case to know the history of the breed and why each dog thinks and behaves the way they do.
In Roseanna's time owning and fostering huskies she has worked with many cases, seen many behaviors, and has fallen head over heels with these amazing dogs. Although it is obvious huskies have her heart, she has owned and worked with many small and large breed dogs. She spent some time working at a doggy day care which really introduced her to dogs of all breeds, temperaments, and personalities. She has worked with many prey drive cases, leash excitement, and basic puppy and adult obedience.
Roseanna believes all dogs are good dogs and can overcome just about anything life has thrown their way. A little respect goes so far. She believes training needs to be fun, upbeat, and rewarding. Building a bond and relationship with these animals is key. Educating owners and helping them "speak dog" helps bridge the gap of understanding. She absolutely loves to help, and what better way than to improve the life of a dog and their owner through positive training experiences.
Originally from West Virginia, Sayward grew up working with animals all her life. With a Mother who does wildlife rehabilitation, she was always used to having all kinds of animals around from raccoons, to deer, to squirrels, to opossums, to turtles, to you name it. She was raising wild animals before she ever had a normal house pet. Until summer of 2008 when an orphaned litter of three puppies showed up on her door. Raising her first little beagle mix puppy on a bottle at six days old, her love for dogs started with her. As her puppy grew up she developed fear aggression due to the security of her other two siblings always being there, and once on her own, couldn't handle it. She became extremely reactive and too scared to even walk up the street from the house. Inspired by Animal Planet's Victoria Stilwell's new show about positive-reinforcement dog training, Sayward began learning more own her own and started taking local dog training classes that taught positive-reinforcement training only. This was huge for Sayward because she kept getting told to use "traditional" dog training methods to deal with her puppy's fear and "disobedience", when really the force and punishment style training was only making her dog even more afraid.
Then they found dog agility. Training for and competing in agility grew her puppy's confidence even more after the initial first steps with positive obedience training. And after training through most of her fears, they actually became pretty good at the sport! Sayward and her little dog, Keira, have many titles in agility and other sports such as Rally-O, Flyball, CGC, etc. From there she started meeting people at classes and started training and competing with other people's dogs.
Sayward moved to Denver last year and worked at a dog daycare here for eight months. She also has a rescued Border Collie mix, Malakai, who is now the guinea pig for all her training ideas!
Brittany has had a passion for animals as long as she can remember. From her family's first dog, Holly, at age 4 to her current rescue dogs, Jada and Thor- animals have always played an important part in her life. In addition to her two dogs, her other babies include a cat named Lynx, a snake named Xenia, and a spunky 10-year-old daughter named Kylie Skye.
Growing up in Cincinnati, OH Brittany started her first business at age 13 offering dog walking and sitting services for her neighbors – and has been in the business ever since. She even graduated high school from the Cincinnati Zoo Academy, which provided her first real contact with exotic animals. She loved working with exotic animals so much that she continued her education at Moorpark College, America's Teaching Zoo, where she earned Associate's Degrees and certificates in Exotic Animal Training and Management, Wildlife Education, and Animal Behavior.
At Moorpark, Brittany was the primary caregiver for an American alligator, coatis, donkeys, a bobcat lynx hybrid, a bald eagle, a golden eagle, vervet monkeys, kookaburra, a Galatagos tortoise, gibbons, a Harris's hawk, Redtail hawks, barn owls, and a fennec fox. While pursuing her degree, she also had opportunities to work with Steve Martin's Working Wildlife, the Cincinnati Zoo Cat Ambassador program, the Playboy Mansion's on-site Zoo, as well as the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, Africa. While in Africa, Brittany was a part of the catch, relocate, and release program, as well as leash training new cheetah ambassador cubs. She also assisted in the center's research program working to better understand cheetah behavior in the wild. Upon her graduation from Moorpark, Brittany stayed on at Playboy continuing to care for Hef's exotic birds and monkeys. She also did some freelance work for A-list Animals, training and guiding a variety of animals on set for movies, TV, and commercial's.
Since her initial stint in California, she moved back to Cincinnati for a few years to be closer to family. While there, she really dug into her passion for dog training. As a lead trainer at PetSmart, she often used her own rescue dog, pit bull Jada for classroom demonstrations – hoping to challenge common misconceptions about the aggressiveness of the breed, Brittany believes that the best way to have a happy and healthy dog is through positive reinforcement training, love, and attention. Besides who wouldn't want to be able to bring their dog to work with them every day.
She has given all that and more to her second rescue, Thor, an alapaha blue blood bulldog, who was beaten, neglected, and abandoned on a farm for the first year and a half of his life. When Brittany first took him in, Thor regularly displayed fear aggression towards men and other dogs. Even something as simple as a walk in the neighborhood was a scary and traumatic experience for this poor pup Although he is still a work in progress, Thor loves his sister, Jada, and his human sister, Kylie and gives both lots of kisses regularly. His new chipper demeanor has even earned him a new nickname: Wiggles.
Now that Brittany has been able to relocate back to the LA area, she is excited to continue her work with dogs. She knows the number one reason dogs are re-homed or put into shelters is because of behavior issues, and she won't let that happen to your pup! Brittany is thrilled to start her new adventure with Karma Dog and looks forward to helping your furry best friend become his best self!
Seth Cole has been working directly with dogs since he was seven years old. It began on his grandfathers wolf sanctuary where he was taught dog behavior and socialization, as well as how to be comfortable and confident around animals which he eventually learned was absolutely essential to teaching them.
He began working professionally with dogs during college where he became a Petco Certified Dog Trainer. There he began leading socialization and obedience classes. After graduating he started working for an upscale dog daycare, boarding and training facility in Atlanta, Ga. He started as a pack leader however, quickly moved up to operations manager of the business. This was where he solidified his passion for dogs and fine tuned his capabilities in working along side them.
Seth specializes in cases of timid, fearful, and aggressive dogs. He believes having confidence and promoting that same level of confidence in your dog is the key to success.
He recently moved to the beautiful city of Asheville, NC with his three dogs Brooklyn, Caly, and Jax. He plans to start his very own rescue in North Asheville soon.
Sherry has always had a love for animals. She was born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. As a young child, she grew up in the country where she was around dogs, horses and cows.
As an adult, she wanted her children to know the joy of having dogs and experience their unconditional love, so she added Emily and Andy, two Labrador Retrievers, to the family. She currently has three dogs, all rescues. Noah and Bentley are both mixed breeds and Luke is a Labrador.
Luke became a member of her family when she rescued him 3 ½ years ago. A friend knew the passion she had for dogs so she asked for her help to get him off the streets. He had been seen living in a field for up to a year. He was very skittish, so he didn't come within 100 feet of any of the people who were feeding him. Sherry went to him daily for over two months to begin building trust. She established trust by always speaking to him in a calm, soothing, voice and by using non-threatening and submissive body language and gestures; like being low to the ground and sometimes lying flat while averting her eyes. She never made sudden movements and never hurried the progress. She also provided high value food and toys. She finally proved to Luke that he could trust her and she was able to slip a collar on him and take him home. Luke is still fearful of people but is doing a lot better.
Sherry feels strongly that a relationship between dogs and their owners should be built on love, trust and respect and that training should be taught only with positive reinforcement. She currently trains Basic Obedience and Socialization but is eager to learn more about helping dogs with fear issues.
Charles Harmison has been raised among dogs of many types his entire life. He started out training hunting dogs with his father for retrieving. Later his mother began to rescue and rehabilitate pit-bulls. By the time he had graduated college he was certain his life would be spent working with animals. He has worked extensively with dogs, cats and even wild animals. He enjoys a special connection with animals that he is happy to share.
Charles has made a name for himself in advocacy and rescue in recent years. He led one of the most successful companion animal rescue teams into the nuclear radiation zone, only 12 days after the Great Tohoku earthquake in Japan. During that work he and the team he created, rescued nearly 300 dogs almost entirely by hand through positive techniques for enticing the traumatized, nearly feral dogs to food and a simple slip leash. He has an immense amount of experience helping fearful and skittish dogs learn to trust people.
His work for animals takes many forms, he spent another 3 years in Japan working directly to save dolphins in the famous fishing town of Taiji featured in the Oscar Award Winning documentary, The Cove. Finally while he was there he organized a cat rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming network for many hundreds of feral cats on the west coast of Japan. In addition to that work in Japan, here in America, Charles has worked undercover investigating dog fighting. He has assisted with recovery and research after the BP Oil spill and in his spare time he works as an organizer for many events, rallies and protests for animal advocacy. Charles believes that animals have as much to teach us as we them and tirelessly works to help mend the divide that has developed between humans and animals.
Charles has worked for a number of famous rescue and advocacy groups, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Greenpeace, PETA, ASPCA and more. He also continues to help a rescue facility in northern Japan in his spare time and is working to found his own non-profit disaster response organization for animals. For Charles the Karma dog philosophy is more than a method of training dogs, it is an ethical framework for life with all animals.
Camilla Freitag was born and raised on what was then the outskirts of Austin. Her interest in animals started at a young age. When growing up, her home always included dogs, cats, raccoons, fish and even a possum. Camilla's family also had a farm outside Lockhart,TX where there were horses, cattle and even a pet rabbit.
When she was young, her grandfather named a cow after her, which was a compliment in her family. Her family loved the outdoors and, even in the hot Texas summers, Camilla walked her dogs through fields and streams. In 1978, Camilla got her Masters Degree in Social Work at the University of Texas. Her 20 year career as a Social Worker took her to Austin, Oklahoma City, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, she became a licensed Clinical Social Worker. Her Social Work training held the same beliefs about people that she now uses with dogs; Always coming from a place of encouragement and positive reinforcement. Upon returning to Austin, she took what she learned as a Social Worker and started applying it in the dog world. She started her own pet sitting business. Camilla has always done pet sitting for her friends all over the country. She has traveled to Mexico where she worked to find homes for street dogs.
Since becoming a pet sitter she has been able to find forever homes for dogs who were being re-homed. That is one of the most rewarding things she has been able to do as an animal lover. Her love of dogs brings her great joy. For Camilla, "spending time with dogs is rewarding and fun."
Training the dogs she has taken care of, who were mostly rescues, came naturally. Her dogs became easily socialized in a very low stress setting. Camilla soon found herself watching every dog training tape she could find and attending as many Karma Dog Training classes as she could.
According to Camilla, I have never found a more effective training method than Karma Dog Training. Karma Dog Training founder and CEO, Jeffrey Brian, affectionately refers to her as "Aunt Camilla" and describes her as one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth souls living in Austin, Texas.
Melissa Munoz is an accomplished instructor with over 10 years in the animal training industry. A graduate from the respected Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College, she has a degree in Animal Behavior and Training.
Melissa has worked in both the entertainment industry, training animals from cougars to parrots, and with her own training company, training dogs and cats. Before her work as a dog trainer Melissa worked for many years as a veterinary technician caring for dogs and cats at an animal ER. You also may recognize her from one of the many live bird shows she did at the Rainforest Cafe Downtown Disney.
But whatever her work may be, animals have always been her passion. Now her focus is helping others enjoy their pets. So few people have the relationship they want with their pets due to a simple lack of communication. Melissa wants to change that!
Marta Stockwell grew up in New England in a world of animals, horse farms and dogs. Her passion for dog training comes from her innate ability to read their body language and understand each dogs special personality. Marta believes that every dog can be a good dog with the right training.
With this belief firmly in her, Marta moved to Los Angeles to become a dog trainer and help the world understand dogs. Before moving to Los Angeles, through high school and college Marta trained horses. She bred, reared, broke and trained her own horse into a high performance dressage horse. This type of training takes a lot of practice, patience and shaping. Rewarding the right behaviors even if they only happen for a moment or are just attempted. Training horses has its differences from training dogs but the timing of reward and shaping of attempts in order to gain the desired behavior carries through.
Marta is now part of Karma Dog Training and is becoming certified through their KDTAP training program. Marta is interested in the science of how dogs learn and how we as humans can teach them to be the best companions they can be.
Lindsey grew up in the undulating scenic hills of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Her best friend, a Great Dane named Marmaduke, greeted her into the world. From piggyback rides to body pillow, Duke always had a loving and patient nature with his young friend. This treasured bond set the precedent for a life-long insatiable love of animals.
Throughout her life Lindsey fine-tuned her inherent connectedness to the animal world as caregiver for animals within her community. It was while working at Silver Pastori, home of the Bergamascos, rare breed Italian sheepdogs, that Lindsey's animal instincts flourished. She looked after those 12 rebel coats with hearts of gold, and often times one of their accompanying litter of pups.
With compassion and understanding as the foundation for training, Lindsey feels fortunate to share her knowledge and experience as a Karma Dog Trainer. Her clients have had much success with private training, obedience group training, puppy socialization, companion/service training, and anxiety behavior modification. She travels the Santa Cruz Mountains dissolving the perception that both dog and person cannot mutually communicate or cooperate. She has a special knack for working with behaviors induced by anxiety and training a dog to confidently navigate his or her environment. Keen on socializing and exercising the dogs she works with, Lindsey encourages experiencing nature together as a regular activity. With her B.A. in English and more than ten years of mastering the art of physical and nonphysical communication, she offers a cultivated perspective into the psychology of dogs.
When not rolling around with dogs Lindsey spends her time freelance writing, making music, gardening, and sailing.
Annie was born in LA but grew up in the Isle of Man (England) until the age of 12, when her family moved to Kentucky. She moved to San Francisco in 2005. There was always a dog, cat, or bird in her house as a kid, but it wasn't until college, when she worked at a pet store, that she fell madly in love with dogs. By 2008, she realized she wasn't going to be happy unless she worked with animals. She went to Starmark Academy that summer and became a certified Canine Training Specialist.
Currently, Annie is working as an Enrichment Specialist and Volunteers Coordinator at Northern California Family Dog Rescue, a small shelter in San Francisco that houses about 30 dogs and fosters a further 30. The rescue takes dogs from around the state that are on their last hope, and would be euthanized without Family Dog's help. They also focus on special needs dogs, such as blind dogs or dogs missing a limb, etc.
Recently, Annie spent 19 months in Latin America, teaching English and backpacking for 6 months. During that time she photographed hundreds of street dogs in five different countries, and fell in love with their special presence. They provided her unique insight to the behavior and nature of canids, and she came back to the US with new ideas about the needs and lives of dogs.
Annie specializes in basic dog training, new puppy socialization and training, behavior modification, and enrichment/relationship building programs.
Kate Robberson believes that the foundation of any healthy relationship begins with respectful and clear communication. Her primary goal as a dog trainer is to bring a new sensitivity to the way we communicate in order to foster trust in the friendship between dogs and humans.
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Kate has always had a dog in her family home. Since she was three years old, Kate has held tightly to the idea that dogs are more than just pets, they are members of the family. In awe of their capability of unconditional love, Kate recognized the significance and power that this relationship could have for both dog and human. Throughout her life Kate has watched and accompanied four dogs on their journey from puppy to adulthood, bringing her an inherent wealth of knowledge and understanding of dog behavior. She learned basic training techniques from her mother, but her real curiosity for dog training was sparked when her family got a Blue Heeler named "Spot". In working with Spot, he would come to teach Kate about the complexities, intelligence, and awareness of canines. She learned that when their needs for exercise, stimulation, and affection were met with patience and consistency, anything was possible.
Kate took her first step into the world of professional dog training world when she began walking one of her friend’s dogs while they were at work. Showing signs of leash aggression and obedience issues, the daily walks with the Black Lab and Rhodesian Ridgeback quickly turned into training sessions. Her peaceful and patient approach showed amazing results. They now walk loosely leashed and respond incredibly well to vocal commands. With this progress, Kate became curious about the depth of her training abilities and began educating herself about canine behavior and positive only training.
Excited to work with Karma Dog training, Kate is inspired to help families and dogs thrive together, "When we realize we are in a conversation with nature, everything changes. Our awareness around body language and vocal tone can give us tools to create a positive and relaxed environment where we can learn and have fun together." With a special interest around the healing aspects of the canine/human relationships, she hopes to train therapy dogs, starting with her two English Setter pups, Jimi Hendrix and Jerry Garcia.
Since she wasn't able to have many pets of her own growing up, Stephanie could usually be found outside hand taming wild squirrels and making friends with neighborhood stray cats. That love for animals continued to grow with Stephanie and as teenager she became passionately involved in local animal conservation and activism efforts, earning her the President's Environmental Youth Award for her participation in efforts to save several important habitats for prairie wildlife species. After graduating High School Stephanie relocated from her home state of Colorado to San Antonio, Texas. Shortly after she (finally) got her first dogs, a Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix named Okey and a rescued Chihuahua/Terrier mix named Skittles. While Stephanie fell in love immediately, Okey and Skittles proved to be quite the handful for the inexperienced dog handler. Never one to back down from a challenge, Stephanie set to work learning everything she could about dog training. Her efforts paid off, Skittles and Okey turned out to be great students and with a lot of work they both transformed from mini-tornadoes that ate everything (including walls) to well-behaved, good mannered pooches.
Stephanie has a varied professional background involving animals. Much of her professional experience in training comes from was working as a scuba diver and caretaker for the aquarium department at SeaWorld San Antonio. There, she performed underwater stingray feeding shows as well as assisted in the care and training of the park's numerous sharks and rays. Although Stephanie loved working with the animals in the aquarium and was on a path towards becoming a marine mammal trainer in order to work with the orcas, she began to feel morally conflicted. Seeing such amazing animals confined in small spaces everyday became a sad sight for her. Eventually the internal struggle became to great and Stephanie decided to leave SeaWorld behind, although she still highly values the animal husbandry and training experience she gained while there.
In 2008, Stephanie's interest in dog training became a passion when she and her husband bought a small farm and began rescuing dogs off the street as well as fostering for local shelters and rescues. Together, they have assisted in the rescue and/or foster of over 30 dogs to date. While working with these dogs, Stephanie has come across just about every issue imaginable and has witnessed firsthand the importance of proper training. She believes the reason many dogs end up on the streets or in shelters to begin with is due to lack of training and socialization. Not only does lack of training make a dog more likely to end up in a dangerous situation, it makes it much harder to find potential adopters willing to take home a dog who might have behavior issues. With this in mind, Stephanie's desire to learn everything she could about dog training was reignited with inspiration and hope that she would be able to save the lives of more dogs by helping pet-parents with the proper training of their animals. Stephanie began researching, watching every video and reading every book she could find as well as experimenting with different methods and techniques with her own dogs. Already a supporter of positive training, as Stephanie gained more experience with various methods she quickly decided that positive training was the best fit for her and the only method she would use going forward. As Stephanie continued to search for learning opportunities she eventually she came across Karma Dog Training and after learning more about the company she knew it would be a perfect fit to help her continue to learn and grow on her training journey. Stephanie can currently be found assisting with Karma's Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience classes in San Antonio. She is also a full-time student and works at a mobile vet clinic that helps to provide low-cost vaccinations for pets in the San Antonio community. She lives on her small farm with her husband and their little family of animals, including 7 dogs, a horse, chickens, goats, and a pig. She dreams of one day transforming her farm into a sanctuary and rehabilitation facility for dogs with behavior challenges and other special needs. Outside of all things animal related, Stephanie's other interests include gardening, hiking, coffee, and sustainable living.
Danica Pierce is a dog trainer in training. Danica graduated in 2013 from California State University, San Bernardino with her B.A. in Psychology. The behavior aspect of Psychology sparked Danica’s interest in college and she considers herself a behaviorist at heart. Danica has previously worked as a behavior interventionist for people with autism. Although she loved working in behavior, she felt she would be more suited working within the animal field. Danica decided to follow her passion for canines and is now working towards her goal of becoming an animal behaviorist.
Danica moved from her hometown of San Bernardino, CA to her favorite city Los Angeles, CA in April 2014. She currently resides in the neighborhood of Silverlake. Danica works in the dog industry in order to familiarize herself with canine behavior. Even outside of work Danica spends a lot of time with her little mutt, Cody. She takes him hiking, to the beach, and anywhere in between (where dogs are allowed of course).
Danica first got Cody while living in her family home. Cody was adopted from the shelter as a family dog. When no one living in the household was ready to take on a puppy, Danica quickly sprang to the task! She scheduled his feedings, potty trained him, and he slept in her room with her. It was plain to see that Cody was attached to her and when Danica moved out she took Cody with her. Cody was the most wonderful unexpected surprise in Danica’s life. Learning to train a puppy ignited Danica’s interest in the dog training world. As Danica learned more and more about different types of training it became apparent that positive reinforcement training was for her. She has decided to work with dogs the way she was taught to work with humans in a professional setting. In human behavior modification positive reinforcement is the most humane and effective method. The same goes for our furry friends!
When Danica is not working with dogs, she enjoys the outdoors. Her favorite activities include walking, hula hooping, and yoga. She cherishes her social relationships with friends and family. Danica promotes a healthy physical and mental lifestyle and believes in the power of having positive mental attitude.
Kayla Anderson grew up in East Texas on her family’s farm. Cats, cattle, chickens and of course dogs. Her love of animals started early as she helped her family take care of the animals. The dogs had no formal training but were great helpers for working the cattle and guarding crops.
Her passion took a new turn when she moved to Dallas, Texas and adopted the first dog that she could call her own, an eight-year-old sheltie called Lady. She took Lady to training classes at Petsmart, where Kayla worked at the time. Lady opened a door to a marvelous world in the clever mind of a dog. When Lady lost her hearing, the training didn’t stop. Kayla adapted spoken commands into hand signals that Lady picked up with ease.
The small seed of passion for dog training bloomed a few years later when Kayla adopted Hanna. A ten-week old Bull terrier mix who was born deaf and mostly blind in one eye. Hanna too started her training at Petsmart, at first puppy classes and tricks classes.
After turning a year-old Hanna developed fear based reactivity issues. The world was a scary place for one little dog, especially one who could see all that well. So Kayla began consulting with trainers on Hanna’s issues, including Samantha Elkins from Karma Dog Training. After talking with Sam and reading many books on leash reactivity; Kayla started teaching Hanna she didn’t have to be afraid of strange people or strange dogs. Using positive reinforcement techniques and the CARE protocols to change Hanna’s fear into pleasure. Hanna is now much more confident and happy. She even began politely greeting the strangers she was so afraid of before.
Work with Hanna continues, but Kayla realized with the skills that Hanna helped teach her, reading dogs emotions, working at their pace. Most importantly Hanna’s joy when she realized she didn’t have to afraid, Kayla yearned to share this same experience with other people and their dogs. She hopes to give people the skills to understand their dogs to better and strengthen the bond between dogs and owners. And to help fearful and reactive dogs to feel confident and happy within their own environments.
Kayla’s love for animals extends beyond dogs, she owns tropical fish, a pair of frogs, and a cheeky parrot named Lando. Lando’s eternal delight is feeding Hanna his food. Kayla has worked with tropical fish for eight years, even applying her dog training skills to teach a few tricks to some rather clever fish.
Roger Trammell is thrilled to be a part of the Karma Dog Training team. A collegiate athlete, he attended Montana State University where he received a degree in political science. As a child, what started with chores in a large breed kennel quickly turned into a life-long passion. His knowledge and expertise has come a long way from getting pulled around the neighborhood as a young boy.
Richard A. Wolters and Dr. Ian Dunbar heavily influence Roger’s training methods and he is a firm believer in Karma’s positive training approach. He has experience with large and small breeds and specializes in puppy socialization, training, and confidence building. To have the ideal companion we must first become the ideal trainer. Dogs feed off of energy and are much more aware of their surroundings then we give them credit for. For this reason nothing but positive vibes are allowed in Roger’s household. His current pack includes his family, a Chesapeake Bay retriever and a miniature Dachshund. This arrangement has been ideal, allowing him to socialize dogs he is training with people as well as large and small breeds and has yielded great results.
The history of human and canine relations is rich, full and alive and well today. With expert guidance, patience, trust, and love you and your Dog will start your journey off on the right paw.
Animals have been a big part of Holly’s life since she was a child. She grew up with a cockapoo named Sniffles and a fluffy calico cat named Tigger. She also had hamsters, mice, rabbits and even a roadrunner. Obsessed with our furry friends and their unconditional love, she got her first cat named Coral and had a very handsome Chihuahua named Rerun who passed in Spring of 2016.
Her Chihuahua Rerun was the love of her life so after her career as a professional athlete ended she figured out how to keep a flexible schedule so she could be a present mother to him. Throughout Rerun’s life people would always tell Holly that they hope to get reincarnated as Rerun because he was such a sweet and loving boy that was so well loved. Best compliment ever!
One of her favorite pastimes is to assist in the animal-human connection so there is more peace and harmony for everyone. She also enjoys teaching others about the healing benefits of loving all of the Beings on our Planet. We may look different on the outside, but we are all the same on the inside.
Holly is currently volunteering and walking dogs at the Lange Foundation in West LA everyday for 1-3 hours. She has boarded/babysat dogs for 3 weeks to 3 months at a time and has taken care of her parent’s three cats and two dogs for over 10 years.
She loves to teach people to be more in tune with their dog(s). Holly is very committed to the safety and happiness of animals and will give your dog the loving affection she would give as if it was her own. Holly has always been dedicated to making sure animals have a great quality of life full of love, play and exercise.
Most of the dogs she works with are small to medium sized dogs. Holly has done a lot of behavior training using only positive reinforcement. She loves teaching dogs how to do tricks, having positive first interactions and getting along with other dogs and people. It’s important to teach people as well on how to behave so everyone is having fun.
Full service day or overnight care with lots of walks, rubs and snuggles are in store with Holly. She has been a yoga teacher and health coach for six years so she knows the importance of positive affirmations when working with others. One of her favorite pastimes with dogs is telling them how great they are and she loves to give them full body massages!
Holly’s loving energy for all living beings is the biggest strength she can give to others. She is patient and finds it to be meaningful work to spend the time and energy it takes to help us all get along. She believes all living beings have the right to live out their full potential and it’s not anyone’s place to decide their fate. She saves bugs, even saved a cockroach, and has helped people to have a new perspective when it comes to letting them live.
Holly has always felt a calling to work with animals. She is continuing her education and is excited to learn to be an animal communicator with beings of all species. She’d like to teach the youth and adults to learn to be more compassionate with animals and with each other. Peace comes from within and as we learn to love ourselves more, and each other, we will bring more peace and happiness to our planet and into our own lives.
Animals ad so much love to our lives and Holly believes they are angels that come to teach us to be more loving, compassionate, forgiving and more playful like they naturally are. It’s our work to teach and guide them so they can live a full life and share their gifts.
Holly’s mission is to do her part in raising our vibration on the planet so we all live in a higher and higher state of harmony, happiness and love.
After graduating from Brown University in the spring of 2015 with a degree in Biology, Cassie moved back home to Dana Point, California where she began her journey working for Karma Dog Training. She has been happily training dogs for Karma for over two years now and she loves every minute of it. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and working toward becoming a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Trainer Partner (KPA-CTP). She is also a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator so she enjoys getting dogs prepared for life in the real world (and for the test!). There's nothing she loves more than starting young with puppies and setting them up for success!
How did this passion begin? Ever since she was in high school Cassie had been volunteering for animal rescue groups, such as the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter, Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, and Providence Animal Rescue League. She founded the "K9 Rescue Club" in her senior year at Dana Hills High School which raised over $1,000 to donate to the Pet Project Foundation. Although caring for dogs was a passion of hers, she never knew it could be a career option until she got to college.
Cassie became interested in canine behavior as a career path when she took her first animal behavior course at Brown. Six animal behavior courses later, she decided to focus her research and studies on dogs. She studied the behavior patterns of the African Wild Dog at the Roger Williams Park Zoo and conducted her own senior research project on canine olfactory communication.
Since beginning with Karma she has attended three behavior conferences: the 2015 New Mexico Humane Conference, the 2016 IAABC Canine Behavior Conference, and the 2017 Clicker Expo where she learned about the latest research behind training methods, behavior and body language of our canine friends, and communication with both human and canine clients. She also met many influential pioneers of the field today.
All of her experience has taught that force is simply not necessary in dog training. By utilizing methods based on positive reinforcement and trust, she makes training lots of fun for both you and your dog!
Holly’s love for animals began very early but was so central to her life and personality that it did not occur to her to pursue a career with animals until just a few years ago! She has been a petsitter since 2013 and her clients think a great deal of her. She is a great lover of all kinds and sizes of dogs, but is especially drawn to herding dogs such as Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Australian Cattle Dogs, German Shepherds, Great Pyrenees, and mini Australian Shepherds.
Her own dogs, Trace and Bolt (pictured), are "special needs" doggies and have presented her with many challenges which led her to Karma Dog Training first as a client, then as a trainer, petsitter, and dog walker. Trace, a 10-year old Border Collie, has a severe case of separation anxiety and is troubled by noises of all kinds. Since they all live together in a first-floor apartment, this is uniquely difficult to overcome but she has recently seen vast improvements in this area. Trace and Bolt (a 6-year old Cattle Dog mix) also do not get along that well but she is gaining experience in getting dogs to bond and be tolerant of each other. She is learning how dogs relate to each other in a pack and towards their owner.
Holly graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas with a BA in International Relations and Global Studies in 2004, but never found her "niche" until she discovered petsitting. When Holly is not working with dogs, she practices yoga and Stand Up Paddleboarding, and loves going to theater productions and ballets. She also dearly loves to read and is reading both to gain knowledge about dog training and for pleasure as she is a dedicated member of a local book club.
Holly first discovered her favorite breed, the Border Collie, at the age of 20 during the year that she studied abroad in Oxford, England. These mysterious black and white dogs were everywhere, sitting outside of shops waiting for their owners to come out, and walking leashless through town side by side with their people. She had never laid eyes on one before and asked a fellow student what they were. She was amazed at their loyalty and how they never broke their owners’ "stay" command even when encouraged to do so. When she returned to the United States, she found out that they were sheepherding dogs and were bred to think independently and solve problems away from the shepherd. Their supreme intelligence won her over and she has never looked back.
Katie Sieckman was born and raised in Southern California and grew up with a strong passion for all animals. As a kid she was fascinated with frogs, snakes, lizards, snails, and pretty much any animal she could get her hands on to study.
When Katie was growing up her mom was a certified dog breeder; first of dachshunds, and then of Pomeranians. Due to Katie’s fascination with animals she was an eager participant--helping her mother assist with the deliveries of puppies, as well as the upkeep of shots, grooming, care and basic training. She went on to pet sit for family and neighbors who went on vacation, and to volunteer with a Petsmart Adoption Agency where she walked dogs, cleaned kennels, distributed food and water, and gave clients information about the animals history and known behavior. In 2011, she completed a volunteer summer internship at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. There she helped care for and learned basic training techniques with terrestrial mammals, reptiles, and various types of birds. Finally she took her passion for animals to a degree in Marine Biology (with coursework in animal behavior) from the UC Santa Cruz. During her senior year at UCSC she began volunteering for the Marine Mammal Physiology Project where she started first with animal care. After passing thorough training examinations she was promoted to an assistant trainer, and still holds the position today.
Katie’s passion over the years has grown into not only a fascination with animals but a desire to do what she can to give animals a better life, such as increasing the communication between owner and pet. Katie has experience and knowledge in basic training and obedience, dog walking, dog sitting, and addressing behaviors such as separation anxiety, leash aggression, and leash excitement.
Through her career in dog training and behavioral modification, Sylvie Armstrong seeks to improve communication and understanding between humans and canines - with the goal of keeping dogs in healthy, happy homes.
Much of Sylvie's behavioral background had to do with helping rescue dogs and current shelter dogs develop the skills they need to find - and stay - in an adoptive home. Whether this is a matter of obedience, impulse control, or other needs, she is always willing to go the extra mile to help the dogs succeed.
As the dog-mom of several special needs pups, Sylvie also understands the needs of her human clients, whether they are concerned about the well-being of their dog, or frustrated with ongoing behavioral issues. Empathetic to both sides of the human/canine pair, she strives to find creative solutions to help everyone learn and grow to the best of their abilities.
A Native New Yorker, Tiffany states she has never met a dog she couldn’t love. Since the age of five years old, dogs have played an important part of Tiffany’s life. She has had the good fortune through the years to share her life with seven furry best friends. These pups who have taught her so much about canines, and who have chosen to live with her include three poodles, a Labrador/Shepherd, a Pekinese mix, and the ultimate dog of her dreams – an incredibly special Pomeranian who traveled with her almost everywhere she went.
Professionally, Miss Holly began working with a diverse assortment of dog breeds while employed at the largest no kill shelter on the East Coast at North Shore Animal League on Long Island. At this facility where so many of the rescued dogs would arrive fearful and prone to anxiety due to the sometimes deplorable conditions they had previously been subjected to, every effort was made to help comfort and de-stress the dogs, and help them adjust in order to begin a new and better life. Many of the techniques Tiffany has honed over the years were first observed during her time helping these dogs find new homes. At North Shore, she interacted daily with rescued dogs, abused dogs, puppy mill traumatized dogs, strays, and sometimes aggressive dogs as well, and this is where Miss Holly became proficient at her specialty skill: dog massage. Relaxing techniques she began learning here have helped her over and over again whenever encountering skittish, and apprehensive pups.
Tiffany also furthered her canine education when she lived for a number of years on the West Coast during which time she worked as the overnight caretaker for all the animals boarding at a Sunnyvale, California dog spa. Many of her training skills were acquired there at A Dog’s Life, where training classes were also offered via puppy kindergarten, canine middle school, and canine high school - complete with graduation.
Throughout her time spent between New York and California, Tiffany became accustomed to interacting with pups of all ages, sizes, demeanors and temperaments. The breeds she most enjoys working with include Pomeranians, Poodles, Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, and Labrador Retrievers.
At present the services she offers include Private in-home training ,puppy training - teaching the basics of obedience, working on socialization for fearful/skittish/traumatized dogs, separation anxiety, leash excitement or leash aggression issues, and resource Guarding – dogs with food and object possessiveness. Zen Daycare and Peaceful pet sitting, plus overnights in the client’s home; reverse boarding and, or, training in a client’s home.
Miss Holly has lived in two countries, and has traveled extensively throughout four continents, and she is always eager to meet new dogs wherever she goes. Tiffany believes the companionship of a dog is second to none. The unconditional love and devotion they provide, the joy which pups take in the simplest of things, plus the comfort and companionship they offer makes them one of life’s greatest gifts.
Khala is an Alabama native who recently moved to Seabrook, Texas with her 2-year old Boston Terrier/Fox Terrier mix Charlie to be closer to family. This ultimate go getter found her love for dogs around the age of two, when she got her first dog "Bandit", a lab/St. Bernard mix that grew to over 110 pounds. Even as a small child she was able to connect on another level with animals, especially with dogs, which lead to an unbreakable bond and understanding. She has had several dogs over the years in various different breeds and temperaments, and has found though making training fun and rewarding is important, using effective communication and consistency is the key to a well behaved companion.
Khala hasn’t always been a dog trainer- although the passion and drive was there from an early age, there were other adventures to be had. Upon graduating from high school the quest for something bigger had begun. She was accepted to Harvard, but unfortunately ended up unable to attend due to an accident the summer following her senior year. From that point she was lost, not sure what to do with her life- so she worked hard in the local hardware store and on construction sites, but felt something was missing. Next she went to massage school- this was fun and though not quite the right fit, she still earned her degree and passed the national boards, understanding how her education could benefit her in the future. She studied nursing and business, but it wasn’t until she found psychology that things started to make sense. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology led to a higher understanding and ultimately to her passion. She worked in group homes and psychiatric hospitals, and was able to see the impact that service dogs, emotional support animals, and care companion’s have in healing and recovery. It was in that moment that Khala felt like her purpose had been found, not only to train dogs, but within that, the higher calling was building the relationships between human and animal.
Working closely with the Humane Society Khala was able to take rescue dogs to group homes for visitation and talk about the benefits of having a care companion in treatment, therapy, and recovery. She was also able to rehabilitate the shelter dogs for reintegration back into a loving home by teaching the core good behaviors; recall, sit-down-stay, focus, enter and exit kennel/doorways, leave-it, take-it, go to place (bed), loose leash walking, and heel to name a few. She is a graduate of Animal Behavior College (2011, ABCDT) and has a goal of helping rescue animals and people with severe mental illnesses by creating a safe environment for learning and growth. Since graduating Khala has had her own training business and continued to work with people with severe mental illness, substance abuse, and emotional disorders. Her focus in dog training is to build the relationship between canine and human, using only positive reinforcement techniques and trust building exercises. Every life experience up until this point has prepared Khala for the opportunity to help other people with their canines, from the basic use of good manners to giving your dog a "job".
Khala has experience in providing rehabilitation, puppy classes, socialization, basic obedience classes, advanced obedience, Canine Good Citizen training/prep, private in-home lessons, behavior modification, dog walking, day care, and cage-free board and train. She also has experience with fearful/skittish behaviors and disabled animals, especially amputees and deaf dogs.
An avid reader, Michelline loves spending time tending to her cucumber garden, fish and watching documentaries on every subject she can find. She finds herself attracted to warm weather and bathing in the sun. Michelline loves all animals, she had a load of fish, three cats and two puppies. Michelline has always grown around dogs, with both of her parents being avid animal lovers. Her youngest memories include finding strays and leading to them to great homes with her father. She has always felt extremely fortunate to always be surrounded by loving pets. Currently Michelline is pursuing a degree in education, she not only loves learning but spreading her knowledge. She finds that teaching people and animals have helped her grow in ways that she could never have imagined. She can never find herself being bored, especially when there is so much to learn. Her passionate nature stems from her adoration of interacting with all forms of life.
When Michelline's father passed away, her West Highland Whiter terrier named Romeo was a rock for her to lean against in this dark time. She had grown up with this dog and raised him from a puppy to be a dashing canine. Caring for him ensured she ventured to a different place each day with their daily runs and walks to the local park. Although this was a difficult time for Michelline she understood that Romeo was not only her canine companion but a friend who she look to at anytime. Even though Romeo has since passed, she keep him dear to her heart knowing that the bond they shared will never lost. This experience influences how Michelline treats dogs, as she finds that each canine will has its own set of needs that when discovered can lead to an extremely happy life between dogs and people.
Michelline loves spending her time volunteering at various animal shelters. Her love for her community is displayed by helping out at local shelters. She wishes for every dog to find a welcoming home that brings only joy to the family but love all around. She has gained a vast amount of experience from her volunteering with canines. This has allowed her to appreciate all dogs regardless of breed and love them immensely. While working at different shelters, Michelline has recognized that each animal has a unique and beautiful personality and every dog or cat deserves a loving environment no matter what. She has respect for all animals and believes in positive reinforcement for her pets, she has seen the progress that can be made and adores the results. She has found that Karma Dog is giving her an opportunity to expand her knowledge of the ever growing field of dog training to which she could not be more grateful.
Michelline is originally a Nebraska native, but has spent most of adolescence in Florida until recently taking home in Texas. She loves sunshine and you can find her taking mid-afternoon runs with her two adorable pups Bear and Badger.
Katherine, born and raised in Montana, now a resident of Los Angeles, has lived with dogs from infancy. She grew up around the family dachshunds but always wanted a big dog of her own. At the age of 10, after a two year campaign to convince her parents and to find the right dog, she got "Ghetti", a German Shorthair Pointer. Soon she was showing Ghetti in obedience, rally, agility, conformation, and junior showmanship throughout the Pacific Northwest. Over the next many years, Katherine continued to train and compete in the national arena, earning a number of titles and a ranking among the top junior handlers in the country. Now Katherine, a recent graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, continues to show and train her own dogs as well as a number of client dogs.
During her time training Ghetti (and other dogs) for the show ring, Katherine came to believe that the most effective training was based on a partnership between the dog and handler and that the key to a successful partnership was the establishment of a sense of play in the training sessions. With that as a guiding principle, she excels at working with dogs AND their owners. Oftentimes, she finds that people have difficulty because they lack an understanding of how the dog thinks and how to communicate effectively. She loves showing people how to overcome this barrier so that the dogs can perform well in any situation, whether it be the home, the street, or the arena. After all, communication is the key to any successful relationship!
Amanda moved to California from southeastern Michigan, where she grew up with a passion for animals and nature. Her childhood was filled with dogs, cats and rescued wildlife. She studied Psychology and Environmental Science at Eastern Michigan University, and embarked on a career that included work in marshes and wetlands, veterinary clinics, and eventually into a nonprofit setting managing a sanctuary for dogs, cats and farm animals. She enjoys studying animal behavior, and aside from working with dogs, she's done enrichment training for a variety of species including monkeys, parrots and even chickens. When she's not working, she enjoys volunteering her time at animal shelters, nature preserves, and a marine mammal rescue center. She's also a freelance writer who enjoys writing about animal welfare issues and the human-animal bond.
Amanda believes that consistent, compassionate training and education are the keys to keeping animals in homes and out of shelters. She's a passionate advocate for shelter animals, especially older and special needs animals, and looks forward to a time when every animal has a place to call home.
Alejandra is the sixth of seven very different siblings. One of the few things they all had in common was a love for animals. Being on the younger end of the family, Alejandra got to watch her older siblings each have their own pets, some simultaneously! Her parents’ busy house was home to many breeds of dogs including Pit Bulls, Dobermans, a Husky-Weimaraner mix, and a Shepherd mix. Dogs, however, were not the only welcomed pets. Her mother had parakeets, lovebirds, cocktails, and bunnies; while her brothers exposed her to some more exotic animals, such as an Iguana, Red Tail Boa, Ball Python, and lizards.
In High School, Alejandra had her first hands on experience with dog training when her mother got a baby Chihuahua named "Huera." Huera grew attached to Alejandra, mainly because Alejandra succumbed to her cuteness and let her sleep with her in her bed instead of making her stay on the dog bed. Alejandra took it upon herself to take her out for walks and potty breaks because her parents could not understand why Huera kept having accidents; Huera was the family’s first indoor dog, so this was new territory. Alejandra learned that taking Huera out frequently reduced the occurrence of potty accidents in the house. During their walks together, Alejandra decided that she would pick Huera up every time they were going to cross a street because Huera was too small to jump from the curb. As Huera got older and bigger, Alejandra noticed that Huera waited at every crosswalk, Alejandra had inadvertently taught Huera the "wait" behavior. During this experience, Alejandra learned the importance of consistency in dog training.
Alejandra and Huera separated when Alejandra left home to attend the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, where she got her degree in Biology. When she graduated, she decided to move to San Diego, because it seemed to be the best place for an animal enthusiast to live. Her college job as a tutor for a local high school secured her a job tutoring in National City and San Diego, while she volunteered as an animal care specialist.
During her free time Alejandra now volunteers at Wild Wonders, a wildlife education organization, as an Assistant Keeper/Educator. At Wild Wonders, Alejandra is responsible for assisting in the care of more than 150 animal-ambassadors. These ambassadors include cheetahs, porcupines, sugar gliders, armadillos, hedgehogs, snakes, uromastyx, opposums, and many more.
The combination of teaching and animal experience naturally prepared her for her time as the Senior Dog Trainer for the Unleashed by Petco in Pacific Beach. As the Senior Dog Trainer, Alejandra was also in charge of teaching and evaluating the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) class and test.
As Alejandra grew more and more confident as a trainer, she decided that she wanted to expand her work as a dog trainer beyond basic obedience and AKC CGC, so here she is now with Karma Dog Training: a well rounded trainer with a well rounded company, trying to strengthen the bond between dogs and their pet parents through the partnership that is training.
Jason Bautista is one of those unique trainers who can bridge the gap between human and canine. He offers practical and creative solutions for your dogs that will make you wonder why you haven't thought of it before.
Growing up in a 3rd world country like the Philippines, where stray dogs roam almost every corner of the street, he was exposed early to different types of dog behavior in a feral setting. This gave him a much wider perspective on canine ethology which greatly influenced his training style.
After earning a Bachelor's degree in Business, he pursued a career as an Animal trainer for a private zoo where he did clicker training with Orangutans and Tigers. He taught the animals behaviors for ease of handling during medical procedures. But the one he enjoyed the most with his work was flying Birds of Prey and Owls.
On December 2011, 70+ pitbulls were rescued by Island Rescue Organization (I.R.O.) from a dog fighting ring ran by Korean syndicates. Jason Bautista became the Resident Behaviorist for the rescue and was tasked on the rehabilitation and training of the pitbulls before they were rehomed. His first hand experience in dealing with some of the aggressive ones took his aggression training to a higher level.
As things wound down at the rescue, he pursued another challenge and started doing Protection Dog Training. He actively trains in the sport of MONDIO RING and enjoys decoying(bad guy) for the club.
There has never been a time in Bridget’s life that she wasn’t distracted in conversation by the appearance of a creature, a well known fact amongst her friends and family. She has a deep rooted drive to try and connect with animals of all shapes and sizes, and that culminated in convincing her parents to send her to school in Santa Cruz, California. There she came across the once in a lifetime opportunity to work with a pair of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, a Hawaiian monk seal, a series of Southern sea otters, threes types of cockatoos and a cockatiel. After years of thinking she wanted to work in research it became clear that what she really wanted was the opportunity to communicate and work closely with animals.
At the Marine Mammal Physiology Project she got a thorough education in operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training techniques that has transferred over to every section of her life. When it came time to leave Santa Cruz, and the animals that had undoubtedly changed her life, she took a month long road trip across the country back to her home state of Texas. She had a birthday on that trip and it’s very telling that her friends took her to one of the biggest animal shelters/sanctuaries in the country as a present. She bypassed Dallas (where she grew up) and headed for Austin, where she now resides.
She wanted to work with animals again, and working with dogs was an easy choice. While in high school with little training education her crowning achievement was teaching the family dog how to high five and fetch the paper from the front yard every morning. Now she wants to help other humans communicate with their dogs, because nothing is more rewarding for dog and human than a positive training session. She fills her free time reading books about animal cognition, training, and the emotional lives of animals, and she’s happy to make recommendations on her favorites. She also rock climbs, runs, bikes, and is always up for a basketball game.
Basic obedience with dogs is her forte, but she has the knowledge and capabilities to work with those owner’s having more serious issues with their dogs. Little scares Bridget, and she’s looking forward to helping those owners with dogs with resource guarding, aggression, and leash reactivity find solutions and improve their relationship. There is nothing more special than the relationship between dog and human. One of her favorite poets says it best: "Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?" -Mary Oliver
She is pictured with her dog Cleo, who still shows off to everyone in her mom’s neighborhood her ability to destroy the exceptionally heavy Sunday paper.
Zoe loves two things with intense passion: Animals and Art. She grew up with a beautiful owl-eyed cat named Rooney who slept in her crib from the day she was born. Ever since, she has been incredibly connected to animals and could never live a day without an animal companion. As a kid, she worked in her parents' professional theater in Key West, Florida, honing her skills in performance and technical theater. She received a B.A. in Dance/Drama with a Minor in Biology and traveled the country as a choreographer. Alongside performing, she pursued work in veterinary hospitals as an assistant and technician where she learned to handle animals in a medical setting, give medications, clean teeth, assist in surgeries and learned a wealth of information about how diet, treatment and breed affect health and behavior. In 2006, she founded P.S. Pet Sit (later P.S. Pup Struts), a pet care company that offered pet sitting, dog walking, boarding, overnight care and training assistance for over 700 clients. The P.S. Team won Best Pet Care Company in Philadelphia, PA for three years and also won Best Business Plan by The Women's Opportunity Resource Center in 2009.
Growing up she had several cats because her parents weren't able to own a dog due to their traveling lifestyle. Once settled in Philadelphia, after owning P.S. Pet Sit for two years and falling in love with Tuuli, an english white golden, she decided to rescue her first dog, Pippin, the field golden. Life will never be the same. The love and connection she has with her and her husky mix, Zora is without limits. Her life is now 100% devoted to dogs. She volunteers and works with several organizations as a foster mom, walker, trainer and adoption counselor at UnChain Forsyth, Humane Society of Winston-Salem, Asheville Humane, and in the New Leash on Life program at Craggy Prison. She also enjoys taking Pippin to assisted living homes as a therapy dog.
Zoe views dog training as a beautiful blend of science, therapy and art. Her training methods stem from the work of Patricia McConnell and Leslie McDevitt. She's found the best way to earn a dog's respect and cooperation is through specifying each dog's sense of motivation and reward. Using positive reinforcement techniques and bonding exercises, she is able to foster a deeper connection between people and their dogs. This in turn allows for both parties to get their needs met, which she believes is the foundation for any mutually beneficial, loving relationship. She is thrilled to be a Dog Teacher for Karma Dog Training and looks forward to meeting you and your dog very soon.
Kyoko Furukawa is a positive reinforcement dog trainer and a member of Association of Professional Dog Trainers. She has certification of Pet CPR and First Aid & Care by PetTech.
Kyoko was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. In her childhood, she was always surrounded by small pets including her first dog Carry, a Yorkie. She has been an animal lover for her entire life and has a special love for dogs. She moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and soon gave birth to her son, Kenichi, who now attends the University of Oregon. In LA, she worked in a fast-paced corporate environment for 16 years, and once she became a dog owner, she enjoyed training her two rescued dogs with obedience, agility and tricks. After her family relocated to Portland, Oregon, in 2013, she switched careers to become a dog trainer and her passion for dogs grew much stronger. She started volunteering at the Humane Society, and eventually secured a position at the Zoom Room, where she taught group and private classes of obedience and agility for both puppies and adult dogs.
Kyoko believes that positive training provides the best method for people to communicate with their dogs and strengthens the bond between animal and human. There are many instances of dogs ending up in shelters because the owners didn’t know how to communicate with them. Dogs are life-long companions for humans and provide unconditional love and joy to their owners, and helping the owners through dog training is where Kyoko finds her satisfaction and rewards. She likes to customize her training for each family’s needs and loves working with all breeds. She enjoys working with young children as she believes it is very important for the happiness of the family (and dog) that children know how to communicate with their dogs. She has a soft spot for shy and skittish dogs and finds it is very rewarding to see the transformation of the shy dog through positive reinforcement training. She is calm and patient when training and does not give up easily. Her motto is that if others can do it, she can do it. It may require more time and effort but almost everything is possible. She likes to continue learning about dog training and improve her training constantly.
Kyoko currently lives in Portland with her husband and two dogs. She and her husband enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities, and try to include their dogs in as many activities as possible; including road trips, kayaking, and hiking. She has trained agility with one of her dogs and flyball with the other dog. In her spare time, Kyoko loves running and participating in 10Ks, half-marathons and full-marathons.
Chloe Chinchilla, like most people who join the dog training industry, has loved animals since childhood. At the age of five, her main goal in life was to become an entomologist. Learning that the bugs she wanted to learn about would have to be killed in order to be studied was the only thing that changed her mind. Since then, her love of all of life’s creatures has only grown. Over her life Chloe has raised everything from a hedgehog to snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, iguanas, dogs, and cats.
During college Chloe’s passion for dog training really began to take hold while taking a Classics course entitled "The Animal Self". While she had always felt the connection to the work, it was in this class she began to deeply understand the innate relationship between humans and dogs; one that has been around since ancient times. This new understanding drove her to research dog-human companionship within a historical, anthropological and sociological lens. Chloe came to find that the relationship between dogs and humans has been long developing, and it is through this relationship where positive reinforcement training has its roots.
At that time, Chloe’s weekends were spent volunteering at a local shelter and learning all she could about dog behavior and training via seminars and online forums. After finding a job at a local daycare and training facility in Chicago, Chloe began apprenticing under the head trainer. Here she gained knowledge of dog handling, puppy socialization, and breed history. (The latter of which is of great interest to her, as a major history buff.) When assessing dogs with behavioral or obedience problems Chloe uses this vast knowledge of breed history to evaluate their motivator and how to best proceed.
Chloe loves dogs of all sizes, but her own is a Papillion/Cavalier King Charles named Leo, who she rescued in college. Having come from an under-socialized and fearful situation, Leo was skittish, had severe separation anxiety, and was fearful and aggressive towards humans. Unfortunately, Chloe and Leo began training with a corrective trainer. Leo did not show any improvement, and seemed even more afraid of people than when they began training. Chloe knew she and Leo could do better, and finally found the right fit - a positive reinforcement dog trainer. Using positive reinforcement methods only, Chloe was able to rehabilitate Leo, who now welcomes new people into his home with a bark and tail wag!
Shortly after graduating college, Chloe moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she has since apprenticed under numerous positive reinforcement dog trainers; developing her skills in puppy and basic obedience, advanced obedience, and behavior modification. She also attends seminars and workshops to keep current on the ever-evolving world of positive reinforcement dog training.
Chloe is proud to be part of the Karma Dog Training team, and is grateful for every opportunity to help dogs and pet parents succeed together!
Elizabeth Nelson was born into an animal loving family in California. Some of her earliest and fondest memories involve her pets. She cared so much for her pets as a child that she'd spend her allowance on special treats for them. Growing up, she took in as many strays as her parents allowed and continues that tradition to this day, helping homeless pets any way she can.
When Elizabeth first moved out of state to be with her husband (who is in the military), she became depressed and decided to adopt a dog from their local humane society to help her cope with being so far away from her family. As she hoped, he lifted her spirits and became her best friend. Years later, she and her husband decided to adopt another dog. Again, they went to their local humane society and immediately fell in love with an adult dog who had, unfortunately, had a very rough past. He was malnourished and afraid of just about everything. They named him Kuma. Elizabeth knew it was going to take more than a few tips to help Kuma, so she decided to enroll in Animal Behavior College's dog training program. As she learned and worked with Kuma, she realized that not only was she helping him see the world in a new light, but she had also found her calling. Nothing had made her happier than helping him and watching his bond with the family grow. Now, she's been able to help many owners connect with their dogs and help dogs at shelters become more adoptable through obedience training.
Elizabeth believes dogs are the most loyal and compassionate friends a person can have and that we should treat them the way we'd want to be treated. For her, positive reinforcement is the only way to teach obedience and behavior modification. She's worked with many breeds, from Chihuahuas to Bullmastiffs, and loves them all, but has a soft spot for rescues. Helping people communicate with their four legged companions is her passion.
Even after earning her dog training certification through Animal Behavior College, Elizabeth enjoys studying the methods of other trainers such as: Dr. Sophia Yin, Dr. Ian Dunbar, and Victoria Stilwell. She is also certified in Pet First Aid and CPR. Elizabeth likes to spend her free time volunteering at shelters, working out, reading narrative poetry, and of course, spending time with her husband, Corbin, and their two rescue dogs, Daisuke and Kuma. Their favorite things to do as a family is to go for hikes and play hide and seek, always incorporating training into their fun activities.
Over a decade ago Katie brought home a little pug that forever changed her relationship with dogs. Within the first year, she and Baxter completed a puppy obedience course where they both learned how to safely and effectively communicate with each other. This introduction to training from the owner perspective paved the way for Katie to realize her passion for professional dog care. The bond she established with Baxter by the end of the course was solid and she had so much fun implementing her new skill set. It was only a matter of time and how she would be able to turn this passion into a career. When she moved from Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles in 2013 she was finally able to devote 100% of her time to dogs.
When Katie first arrived in California she spent much of her time handling severely abused and neglected foster dogs. She was heartbroken by the abuse they endured. However, these amazing warriors revealed to her the dichotomy of the pet world: tragedy and hope. Watching the rehabilitation of these dogs was a huge motivator to Katie to continue to thoroughly study dog behavior and implement positive reinforcement techniques in the hope that she could be a hero to many dogs in need. Three years later she has established herself a successful trainer, walker, and sitter in the San Fernando Valley.
Katie has also enjoyed studying wolves and wolf-dog hybrids at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary. Understanding the nature of the wild wolf has significantly improved her discipline in training the domestic dog. It has given her insight into the "why" of dog behavior and a calm demeanor in her approach.
As a cage-free boarding specialist for Karma, she always makes it her goal to provide the utmost positive experience for her guests. She will make it her mission to provide a like-home environment to ensure each visitor feels right at home so they’ll always be eager to return.
Amy recently returned to the Seattle area from San Diego. In San Diego, she worked as a trainer for the San Diego Humane Society - one of the leading shelters in the nation. She focused on behavior modification for issues such as: reactivity, shy and fearful behavior, handling issues, stress management and reduction, impulse control and arousal issues, dog to dog interaction, separation related behaviors, and resource guarding. She worked with a wide variety of cases: from strays with no known history to owner relinquishments and humane officer seized dogs. She also did individual consultations to solve behavioral issues and help keep pets in their homes.
Although she enjoy working with all types of dogs (and humans!) her passion is working with high energy, working breeds. She loves helping dogs use their brains to problem solve and expel their mental and physical energy. Her philosophy is based on creating a strong bond between human and dog, leading to a successful relationship and communication through training.
In addition to work in the shelter system, Amy has experience training dogs for competition. Because most often a tired dog is a happy dog, she loves to challenge their minds through competing in sports such as flyball, nose work, agility, and frisbee. She also has trained and worked with dogs in the therapy setting.
She lives north of Seattle with her husband, Jeff, retired therapy dog, Dozer, retired competition dog, Georgia, border collie puppy, Fix, and Persian cat, Squish.
The Navajo tell a tale about a man that can walk like the wolf, and talk like the wolf, and if he chooses to he can become the wolf. They call him yee naaldlooshii "with it, he goes on all fours." It has also been said that yee naaldlooshii now works for Karma Dog Training in Long Beach CA. under the name Matthew C. Rouch. Nobody knows for sure, but based on the way he understands dogs, one would assume that he himself was once in fact a dog.
Matthew has had a love for nature ever since he was a kid and more so a soft heart. Because of this, in August of 2008 while driving through a bad part of Long Beach, Matthew rescued a young female chow pit mix from some pretty treacherous conditions, little did he know the dog he just rescued was carrying a litter. The dog was very young when she got pregnant which resulted in a small litter, only three pups. As Matthew watched the pups get older his soft heart got the best of him and he made the decision to keep the family intact and raise all four dogs himself.
This responsibility encouraged Matthew to learn more about canine care. He began studying everything there was to study about dogs, but all the studying in the world could never have fully prepared him for the curve balls that raising four dogs at once can throw at you.
Over the past eight years Matthew has seen the entire gambit; potty training, resource guarding, aggressive behavior, leash excitement, separation anxiety, just about everything there is. Always wanting the best for his furry family Matthew was careful to make sure that the training methods he used were highly effective and the best ones for harboring a positive relationship between his dogs and himself.
Matthew now possess an immense amount of knowledge that cannot be obtained by reading a book, rather, obtained by reading the dog itself. Coupled with his genuine desire to help other people and their pets Matthew has become a highly skilled and intuitive trainer that will continue to expand his knowledge of canine care infinitively and bring that information back to people who need help.
Ali Marshall was born and raised in Minnesota and has been traveling the country with her high school sweetheart, now husband, Kyle. After four years in Chicago, then four years in New York, they are now happily settled in San Antonio! Ali has always had an enormous passion for animals, especially dogs. There is a family story of one Halloween when she was 2 or 3 years old, and there was a snarling, barking dog at a door. Rather than run the other way, she opened the door herself and had the dog wagging his tail and on his back for belly rubs instantly. Her love for dogs has only grown from there! She is also very passionate about working with people. While in college as a Theatre major at Northwestern University, she discovered the art of Drama Therapy (using scripts, writing, and performance as a form of therapy), which is very often used as tool to help Veterans who are suffering from PTSD. After she was introduced to Drama Therapy, she immediately began the coursework to pursue a minor in Psychology so that she could learn the science and theory behind her passion for helping people. Her discoveries in college and the subsequent coursework led her on a very exciting journey, but something was missing: DOGS! She has combined her love of dogs, passion for helping people, and the skills and knowledge she gained in college to begin to build her career as a dog trainer.
Ali's ultimate goal is to help pet parents create strong, healthy bonds with their dogs, which will lead to the balanced relationship they desire and deserve. She believes that the bond a pet parent shares with their dog is immeasurable, unshakable, and the most important aspect of training. With this bond, pups and their parents can conquer anything! While Ali loves all aspects of training, especially Puppy Kindergarten (who doesn't love a bunch of romping puppies?!), her main focus is training Service Dogs. Ali is so excited to be a part of the Karma Team, and she can't wait to meet you and your dog! Ali shares a home with her husband, Kyle, their new rescue puppy, Wallace, and their old-man bearded dragon, Brasa.
They say that everything is bigger in Texas. That couldn’t be more true when it comes to Allena’s passion for the animal kingdom and mother nature herself. There was never a time in her life that she didn’t have a furry companion by her side or an abandoned animal to nurse back to health. Her experience ranges from hatching baby birds, chickens, and ducks to nursing baby squirrels and bunnies back to health and even the catch and release of many raccoons, snakes, opossums as well. After a few slightly scary incidents with a not-so-socialized family dog, Allena realized what her dream job was; dog training! She had to learn more about how these amazing fur children behaved,how to help them work through their problems, and how they can become the best companions we as humans could ever ask for.
Since then, she has become the Assistant Manager of a dog boarding facility. There she is responsible for everything from placing dogs in appropriate play groups to giving them their medications and even the occasional nail trim or dremel. She has also volunteered in many of Austin Dog Alliance’s therapy dog classes, attended a weekend long dog training seminar hosted by Pat Miller, and is constantly expanding her knowledge of dog behavior by studying just about every dog training book she can get her hands on. As of right now, her home and heart are full to the brim with her two rescued catahoula leopard dogs, Lilah & Gus, an older pitbull/lab, Lily, as well as two cats, Calibrimbor & Shiva. Additionally, she has a fish tank coffee table filled with a total of nine axolotls, an amazing aquatic salamander currently endangered in their natural habitat. When she’s not out adventuring with her pups or cuddled up with her kitties, she can usually be found in the succulent garden that engulfs her entire porch and then some.
Allena could not be any more excited to expand on her passion and put her dog training skills to practice with Karma Dog Training. With each new furry friend she meets, she aims to go above and beyond to provide the tools and training you need for you and your dog to live the life you’ve been dreaming about!
Britney Brown grew up in Conroe, Texas. When she was younger, she dreamed of being a veterinarian. Her grandfather owned 2 veterinary clinics and Britney was always around to help! Her grandfather took care of cats and dogs and some wildlife, too! Britney used to love to take care of and spend time with them, especially the fawns. She has always had a love for animals and was able to 'win' over the fearful ones. Her first pet was a rabbit. She also had goats and sheep, dogs and cats growing up. Britney belonged to 4-H throughout elementary and middle school. She took an animal management class while in high school and graduated in May 2014. Britney got Koba (her now service dog) in September, 2014, when he was only 3 1/2 months old. She first got him as a pet and At that time she didn't think she needed or qualified for a SD. At 1 year, she started Koba's service dog training. She bonded with him and knew he would be perfect as her service dog. He had all his basics and did his public access test through a trainer. She did have help from the trainer through it all, but she trained all his tasks herself. He alerted from day one to everything and he did things on his own for her and it went from there. He is trained as a psychiatric medical alert. Koba goes everywhere with Britney!
Britney then knew she wanted to get into training professionally. She emailed a few different training centers as she was looking into trainer apprenticeship. She was really interested in Karma because they offered more hands-on training. She is now a new member with Karma Dog Training and is excited about pursuing her dream! She loves to work with dogs of different breeds that she is not familiar with and learn their personalities, as every dog's is different. Britney dreams of specializing in service dog training. Britney feels building a strong bond and communicating, having trust and patience is very important in training as well as treating them like family and not just as a companion. She has educated herself on current training techniques by watching videos online and on the Karma website as well as watching the trainers. She truly believes in rewards and positive reinforcement techniques as well as lots of praise!
When Britney and Koba are not training, they enjoy playing and going to the park, along with taking rides. Britney enjoys singing to Koba (as well as Koba hearing mom sing) and drinking tea.
Eliseo Saldivar was raised in Nevada and rural Utah; he was always taking in any animal that was offered to him such as turtles, rabbits, cats and dogs. He enjoyed the having a zoo in the house and since his childhood, dreamed to one-day help animals. His time spent with animals lead him to quickly believe that animals are a gift to people and we are here to protect and guide them as they do us.
Growing up he has helped raise great lovable dogs that he acknowledged as his children or siblings. When asked how many siblings he has, Eliseo will respond with "two!" including his younger sister and his family’s current dog a red nose heeler. He has always found it fun and exciting to teach dogs, he has helped raise, basic commands. Even before going to University, Eliseo was searching for healthy ways to teach his dogs and giving his dogs treats for good behavior. He has also shared many adventures dog sitting and walking a family or friend’s dog, always feeling dogs are the best company to have around.
Eliseo has a BS degree in Psychology and during his time in University he studied behavior psychology. A professor of his was an ardent Skinnerian and Eliseo grew to strongly believe that any behavior could be learned through the use of positive reinforcement, no matter being human or animal. He also came to his own personal conclusion that there is no need for punishment to teach or decrease behavior. Using his knowledge of what he learned he started experimenting in modifying some of his family and friends’ dogs’ behavior and really enjoyed the results.
Eliseo does not take long once entering a house of a friend to try and teach their pets something new. Using positive reinforcement, little things such as getting a dog not to beg or a parakeet to step on your finger made so much sense to him. He loves seeing the reaction of people’s faces when their pet is taught something new. One of the greatest things is seeing an owner and a dog both solving a problem while both being happy.
Eliseo is brand new to both the Los Angeles area and the Karma Dog Training team. He will be a trainer assistant in various dog classes in hopes to be a dog trainer himself and learn to serve the dogs and their parents in his community.
There is one thing that everyone who knows Gina Cantara will agree on: that Gina loves animals. Some of her closest friends and family affectionately refer to her as "Doctor Doolittle" and "the Dog Whisperer". There is not a single defining moment in her life that revealed her special connection with animals- that affinity has just always been there like Gina’s love of the mountains, a good fantasy novel and chocolate.
Gina grew up in the heart of New York City where raising a pet just wasn’t something that her busy parents had time for, nor did either of them believe that big city life was the place for a dog to be truly happy and have the outdoor time that it needs. Thankfully, Gina got to spend part of her summers with her grandparents who lived in the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania. And much of those summers was spent underneath a gigantic oak tree with their Shepherd mix, Bunny. Bunny lived beneath the tree in a deluxe dog house made by the hands of her grandfather. Aside from the two daily off-leash playtimes that Bunny was allotted (one before breakfast and one before dinner), he was tethered to his house. Her Grandma always warned her not to get too close to Bunny, as he had a tendency to growl and snap at children, but Gina had the opposite experience. Never fearing him, she remembers Bunny kissing her face and wagging his tail when she approached… and she also remembers her Grandpa telling her how much the dog liked her. The other part of her summers were spent at horse riding camp – at least through grades 4-6. At camp, Gina learned to ride, groom and understand basic horse behavior. After being thrown from a particular horse, Rum Runner, her counselors urged her to choose another to ride for the remainder of that summer, but Gina insisted on working with Rum Runner until he felt at ease with her on his back. In just two short weeks, that goal was achieved.
During her teen years, her parents’ divorce and mom’s remarriage brought her to Northern California. Again, circumstances left no options for their family to get a dog. As soon as she turned eighteen, Gina moved out and immediately adopted a rescued feral kitten, whom she raised and care for over fourteen years and a shelter pup at six months of age who also lived to be fourteen. This started a lifetime of not only raising and caring for her own pets, others’ pets and volunteering at the Seattle Animal Shelter, but spending a decade working for the conservation of the endangered snow leopard with a non-profit organization based out of Seattle. Gina also runs her own pet care/pet sitting business and works as a corporate dog walker for a prominent Seattle company.
Gina uses only positive reinforcement techniques and gentle strategies for training dogs. She believes all successful relationships with dogs are built on mutual trust and a desire to serve and love each other. Gina believes all animals, especially dogs, are our greatest teachers and just as people, each comes with a different set of needs, anxieties, energy levels and likes and dislikes. It is the trainers’/dog parents’ job to work with each dog as an individual, rather than trying to fit each dog into a set of rigid expectations.
Gina is patient and works exceptionally well with anxious, under-socialized and abused dogs.
Gina resides in the North Seattle area with her husband, their three kids, one dog and two cats.
Megan Stanion is a talented young professional who grew up in Northern California and found a special place in her heart for dogs after Santa Claus brought her a West Highland White Terrier named "Tuffy" when she was five. Since that Christmas Day, she has not lived a day without a dog by her side. Growing up, she found it was her mission to rescue any lost dog or cat she found, and to the dismay of her parents, was constantly bringing home strays so that she could reunite them with their owners.
Somewhat of a free spirit, Megan was not quite sure what direction she wanted to go with her life, but one thing was certain - she wanted to help people and animals. Before finding her true love for dog training she worked with homeless women and children at a shelter in Sacramento, tutored children with autism, and spent time in Uganda, Africa where she worked in orphanages.
In 2015 Megan decided she wanted to move into a field where she could work with people AND animals. Later that year she graduated at the top of her class from The Dog Training Internship Academy (DTIA) in San Francisco. As a Certified Canine Behavior Consultant and Trainer she specializes in guiding dogs through leash reactivity, resource guarding, adolescent behaviors, and obedience training.
After graduating from DTIA she was hired as a Behavior Assistant at the Placer SPCA and fell in love with the shelter world. Helping dogs who have no home or owner spoke to her heart. She found that there is nothing more gratifying than helping a stray dog off the street find their forever home.
Megan’s training philosophy supports only positive, force-free training techniques that are scientifically proven to better your animal’s behavior outcome. Her main goal is to help families bond with their four-legged children and help them understand their dog’s behavior more clearly. She especially loves working with families with younger kids because she believes that dogs are much more successful when all members of the family are involved in the training.
Nichole is a Colorado native that got her start in the dog training world when she adopted a one-year-old St. Bernard/Boxer mixed to train as her personal service dog. Since then, she has found joy and passion in all things dog training. Nichole believes that there is nothing greater and more valuable than a healthy, loving bond between pet parent and dog that is built on positive training methods and mutual respect. She hopes to use her skills as a way to help other pet parents build that relationship and be able to enjoy the companionship of a well behaved dog. She previously had goals for a health care career and was attending nursing school when her health took a turn and left that option off the table. She has found her "second wind" in dog training and has dedicated her professional goals into training and constantly learning and improving her own skills and knowledge. Nichole believes that the only way to provide others with helpful information is to constantly work on her own education and never stop learning.
Throughout her own service dog journey, she has discovered the many ways that our furry friends enable people with disabilities to live fuller lives. Not only are dogs cute and cuddly, they have the amazing ability to enrich us and give those with disabilities a giant leap towards independence. Nichole has become a die-hard advocate and educator in her community for disabled handlers and their service dogs. She has assisted other handlers in the process of training their own service dogs. Public access skills are one of her favorite things to train because it is so vital for service dogs to know how to work comfortably in public places while still being able to perform their tasks and not disturb others around them.
Aside from service work, Nichole enjoys helping pet parents learn how to teach their dogs basic and advanced obedience, leash manners, and to work through common issues such as separation anxiety. She believes that basic obedience is not only important in having a well-mannered dog, but that it is also vital to keeping a dog happy, safe, and healthy. Having two young children of her own, she enjoys working with families and helping even the smallest members safely interact and enjoy the family dog. Child/dog safety is one of her main priorities. When children know the do’s and don’ts of interacting and playing with dogs, it can eliminate many preventable accidents. Nichole also enjoys finding out what works for each individual dog and their family. No one training plan fits all and she likes to problem solve to find the best possible solution for everyone involved. When not training, Nichole enjoys spending time in the lovely Colorado mountains with her husband and sons, reading, and crocheting. She still hasn’t quite given up on her love of all things medical and also enjoys watching medical shows on TV and brushing up on her medical terminology.
Born and raised in a small town just north of Dallas, Texas, Savannah has been passionate about her love for animals since birth and believes that the keys to communicating with our furry companions are empathy, patience, and compassion. Her training career began in 2012, training horses for Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament and Majestic Oaks Ranch in Dallas. She has spent the last two years working with young, green horses, desensitizing them and training them to be saddled and ridden for the first time. In a lot of ways horses act just like really big dogs, and while working with them she gained lots of invaluable knowledge relating to communicating with animals and the processes of operant and complex conditioning.
Savannah absolutely loves working with dogs. She has had a strong bond with them ever since she can remember. Her first dog, Chewy, an old Yorkshire Terrier rescue was her best friend when she was a young child. When she first took him home, Chewy had severe anxiety to the point that he would gnaw all the fur off of one of his legs. She and her family did their best to counsel him through it and make him feel safe, and he eventually settled in very comfortably and happily. This is where Savannah developed her interest in working with depressed and anxious animals, and since then she has helped numerous other dogs through emotional disorders like these.
Because of this lifelong fascination Savannah is now currently studying psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas, focusing specifically on animal psychology and ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis). Ever since she began working with animals many years ago she has been preaching the powers of compassion and non-punitive reinforcement in training practices. She seeks to help pets and their parents understand each other and learn how to communicate. Savannah believes that humans and dogs both have a uniquely impressive capacity for empathy that can be instrumental in their ability to connect with each other. She always keeps her training sessions and classes very positive and upbeat, which is easy to do when she thinks she has one of the best jobs in the world!
Sydney Pitman has been that crazy animal lover since a young age. Growing up she always had dogs, cats, horses, large birds, ferrets, hedgehogs, etc. The list was never ending, and her love and passion for dogs and horses only intensified with age. Eventually her family opened a dog boarding kennel in Southern Indiana, and from then on every summer and visit meant meeting and working with many different breeds and personalities.
Once she went off to college her love of dogs never ended, she started studying Animal Science at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and learned the in depth nutritional and psychological workings of dogs and horses. Throughout college Sydney worked and helped run a student organization that found and raised dogs from eight weeks old to about a year and a half, supplying that solid training foundation using positive training techniques in order for those dogs to develop their specialty when they went off to advanced training to become service dogs. Developing those dogs into service dogs, mostly mobility support and brace mobility was very rewarding. In this program she learned the importance of socialization outings to either deal with anxious dogs or just to expose them to the outside world. Seeing how the public outings tied into obedience training was truly what hooked her in the dog-training world.
In Lexington she also adopted her own first dog that turned out to be an Australian Shepard mix so she learned quickly what having a working dog was like. At that point she started working under three major trainers in the area constantly learning more in the world of positive training techniques and helping not only the partnership between her and that rascally shelter pup Polo (in the above picture), but working alongside those trainers and helping their clients as well.
Once she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Equine Science she had a very strong understanding of nutrition and a huge passion for working with dogs (and horses), so her dream is to pair the two and work from the inside out and the owner down to create a healthy, happy, well stimulated dog. Before she left Lexington she worked within the specialty pet nutrition world selling appropriate holistic dog diets to pet parents while she continued to train dogs.
Now that Sydney has moved to Texas she looks forward to helping owners build a beautiful partnership based on respect and a full understanding of what goes through a dog’s mind. She specifically loves working with new pet parents, especially those that are interested in building that strong bond and a working relationship between owner and pet. She is comfortable with all dogs, big to small, and dealing with things from on-leash issues to basic into advanced obedience techniques.
Sydney believes that all dogs have their own personalities and each one needs a different teaching approach. Each dog she meets teaches her something new, and helping a dog find their true potential and giving them a purpose in this world is the best feeling there is.
Lori Holmberg, M.A., received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. While working on her Bachelor, she assisted a graduate student in the study of the food preferences of Golden Lion Tamarins at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She received her Master of Arts degree in Psychobiology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Lori’s thesis was on the adaptation of 2 tamarin species to semi-free range at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo’s indoor Lied Jungle. She also assisted the Veterinarian and the Reproduction Physiologist at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in the training of three male gorillas. The research and training resulted in the first test tube gorilla baby. Lori has worked with tamarins, mandrills, gibbons and gorillas.
Although Lori loves to work with primates, her heart kept calling her back to domesticated dogs and cats. Her goal is to keep the family pet with its family versus any other alternative as is reasonable. Lori is an Animal Behavior Consultant and Dog Obedience Trainer. She started out as a pet sitter in college, then a dog trainer in the 1990's and has been an Animal Behaviorist since 2000. Lori moved to Colorado in 2003 to work with dog and cat behavior problems and dog and cat obedience training (and yes, cats can be trained). She uses positive reinforcement techniques to train and change behavior. Lori's behavior modification and obedience training methods are based on the scientific learning theory for humans and animals. She does not use aversives in her practice. Her philosophy is to motivate pets to work for what they want (treats, praise, toys and attention) rather than to avoid what they do not want (punishment such as shock or pinch/choke collars). She sees the owner as a pet parent who is responsible to lead and guide the family pets- not to dominate them. The pet parent/pet relationship is built on trust and is fun!
Khalani is a Los Angeles, California native. She grew up in a life immersed in pets and is a firm believer that having harmonious relationships with animals is one of the best ways to live an enriched life.
From a very young age Khalani knew she wanted to work with animals and is excited to see what started off as an obsession with dogs and other furry creatures has blossomed into a true passion for dog training. Her love for pets has manifested itself in numerous ways from dog walking to pet sitting to working at animal rescues, helping pets in need.
Inspired by the workings of Dr. Ian Dunbar and Karen Pryor, Khalani is a firm believer in using positive reinforcement to bridge the communication gap between pet’s and their parents. It is her goal to provide a fun, stress-free, and effective teaching process for all parties involved. Khalani’s training tools of choice include a clicker and a pouch full of treats. Having completed Karen Pryor’s Foundations course and being in the process of completing Karen Pryor’s Professionals course, she has a firm grasp on the most effective ways to apply clicker training and it’s principles to daily life.
It is Khalani’s hope that by spreading the tools and knowledge of positive reinforcement training that she can make the world better for the beautiful creatures that have filled her life with joy and purpose.
Jenna Reber was born here in Texas in 1983, but moved to the country in Ohio when she was four. Along for the ride was her first dog Dotty, who Jenna would eventually go on to train when she was 10. Finding a knack for training, Jenna trained the other family dogs, her horse, and even chickens. It was during this period that she knew that she wanted to work with animals her entire life. After Dotty passed, Jenna was without a dog until after she and her family returned to Texas in 2000. Without knowing it, Jenna ultimately decided to make animal training her career after adopting her blue-heeler Ares in 2002, who was as wild as they come. Jenna had to learn how to deal with a dog with severe anxiety issues, behavior issues, and reactivity problems. Overwhelmed with her new pup after seeing no maturing or changes after many years, Jenna sought out knowledge on how to properly train Ares to help become calmer, happier, and more well-adjusted. It didn’t hurt that this also led to less stress in Jenna’s life as well.
Jenna began her journey the way many pet-owners might; reading dog training books, looking up videos on the internet, and watching way too much Animal Planet. After seeing success with Ares and enjoying the process, Jenna spoke with a fellow dog-training friend who informed her of the Animal Behavior College, which piqued her curiosity. With a newfound drive to understand the ins and outs of everything dog-training related, Jenna enrolled at ABC in 2009 and graduated with honors in 2010, becoming an official Animal Behavior Certified Dog Trainer.
Once she earned her certification, Jenna went to work for a well-known local dog care facility. During this time, Jenna gained experience handling large groups of dogs during group classes, as well as private in-home sessions for animals that required special problem solving or one-on-one attention. Jenna also taught dog owners animal CPR, first-aid, and disaster preparedness.
After three years, Jenna decided she wanted to branch out and open her own dog training and photography business. During this time, Jenna met a representative for a local non-profit whose primary goal was to train service animals for veterans suffering from PTSD. Jenna was excited about the opportunity to use her training to help others who could benefit from her knowledge even more than the average pet-owner. She quickly found out how in-depth and complicated the training of a certified service animal could be. Never one to back down from a challenge, Jenna applied her education and experience and not only excelled, but found that she even was more knowledgeable than before, thanks to the special cases each service animal and handler presented her.
In 2014, Jenna was given yet another new opportunity to expand her horizons. She was hired by San Antonio’s city shelter as a veterinary technician, where she quickly learned the medical aspects of animal care. Jenna now has a wealth of experience dealing with almost any health condition a dog may have, as well as an even wider range of behavior issues. She has successfully handled extreme aggression cases, feral dogs, severe to life threatening injuries, extremely fearful dogs, and many others.
Thanks to her experience at the shelter, Jenna has now found that she has a soft spot for those dogs deemed too difficult to work with. She sees working with these animals as both challenging and rewarding, as there is nothing better than seeing a dog that was deemed a lost cause find their forever home.
Serenety is originally from Vista, California. Though she moved around quite often growing up, animals have always been a huge part of her and her family's life. When she was very young, her parents had an in-home animal rescue, with cats, dogs, fish, and birds. Her grandfather was the original inventor of the first animal ambulance service. She learned to care for pets from a very early age. Having them around taught her very important values, like empathy and patience. As she grew with them, she learned to understand how they think and how important training was for their mental health. Working with her dogs helped to grow a bond between them that nothing else could replace. As she got older and decided to go out on her own, she started training other family's dogs and found great joy in teaching them about their pets. Eventually, she would move to South Korea and help a fellow animal lover open a business where they groomed, boarded, trained, and adopted out dogs and cats. She fell in love with the feeling of accomplishment that teaching dogs and people gave her, realizing that training dogs does save lives. She noticed that trained dogs wound up going back to the pound less often than dogs who had not been worked with. When Serenety came back to California, she continued in this line of work with another company. She started working with dogs who had been abused or that had extreme social issues. Being able to help pet parents understand what was going on with their dogs and teaching them how to work with them comfortably made a huge impact on her life. Not long after that, she became a mentor, teaching other dog lovers how to become trainers using positive reinforcement and redirection. Most of all, she taught them patience and understanding. Watching her human and doggie students progress together gave her more joy than anything ever had. She truly believes that training dogs equals saving lives. It strengthens the bond with the owner and helps them understand each other's needs. Serenety is so happy to have been able to have a dream job, it doesn't ever feel like work to her.
Beth Sherdell has been madly in love with dogs since she was 2 years old, when she almost fell out of her baby carriage while trying to pet a passing puppy! She has been training German Shepherds all her life, and it was therefore a natural transition to begin work as a professional dog trainer.
Beth and her German Shepherd Shayna were accepted into the Therapy Dog Program at Seattle Animal Shelter in 2013, and for 2 years they visited retirement homes and assisted living facilities. Residents were comforted by how calmly Shayna accepted their affection and treats, and delighted as she entertained them with her tricks.
Beth loves working with all breeds and all ages. She watches for that special moment when the light bulb goes on; the dog suddenly understands what s/he is being asked to do, and happily repeats the behavior. For Beth, this is a moment of sheer delight!
Besides having her own dog training business, Beth has been working with Karma Dog Training since August of 2015. In her capacity as a Trainer and Behavior Specialist for Karma, Beth co-trains a Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience Class every Sunday in our South Seattle location.
In addition, Beth has become a top-rated Private Training and Board & Train Specialist for Seattle and surrounding areas with many happy 2-legged and 4-legged clients to her credit!
She is highly sought after for her expertise, her friendly manner, her great instincts, her warm smile and her ability to understand how best to get the optimal results that her clients need in order to live happily with their loving canine family members.
Beth is a great asset to Karma Dog Training, and we proudly recommend her services to our clients.
Tiffany hails from the Central Coast of California where she lives with her husband and their terrier mix Oreo. Her calling to work with dogs has stemmed from seeing how successful positive training has been versus relying solely on corrective training. Her overall strengths are her gentle loving-kindness and patience for people and their dogs. She believes that dogs aren’t always just "misbehaving"—but reacting to or stimuli in their environment that can sometimes become maladaptive. In training she focuses on what clients want their dogs to do so that they can begin to reinforce those positive behaviors in small increments. If a dog performing an unwanted behavior, she very gently corrects and redirects with lots of love and patience. She believes that positive based training methods have the ability to transform how we relate to our dogs and each other.
She currently co-leads the Karma Dog level one basic obedience course and is a substitute lead in the on-going puppy kindergarten courses. Her methods for obedience training are greatly influenced by the work of Dr. Ian Dunbar. She loves working with all breeds, but has a special place in her heart for smaller dogs. Families with smaller dogs may overlook training since they don’t mind the pulling and jumping at first—that is until the behaviors get out of control. Know that it’s never too early, and that your dog is never the wrong size for training. All of her family’s pets have been adopted from the SPCA. She understands that adopting any new dog (or even a new older dog) can be a challenging transitional time for any family. Clients who train with her will learn how to build a joyful, healthy, holistic relationship with their dog that will last a lifetime.
In addition to training with Karma Dog, Tiffany is a Jill-of-All-Trades. By the time she was sixteen, she knew how to play three different musical instruments. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in Liberal Arts, and holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California Santa Cruz. She manages a private tutoring company and teaches for writing program at the local university. When she is not working, she enjoys longs walks on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and taking Oreo to agility classes. She is an ardent meditation practitioner and wishes true peace and happiness for all beings.
Kaitlin (aka Kaitie) Radebaugh has been a passionate pet parent her entire life, and a certified dog trainer since 2009. With many years of hands-on experience, she is a positive reinforcement trainer. Making training fun, safe, and successful is her goal. She will treat you and your pet like family. Your dog's success is her priority.
Her story began in Tacoma, Washington. Kaitie was born into a family that had a Black Lab and a Shetland Sheepdog. When Kaitie was 3 years old, her family went down to their local shelter and decided to add a beautiful German Shepherd/Chow mix to their household. His name was Loki, and he was 10 weeks old. Loki and Kaitie became best friends almost instantly. He was her protector by nature, and even let 3 year old Kaitie take naps with him. Loki was Kaitie’s inspiration to go into the pet industry. Loki died of old age in 2008, when Kaitie was 18 years old. It is now her goal in life to build strong bonds between families and their pets.
In 2008, Kaitie started volunteering at her local animal shelter. She quickly became an animal advocate, fighting for homeless dogs and cats. Moving from the shelter to working at a pet store, she has knowledge on hundreds of pet products including: food, treats, toys, grooming supplies, and much more. She has many years of experience with volunteering, pet store dog trainer, nutrition and health specialist, special event coordinator, and now working with Karma Dog Training. She is certified through Animal Behavioral College, Petco Animal Supplies Inc, and the American Kennel Club.
In 2011, she met a soldier that she fell in love with. They were married in 2012, and in 2013 they moved to the beautiful state of Texas. They now reside in Central Texas with their two dogs, Kayden (Husky) and Tiberius (Malamute).
When she is not training, Kaitie loves to spend time with family and friends. She enjoys hiking, the lake, video games, going to the gym, drinking way too much coffee, and giving her two dogs lots of attention! Kaitie’s love for her job makes her easy to work with, and is very popular with her clients in Central Texas. She is fun to be around, responsible, and extremely down-to-earth! Kaitie’s dog training moto is, "Love them, and they will love you back!"
Ava was born and raised in Providence, RI, and always had a deep love for animals! Her family dog growing up was a funny Bassett hound mix named "Wolf", he was rescued from the local pound and it was the start of her love for rescued pets. She always had a deep compassion for animals in need, and even as a child would find ways to raise money to donate to the ASPCA. Now as an adult living in LA, she’s able to continue to help animals in need by working with the non-profit rescue group CARE Rescue LA (www.carerescuela.org) which she co-founded in 2013. In the two years of operation, they’ve rescued over 150 homeless cats and dogs.
Ava’s rescue background has given her vast experience with dogs of all ages, breeds, sizes an backgrounds. She has fostered many of these rescue dogs in her own home and has watched them go from fearful, anxious, or untrusting to happy, confident and obedient dogs by just providing them with the love, patience and consistency they need!!
It is her dream to continue to help dogs of all backgrounds, whether rescued from the streets or a newly adopted puppy, to learn what it’s like to have structure and balance in their lives with proper training and a lot of LOVE!
Elizabeth has had a natural curiosity her entire life. She has always been fascinated by the human-animal bond as well as satisfying her crave for knowledge and understanding of the world around her. Even as a child, when she encountered animals or humans with an unpleasant disposition she would find herself asking what happened to them to make them act out rather than abandoning them due to fear. Elizabeth’s compassion for both humans and animals coupled with her ability to learn created a fantastic determination in her from a young age. This led Elizabeth to pursue a scholastic career studying how things work as well as how people think.
Elizabeth strives to make people’s days brighter. She has been a very positive person with a very happy disposition all her life. During Elizabeth’s scholastic career she realized she wanted to make a difference in this world. She knew that animals and humans make up this world and we need to utilize this bond to help gain the happiness every creature on earth craves. This then led Elizabeth to gain her Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a concentration in sociology at Stony Brook University.
Elizabeth knew her place was with animals. She would often find herself socializing, walking, and spending time with animals at shelters, stores, and house sitting for pets during her free time (including breaks in-between classes!). During her career at Stony Brook University, Elizabeth independently worked to raise awareness about the negative effects of puppy mills and the importance of adoption from local shelters, often times presenting to the Community Service Club of which she was also a member. Elizabeth also attended the Danbury Animal Welfare Society’s walk for shelter pets, and attended the CUNY Animal Behavior Initiative Conference at the Bronx Zoo. Shortly after graduating from Stony Brook University Elizabeth started attending the Animal Behavior Institute seeking her certification in Animal Training and Enrichment. She currently volunteers for the Cove Animal Rescue, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, and North shore Child and Family Guidance Center at the Nassau County Family Court.
Elizabeth believes that any relationship is strong with proper communication and trust. She firmly believes that through positive techniques you can achieve greater things with greater results and achieve better trust and communication with any being. Elizabeth was ecstatic to find out that there was a company that embodied these positive training techniques and values the importance of the relationship between humans and animals. Elizabeth has been with Karma Dog Training ever since.
As a child Deborah has always had a deep appreciation for the miracle of life, mother nature and all of the amazing animals that live with us. What Deborah loves the most about the animal kingdom is that it holds great wisdom, beauty, love, strength and stays true to the natural order of this planet.
Growing up with dogs, cats and a rabbit Deborah began to realize the many lessons of life that the pets taught her. One of the lessons is experiencing a relationship with true unconditional love, integrity and loyalty.
After high school Deborah began her studies in the holistic field learning nutrition, therapies, and healing with herbs and aromatherapy. Deborah opened up a store front and began a career in holistic healing which included, reiki, meditation, massage, nutrition and classes. Her work wasn’t just with humans. Deborah enjoyed taking care of her clients pets too. She sold organic food supplements for animals to help strengthen and repair the animal’s bodies. She gave reiki treatments, massage and aromatherapy to some of the pets that loved a treatment as well as the need to have injuries repaired. She loved it when the client would bring in their dog and as she worked on them the dog would sit beside the table and enjoy the time in a relaxing environment.
During her journey as a healer Deborah learned animal communication and is able to talk to any animal and relay messages to the owner. It is so helpful in many ways if an animal or human are not having the best of time together. Deborah is able to understand and help the situation by being the interpreter between animal and pet owner. Animal communication is very helpful at stressful times if there are two pets and one passes away. Animal communication enables Deborah to let the living animal know what happened and how to help heal the loss for everyone.
Deborah just recently moved to San Diego 2 years ago and is now pursuing a dream in her career with Karma Dog. She is now able to combine her love for animals and humans in a very special way. By helping people understand and work with their pet so they can fully enjoy their pet’s personality and mannerisms. While giving the pet the most amazing time and joyful life by being with an owner who fully understands them and can give them back the same unconditional love, support and loyalty they give out.
As a little girl Angelika always knew that she wanted to be in Education. With a degree in Elementary Education, her love for teaching and her passion for dogs were destined to collide. It all didn’t happen suddenly, for years Angelika has worked in the service industry where she has learned how to stay calm and positive in any situation. She learned how to be a team-player, skilled communicator, and a huge people person. With her background in Education and working in the service industry, she had the right skills to start her dream of becoming a dog trainer.
Angelika first fell in love with dogs at a young age but finally got her own at the age of eight when her father took her to pick out her first love, Polar Bear, a Lab/Mix. As a young girl she took on the responsibility of training her puppy, she spend countless hours reading dog books her mother would buy for her at the thrift store, and watched many hours of Animal Planet to ensure she was on the right track.
After moving to Austin to finish her degree in education, Angelika meet her second love when she adopted Pearson, her chocolate Labrador/American Staffordshire Pit mix. Pearson was a 7 week old, mange infected puppy, who was in bad shape. Angelika made a promise to Pearson that she would become the best dog mom she could me. Angelika’s love for Pearson, put her next career move into perspective. Helping humans have a positive, and loving relationship with their dog was her new mission. Angelika began her promise by signing up Pearson for Puppy education courses, where she learned the beauty of clicker training. She then began her research, she wanted to know how she could strengthen her relationship with her dog. She wanted to know why he did the things he did in order to better understand him as a dog. Reading books such as "Dog Is My Co-Pilot, and "Inside of a Dog" By: Alexandra Horowitz, opened her insights. Following positive reinforcement trainers, like Victoria Stilwell, Patricia McConnell, and Zac George have helped Angelika confirm that positive reinforcement training best suites the way she wants to strengthen the relationship between herself and her dog.
Angelika has spent the last few years working with young dogs learn basic obedience, loose leash walking, and has more importantly, shared what she knows with other dog parents. Angelika has worked as a pet-care specialist where she has acquired the experience on pet sitting, boarding, and grooming. Angelika has a great understanding of dog body language, and what a dog can smell, see, and know.
A great attribute about Angelika is that she loves being a student, always looking for new information in order to better her perspective. She hopes to complete her certification with Animal Behavior College in due time. Her ultimate trainer goal is to be highly skilled in all areas that there are in dog training. From helping rehabilitate reactive dogs, training guide dogs, training timid/shy or abused dogs, she wants to do it all. She wants to help save the lives of dogs, like she did for Pearson, and help dogs save the lives of their humans, like Pearson did for her.
Kelly Lourdes Florimon is currently an undergraduate student majoring in Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. After graduating with a B.S. degree and obtaining a great amount of experience working with animals, she hopes to become a student of veterinary medicine so that she can continue learning about animals and how to help them in any way that she possibly can. Kelly feels indebted to animals for all of the comfort, wonderful memories, friendships, and unconditional love they have given her. She is extremely grateful for having had the pleasure of growing up with and caring for dogs for most of her life, and has always felt a special connection towards all animals.
As a child, she would sit outside and wait for strays to wander by so that she could feed them and beg her parents to keep them as pets or to take them to the shelter so that they would have another chance at finding a home. Kelly’s first family pet, a Black Lab named Lala, would walk her and her older brother across the street to school and would always be waiting to greet them on their front porch after school. Based on a few books she found lying around her house and at her local library, Kelly was able to teach her family dogs a few basic commands, which thrilled her and was the initial spark for her particular interest in dog training. As soon as she was old enough, Kelly began volunteering at a local pet shelter where she gained experience in dog grooming, feeding, walking, and in assisting the veterinarian with basic check-ups and surgery preparation. She also had the opportunity to foster kittens, which was a valuable experience in infant care.
As a volunteer for International Bird Rescue in San Pedro, California, Kelly helps rehabilitate oiled, injured, orphaned, and sick seabirds. As a research intern, she also has experience working with and caring for freshwater turtles, lungfish, and young alligators. There has not yet been a single species of animal that Kelly has not found fascinating. She has always admired animals, and dogs in particular, for their free and loving spirit. Kelly also holds high respect for the people who can connect with animals at a deeper level to bring out their very best and she always strives to do the same.
During high school, after learning about various environmental issues and about the inhumane conditions of animals living in factory farms, Kelly adopted a vegetarian diet to end her support of the industry. She is a strong believer that human beings should work to live in harmony with all animals. For an Alternative Spring Break Program, Kelly did service work on an organic farm in Costa Rica, where she had the opportunity to interact with farm animals and observe wildlife. Her research project for the trip focused on the roles of both the wild and farms animals and how they helped create a balance between the natural and industrial aspects of the farm (permaculture).
Kelly is also a huge advocate for education and enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences with people interested in learning more about animals. Although Kelly enjoys teaching and sharing her skills and knowledge, she also believes that a teacher can learn just as much, if not more, from his or her own students. Although she has not had any previous formal experience in dog training, she is certain that her compassion for animals, adaptability for learning in new situations, and optimistic attitude would allow her to make great impacts on the pet-to-owner relationships she encounters while working for Karma Dog Training. She looks forward to each and every challenge she is presented with as a valuable learning opportunity, and is excited to contribute to such a wonderful cause and share the values of Karma Dog Training. Kelly cannot imagine a feeling more rewarding than providing a more peaceful home environment to the dogs and owners who struggle with aggression-based and basic disobedience issues.
In her free time, besides playing with her dog, Rocky, Kelly enjoys playing tennis, reading, writing, live music, wildlife photography, traveling, and spending time outdoors.
Kelly is fluent in English, Spanish, and Dog.
Raised in rainy Washington state, Jennifer Moran’s love of animals began at a very young age. She was enchanted with movies such as Don Bluth’s Balto and Disney’s Homeward Bound, which portrayed dogs as loving, courageous, and loyal – all of which she found to be true in real life! She grew up with many animals in her home and got her start in animal training with her little parrotlet. Ring a bell, get a sunflower seed: it made sense to them both! She dabbled in Hunter/Jumper at a local stable and was amazed at how it takes so little to move an animal as large as a horse! A red-and-white beagle named Bianca came along and the fascination continued. She worked with Bianca at home and found a love of seeing the little dog wag her tail at the simplest things.
When it came time for college, her love of animals led her to Washington State University (Go Cougs!) and a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences with a pre-veterinary medicine emphasis. Nutrition and behavior continued to fascinate her. She got married to her amazing husband, Sean, and moved to Michigan to begin training dogs in a corporate atmosphere. It was here that she found a name for the type of training that called to her heart: positive reinforcement. This led her to books written by the late Dr. Sophia Yin, the ever-interesting Dr. Ian Dunbar, and many others who manage to combine the cool, logical world of science with the vibrant and emotional world of dog training. She taught puppy, basic, and advanced obedience as well as pre-therapy and CGC classes.
It was during this period that she brought her female Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Chloe, into a household already containing an adoring rescued cat (Cici) and a lovable bearded dragon (Athena). Chloe taught Jennifer many things, such as how things considered inconsequential to humans may matter quite a bit more to a dog: how it’s okay to not want a walk that day, for whatever reason; that a dog alerts you to something for a reason and when you address it, everything is alright; and that there is nothing more special than when a dog chooses to be with you. Jennifer and Chloe worked towards her CGC and received it in December of 2013. Chloe was able to accompany Jennifer to her classes and her owner continued to learn more about dog body language than ever before, thankfully from a Cavalier with excellent communication skills! In this teaching phase, Jennifer also discovered a deep-seated love for working with deaf and/or blind dogs. It takes creative and out-of-the-box thinking to work with deaf and/or blind dogs, but they remain dogs at heart, with all of their lovable quirks. Seeing as Jennifer was born half-deaf herself, it was easy to direct her empathy towards training successes with dogs and owners. Some of her favorite memories of dog training come from working with deaf and/or blind dogs.
Life moved the Moran family to the state of Colorado and Jennifer transferred her teachings as well as the furry family, which was soon to grow by one! Quinn, her senior rescued Cavalier King Charles spaniel, came into the home and brought on a new set of challenges. As an undersocialized dog, he was afraid of quite a bit, although not afraid to let the scary thing know about it.
Another change in jobs sent the family back to Washington once again and they've now settled down in the foothills of the Cascades.
Jennifer works on a regular basis with both Cavaliers through positive-based obedience as well as addressing fear and anxiety-based issues. Chloe is on her way to becoming a therapy dog while Quinn has small wins each day in not barking at the neighbors.
Marina’s earliest memories are of playing with the family pets in the backyard of her childhood home. As a result, she has always felt a deep connection to the animal world. Marina is passionate about helping people deepen the bond they experience with their companion animals in order foster understanding and compassion. It can be easy to forget that dogs are autonomous, thinking, feeling beings with needs and interests of their own, and Marina believes we need to be respectful of that, even when a particular behavior makes us feel frustrated or annoyed. She believes a sense of humor and a little bit of patience go a long way when it comes to communicating with our canine companions.
A passionate advocate for rescue animals, Marina has filled her home with five fluffy souls who make every day brighter and happier. The newest member of the family is a mutt named Neko, who struggles with extreme anxiety (no doubt a result of her life as a stray). Working with Neko has been difficult, but also incredibly educational and rewarding. Every small victory is a step toward a happier life for Neko, and a learning opportunity for Marina. Neko is the reason that Marina decided to pursue a career in dog training, and Marina feels strongly that it wasn’t a coincidence that Neko has become such a force in her life.
Marina has a degree in education from New York University, and spent ten years working in public education before she decided to follow her dream and turn her passion for animals into a career. Having taught everyone from toddlers to retirees, she is enjoying expanding her teaching skills to improve the lives of dogs and the humans who love them. Marina is a friendly and approachable teacher, and finds her work as a trainer deeply rewarding.
When she’s not spending time with her furry family, Marina loves to be outdoors. Sunny Austin provides her with many opportunities to get out and enjoy all the great activities the city has to offer, whether it’s paddle boarding on Town Lake or enjoying something delicious at a local food truck.
Wendy Castle is originally from Houston, Texas and currently resides in San Francisco, California. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Biology with a focus on the evolution of cooperative behavior. Wendy has studied dog training and behavior consultation in the bay area with the Dog Training Internship Academy and enjoys continuing her education through attending workshops and conferences. Wendy has a passion for demystifying science and translating the latest research into meaningful and manageable training.
As a trainer, Wendy’s goal is to create cooperative relationships between owners and their pets. She works with clients in the bay area on training as well as helping to address more challenging issues like leash reactivity and resource guarding. She has two dogs of her own, an 8 year-old Doberman and a 3 year-old terrier mix who loves agility training. In her free time, she volunteers with her local animal shelter and wildlife rescue.
Lisa Ullery is a Los Angeles native who is passionate about helping people live better, happier lives with their dogs. Lisa has always been an animal lover, and grew up with a yellow lab named Lucky.
Lisa’s serious interest in dog training transpired when she began walking homeless dogs for a local rescue group. She was heart broken that these loving, caring dogs were surrendered by their owners. Immediately, Lisa decided that she wanted to do everything in her power to help find homeless dogs the loving homes they deserved.
From there, she began volunteering at the South LA Animal Shelter where she helped dogs with zero training learn how to walk on a leash, play with toys, and other basic commands. While volunteering, she found that several of these dogs were being surrendered due to behavioral issues that were easily trainable. She found this devastating, as it was simply a result of misunderstanding between the dog and human.
In an effort to help more dogs get adopted, Lisa worked with a local dog rescue group where she fostered and trained a variety of dogs in her own home. She taught them basic obedience, potty training, and other tricks to make these foster dogs more adoptable to the public.
After approximately a year of fostering, Lisa made the decision to adopt her own dog from another local rescue group. Immediately after adopting her extremely timid dog named Ziggy, she noticed he had several behavioral issues, including resource guarding. After a trainer came to her house and used more traditional "old-school" training methods, she found her dog was not improving, but getting worse. Finally, after several hours of online research and YouTube videos, she learned about positive reinforcement training and hasn’t turned back since! With a lot of time and effort, her dog is now confident, well behaved and enjoys playing with other dogs and humans. Lisa cherishes the bond that positive reinforcement created with her dog, and shares these methods with all dog owners she meets. She hopes that through sharing her knowledge of positive reinforcement training, she can help decrease the number of dogs who end up in animal shelters, and increase the bond between humans and their dogs.
In addition to being passionate about dogs, Lisa has a strong interest in social media marketing. She currently works full time as the Community Marketing Manager for a B2B media & events corporation. In her spare time, she helps share photos of homeless dogs on her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. She loves that social media has the ability to give homeless dogs a greater audience of potential owners and helps spread awareness about the severe need for an increase in adoption.
A New York native, Elizabeth spent much of her childhood exploring Long Island with her best friend, a black Labrador Retriever. Inky came into the family as an orphaned three-day old pup and Elizabeth and her mother took turns feeding him formula with an eye-dropper. From that moment on she had a lifetime love affair with dogs—especially large breeds. At the age of ten Elizabeth moved to California. As a child she continued rescuing and training orphaned dogs ranging from Dobermans, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Bullmastiffs, Boxers, Pit Bulls, Labs, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies and a variety of mixed breeds. Friends and family always remarked on how well behaved Elizabeth’s pets were and how she seemed to have a special gift for communicating with dogs. She realized that her passion was to work with animals and that she was happiest when they were in her life.
In high school Elizabeth attended animal care classes where she learned to groom and ride horses at a local stable. In addition to dogs, a wide variety of animals have shared her home over the years including parakeets, cockatiels, turtles, iguanas, snakes, fish, cats, guinea pigs and mice. A home is just not a home without animals.
Naturally creative, Elizabeth’s love of dogs and nature has also had a great influence on her art and photography. She has created logos and artwork for various wildlife and animal rescue efforts. A self-confessed dog nerd, she prefers watching nature programs and documentaries over just about anything else. Friends and family tease her about being a dog breed encyclopedia. Elizabeth loves all dogs and specializes in large working breeds. Her interests extend to puppy socialization, obedience, therapy and service dog training. A dedicated animal advocate she also has a talent for rehabilitating and developing confidence in abused and neglected dogs. She enjoys studying animal behavior.
Elizabeth's approach is sensitive and intuitive. Education, communication and channeling energies and instincts is key. She listens by tuning in with all of her senses, the way dogs do. Dogs have so much to teach us if we are willing to pay attention. She believes that human beings must have respect, compassion and appreciation for all the living creatures that share our planet. We are all interconnected. Elizabeth's own canine companions have been loyal confidantes, soul mates and protectors. She knows they deserve nothing less in return.
Marcella grew up in Frankfurt, Germany and came to the United States in 2001. She has always been a huge animal lover and has almost always had something furry living in the house! From a young age, she knew there was something she wanted to do with dogs. In the beginning, the career of a veterinarian appealed to her. However, as Marcella learned more about behavior and training she realized where her passion truly was.
Dog behavior and communication has always fascinated Marcella, especially since learning about clicker training and shaping. From teaching simple behaviors, to trick training, dog sports and behavior modification, Marcella enjoys being able to work through teaching a dog new behaviors. There’s nothing she loves more than seeing a dog’s face light up as they enjoy working with their owners. Along with this, it brings her joy to see owner’s feeling confident, happy and excited about making progress with their dogs and forming a relationship to last a lifetime. She believes training is an excellent way to bond with your dog and have fun!
Marcella has been competing in dog agility since 2007. Her dogs hold a variety of titles and she’s competed at the Masters/Excellent level. She has done a bit of frisbee with her younger dog and also tried out Rally and nosework. She enjoys learning about and hopes to participate in many more dog sports in the future. Some of these include dock diving, obedience, protection work and barn hunt.
Marcella believes in bringing out the best in each dog and their owners. Patience, kindness, understanding and a toolbox filled with ideas go a long way in dog training. Marcella currently owns two of her own dogs, a mixed breed and a border collie, as well as two guinea pigs. In their spare time they go on hikes, enjoy playing at the beach, train at local dog friendly stores, attend agility trials and learn fun tricks. Marcella has also owned guinea pigs, reptiles and birds in the past. Marcella graduated from Texas A&M University in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Science.
Marcella's hope is to help people form a unique bond with their dogs and make training a game. Some of her favorite tricks to teach include sit pretty, roll over, fetching unique items and shake. Her favorite tricks that she’s taught her own dogs include painting on canvas, using an inside voice, sneezing on cue and vaulting off of her stomach. In addition, there are a variety of tricks she still hopes to teach her dogs in time. She has volunteered with rescues for several years and fostered dogs in her free time. She loves dogs of all sizes and enjoys seeing their different personalities come true. In her spare time, Marcella enjoys arts and crafts including DIY projects, reading books about dog behavior and riding horses. Animals take up a big part of Marcella’s life and there’s nothing more that she loves than seeing her clients succeed with their dogs.
Emily McNeilly is a Montana native whose passion for animals has led her down a career path in animal medicine with an emphasis on welfare. Her undergraduate degree in Biology/Pre-veterinary medicine allowed her the opportunity to conduct research on canine cognition and behavior as well as work closely with the local humane society and begin training at a veterinary hospital. After graduation, Emily continued her work as a veterinary technician. This opportunity allowed her to foster and care for many dogs over the course of the next few years. These dogs ranged in age, breed and personalities from toy breed puppies with socialization issues to giant breeds with aggression and fear. For each case, Emily used techniques from her years of formal study and through reading the works of Dr. Sophia Yin, the Monks of New Skete and Dr. Ian Dunbar to address each case on an individual basis to help each dog.
As a child, Emily was fascinated by the means in which humans and animals communicate. Since that time, she has been spurred by that fascination to study and understand canine behavior and cognition. She believes that the canine/human bond is something truly unique and that enabling humans to see the world through the perspective of their dog creates a happy, wholesome and mutually beneficial partnership. She has found that positive reinforcement, gentle handling and patience are of the utmost importance in creating mutual trust necessary for training. To Emily, the training process is less about "making a dog obey" and more about communicating across a species barrier to allow the dog to understand what is expected of him/her, just as we humans to learn the rules and manners that allow us to happily live in a society. Further, that training provides the tools that allow a dog to have positive interactions with every human and animal that it meets and to feel happy and comfortable in all situations!
Emily is now a third year veterinary student who lives with her two hilarious cats and sweet black lab. She continues to dedicate herself to understanding our animal companions, advocating for animal well-being, and providing positive, effective behavioral consultation and training sessions.
Michael's first adventures with dogs occurred at the very young age of 2 with a German Shepherd named King, with whom he was often found walking around the neighborhood. His love for dogs continued into adolescence when he began working with horses on a farm, and he saw how a positive relationship with the animals benefited everyone. In his high school years he became familiar with police dogs because his father and grandfather were in law enforcement and found himself fascinated by the dogs and their abilities.
After high school, Michael joined the military and was instrumental in cross training the military working dogs with the german police to expand on their abilities to detect explosives. It was during this time that Michael truly saw the greater benefit of a positive training relationship between a dog and its owner/handler. Michael rescued and trained two shelter dogs while stationed in Europe. As Michael's military and law enforcement careers were ending, he was searching for paths which would allow him to continue serving people from a different perspective. His answer came to him in the form of his own dog, Karma. Michael was suffering from post traumatic stress, related to his combat military service. After several occasions of having nightmares, he realized Karma was gently waking him from the nightmares by laying across his body. The bond between them was so powerful, Karma knew instinctually what to do. After recognizing this, Michael conducted research and gathered any information available regarding PTSD service dogs, and service dogs for veterans suffering from other injuries. This research eventually led him to Karma Dog Training, where his own dog was developed more completely to assist him in other areas of his life. Michael realized his new calling was to provide the same service to others in need.
Michael's unique experiences as a soldier, and now a veteran with PTSD, provides him with great insight as to how much a positive bond with a well-trained dog can tremendously improve the quality of life for an individual, and a happy dog who is fulfilling his life. Michael's professional experiences and exposures with other methods of dog training, combined with his personal experiences, have reinforced the greater benefit of positive training methods. Michael specializes in Positive Training, Basic Obedience, Interrelationship Therapy, Behavior Modification/Rehabilitation, Service Dog training, local workshops and classes. Michael is also an AKC approved Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.
Amanda is originally from Vancouver, Canada where she studied biomedical engineering which led to spending time working in Austin, Texas and eventually settling in Irvine, California. Her "day job" is at the University of California, Irvine as an Instrumentation Specialist in a research lab.
Amanda grew up with a cat, a dog, and also some pet birds. She moved from Vancouver to Southern California with 2 cats and eventually she and her husband added a third to the family. Several years later a small dog joined their furry family and the rest, as they say, is history…
Daisy was an adult rescue with many, many fears and a lot of anxiety. Amanda found an excellent positive trainer who readily recognized the difficulties Daisy was having and offered some fantastic advice and assistance. She recommended some reading material by the foremost experts in the dog training world and those books literally changed Amanda’s (and Daisy’s) life! The scientific aspects of positive dog training really resonated with her scientific background and knowledge and things simply "clicked". She has spent countless hours reading everything she can find on the subject of dog training and cognition and practicing what she learns with Daisy and eventually her second dog, Sherman. She has worked with and learned from some fantastic local dog trainers and is tireless in her search for more knowledge on the many aspects of dog training.
Amanda has a particular affinity for small dogs but truly loves ALL animals. She has spent time volunteering at local shelters as well and hopes to focus on assisting adult rescues with their transition to new homes. Given her personal experience, Amanda recognizes that adult rescues often have a difficult time with the transition from a shelter to a loving home. These dogs often have a unique set of needs and require a special level of understanding and compassion.
Living with 2 adult rescues with unknown history is often a challenge. Amanda continues to address some resource guarding behaviors as well as leash reactivity with her own dogs. Living with animals who exhibit these kinds of behaviors has provided valuable insight and experience in how to address these behaviors. It can take a lot of time and effort but getting through the fear and anxiety behind behaviors like this is so incredibly rewarding. It is especially rewarding to experience the trust that is built up through completely force free training and methods of addressing fears based behaviors. Even though Daisy has been with Amanda and her husband for 6 years, she still continues to improve in her level of trust and reduction in anxieties. It is truly a lifelong task that takes a lot of time and effort but every time we are rewarded with her smiling face and helicopter tail, we know we are doing the right things and giving her the best life possible!
Amanda will be assisting with basic obedience group classes initially, with the goal of getting into more advanced obedience work and also working one on one with dogs and their people.
Growing up and starting at a very young age, Ashley Bartlett was always on an adventure with her parents, road tripping and camping in all sorts of locations all over the western US, or off back packing up to lakes in the mountains to spend some quality time with nature and each other. Traveling around and gaining a firsthand view of nature and all its beauty instilled a sense of awe and wonder for the natural world and a specific love and fascination for the creatures of the earth. Since she discovered animals she always wanted to be near them and learn about them. Because travel was such an integral part of growing up Ashley never had an opportunity to have any pets. When she started 7th grade she moved from the city into a rural area with her parents and started a new life. In the 8th grade she started working with her neighbors horses and joined a horse 4-H group with the agreement that she would learn how to train and then train all of her 4-H horses herself. Still in horse 4-H, after turning 16 years old she got her first 2 dogs. They were gleeful, energetic Australian Shepherds. Living out in the country with acres of land Ashley went on miniature journeys with her dogs and built a bond that she will never forget. After training her own dogs and neighbor’s horses for 6 years she was then too old to continue participating in 4-H. It was during that time of training and interacting with horses and dogs that her love for training animals was discovered and she decided that she wanted to pursue animal training as a career.
After moving out of her parents home Ashley trained animals whenever the opportunity presented itself. She trained her friend’s new pitbull puppy and volunteered at a county animal shelter to help socialize the dogs and cats and give them some entertainment during the day.
While she was still in her junior year in high school Ashley discovered Moorpark College in Moorpark, California, and that they had an Exotic Animal Training and Management program. She decided that is where she wanted to start preparing for her career, so Ashley applied for the program in 2012, was selected, and graduated with a certificate in 2014. In the program Ashley worked with exotic and domestic species ranging from big cats and wolves to dolphins and primates. During her time there she learned about positive reinforcement training and all of its applications. With this kind of training Ashley learned how to communicate with a variety of animal species and had an extremely special bond with several animals she worked with including a spotted hyena, a water buffalo, and a fennec fox. Not only did she work with many different kinds of animals but she ventured to speak with trainers all over the country whether they only worked with one species or 100 different kinds of animals, learning as much from everyone as possible.
Currently Ashley lives with her rescued 3 year old cat named Cheshire and her roommate’s pitbulls Dallas and Sedona, their 2 cats Tom and Jerry, and Beta fish aptly named Avocado. To her, dogs are unique, beautiful, and joyful spirits. To be able to help a dog and pet parent live in harmony together is something she is very passionate about. To that end, Ashley is happy to provide private in-home training, reverse board and training during the day or night, or to simply provide some fun and entertainment with an invigorating walk for your dog.
With the belief that teaching and training is her purpose in life, Ashley strongly believes that any dog can be trained to do, or not to do anything that they are physically and mentally capable of, purely through positive reinforcement methods, love, and understanding. Ashley has dedicated her life to training and educating people about what training is and how it works, and how it helps both people and the dogs they love.
During her time there she learned about positive reinforcement training and all of its applications.
Hailing from the beautiful island of Jamaica, Barrington Blackwood has been a dog lover since he was a little boy; he got his first puppy, a brown and curly ball of energy named Rex, at the age of four.
Later on in life Barrington got a chance to own his first purebred dog, which was a choice between a Great Dane and an American Pit-bull Terrier. After researching both breed types and realizing the short adult life span and large size of a Great Dane, he decided to go with the latter.
Her name was Lady Stout. This extraordinary pup was the reason behind Barrington’s intent to become a dog trainer. She is also the reason behind the Royal Kennel Club movement Barrington founded in Jamaica, which focused on educating people and dispelling much of the negative stigmas surrounding the Bull Breed. He considers himself a dog-activist of sorts.
Making sure that the little furry ones are happy and confident is one of Barrington’s main goals for every dog that he is responsible for training. Out of that need, Barrington and some friends put together the Jamaica Working Dog Kennel Club, which became a gathering ground for dog lovers and breeders, where a variety of trainings and doggy rehabilitation took place.
In fact, Barrington got his start in dog training for competitive dog shows in which Lady Stout and another friend’s dog called B-boy would compete. On the their first appearance Stout placed second and B-boy not only placed first, but also won Best of Breed. Barrington was responsible for training them both. Eventually, Lady Stout retired as a Champion before she moved on to doggy Heaven.
That experience alone was as enough motivation for Barrington to take dog training more seriously while also attending university. Over the years, Barrington has gained experience with training puppies as young as four weeks old and dissuading aggression from older, more seasoned dogs. He has offered his dog training, walking, boarding, and daycare services for Rover.com and for other smaller holistic dog care companies. Although he owns four American bullies of his own, Barrington has trained a range of pups, from the smallest Chihuahua to the largest Cane Corso. Understanding that your pup is a member of your family, he does his best to treat them like a member of his own, when they are in his care, and has received positive reviews from very satisfied clients.
Barrington loves to surround himself with dog-people, who tend to be jovial and kind-hearted, and often a brilliant reflection of the furry pals that they keep.
Christa Lamb has been working with animals most of her life, She grew up in the mountains of northern California where she was surrounded by animals since she was born, between her home and her relatives that lived right down the lane there was 5 dogs (3 Pit/Lab mixes and 2 Wolf/Rottweiler mixes) 7 cats, 2 rabbits, 1 goat and a slew of random reptiles.
With her Native American heritage she was taught that all creatures are our relations. She jokes that she herself was mostly raised and trained by dogs. Like the nanny from Peter Pan the oldest mother pit mix was the caretaker and protector of the children. One time she even took on a Mountain Lion that came too close the where the children were playing in the woods.
Christa's love and sympathy for animals resulted in many a injured bird and stray pet being brought home, luckily her mother shared the same love for animals. In high school she volunteered at The Sequoia Humane Society in Eureka, CA and was so affected by the amount of displaced and mistreated animals that she organized car washes at her school to benefit the shelter and passed out fliers throughout the city that inspired many fosterings and adoptions.
In 2003, while studying art in college, Christa's mother began doing fostering through The Border Collie Rescue of Northern California and she was one of only a few in California that specialized in fostering and training deaf border collies. Most of these dogs had issues with shyness and inter species communication. It was through this experience that Christa was introduced and truly the value of positive reinforcement training and discovered so much about the dynamics of how dogs think and learn. She said 'It is amazing to see the progression that leads to those moments of clarity when a dog and it's owner can finally communicate to one another'. It was during this time that Christa realized that what had been second nature, caring for and working with animals, was actually a personal calling for her.
Darci Heald has had a passion for working with dogs since she was young, and always knew her future would revolve around that passion!
She grew up in the Midwest and graduated from Iowa State University with Bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Spanish. Upon moving to Austin, TX, she continued her education in the field she was most passionate about- dogs! She holds certifications from CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and DogTec Dog Walking Academy, and continues her education through the APDT. She also volunteers at the Austin Animal Center and with the Best Friends Animal Society.
Darci currently teaches our South Austin puppy socialization classes. In addition, she specializes in private and group basic obedience training, introducing a new puppy to your home, recall training, and working with bully breeds and multi-dog households. Darci has 2 lab mixes and 3 English Bull Terriers, so she knows what it takes to run a full house!
Darci’s teaching style involves training dogs through positive reinforcement and reward based methods. She focuses on helping her clients more easily and effectively communicate with their dogs, because she knows the importance of good communication when it comes to training, as well as building relationships based on mutual trust and respect. She is very knowledgeable and outgoing, and communicates in a way that is fun and easily understood by both pup and puppy parent. Her goal is to always leave her clients feeling empowered and confident to meet their training goals while building a positive, rewarding relationship with their dog!
Delaney Dawson has had an interest in animals for her entire life. She grew up raising a number of pets including dogs, rabbits, amphibians, reptiles, cats and whatever else her parents would allow her to have. She would often be found spending more time with her animals than she would with people. Through this time and passion for the creatures, she formed an understanding of what works best as far as training goes as well as an above average knowledge of animals in general.
In addition to her job at Karma Dog Training, Delaney also works as a support provider for those with developmental disabilities. This has given her an incredible sense of patience but has also encourages her to always help push others to their full potential.
Owning large breed dogs such as English mastiffs, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Boxers, Great Danes, Newfoundlands, and hounds has given Delaney extensive knowledge on what works best for different breeds based on what they were originally bred for. She believes that, especially with large breed dogs, quality training comes from respect. She likes to make the training as fun for the dogs as possible, while still being firm and maintaining control of the situation. She has experience training dogs to do agility, fun tricks, as well as in a number of other areas.
Branka, born and raised in former Yugoslavia, came to United States as a refugee in 1997. After experiencing war and destruction at an early age, she was beyond grateful to have a second chance, to be able to come here and begin anew. Determined to live her life despite all the hurdles and pay it forward in any way possible, she found that working with animals was the most profound, fulfilling and loving way to live, coexist, learn, and be present on this planet. She always had a special dedication to animals, but a very soft spot for dogs. Being able to give someone else a second chance was something she was very passionate about, and combined with her love for dogs, she knew this was something she could not only do, but make it something bigger, something meaningful.
When she rescued her Chihuahua/terrier mix Chunk 10+ years ago, she wasn’t too sure of any right ways to raise a dog, she just wanted to rescue and love such a devoted animal back to life. She learned, over the years that maybe her ways were perhaps too motherly, too protective..which in turn ended up causing unwanted behavior and separation anxiety stress in both of them. So one day she decided to involve herself into the world of dog behavior, proper techniques and methods. She started working at a doggie daycare/training center as a playgroup leader, where she was able to bring Chunk along, learning so many things along the way! Ultimately, helping her improve the relationship with her long-time companion. As the months went on, she was able to stay after daycare hours and observe the trainers as they held classes in house after. It was here that Branka learned completely and wholly that it was HER that needed the "training", that it was HER energy and stance that often presented seemingly impossible tasks with him. With this new realization, she questioned everything she thought she knew and wanted to know more. Everything got easier, more cohesive and functioning once she was able to change her approach, and the effects she noticed were almost immediate! It was the most gratifying feeling, one of relief, to know that we are capable of all these wonderful things, if we just armed ourselves with patience and devotion. 10 years later, she has a much firmer grip on the knowledge she obtained, and a much better relationship with her dog.
Her household has a dog, a cat, and what she calls "selective" pets that come to visit only when they are hungry (these include a skunk, a raccoon, and a deer that somehow gets her tomato plants no matter how hard she tries to protect them J )! Situated in the mountains of Boulder Creek, she finds it very peaceful and rehabilitating for animals (and humans!) to spend time in nature, to really connect with one another, spend time together as a pack. "All creatures respond to love" is her mindset when beginning any new interaction, and she can’t wait to learn more from Karma Dog!
Gonzalo was born in Argentina where he was free to explore his fascination for how animals communicate with each other and also how they communicate with humans. Growing up, he had the opportunity to care for and study dogs, cats, birds, lizards and many different small animals. As a teenager, his hunger to understand how our ancestors communicated with animals led him to studying different approaches to animal training, behavior, and communication.
At 16, he became a vet tech assistant and spent all of his time learning from the veterinarians and getting answers to his many questions about animal health and behavior. The years he spent at the animal hospital showed him that many humans lack a true understanding of a dog's learning process. This led to a lifetime goal to become more tuned-in to dogs and to go beyond "correction" based training; to concentrate on a philosophy based on a positive and holistic approach to dog ownership in which the dog becomes an extension of one's family. Wanting to be able to guide humans from a more holistic foundation, he spent his mid 20's learning different lifestyle practices such as Qi-gong, Reiki and other pathways to shamanic animal knowledge.
Gonzalo has always felt that the relationship between dogs and humans is a great reflection of a balanced life that values community, compassion, and love. He believes where there is trust and consistency between dogs and humans, a sacred bond is formed that is therapeutic and healing for both the dog and human. He finds the quickest and most efficient way to achieve harmony in all dog-human relationships is through incorporating positive reinforcement techniques with a modern understanding of canine behavior.
After living in Jacksonville, FL for the majority of his life, Kevin Abbott recently moved to the west coast. He currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where he lives with his long-time girlfriend, Ashley, and their three year old golden retriever, Nava. Kevin is a University of North Florida graduate with a degree in Health Sciences majoring in Exercise Physiology. His professional interests include mental/physical health & wellness of both humans and canine alike. He believes that dogs are truly man’s best friend, and together they can help achieve a non-stressful mutual companionship.
Much like his four legged best friends, Kevin has a love for being active in the great outdoors. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, playing basketball, watching NFL football, cooking and most of all, traveling. He shares most of these activities with Ashley and Nava, which makes them especially enjoyable. Kevin has vivid childhood memories of his family dog, Pepper. He loved her immediately and they formed an incredible bond while growing together in the early years of his life. Unfortunately, Pepper passed away while Kevin was just 5 years old. He was saddened just as any young person would be, yet Kevin translated his lost love of Pebbles into an even greater love for all dogs he would meet in the future. There have since been many different breeds that have impacted his life. Boxers, Labrador Retrievers, French Bulldogs and Golden Retrievers have all played a major role in shaping Kevin’s love and knowledge of human/canine interaction.
While attending college in Florida, Kevin began assisting puppy training classes where he was introduced to positive reinforcement and negative punishment. Kevin is a major advocate of training dogs by building relationships and confidence rather than harsh punishments. He loves continuing to gain knowledge in the field of animal behavior and operant conditioning.. Kevin plans to combine his knowledge in both fields, creating healthy relationships between man and his best friend for years to come.
Cassidy Martin has had a love of animals her entire life. Dream careers as a child included "Alligator Trainer", "Monkey Sign Language Teacher" and "Swimming with Shamu at Sea World." She was in the Science Club in junior high and always looked forward to her school and library animal talks. She even once helped the speaker of an animal presentation by proudly holding a Madagascar hissing cockroach for the group to see. She made a promise to herself that whatever career she chose it would involve working with animals.
She kept that promise, now focusing her attention on canines. She works alongside veterinarians in the exam room, as well as caring for and training dogs. With a nerdy love of learning she is constantly researching, reading and taking classes to further her knowledge and understanding of our furry friends. Cassidy believes in science based positive reinforcement training and has studied Karen Pryor’s Clicker Training technique. She is currently working towards her CPDT certification.
Before working with animals, Cassidy went to school for musical theater at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She also studied longform improv and was on a few improv teams. Her favorite type of improv to perform was always musical improv, because it combined her two favorite things. A musical improv form involves making up an entire musical from start to finish in about 20 minutes. She moved back and forth from Texas to New York for a while before settling down and calling Dallas her home. As much as she loved (and still loves) the theater, she realized for her she wanted it as a hobby and not as a career. She now sees working with dogs and helping them lead happier and healthier lives as her ultimate calling is.
At home she has two puppy loves, Winston and Tucker. Tucker, is a 2 year old handsome mix of. well, she’s not quite sure what. Some sort of lovable, energetic and very tall, retriever/shepherd mix. Tucker’s interest include: chewing, jumping and playing with his doggy pals. Winston, is a 3 year old, beautiful and sensitive pit bull mix. He loves to cuddle, is extremely loyal and has the best since of humor of any dog you’ll ever meet. Unfortunately, as lovable and sweet as he is at home, many people never really get to see this side of him. Winston suffers from severe fear and anxiety around other people and dogs. The desire to help Winston is what led to Cassidy’s interest in dog behavior. His behavior is a work in progress, but he is constantly improving.
She drives her furry children around in a tiny red hatchback that she loves. Her name is "Millie," AKA "Big Red," and you can’t miss her. Cassidy lives in a historic home neighborhood and enjoys walking her dogs around and admiring all the pretty older houses. She has a passion for the arts, performance and visual. Cassidy also has a fascination with tiny houses. Tiny houses look just like regular homes only much smaller, around 100-200 square feet. Many are built on trailers for easy movability. She plans to one day build her own.
Cassidy would love the opportunity to get to know you and your dog and help build better communication and understanding between you and your pet.
Brittany first began working with animals when she volunteered with the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network while studying Marine Biology at Texas A&M University Galveston. Brittany always had a passion for marine mammals, and this volunteer position allowed her to help rehabilitate stranded bottle nosed dolphins. The experience was so gratifying that Brittany began looking into ways that she could turn this into a career.
After a long search for the right program, Brittany moved to California, and earned a degree in Exotic Animal Training and Management from Moorpark College, as well as degrees in Animal Behavior and Wildlife Education. These degrees included extensive education in positive reinforcement training, training theory, and clicker training based on Karen Pryor's methods.
After spending several years training exotic animals, Brittany became very disillusioned with the captive animal industry, and decided that ethically she was no longer comfortable training animals in that setting. She decided to set out in search of a new path. This was when Brittany developed a passion for the veterinary side of the animal industry, and began working as a veterinary technician. Much of this time was spent working as a surgical assistant in an animal emergency hospital in Florida. While working as a veterinary technician Brittany became an avid dog lover, and decided to shift her focus from exotic animal training to companion animal training.
Brittany has been training dogs full time for the past 4 years, and loves every dog she meets. She has taken the knowledge and skills she gained working with exotic animals to help dog parents train their four-legged babies. Brittany strongly believes that the owner-pet bond is one of the most important factors in any training program. Brittany feels that successful dog training involves two-way communication between owner and pet, and Brittany teaches owners how to listen to what their dogs are telling them through their body language and behavior.
Brittany spends much of her free time volunteering her training services to local animal rescues in order to help abused and neglected dogs find their forever homes. Brittany is a huge proponent of positive reinforcement training, and offers free presentations on the benefits of positive reinforcement training to local rescue organizations. Brittany is also an avid supporter of marine mammal rights groups, and groups dedicated to improving the welfare of captive exotic animals.
Elizabeth has cherished her connection to animals since the beginning of her life. If there was one word to describe Elizabeth's approach to animals, it is intuitive. As a young girl, Elizabeth had a black Labrador named Bear who taught her resilience. He let her ride on his back as if he were a horse, and once defended her from a rattlesnake, getting bit on the nose, but earning the spot by her side night and day from then on. A native Californian, Elizabeth spent time with her family in Jackson hole nearly every summer. It was there that she kindled a deep respect for the unique connection humans have had with animals across time. She became fascinated with the buffalo and how they traveled together so serenely, but quickly was aware of their strength when she was chased down on horseback by a mother buffalo protecting her young. She began to look at the inner spirit of each animal she came across from that moment on. She observed the wild caribou, bears, and buffalo & saw how their behaviors differed from her domesticated friends (the horse and the dog), and how they were similar. It was through this lens that Elizabeth began to interact with her dogs and cats back home. She was pleased to find that if they understood what she wanted, they would happily oblige her.
In high school, Elizabeth chose a unique school in Sedona, AZ to attend, because there she could board & ride her own horse through the red rocks every day, as well as develop her artistic talents. During her first summer away from home, she spent time in the Navajo reservation building corrals and breaking horses for traditional families, with a group whose aim was to provide a much-needed source of income and allow the families there to work in a way that preserved their traditional values. Elizabeth became known as the "talker of horses" after that, due to the ease in which she rode previously unridden horses.
After a the tragic loss of her mother to cancer in high school, Elizabeth became interested in understanding not only animals, but people too. This led her to study cultural anthropology while in college at University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. In the hills of the Palouse, she explored a variety of alternative horse techniques, from reiki to horse massage, and applied them to the work she did with Pasafino horses, among others.
Ultimately landing back in the high sierras of California again, Elizabeth found herself on a path to learning homeopathy, which she has since used to help animals, babies, and adults effectively. After being approached by a friend whose border collie was suffering anxiety whenever he left home, she became interested and started reading books on the subject of positive dog training. She was hooked, and saw how closely related the horse work she did was applicable to troubled dogs. She successfully brought "Ladybug", the border collie, and her owner, into a place of comfort through her efforts. Much needed socialization and providing purpose for "ladybug" was the prescription that remedied her. After that, Elizabeth read everything she could find, and after 13 books on the subject, she decided she wanted to do more with dogs. She began with a litter that "Ladybug" had become pregnant with, 5 Shiba Inu/border collie puppies. By the time they were all 6 months, they could sit, stay, and give out their paw on command. She became the go-to source all over town for how to compassionately train dogs. She kept one puppy from the litter, Willow, who is now nine years young.
Elizabeth resides currently in Santa Cruz, CA with her best friend, Willow, who can be seen on the beaches of Santa Cruz catching frisbees or waiting by the shore for Elizabeth to return from the surf. Whether through positive dog training, or through a relationship based approach to educating children that have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elizabeth has found that compassion is a vital ingredient in any relationship. Her years spent working with autistic children has given her valuable insight to how dogs experience their surroundings (through pictures). She joyfully explores this relationship not only through her practice, but by attending workshops & conferences on the topic. With her background in natural medicine, she has advocated for the neurological health benefits that dogs can provide to their human counterparts, and relishes any opportunity to share her knowledge. She has found great reward in helping to pair elderly and neurologically challenged individuals with a canine friend, and continues to foster dogs whenever possible.
Elizabeth's education, experience, and knowledge of dogs through many diverse training methods has made Elizabeth a great trainer. To be sure, Elizabeth will find true delight in working with your dog!
Corrina spent her adult life in the Marine Corps (retiring in 2012), but never abandoned her love for animals and has shared that love with her son by adding a variety of animals to her family. From birds and bunnies to lizards and hermit crabs, and of course, dogs and cats; Corrina loves all animals, big and small.
In 2005, Corrina wanted to get her then 10-year-old son a puppy to grow up with and she searched for just the right fit. What she ended up with was her new best friend and a new career path. She and her son decided on a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, which they named Oscar. She knew the importance of training and hired a private trainer to help her with their new puppy. This was the beginning of her dog training journey.
While stationed in Okinawa Japan from 2006-2009, she had some free time on her hands so, in conjunction earning her Associates Degree in General Studies from Central Texas College, she became involved in fostering dogs and cats through the Okinawan American Animal Rescue Society and in 2008 she enrolled in the Animal Behavior College and graduated with honors the following year. She completed her externship in Escondido, California and volunteered at the animal shelter on Camp Pendleton. In addition to this work, she also volunteered at a private local zoo in Fallbrook caring for a variety of wild animals.
Following her graduation from ABC in 2009, Corrina has continued to hone her skills by working with a variety of dogs, both big and small, on everything from puppy training to common behavioral issues and participating in continuing education in the field of dog training. As the owner of large dogs, she is well-versed in their training but has worked with many small breed dogs as well over the years.
Born and raised in Austin, Megan is a definitely a part of what makes Austin weird. Megan Crist's love for animals started at a young age of 4 with her first dog Jasmine, a beautiful Border Collie mix. Since then her personal zoo has grown with the additions of rabbits, birds, cats, horses, ducks, and even goats which she raised and showed through her high school years.
After graduating high school, Megan pursed her dream career in dog training by attending and graduating from the Triple Crown Academy, specializing in basic obedience, agility, search and rescue, and puppy imprinting. Shortly after graduation, Megan started her own small business with a focus on in home dog training and boarding as well as teaming up with Austin's own Ruff Cuts Mobile Dog Grooming where she groomed local small breed dogs.
Today, Megan does boarding and training for Karma Dog Training making sure every dog gets the extra special attention they deserve while under her care. Not only that, she is also in charge of the North Austin puppy daycare program for Karma Dog clients.
In addition to working with other people's dogs, Megan loves working with her three lovely Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. From teaching her recently rescued deaf dog "Lord Tubbington" sign language commands, practicing Agility with "Sophie", to preparing her young puppy "Rex" for his next conformation show, Megan is always active with her dogs.
When Megan isn't working with dogs, she can be found playing with her young nieces and nephews, riding her bicycle or performing with a local dance company.
Ellen Henderson has been living with dogs her whole life and working with them professionally for the last five years as a trainer/dog handler. Once she graduated from CSULB with a degree in psychology she quickly realized she wanted to make a career out of her passion: working with dogs and their owners. She got her start as a doggie daycare attendant at The Bone Adventure in Newport Beach, CA. In September of 2008 after she married, her husband landed in a job in sunny San Diego, so off they went. It took a while to find work being new to the area so she started volunteering at Rancho Coastal Humane Society.
She found work in Jan of 09 at Kamp Kanine, where she started as camp counselor and quickly moved up to training apprentice for their sister company Johns Natural Dog Training. After a year she started teaching beginning /intermediate and advanced obedience classes all over North County San Diego. In December of 2011, there came opportunity to start a training program at Dr. Boyd's Pet Resort, and she had to bid farewell to all her co-workers and beloved clients.
She was in charge of teaching up to six group classes a week at the facility, running the training program from the ground up, and helping build efficient systems for the new facility as a whole. The Resort offered boarding, daycare, grooming, and veterinary care and training all under one roof, needless to say there was much to learn about the dog world from different aspects of the industry. She has worked with numbers of breeds both common and rare, and every temperament from shy to severely aggressive.
To further her knowledge of dog behaviors and training, she has studied many other methods including world renowned trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar, and attended his seminar in San Diego 2012. Ellen also loves reading books by her favorite dog mentors Karen Pryor, Patricia McConnell, Ian Dunbar and numerous others.
Her strengths lie in rehabilitating shy/aggressive dogs back into the pack. Teaching a dog how to be a "dog" again is so rewarding. Ellen plans on working in this field until she retires and is hungry to continue learning and teaching all she can about man's best friend.
Michelle started in the animal field at a young age; ever since she was younger she's had a passion to help animal. Her motto was to help those in need who couldn’t tell you their thoughts through speaking but with their physical actions. Currently she has 3 dogs and 2 cats. Her animal experiences is still growing but so far she's worked in numerous pet daycares and went to school for Vet Assistants. She became interested in dog training, from a previous facility she worked in called little angles. Their specialty was providing those in need with service dogs; this was the start of her interested in training service dogs. Just knowing at the end of the day how much reward is received when you see how these dogs connect with them on a unreal level and teach them to never give up, but also that their not alone.
Haley has always had a passion for working with animals, especially dogs. She grew up in Duxbury, MA where she owned all sorts of animals -cats, hamsters, birds and finally dogs. She knew from the start that working with dogs would be her passion. She attended the University of Vermont where she was able to volunteer with a retired racing greyhound rescue called Northern Greyhound Rescue and did coursework on dog behavior and training. She had always known she wanted to work with dogs and to help better their lives, but she wasn't sure at that point how to help. In her final year at school, she volunteered with a rescue/boarding organization, Random Rescue, in Williamstown, VT where she was able to work on training with shelter dogs and help them find their forever homes.
Once she graduated, she moved home to Duxbury for the summer and interned with the Center for Shelter Dogs at the Animal Rescue League of Boston as a Behavior and Research intern. There she helped with behavioral studies and training dogs that were waiting to be adopted, getting the opportunity to work with fantastic positive-reinforcement based trainers. Here she saw that with a little love, patience, (and tasty treats) a dog once unfit for adoption could become an amazing family member.
After her internship and research on dog training, she moved to Los Angeles. She worked at a dog daycare where she learned more about dog behavior and personalities.
Today, in addition to being one of the standout students in the Karma Dog Training Apprentice Program, she works part-time as a veterinary receptionist at Shane Veterinary Medical Center, expanding her knowledge on dogs every single day. Her goal is to help owners understand their dogs to create a more cohesive and fulfilling relationship for both human and canine.
Matt Miller has been a professional dog trainer for more than 5 years, is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and is a certified dog trainer with the Animal Behavior College, where he also mentors new dog trainers who are studying to become trainers in their ow right. Matt is licensed with the City & County of SF, fully insured and bonded and is certified in Animal First Aid/CPR with the American Red Cross.
Matt began his career by opening his own dog walking business in New York City in 2008 inspired by his passion for animals. He was invited by Kate Perry of Kate Perry Dog Training to be an assistant trainer and studied regularly with her on more advanced techniques. The philosophy and methodology used, centers around positive reinforcement and a scientifically proven teaching method derived from dolphin training that uses a marker signal to reinforce a desired behavior. This method helps dogs learn faster and better enables both dog and owner to enjoy the training experience.
Matt is the proud owner of two pets himself; a 2 year old French Bulldog named Lorelei and an 13 year old domestic short hair cat named Bynx. He has also owned, fish, hamsters, rabbits, turtles and butterflies! Matt's knowledge of pets spans his entire lifetime and he puts his experience to work caring for your pets every day.
Matt grew up in Ohio where he and his father were avid sportsmen and trained many of their own working dogs. He also continues to study new training methodologies through workshops and seminars and is trained in Veterinary Assistant skills. Matt is a supporter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States.
Jennifer Alden (Jenn) is originally from Los Angeles, but has lived in Santa Cruz and Davis, CA as well. She always comes back to L.A., her true home, and is now here permanently. She is a recent graduate of UC Davis in Sociology and Art Studio. While in Davis she had the pleasure of being surrounded by farm animals, including cows, horses, lamas, cats, dogs, and even insects at the labs. Most people in Davis are animal lovers and there is no shortage of places to go where one can meet many furry friends.
From the time she was a little girl, Jenn wanted nothing more than to have a pet. She got her wish by the time she turned five, when she persuaded her parents to let her have a hamster. From that moment on, she has been caring for a succession of animals, including cats, reptiles, fish, rodents and birds, but it is dogs that are her best friends. Jenn’s passion for dog training began at the age of 12, when her family adopted an out-of-control Labrador-Akita mix named Tipper. Her mother soon realized that training Tipper was no small task and that professional help was in order. After finding a trainer who used a very positive approach, Tipper began to settle in with the family and Jenn took over the task of training Tipper. It was then that she knew she had a natural gift for working with dogs. By high school, Jen was working with a local veterinarian, where she gained hands-on experience as a dog groomer, dog walker, vet assistant and kennel worker.
Her love of animals has led Jenn to work in a variety of settings including: working for a dog rescue service one-on-one to socialize fearful, aggressive, and hyper dogs; dog walking and pet sitting; working with puppies with housebreaking issues; agility training; teaching popular tricks such as play dead, sit pretty, jump through hoops, spin, high five, shake, crawl, roll over, and more. She has even trained cats to do tricks. She has helped dogs in need of behavioral modification and training. Her love for animals is apparent, and a career in dog training is what suits her best. She brings a wealth of knowledge from years of experience in a variety of situations.
She understands how hard it is for some to get their bigger dogs to heel on a leash. From her own personal experience, she has learned ways to curb that behavior. But the most important thing she has learned is how to help fearful dogs who are not properly socialized. When she first adopted her current dog, Indie, he had severe socialization issues. But with patience and persistence, Jenn worked her magic. Today Indie is a confident, happy doggy. For the dog with fear and socialization issues, Jenn will work with each situation to devise a tailor-made strategy perfect for that particular dog and owner. She knows that dog training doesn’t happen overnight, and is patient and understanding with dogs and people who are learning new techniques. Jenn is truly a dog lover, and wants nothing more than to shape your doggy’s future today.
Having graduated Magna Cum Laude at N.C. State University, with a bachelors in Psychology, Lauren thought wherever life may take her, it would involve her talents at deep perception and compassion for people. The thought of working in a clinical psychology setting never seemed quite right, so she put off grad school and spent her 20s waiting for the epiphanic answer to that pervasive human question "What am I REALLY supposed to be doing?" Quite recently, it pretty much just whacked her over the head and everything else began falling into place. Lauren realized that her love of all animals, and special relationship with dogs in her young life would connect amazingly with her personal drive to simply try to make life better and more enjoyable -- for canine and human alike. She believes strongly that dog training is just as much about helping people to understand their dog and to be able to communicate in a way that fosters trust and respect, as it is being able to achieve a firm down-stay or an impressive agility trick. Anyone who has ever had to train their dog knows that it is not always fun and that sometimes, you just don't know how to get the message across. Frustration and resentment kick in, communications skills break down, and then the relationship suffers. Lauren's biggest hope in pursuing her interest in dog training and behavior consulting is that she can mediate the relationship between potentially frustrated dog and owner, so both may develop a strong, dedicated bond that will bring so much joy and love to their lives.
Lauren has been volunteering for Austin's no-kill shelter Austin Pets Alive! since early January of 2014.. Shortly after starting to volunteer, she met her match with an emaciated and demodex-ridden sweetie pie who bore her own name on his kennel door. She took him into her home, healing his skin, putting meat back on his bones and loving him endlessly. He has taught her a thing or two about patience and the importance of using a little creativity when trying to communicate what she wants from him. Plus, he was the first dog she has ever been able to train from the bottom up and they both have come a long way. When you see them together, their hard work shines through in their easy comfort and affection.
In addition to Holland's great teachings, Lauren has also been working under Karma Dog's amazing and inspiring trainer, Reed Morgan. Lauren met Reed by chance very soon after her Aha! moment with regards to dog training. They talked for a long time and Reed saw the potential in Lauren, inviting her to attend puppy classes and private training sessions. Lauren's excitement and continued interest in learning and growing encouraged Reed to ask for her to assist in Karma Dog's Puppy Kindergarten Classes hosted at Casa de Luz. Lauren has been assisting twice a week with classes since February, and loves being able to work with puppies of all breeds and temperaments, and finds so much satisfaction in watching puppy parents achieve success with their wild little bundles of puppy joy.
Now that Lauren finally has her rescue puppy in a stable and more independent condition, she looks very forward to learning more through her opportunities with Karma Dog's encouraging trainers and Austin Pet's Alive behavior staff.
From an early age, Kendall Willard has spent most of her life in the company of various types of animals. Anyone that has known her most of her life will tell you that Kendall has always had a strong connection, appreciation, understanding, and love for all types animals, domestic and wildlife alike. She considers herself a "softie" that always feels for animals in need and frequently finds herself rescuing strays and injured wildlife in an attempt to help any animal in need.
At age 19 Kendall caught "the training bug" working for the Michigan Humane Society in Westland, Michigan. Her strong love for animals led her to the shelter to help care for animals in need of a second chance. She would frequently volunteer extra time after her twelve hour work shift to help train the dogs that were available for adoption to give them more exercise and mental stimulation. It was there she met Moon, the puppy that would forever change her life. Moon was an extremely high energy puppy that was considered to be a challenge even for the most experienced dog parent. She began working with him, and after a few significant breakthroughs in a short period of time, Moon made a significant improvement and was adopted shortly after.
It was that experience that led Kendall to pursue her career as a dog trainer with the Animal Behavior College and earn her certification. She draws inspiration from people such as Victoria Stillwell, Cesar Millan, Karen Pryor, and Tia Maria Torres, and loves spending time educating the public on proper pet care and ownership to improve the relationship between people and their fur babies.
She has since remained working with and training shelter dogs in need, and now considers herself "The Puppy Matchmaker" with the goal of finding anyone the perfect canine companion and working with shelter dogs to make them more adoptable. She currently works for the Central Texas SPCA, a "no kill" shelter in the Leander, Texas area, and claims that her work will not be done until ALL animals have happy, healthy homes.
Nancy has had a love for animals her whole life. Raised in Southern California, her family always had at least two dogs and two cats. Once she settled down as an adult, living in Long Beach, she learned about the plight of shelter animals and the world of rescue groups. While volunteering to walk and socialize dogs for several years at various Rescue organizations in her city, Nancy increased her dog pack to the legal limit in Long Beach, with four rescue pups. Working with and training adult dogs of uncertain backgrounds only increased her passion for helping these animals, as she saw her own dogs learn manners and become more loving once in in a safe, caring household.
For as long as he can remember, Anthony Jeong was searching for his true passion in life. It wasn't until he had his very own first puppy that he knew what that passion was. When Anthony started looking for his first dog he spent weeks doing research on breeds, and training so that he was prepared for the financial, spiritual, emotional, and time investment that is required when someone decides to add a member to their family. It was love at first sight when he first met Lilly the Red Nose Pit bull, who became Anthony's first dog.
It wasn't long until Anthony realized that he wanted everyone to enjoy the same love and understanding that he had with his dog, and so he decided to dedicate his life to helping dogs and people live harmonious lives together through proper communication and understanding.
Dog training is not just a job for Anthony. It is the air he breathes and without the Canine Human bond, he is only half of a being on this earth. He currently enjoys sharing his life with his English Bulldog Apollo. Together with Apollo, Anthony is training to change how humans view certain breeds and dogs as a whole. Being an owner of pit bulls and other bully breeds, Anthony spends a lot of time training in order to help end breed specific legislation. Miscommunication between people and their dogs, in Anthony's opinion, is the leading cause for dogs being surrendered and scrutinized by humans, a practice that is never acceptable by his standards.
In 2013 and 2014 Anthony spent time in Nevada in order to work with top trainers in Obedience Training and Dog sports including Fly Ball, and Mondioring. Anthony continues to travel in order to work with and learn from as many trainers as possible every year.
When Anthony is not training he is volunteering at his local animal shelter, reading about dogs, and working as a part time bather at a grooming salon near his home. It is important to Anthony that he understands as many aspects of a dog’s life as possible including anything relating to their grooming, health, diet, and exercise.
When it comes to training, Anthony believes that there is a large gap in the area of communication that has gone unfilled and continues to be ignored. With every client Anthony works with, he always observes and builds on the owner’s relationship with their dog. "Dogs are always communicating with us but we continuously miss the small and obvious signals they are sending us all the time! My primary focus in training is to show those owners how to notice the signals that their dogs are sending and how to understand them. Many dog parents expect their dogs to understand them but in reality we have to learn to speak their language before they can hope to understand us even though they try so hard even when we are not trying to understand them." Says Anthony.
Anthony plans on training around the world and opening a kennel where he plans to train and produce some of the best trained and healthiest dogs on the planet.
Mariya grew up in Seattle, a fan of canines. She achieved a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude), and then made her way into a dog daycare and found great joy there. After three years of inadvertently learning a great deal about animal behavior through observation and pack management, she began developing that interest by engaging in the facility’s canine education program. Initially, she assisted in Basic, Puppy, Therapy, Agility, and Reactive classes, and later led her own Basic and Puppy classes, and co-taught the Reactive class. After two years of training, she left the establishment to found her own dog walking business, which she subsequently sold to move to Austin, so she might enjoy sunshine on a more regular basis.
Along the way, she rescued her own pup – finally in a home-life position to take on the responsibility, and with a job that enabled her to bring her pet along. Cinnamon was estimated to be one year at the time of adoption, and she had recently developed some dog-aggression. Mariya felt that with the support of the seasoned trainers at work, as well as her own knowledge and experience, she could certainly help Cinnamon overcome her challenges. After a successful rehabilitation, Cinnamon is now safe to frolic at off-leash havens like Red Bud Isle.
Mariya’s training philosophy is centered on relationships, and promotes effective communication through understanding, respect, and constructive motivation. She likes to utilize the training tips and educational resources provided by Dr. Sophia Yin. Her favorite book on the subject of relationships with animals is "Kinship With All Life", by J. Allen Boone. A future goal of hers is to own a permaculture-centered eco-hostel. She currently provides dog training services in Austin, Texas.
Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Katie grew up with many pets. Her young life was filled with a fascination for all living things, particularly arachnids, insects, and reptiles. Though the natural world was a subject of intense interest for Katie, she never saw herself working with animals but with disabled children. She went to Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana for her BA in Japan Studies and studied abroad at Iwate University in Morioka, Japan. She did field studies at a special needs school for mostly autistic and Down’s syndrome children and learned all she could about special education and the option special needs children in Japan had. Therapy animals are relatively new and service animals are fairly rare. This interest in special education and animals is rooted in personal experience, she struggled with the challenges of being non-verbal but ultimately found a cure in pre-school; her pet guinea pig. While Katie held her guinea pig, she communicated better with her teachers. The small rodent unlocked an entirely new person. Rediscovering this information after working at a Pasadena doggie daycare, she began a new path in life.
The guinea pig became the spark that led to Katie’s goal of becoming a therapy animal trainer and handler. She adopted her first training subject, a happy-go-lucky corgi mix she named Gatsby, from the Pasadena Humane Society. Though Gatsby was found at the shelter with a big smile on his face, the house paint on his rump and flank told a sadder story about how he lived on the streets. Katie began an informal apprenticeship with a local positive reinforcement trainer, learning the methods and implementing them to train her new best friend. Inspired by her mentor to learn her methods rooted in positivity, Katie enrolled in the Academy for Dog Trainers run by Jean Donaldson and was accepted. She works strictly with positive reinforcement.
Now paint-free, Gatsby is training to become a therapy dog for learning disabled children and military veterans, and Katie hopes that Gatsby’s second chance at life will bring joy to others with that same winning smile. Her goal is to learn all she can about training service and therapy dogs. She believes that dogs can not only be man’s best friend, but physical, emotional, and spiritual healers. Their natural intuitiveness with human emotion makes them wonderful support in the most trying times and Katie seeks to build these relationships both in America and abroad with her experience in both dog training and special education. She has come a long way from her therapeutic guinea pig, and now has much hope for the future with Gatsby and other therapy animals.
Today, Katie lives with Gatsby in Pasadena and is still studying under the Academy for Dog Trainers. When not working with dogs, she can be found working on Photoshop projects, watching historical documentaries, and keeping her linguistic skills sharp with the children’s version of the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shinbun. Her ultimate goal would be to bring autism service and reading therapy dogs to Japan.
Chelsea is an energetic dog trainer who genuinely loves what she does. She does her best to make every client feel comfortable and confident with the entire training process. Chelsea has three dogs. Marley, her 9-year-old Lhasa-Poodle mix, is a Canine Good Citizen as well as a Certified Therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International. Huckleberry Finn, a 4-year-old rescued Aussie mix, runs agility for fun with Chelsea in her spare time. Chelsea’s newest addition is an Australian Shepherd puppy rescued from the South Los Angeles shelter.
All training that Chelsea does with every dog is based in positive reinforcement. Chelsea believes that every dog learns differently, but they all learn best when it is a fun rewarding experience for everyone involved. Chelsea has been training dogs full time since 2012, but got her start from her grandfather who showed her tools of the trade from a young age.
Chelsea grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. She attended Illinois State University, where she majored in Psychology. In 2011, Chelsea took a leap and moved across the country to live in sunny Los Angeles, which is where her dog-training career really took off.
Chelsea has worked with hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes. For her, there is no such thing as an un-trainable dog. Every dog wants to love, learn and be happy. Chelsea shows people the missing link that helps them to bring their dog to a happier and healthier place.
Susan hails from the Midwest and is a graduate of Lake Forest College with a degree in Psychology. Susan spent many years in the beauty and hair industry and most recently was a top Real Estate agent in Chicago. Having grown up on a farm in Northern Illinois surrounded by animals of all kinds, Susan learned at a very young age the special relationship between humans and their animal companions. Her parents instilled in her the mindset that animals have souls and emotions – and should always be treated with kindness, patience and love.
Susan’s first childhood memory of a canine family member is that of Sam, a striking German Short-haired Pointer whose favorite job was watching over and protecting his human siblings as they played outside. Though a calm and gentle boy, Sam let it be known to any stranger that got too close that they would be wise not to get a closer.
Throughout her pre-teen and teenage years, Susan’s family’s collection of canines continued to grow. At its largest, the canine caboodle topped out at nine dogs – a German Shepard, Black Lab, Toy Poodle, Terrier Mix, Bloodhound, English Bull Dog, Dachshund/Dalmatian mix (go figure) … and a ‘husband and wife’ St. Bernard duo that later went on to produce ten puppies. Quite a menagerie, indeed!
During her teenage years, Susan was very active competing in Quarter Horse shows and participating in 4-H programs. Even on the horse show circuit, there were always 3 or 4 dogs in tow as traveling companions. The most profound lesson learned during these formative years is that the love of an animal is sacred and something to be cherished and that the unconditional love of a dog (or any other animal) is a bond like no other.
As an adult Susan was introduced to the Greyhound breed at a local art fair. It was love at first sight - and not long afterwards she adopted her first Greyhound rescue Simon, a handsome 92 pound Brindle boy. Simon became a Canine Good Citizen and certified therapy dog and spent much of his free time accompanying Susan to Children’s Hospitals and Senior Care Facilities throughout Chicagoland. A gentle and old soul, Simon instinctively kicked into ‘Ambasadog’ mode and spread his love wherever he went. Susan and Simon also became very active with the Greyhound rescue, providing education to potential adopters, fostering the recycled racers and assisting them with the transition from athlete to couch potato. Simon was an expert at that!
Simon met his untimely death at the young age of six, after being diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. His death left Susan heartbroken, yet so very grateful for their three years together and the extraordinary lessons of love that he taught her.
Fast forward to present …. Susan transplanted to Northern Colorado from Chicago in 2011 with her second Greyhound, Sophie (pictured). Quite the partners in crime, Susan and Sophie packed up their personal belongings and made the trip West looking for new adventures. Sophie passed away in May of 2013 at the age of 9.
Now Susan looks forward to her next great adventure … working with people and their companion canines and helping them achieve the same bond and connection that she’s been so fortunate to have experienced. Susan is excited to be a part of the Karma Dog Training Team and will be assisting with the puppy training classes and daycare while delving deeper into this fascinating and rewarding line of work.
Javier Bassó is a native Houstonian who was raised in a small family of three, his mother, sister, and himself. As a child he had couple of small pets, a turtle, fish, parakeets, and a duck. It wasn't until he was thirteen that he finally welcomed a dog into his home. A Chihuahua named Toby soon became his best friend. Javier was very excited with his new family member. They traveled together, played, ate, and slept together as bothers. Although he felt a strong bond with animals, the idea of working with them had never crossed his mind. He worked labor jobs at warehouses, a stone fabrication company, and the occasional grocery store. These jobs did not make him happy, but it is what he did while trying to figure what his passions were. Toby the Chihuahua, now at six years old found himself with new members of the pack. Four additional dogs and a cat. Javier's love for animals grew stronger and he soon started volunteering for small rescue groups and large shelters, reading books on dogs, and going the extra mile for the cities strays. Javier had found his calling. He had quit his labor job at the age of seventeen and began to work with for Houston's top rated pet resorts and participating in more volunteer opportunities. Visiting shelters on the daily to groom, train, and love on Houston's strays, in hope that they will find a forever home. Dogs taught him unconditional kindness and patience. Showed him how to take time to enjoy the little things in life and how to make time to stop to smell the flowers. In a way dogs paved a road towards Javier's Buddhism. Currently he is working as a daycare counselor and is brand new to Karma Dog Training family. On his off time, Javier enjoys visiting Houston's Arboretum and checking out the cities art scene. He plans on returning to school for biology and is thrilled about a future with animals and nature.
Jamie Rahtz was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. As an only child she didn't have any siblings to keep her entertained so her pets filled the gap when her friends and cousins were not around. Larger breed dogs were always in her family so she has felt comfortable around them from an early age. Growing up she was never without pets in her home or other family members homes as well. She has always felt a connection with dogs and instinctually knows how to make them feel comfortable around her. Every picture from her childhood has a dog right by her side. As a very young child her mind had been made up after the first trips to the Los Angeles Zoo and Sea World, she knew she wanted to have a job in the animal world. Seeing the animal shows with the trainers educating the audience was so exciting. The idea of training animals while still entertaining an audience was so appealing. Whenever anyone asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer has always been the same. "I want to be an animal trainer."
Jamie's career with dogs started at the age of 13, volunteering at a local dog and cat rescue. She worked closely with the rescue, walking, handling, bathing, and feeding the animals. The volunteering lasted through high school. After High School, her artistic side lured her into the Cosmetology world and she pursued an education in the beauty field eventually graduating from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. After embracing her artistic side, Jamie still longed to fill the gap that was missing from her work life, working with animals. In 2008 she started working for Petsmart in the Petshotel. This was a very large facility and there were any where from 90-200 dogs in their care at a time. She worked long shifts spending time with dogs in Doggy Daycamps, feeding dogs, walking dogs, and cleaning dog areas and providing detailed reports on how each clients dog progressed during dog to dog interactions, or for some, human-to dog interactions. This is where her passion for training dogs emerged. Her ability to handle a variety of different breed dogs, 6-15 at a time, and ability to understand dog body language to avoid problems, got her noticed by her supervisor.
In 2009 she was promoted to a supervisor position where her duties included medicating sick dogs, taking dogs to grooming appointments, vet visits, and answering and reporting to any dog issues in Daycamp or just while staying in their care. Her talent and love for dogs showed in her work and again she was promoted. This time she had gotten the position she had been waiting for, "Pet Trainer". She was then sent to the company's training academy where she excelled in a series of written dog behavior tests, hands on dog training tests, and practical teaching in a live Obedience class providing an understandable, clear and exciting demonstration to a Beginner/Puppy/Intermediate/Advanced or Click A Trick class. After passing the provided tests, and passing all teaching requirements she immediately began to teach her own 6-8 week Obedience classes. She submerged herself in education. Every day she read the curriculum and became obsessed with Positive Reinforcement methods reading as many books as she could. She became obsessed with herding breeds and understanding why they exhibited specific behaviors. She even got her own herding breed, an Australian Shepherd. Her years of observing dogs really helped her to tune into what each individual dog was feeling, and also understanding how a person was feeling and how that could affect their training and relationship with the dog as well. This gave her the tools to help people stay confident and positive. She believes that her job isn't only to train the dogs but to help the bond between the human and dog become strong and meaningful.
Jamie says, "Seeing the bond between dogs and their humans grow is what makes me continue to do this. I never stop learning about training techniques and behavior, and I will never want to stop learning, the more I know and learn, the more I can help dogs and their humans around the world live happier more fulfilled lives."
Tai has been a lifetime animal lover and frequently brought home the neighborhood animals as a child. She has always had a knack for soothing the nerves and calming dogs down. Tai is a young trainer with lots of energy and patience to bring to the table. She loves her 2 year old blue heeler mix, named Boone. Boone was rescued at 10 months and was afraid of the world. After positive socialization, Boone is now a social butterfly and loves everyone. Tai has also rescued an orange and white tabby named Dexter. Both Boone and Dexter love to play and are very happy with their new lives.
After Tai moved from Virginia in 2008, she got her start in Colorado Springs helping a puppy mill rescue. At the rescue, she helped with basic obedience, such as jumping and pulling on leash. In 2010 she moved up to Fort Collins and started her degree in Zoology with a concentration in animal behavior. While at CSU, Tai participated in an independent study training lab beagles. These dogs had never had any positive interactions with people and had never been on grass before since they were test subjects. Tai’s job was to go in twice a week to train basic obedience and work on confidence. At the end of the semester all of the dogs got adopted. This experience made Tai realize that that is her role in life: to save lives. Tai is currently a CSU student and graduates in December with her Zoology degree and has plans to continue her education in Physics.
Tai believes that training should be a mutually beneficial process, with the handler learning with the dog. She is a strong believer in no physical contact while training, as the dogs become reliant on the physical contact. Tai also enjoys working with children, as they are the most frequently bit. She believes by teaching the children how to properly interact with a dog, the children have a significantly lower chance of getting bit by running up to the wrong dog or playing with the dog in a way that is inappropriate. Also, Tai teaches the dog that the children, and the cats, are not big puppies that should be pounced and chewed on.
Tai has experience working with barking, biting/nipping, leashing walking, jumping, basic obedience, anxiety, reactivity, aggression, and CGC work. Tai’s specialty is working with reactive and aggressive dogs, as those are the dogs that are really in danger of being surrendered to a rescue. She is also learning how to train personal protection in a positive way.
Anthony has always been a animal person, knowing from a young age he had a connection with dogs. Having multiple animals growing up being around animals is natural. Having spent most of his career working with animals in the pet retail industry. This is where he was first introduced to many different types of dog behaviors. Anthony started to lead training classes and found that helping everyone with there best friends helped save lives. Doing this the last 4 years has made Anthony very knowledgable in puppy/ obedience behaviors, house training, biting and chewing. His passion is helping every pet a life long lasting friend. Volunteering with local animal organizations and helping out in free time. Anthony has adapted positive behaviorism in working with dogs to get the best results from our best friends.
Angela Buongiorne always knew she wanted her life to be filled with animals. She grew up around them on an eight-acre farm in Middleburg, Florida, but always felt a special bondwith her dogs. At the age of nine, she had her first dog who was her very own--a Terrier mix named Roxy, who she taught to sneeze on a command and to jump into the pond in her backyard.
Today,she lives in North Hollywood and has a feisty but sweet Rottweiler named Marty, who she adopted from the East Valley Shelter in February 2014. Though Marty needed a lot of socialization at first, he is improving every day, and couldn't be happier. Together, they like to go on runs, hikes and watch Netflix at home. Marty’s favorite toy is his big purple squeaky ball, which he loves to fetch.
Working with Marty made Angela realize how much she wanted to make what she had always considered a hobby, her career. She became fascinated by the process, and read any book on the subject she could get her hands on, like The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell, PhD, which taught her about effective communication with dogs, and how to read dogs’ body language. The latter, she’s found, is particularly important, as many people don’t realize that communicating with dogs is far different from communicating with other people.
Currently, she volunteers with Best Friends Animal Society, one of the largest contributors to the "No Kill" movement. At Best Friends, Angela bottle-feeds kittens, participates in training classes, goes on off site hikes, trains and socializes, assists in big dog playgroups, and works with some of the shelter’s shyer pooches. Basically, she wears a lot of hats! Working with Best Friends taught Angela a great deal about working with many different dogs, and she learned to really appreciate each dog’s individual and unique personality.
Angela has always felt a connection with rescue animals, who frequently have diverse and sometimes challenging needs. Her family has always rescued or adopted their dogs, so Angela has had a great deal of experience with these wonderful but oftentimes misunderstood pups.
Angela is beyond excited to work with Karma Dog Training. She knows she still has a lot to learn, and she’s excited to learn it! Her favorite thing about working for Karma Dog is its emphasis on positive reinforcement techniques, which fits her training style.
Cat grew up in rural Massachusetts which inspired her love of nature and animals. She moved to Long Island where she lived for many years before moving to Carlsbad, California. She has a BS degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Library Science.
After adopting her first rescue dog, her library background was helpful in researching different breeds and training techniques which sparked her interest in educating others about positive reinforcement training. In conjunction with the San Diego Department of Animal Control, she organized dog bite prevention presentations and raised awareness in children at the library about homeless pets at the shelter.
She is a long time volunteer with the San Diego County shelter in Carlsbad where she is an original member of the "Pit Crew", a program sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society and PetSmart Charities, whose mission is to train and socialize bully breeds in shelter situations to increase their adoptability. She provided kennel enrichment and lots of loving attention to the dogs and participated with the Pit Crew in taking the dogs on walks and outings around Carlsbad which resulted in several adoptions. She is a firm believer that positive reinforcement training is crucial in helping homeless pets find their forever homes!
Cat is a board member of The Dog Squad, a rescue that works to place county shelter dogs in foster and permanent homes. Cat has also volunteered with Animal Advocates of the US rescue for many years, a group that takes in and supports animals in the US and Mexico. The group provides food, medications, and comfort to animals on both sides of the border.
Between AAofUS and the county shelter, Cat has fostered and found loving homes for 62 dogs. She has had many different breeds and all sizes of dogs sharing her home over the last 7 years. One of her favorite fosters was a 9 month old pit bull from the shelter who was not doing well in a kennel situation. Cat went in every day to socialize and play with Chandra (now Pita) and ended up fostering and training her. Chandra was eventually adopted by a Veterinarian and his wife; her story is featured in Dog World Magazine, Jan. 2012 issue.
As an animal care technician at Helen Woodward Animal Center, Cat had the pleasure of working with and caring for many dogs, as well cats and some exotics such as birds and a giant tortoise!
Cat is an honor student graduate of Animal Behavior College, a member of APDT, and is attending Karen Pryor Academy, soon to graduate. She continues to work with shelter dogs and is passionate about helping all animals in any way she can. She continues to research and learn all she can so that people and their pets have happy, healthy, loving homes together!
Kelsey Shipman is a native Texan, and has lived all her life in close companionship with animals. Her dogs and cats helped her heal from early childhood trauma, and taught her the true meaning of love and compassion. Her earliest companion animals (especially her 16-year-old black cat named "Sammy") still visit her in her dreams when life gets hard.
The work of Dr. Ian Dunbar, Lee Mannix, and Pat Miller have greatly influenced Kelsey's training methods. She works to empower dog parents to listen, understand, and anticipate their dogs' needs. Harmonious households begin with strong bonds, and positively-reinforced structure helps dogs succeed. Kelsey begins every training session by identifying a dog's triggers, motivators, and emotional state, and adheres strictly to rewards-based methods of training. Her outgoing personality makes classes and private sessions a rousing good time!
In addition to working with dogs, Kelsey is also an avid writer and performer. She teaches writing to senior citizens at the public library, inmates at the Travis County Jail, and undergraduates at Texas State University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. Her poetry (much of it based on her relationships with animals) has recently appeared in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, The Austin Chronicle, and The African American Review, and she served as the 2013 Writer-In-Residence at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center. The writing of Donna Haraway, Barbara Kingsolver, and Mary Oliver have not only inspired her work, but reinvigorated a rich relationship with the natural world.
After many years of caring for the dogs of friends and family, Kelsey is happy to finally have one of her own. In June, Kelsey and her partner adopted a 2 year-old Anatolian Shepherd mix. "Rio," who quickly became the love of their lives, accompanies them on morning hikes through the creek behind their South Austin home. "Rio" has taught her more about patience, loyalty, and love than anyone else she has ever known.
Kelsey sees Karma clients for Private Training, Reverse Board and Training, Pet-Sitting, Dog-Walking, and assists in Puppy and Basic Obedience classes.
Amber has had a love for animals her entire life. She started off with an interest in horses and her love of all animals grew as shegot older. She discovered a colony of feral cats and took charge of getting them fixed, vaccinated, and fed. She got her first dog, a miniature schnauzer, at the age of thirteen and quickly discovered that she has a passion for training. Her family started breeding Schnauzers a couple years later and Amber assisted in raising and early training of the puppies. She continued to assist the new parents of the puppies with training advice.
In 2009, Amber discovered her passion for the Doberman when she brought home 12 week old Zeus. Knowing the reputation of the breed she was determined to provide the community with a well trained example of the breed. Neighbors were shocked that she allowed him around her infant, but they soon saw how amazing any breed of dog can be when trained and socialized with love. Seeing a dog from an "aggressive" breed grow up with a toddler and seeing the respect between the two was an amazing experience for her.
In 2011, Amber started working for PetSmart and decided to take her passion for training to the next level. She went through the companies Pet Trainer Accreditation program. She worked closely with other trainers and veterinarians to learn as much as she could about dog behavior and training. She soon realized how essential it was to have the entire family involved in training in order to facilitate consistent communication with their pets. She specialized in working with families with young children understand how to get their children involved in the training process. Zeus assisted her in showing families how positive training leads to a long lasting, positive relationship. In classes, she loves to make training fun and have the children do the majority of the training. She feels giving children this responsibility facilitates a loving bond that will last a lifetime.
Every person and dog is unique and the dynamic of their personalities and relationship needs to be considered to provide the best possible training outcome. Every situation is different and requires patience, creativity, and positive communication. Amber loves the daily challenges this can bring during training. She is passionate about learning from every experience and loves the rewards of developing a relationship with pets and their parents. The excitement of young children as they learn to communicate with their pet, as well as the pride the adults in the family have is the most rewarding experience for her.
Amber continues to be passionate about teaching pet parents the benefit of communicating with their pets in a positive, consistent manner. She loves working with rescue dogs and believes that when parents learn to effectively communicate with their pets, everyone will reap the rewards.
Megan Rivera-Williams has been a professional dog trainer in the Antelope Valley for the past ten years. Megan is a graduate of Animal Behavior College and specializes in working with dogs and children. She trained her first dog, an English Springer named Sophie when she was four years old with the assistance of her father and has been hooked ever since. Throughout her life she has rescued and fostered many dogs in the Antelope Valley and has successfully found forever homes for all of them. She currently has three dogs of her own, a Basset Hound named Maggie Mae, a miniature Dachshund named Pearly Q and a Basset/Pit Bull mix named Betsie Lu who she rescued in 2007. Megan also has a 3 year old son named Cooper, who is Autistic. Since Cooper’s birth she has strived to teach him how to properly behave around and treat dogs. She puts a strong emphasis on the relationship between children and animals.
"When I was growing up interacting with dogs was just a normal part of my existence. I have found as an adult that parents are more cautious with their kids around the family pets, usually from some kind of fear. It seems to me that adults are more likely to minimize contact with pets rather than teach a child how to behave around them and teach the dog how to behave around the child. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as sometimes children have difficulty understanding why it needs to be done as do some dogs. I love teaching children and their pets, it instills a sense of confidence and responsibility and it’s a wonderful bonding opportunity for the whole family."
Megan has worked in Special Education and with dogs for a large part of her life. It is her passion and goal for families to have a wonderful relationship with their dogs. She believes dogs are here for only a short time and in that time they give unconditional love and can change someone’s life and that we as their owners should make their time with us the best it can possibly be for everyone involved, canine and human alike.
Megan has volunteered with a number of rescues in Lancaster and has a special place in her heart for "awkward dogs", such as Basset Hounds and Dachshunds. She is addicted to short legs and big ears! In addition to fostering, rescuing, and training she has trained and competed in agility events, although she mostly does it for her dogs to have fun and doesn’t compete much anymore.
Megan takes a special interest in canine body language and anticipating the next behavior. This has been especially helpful in her work with dogs with a history of aggression. Teaching how to read this body language and how to react is an extremely useful tool for all training. Megan strongly believes in Karma Dog’s training philosophy and only uses positive training techniques. She has learned from a variety of trainers and is excellent at developing unique training programs for individual dogs and their owners. She continues to pursue knowledge in the canine world and as a next step she plans on getting her certification as a veterinary technician. When Megan isn’t training she works in a speech therapy office that caters to adults and children alike. In her free time she loves to spend time with her son and family. She also enjoys spending time at a family Koi pond caring for and hand feeding dozens of fish. She is a self-confessed "nerdgirl" and has a slight obsession with all things Sci-Fi. Megan’s lifelong dream is to open an all-inclusive no-kill animal shelter in her area which would include rescue, boarding, training, veterinary care and grooming. She is confident that someday this dream will come to fruition!
Wythe Davis has had a passion for animals and animal behavior all his life. He was born into a dog loving family and quickly became acquainted with all breeds and sizes of dogs. As a child he was responsible for the training and care of the family dogs along with many other types of animals. As he got older he worked on his family's alpaca ranch as a ranch hand. This is where he first discovered his interest in animal behavior. He found that he was fascinated by the interrelations of animals, how they act and react to each other and also to humans. He has had experience working with all manner of animals including alpacas, llamas, horses, goats, cats, reptiles, birds, and of course dogs.
After living in San Diego most of his life he decided to move to the LA area in order to pursue his passion of science and animal behavior. There he got his first job as a dog trainer at a local pet store where he worked for 2 years getting his first real experience in dog training. He has worked with and trained many breeds ranging from the smallest Teacup Chihuahuas to very large Pit Bulls and Great Danes. He has never had a problem with any breed and he feels comfortable working with just about every dog he meets.
In the pursuit of enhancing his canine behavioral knowledge and training experience he found Karma Dog Training and soon realized it was the perfect fit for him. He is relatively new to the Karma team but he is very eager to engage pets and their pet parents to solve a number of issues and to strengthen the bond that they share. When he is not working with dogs he enjoys being outdoors hiking, working as a part time crew member on a sailboat, and using his telescope to stargaze.
John Curtis has been professionally training dogs for almost 15 yrs and is a lovable, playful, intelligent and as loyal as they come. He has the ability to connect with dogs using very positive energy, forming special bonds almost immediately with the animals in his care. He is an extremely loving trainer, treats every dog like his own, and he has the background to help owners not only develop a well behaved pet (family member), but nurture a new outlook on what is possible for their dogs and their dog's behavior.
While growing up, John had many pets. At times his home was like a zoo, and he loved every minute of it! He became seriously interested in working with dogs when he adopted 2 Belgian Shepherd’s from the neighborhood and brought them home. Ashley and Patches became a part of his family when they were just six weeks old. John began to learn team-building strategies and develop ways to work with more than one dog at a time. He was able to train his Shepherd’s to "Shutzhund Level 2" (an intermediate level of professional standards in protection training) by the time they were only six months old.
John had found this his life's calling. He started working at kennels, and eventually worked his way up to training. He continually repeated his training success with other dogs through positive training techniques, and showing other pet owners how to properly utilize them in conjunction with some other steps to create the very best relationship with their animals.
John is a versatile trainer who has worked with many breeds both small and large. He focuses on positive rewards based training and specializes in behavior modification and protection training. He can address bad habits or unwanted focus, work with dogs on learning new skills, help manage dog anxiety and unwanted behavior, and improve the quality of the pet-owner relationship.
John loves to have fun outdoors and when he isn't working with dogs, he has been known to play the guitar and drums, go mountain bike riding or camping, practice Martial Arts, participate in Mud Runs for Cancer, and also engages in other healthy activities.
Beret Walsh is a Twin Cities native residing in Minneapolis. She currently shares her life with a pit bull mix named Garp, who is an avid dock diving competitor. They also dabble in lure coursing and canicross together. To Beret, dog parentship should never be a passive affair. She has been dog-obsessed her entire life, but was never fortunate enough to have family dogs growing up. Instead of letting this damper her passion for the canine species, Beret’s obsession only grew. Her first informal foray into training was at 8 years old when she taught her neighbor’s dog a complex escape route into her yard. Nowadays, Beret’s training outcomes are far more responsible and less mischievous, but her passion for problem solving with dogs has remained the same.
While Beret loves working with dogs of all shapes, and sizes, the bully breeds hold a special place in her heart. She is a strong advocate for responsible pit bull ownership and firmly believes in working with, not against, a dog’s inherent and unique traits. Her current dog Garp and his social challenges have taught her to fully embrace a dog’s natural tendencies to achieve a truly well-rounded dog and a harmonious home.
As is the case with many other owners, Beret was exposed to training popularized on television when bringing home her first dog. However, the methods and philosophies that were being promoted just didn’t sit well with her. While compulsive training methods did appear to elicit fast results, the potential for fallout was too big of a risk and she didn’t want a relationship with her dog that was based on intimidation and power struggles. Not only did that seem to take all the fun out of sharing your life with a dog, the principles behind the methods seemed archaic and misguided. So, she sought out better ways manage and mold animal behavior and from there, her passion for positive training methods and theory really exploded.
The root of Beret's core philosophy a that effective training comes down to the development and cultivation of simple and effective communication between dog and handler. Her training focus is on opening and improving those lines of communication while working to foster a relationship between dog and human that is based on respect, compassion, trust, and mutual understanding.
Beret works with clients in the Twin Cities metro area who need help with basic obedience, reactivity, managing dog-dog aggression. She also actively enjoys working with hyper, high-energy dogs and their owners to harness, shape, and provide productive outlets for their energy and drive.
Originally born in New Mexico, Jessica was raised from the age of eight in Austin, Texas. Ever since she was old enough to walk, she has always loved animals- especially wolves and dogs. She was always surrounded by dogs and cats her entire life. When she moved to Texas, her sister came home one day with a puppy from the shelter. That puppy would become the love of Jessica’s life. Scruffy taught her many things and she trained him to be the best dog ever. It wasn't until years later that Jessica discovered Cesar Millan and his calm assertive training techniques. She applied many of the concepts from Cesar to training the many dogs of her life.
Jessica set out in school to excel and get into a great veterinary school. Colorado State University called out to her and she had to listen. Right before entering college though, Jessica determined that she wasn't cut out for veterinary work so she changed her major to zoology. It was through her degree that she found she had a strong preference toward dog behavior. She did an internship at a wolf sanctuary in Texas, where she had to write a paper on the differences between wolf and wolf-dog behaviors. Through her studies of wolf and wolf-dog behavior she discovered different methods of training based on a canine’s natural instincts and behaviors.
In summer of 2011, Jessica met Maya. Being away from Scruffy was difficult- he was just too old to be uprooted from Texas- and Jessica was itching for another companion. Maya was nine months old when Jessica met her. Her previous mom felt that she couldn't provide Maya with the proper care and attention so she was giving Maya away. The day she brought Maya home is comparable to the day she met Scruffy. Scruffy passed at the ripe age of 16 in early December 2013.
Jessica is great at basic obedience training, remedial socialization, and training dogs with leash excitability. She is comfortable working with all breeds of dog. Big or small, mixed breed or pure bred, dogs are her life and it is her mission now to help pet parents learn how to help their pets be the best they can be.
Devan Kallas is a raised Colorado native, and having grown up in the back woods of the rockies she was always surrounded by a lovable pack of rat terriers. This pack of rowdy terriers is known as K2 rat terriers; where she is a co-breeder and trainer along side the founder Tracey Kallas. Being a co-breeder as well as brought up with a large number of dogs has given Devan a strong knowledge of dog behaviors as well as an understanding of pack mentality (which includes us humans) and the roll that we play in our pack.
Since a young age Devan has been involved in not only caring and raising puppies but also showing them through UKC, ranking second in Colorado in confirmation, and third in agility. In the UKC competitions she was judged and ranked based off of her ability to handle her dog, her knowledge of the breed, as well as knowledge of other breeds in the ring. With these experiences Devan learned how to work with a variety of breeds in a positive out look, no matter their temperament, breed, or age. She believes sometimes it's not about the win but what you learned from a loss, and that it was all done with a positive outlook for both the person and their dog. This was what she often told to the younger UKC handlers who she mentored.
When not running with the wild rat pack, or in the show ring, Devan is a student studying fine arts at Colorado State university, in her free time loves hiking, wake boarding, and reading along side a sweet cup of joe.
Cody was born and raised for a good portion of his youth in South Texas, and from the ripe age of 5 years old began developing a profound passion for animals. This passion would be the energy source fueling his drive on the quest to become a virtuous dog trainer; and eventually bringing him to Karma Dog Training!
Growing up in South Texas, Cody was subject to the responsibility of caring for a plethora of indoor/outdoor cats, and up to 5 or 6 dogs at any given time; although if you ask him today he’ll admit it wasn’t so much of a responsibility, as much as it was a joy to get to interact with an array of animals. His exposure to the great animal world doesn’t end with cats or dogs. He also spent a great deal of his adolescence and teenage years working with and caring for horses, goats, and pigs! He considers the experience with horses to be what really propelled him to want to begin work in a serious fashion studying, training, and caring for dogs. Since beginning pursuit of this career Cody has and continues study countless training texts, articles, and videos, but most of his knowledge of training comes from his hands on experience working for another company. Here his work started in the kennel, as a kennel technician, dog bather, and walker. He progressed quickly within the company, mentored by the lead trainer he was soon training on his own using classical operant condition methods, and standard socialization. Soon he found himself facing the opportunity to teach and mentor incoming pack members in the methods of training used. He is now a crossover trainer, using purely positive forms of training! Cody has experience dealing with a wide spectrum of cases including, but not limited to: separation anxiety, resource guarding, basic obedience, and socialization. He also loves pet sitting, and taking on dogs on hikes, walks, and runs.
Cody is happy to call Austin TX his home, and resides in this great city with his loving labradoodle Ziggy. Ziggy is his best friend in life and partner in crime. She’s almost always with him, and definitely keeps him on his toes! His goals are to continue his studies in animal behavior and to one day rehabilitate "unadoptable" dogs into good canine citizens, in order one day to find the best home for them. He has a strong connection to the shelters locally and cares deeply about giving back. Cody loves the outdoors, and you can often find him your neighborhood park or watering hole with a pup or two and warm smile.
Nikole Iudica's passion for animals began at a very young age. Even as a baby, pets seemed to gravitate towards her, and some would say she has a "raised by wolves" mentality. Growing up she always had all sorts of pets around her: dogs, cats, rodents, birds, fish, horses. you name it! But she was always interested in spending time with dogs the most. When her school would spend time in the school library, Nikole always borrowed dog books to take home with her, her most favorite had the complete compilation of all dog breeds, A-Z. She practiced by watching her neighbors walk their dogs, guessing their breeds, and then asking their owners for confirmation.
For her tenth birthday, Nikole was gifted a "certificate" for a puppy, but her parents mandated that she prove herself responsible enough to care for a puppy, and adult dog once it grew. She immediately immersed herself in training books, and created a presentation for her parents. Impressed, they went the next day to several shelters, and Nikole chose her puppy at the third location: Tiny, a brindle Italian Greyhound mix. She began training her the day she brought her home, and before long she was incredibly obedient. Nikole was able to walk her off-leash, without worry that Tiny would run away or run into the street. She conditioned her to automatically sit-stay at every curb or sidewalk without being cued to do so. Neighbors began to notice Nikole's work with Tiny, and began asking for help with their own dogs. She was more than happy to help and excited to spend so much time with so many different dogs! Before long, word spread, and she began helping family and friends. Her favorite and most exciting job she took was with a border collie named Flash, whose owner wanted to compete in agility for fun.
Dog Training continued to be a fun activity for Nikole, even after she graduated high school and into her college years. Like many people her age, she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do for a career for the rest of her life. She attended community college for some time, and then vocational college. The one constant in her life was her dog Cooper, who she rescued as a puppy on his last day at the shelter. Nikole took Cooper to the dog park almost every morning for a couple of hours, socializing him while also working on training with distractions. After some work, she was able to recall him with little effort: Cooper could be sixty yards away, engrossed in play with a dog friend, and if Nikole whistled for him, he immediately would stop playing and run to her. Friends at the dog park noticed her work with Cooper, and encouraged her to pursue a career in dog training.
After much thought, Nikole did her research and settled on Animal Behavior College(ABC) for her studies. ABC was primarily a distance-learning school at the time, where students would take the course online and complete their studies. Nikole was lucky enough to enroll in their first ever in-class course, with four other lucky students. During her studies, she volunteered at a no-kill shelter and rescue called Best Friends Animal Society, assisting in cleaning the kennels, walking dogs, participating in playgroups, and eventually holding mock group classes for her and her peers to practice. After working hard on her studies, Nikole graduated with honors from Animal Behavior College's Dog Training course, and is now certified in dog training.
Shortly after graduation, Nikole took a job offer at Best Friends Animal Society as a temporary Adoptions Specialist. She truly loved her job with Best Friends, finding much gratification in her work and seeing the pets walk out the door to their forever homes. Once her temporary position ended, Nikole found Karma Dog Training. Nikole is excited about this new journey in her life, and all of the experiences sure to come her way in the coming years.
Amber Petska became a dog trainer naturally while volunteering as a foster home for dog rescue organizations. She realized quickly that the ‘better trained’ dogs were adopted faster and returned to rescue less often. The reason was obvious – they were easy and enjoyable for people to live with! She began training each foster dog in her care to be adopted into a lucky ‘forever home’. The focus was on tasks that would allow the dogs to live and interact smoothly with their human companions; including waiting at the door, walking on a leash, riding in a car and socialization.
She has found that the quickest and most effective training focuses on ‘the behavior you DO want from your dog’, which is a big change from the common obsession with behaviors we don’t want from our dogs. This led to a study of positive dog training methods which yielded unparalleled results. Dogs that were dropped off to rescue groups by owners complaining of numerous aggravating and sometimes dangerous ‘behavior problems’ were rehabilitated, trained properly and adopted into loving homes. While beginning training with a new puppy may be ideal, it is never too late! It is always the right time to correct current issues and prevent future problems with your four-legged friend, no matter their age.
One of the wonderful rescue organizations Amber volunteered countless hours with was Amazing Aussies. This group is dedicated to the rescue of and education on Double Merle or Lethal White Australian Shepherds and related breeds, many of whom have hearing and vision impairments due to improper breeding practices. However, these remarkable dogs responded well to her hand and touch signals, living long lives as family pets and even competing in agility and other dog sports.
Amber’s personal dog was a testament to the power of positive training, becoming the unintended envy of friends and coworkers. Strangers passing by would regularly ask how they could get similar results from their own dogs and Amber is happy to share information with anyone looking for advice! Chilli, an Australian Shepherd-Border Collie mix, was reliable off-leash with voice commands, responded consistently to hand signals and would seem to wait in a ‘down’ indefinitely. High expectations, clear communication and proper motivation created an unbreakable bond and demonstrated the value and potential of positive training.
Amber is an avid horse rider and all around animal lover. She is currently studying natural horsemanship methods with a local horse rescue group, believing that all animals deserve the kind of positive training that has become popular for dogs. She enjoys an active, outdoor life and became a certified yoga teacher in 2010. Amber credits her yoga practice for cultivating the patience and strong communication skills that have served her well in all aspects of life.
Faris was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa far away from the big city living! She grew up riding horses and amazed fellow riders at the age of 13 by taking on the challenge of successfully taming an unrideable horse. Her entire life has always been about animals and living a life of harmony with them. Even at the age of 10 she was teaching her dog to jump logs she set up in the backyard with a gut feeling that training animals and educating pet owners would be her life passion.
Faris has dedicated her entire life to animals and knowing every possible thing she can about all types of animals. She is literally a walking talking encyclopedia and proud of it. Everyone who knows Faris knows she is all about animals and people have confessed they have never met someone more passionate about one subject than she is about her furry friends.
She graduated with an associates in Veterinary Science from Muscatine Community College's AVMA Veterinary Technician program. She went on to work at a successful fast-paced four doctor animal practice as an animal nurse. The veterinary hospital saw small animals, exotics, and the local zoo animals. She spent her days educating clients and helping the doctors save lives!
In a unique turn of events Faris was asked to relocate to West Hollywood, California to write, host, and co-produce a web series on how to take care of a dog. Since then Faris has teamed up with The Pet Collective a Youtube Channel owned by Fremantle Media, Zoom Room Dog Training of Sherman Oaks, and now Karma Dog Training.
Her web series include episodes on, potty training, leash etiquette, crate training, how to trim your pet's nails, puppy proofing your home, homemade dog treats, types of must have dog toys, and much more.
Her mission in life is to save the lives of animals.
Her definition of saving lives range anywhere from helping train an animal to behave, working at the veterinary hospital, to hosting shows on how to educate pet owners.
With the proper knowledge of health, training, and behavior advice we can save the lives of pets who would of been taken to the pound and considered unadoptable.
Faris is excited for the future and what the big city will bring for her. Although she misses her small town in Iowa she feels it's her calling to be out here in Los Angeles. She is already working with multiple pet product companies, websites, and TV productions such as MTV.
Jocelyn James is a dog trainer with a special interest in how the human-canine bond can be used for therapeutic purposes. She has loved dogs since she can remember, growing up with a beagle and now sharing her home with an Italian greyhound called Florence. Jocelyn obtained her BA in sociology and an MA in human rights but always kept coming back to her love of dogs, even integrating it into her Masters dissertation on using alternative therapies to rehabilitate trauma victims. She has gained experience in dog training through her work as a dog walker and dogsitter to many different breeds and through studying the methods of positive-reinforcement trainers like Dr. Ian Dunbar. Jocelyn was also a volunteer with the Boston-based PetPals program, which brings dogs and their people into elder-care homes for therapeutic visits. While a part of this organization, Jocelyn was in charge of ensuring that both dogs and humans were enjoying their time in the program and that the visits went as smoothly as possible. While living in London, Jocelyn earned a certificate in Animal-Assisted Interventions from the UK-based Society for Companion Animal Studies, which enabled her to better understand how animals can be part of therapeutic interventions with humans.
Jocelyn is passionate about encouraging the bond between a dog and their human, teaching both to read each other's signals and fostering better communication in the relationship. The foundation of all of Jocelyn's training is her belief that it is extremely important to understand a dog's strengths, fears, motivations, and personality in order to connect with him or her and have an effective and healthy training relationship. Jocelyn now resides in San Diego, where she offers training to both puppies and adult dogs and their humans, helping to open up communication and strengthen the human-canine bond.
An animal lover since birth, Renee Moen and her brothers spent their childhood in Ventura, CA surrounded by dogs and birds. By the age of eight, Renee had full responsibility of feeding and caring for the dogs (including medications) and experimenting with various training techniques. Renee also spent endless summer days riding and learning to care for the horses at her Aunt's farm.
As a young adult, Renee made the trek from the beaches of sunny California to the rural flatlands of Illinois. The culture shock drove Renee to seek out familiar territory, a local animal shelter recruiting volunteers. Three days a week, she drove ten country miles to spend hours in the company of canines who needed training, socialization and attention. Opening up her home to some of the shyer dogs allowed Renee to develop a fondness for working with under-confident canines.
The eight years she spent volunteering at the rural shelter led her to a permanent position with a larger shelter, the Humane Society of Central Illinois (HSCI). At that facility, Renee learned behavior assessment and developing patience with more aggressive dogs. She also had the chance to work on good manners with dogs as soon as they came to the facility. By the time they were moved to the adoption floor, most of her charges knew basic obedience and even a few tricks to delight potential families. Renee also trained dog floor volunteers on positive leash walking, socialization, grooming and of course everyone's favorite-puppy playtime!
In 2010 Renee earned her dog training certification through Animal Behavior College. Between the two shelters, Renee has worked with almost every breed of dog. With her knowledge and experience she has come to realize that with the proper training and guidance any dog can be a welcome member of a pack. She specializes in positive leadership training and teaching over confident dogs to be happy pack members. She also enjoys working with shy dogs, helping them find their plucky nerve. In addition to her love for animals Renee is also a writer who has published four romantic murder mysteries and a student working towards her BA in English Literature. She resides in Longmont, Colorado with her game designer husband, two children, two parakeets, three cats and one extremely lovable Beagler.
Andrew Frenkel was born and raised on the shore in Virginia Beach. Growing up in a large family of 6 siblings, his household was never one to have a small amount of anything. In his younger years he watched his mother and sister compete in dressage and barrel racing, while he focused his attention on hunter/jump and of course free riding through their 91 acre farm. Along with boarding and training horses Andrew also assisted his mother with her dog/horse breeding business. Assisting with birth of animals such as sheep, cows, horses and countless puppies and kittens Andrew's love and compassion for animals is natural and obvious. After moving off the farm closer to the shore Andrews love for dogs became more apparent and he began to assist grooming and breeding Standard Poodles. Andrew has a basic knowledge of indoor/outdoor obedience training, housebreaking, separation anxiety, pet sitting, boarding and dog walking. Andrew has aspirations to become a service dog trainer and to help open the eyes of dog parents to see the companionship and healing abilities of dogs.
Layla Farahbakhsh has always been passionate about animals. As a child, she rode horses, took care of neighbors cats and dogs, and begged her parents incessantly to get a dog. This passion for animals matured, and she attended the University of Massachusetts and received a Bachelors of Science in Wildlife Conservation. During this time, she worked with the Audubon Society as an Endangered Species Intern, and monitored nesting birds on beaches in Massachusetts. After spending a 8 months living on the Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador, she decided to move somewhere less wintery. Upon graduation from college, she moved to Austin, where she met her dog, Sadie, as an 8 week old puppy who was found in the woods of Austin. She voraciously read everything she could about dog training and enacted what she learned with the help of her friends. She is almost entirely self taught when it comes to dog training, and that helps her relate to first time clients easily. She is proudest of her training skills when she comes home from work, to realize that Sadie was able to escape from the yard, but decided to stick around the house instead. For the last 2 years, she has been an Americorps volunteer, building hiking trails and removing invasive plants in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. In her free time, she enjoys working on bicycles, gardening and cooking. Her career highlights include working in Big Bend National Park and helping her friends run their local businesses, Sweet Ritual and East Side Tone.
Today, Layla plays a very important part of the Karma Dog Puppy Kindergarten Experience. Each and every Sunday, you can see Layla in action helping clients with their little ones as they get all the basics down.
Skye Buffington has been a dog lover for most of her life. Growing up in Boston, she found herself more connected to animals than people. Over the years, Skye, has had various jobs working with animals, everything from giving them baths to feeding them gourmet food by hand. Whatever the duty, Skye is there to fulfill any dogs needs. She believes there is something to learn from every soul that lives inside our animals.
Aside from loving on animals, Skye plays roller derby in Austin Texas with the recreational league. She also enjoys restoring old furniture she finds at estate sales, and building her business designing socks.
Natalia Macias has several years experience taking care of furry friends, always being the go to gal for all of her friends' pet sitting needs since college. She has a keen knack for understanding and connecting with animals, and loves to pet and love on them as much as the can handle! Natalia has utmost respect for her fellow pet and treats them with as much respect and understanding as humans.
Her background is in massage therapy and yoga instructing. Her love and passion for healing extended towards animals, as she understands the therapeutic effects of surrounding oneself with animals. Natalia has been an animal lover since childhood, always capturing flies and releasing them instead of swatting at them. Natalia also spent much time as the personal dog sitter for the owner of Karma Dog Training, Jeffrey Liebowitz.
Natalia feels comfortable with all breeds and sizes of dogs, having owned several different types of breeds herself. She takes in each one's uniqueness while striving to connect and play with them in a way that is authentic and genuine.
Anna Gasparian is Karma Dog Trainings newest intern. Having been around animals her entire life, she has taken well to the roll of trainer. What started as a love for her Doberman Pinchers and her horse, she has parlayed into a passion for animal education. During her internship with Karma Dog Training she has been under the guidance of certified dog trainers. These trainers have helped polish her skills providing help for clients with their pets, particularly in the doggie daycare run out of her home.
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