MEET KATIE
Owner/Trainer
I started my career in the pet industry in 2011 where I worked as a daycare attendant at a doggy daycare, boarding and training facility called The Dog Spot. In the first year at The Dog Spot, I started assisting in dog training classes and soon realized that is where my passion lay. In 2012, I got my CCS certification in dog training and behavior through the Northwest School of Canine Studies. From there, I started teaching classes such as puppy classes, tricks and advanced manners.
In 2016, I took my career down another path and started working in animal welfare. I went back to school and achieved my Applied Animal Behavior certification from the University of Washington. I also started my job rehabilitating homeless dogs and cats in the behavior program at Seattle Humane. During this time, I focused my training on behavior modification such as fear, aggression and reactivity.
I believe that you don't need to use fear and discomfort to train an animal. I use positive methods and focus on building the relationship between owner and pet. I love to continue my education by attending seminars and keeping up on the latest studies and techniques.
MEET BRY
Trainer
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with animals. This led me to finding the Anthrozoology program at Carroll College, in Montana. Anthrozoology is the study of the human-animal bond, so this program not only gave me a deeper understanding of our relationships with our pets but also provided me with a strong foundation in the study of behavior.
While in school I got the chance to work with horses, cats, and of course dogs as well! After two years of studying animal behavior my training journey officially started in 2016 when, through a program at my school, I spent a year training a foster dog. We worked on service tasks and polite manners and at the end of that year successfully found her a forever home. Then, in 2018 I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Anthrozoology.
From there I began my professional career at a doggy daycare, boarding and training facility called The Dog Spot. I started being a puppy trainer at that facility in 2019 and started teaching classes there in 2021. In 2021 I also began working towards my Masters in applied animal behavior and welfare through Virginia Tech. My goal in furthering my education is to offer the most up to date, scientific, and effective training methods for people’s pets. I believe that training with a focus on relationship building creates a much more compassionate environment for both humans and their animals!