Our Team

From a young age, Emily took it upon herself to do all the training for her family’s pet dogs when no one else stepped up to the plate. That’s where she got her love for training obedience and living with well mannered dogs. Fast forward years later when Emily got her first dog as an adult, a husky mix, who ended up having extreme fear toward the outside world. After taking him to several trainers with no results, she decided she needed to learn everything about dog behavior and training so she could help him herself. Through the process she fell in love with working with fearful dogs, and her dog made such great progress that she was able to compete with him in nosework sports. Helping fearful or nervous dogs gain confidence and thrive in any environment will always hold a special place in her heart.

Since then Emily has been involved in training dogs in obedience, nosework, schutzhund, and detection. She fell in love with dog sports and then slowly transitioned into working dogs. Currently she is raising and training bomb dogs for Iowa K9 Detection. Though she is an expert in detection training and raising working puppies, she also loves to work with pet dogs and help families live the best lives with their furry companions! Emily is a huge believer in helping people understand breed fulfillment based on their specific dog, and giving the dog proper outlets to express themselves.

Currently she lives in Colorado Springs with her labrador retriever, Shade, who is training to be an explosives detection K9, her pet husky, Loma, who competes in nosework and is the best demo dog, and she usually has the odd lab puppy or two that she’s raising to be a future detection dog. Outside of dogs she has zero hobbies. Zero. Dogs are her life!

Jenn Cassens lives in Penn Valley CA and started training Search and Rescue dogs in 2016. She currently works 3 SAR dogs: a Golden Retriever and two Belgian Malinois. With a lifetime of training and riding horses, training dogs was a natural evolution. She and her husband Rich Cassens, also a KoruK9 trainer, volunteer for their County Sheriffs Dept K9 Search & Rescue Team and are Mentors and Evaluators for California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA), and specialize in Basic Obedience, Scent Work, and Behavior Modification.

Hi my name is Karen. I have been working with dogs for 5 years now. I have two dogs of my own. Kylo Ren and Rae, and yes! The force is strong with those two. Kylo Ren is a 5 year old rescue who is 18 different breeds. Yes, 18 lovely reasons why we began our then journey in training to my now passion for dogs. Rae is a 3 year old chocolate lab who has worked hard by my side as my service dog. Both of which I trained myself. Kylo and I have worked hard over the years to set and crush training goals and as a result of his hard work and long journey we have managed to find our love for his now favorite sport in Urban locating. He is set to trial in February for his level II title. Rae is jack of all trades. When she is not working as my service dog or as my demo dog, she enjoys dock diving, fly ball and her ball. My passion for the well being of my dogs has driven me to learn all things K9. In the recent years I have worked with mentors around the US both virtually and in person  to expand my knowledge on dog training, training tools, dog nutrition and much more! My recent certifications include courses ranging from CPR courses, dog nutrition and currently working on getting certified as a AKC CGC evaluator. My goal as a dog trainer is to continue to get educated in all aspects of dog training so that I can teach my clients to not only train their dog but to create that lifestyle of enrichment, clear communication, health, proper outlets and overall a life long relationship with their dog. I look forward to helping you set and crush your goals! (edited) 

Nice to meet you  My name is Courtney!
I’m from the beautiful trees and mountains of Southern Oregon. People and animals have always felt natural to me.  Throughout the past decade I’ve worked within the animal industry; as a veterinary assistant, at The Humane Society, doggie daycare, dog boarding, dog walking, and training.

It has become my passion and purpose to help owners of all backgrounds better understand how to implement the right training system, tools, and skills to overcome behavioral issues and strengthen the bonds we share.  I am here to guide, support, motivate, encourage growth, and troubleshoot issues that arise for you and your dog along the way.

In 2020, I started a balanced and relationship-based training business with my mission to take all of the aspects that impact dogs in a fulfilling, healthy, and productive way to be integrated into a functional lifestyle for both owners and their dogs.

Allie Raines has been training dogs professionally since 2015 after initially graduating from the National K9 School for Dog Trainers in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, she has had the privilege of working with hundreds to thousands of dogs in various capacities around the country - from puppies and pet training as a kennel master and head trainer at a large training facility, to individual task training and service dogs for handlers with disabilities, to training and nationally certifying her own dog on narcotics detection and human tracking just for fun, and even to fulfilling the childhood dream of becoming a police K9 decoy, including spending nearly a full year living on the road, traveling throughout the US to volunteer as a decoy with the HRD Police K9 team - and ending up working dogs in 32 states.

Through the time spent engaging in such varied training environments, Allie found a specialty with pet dogs in problem-solving and behavior modification through the ultimate training tool: learning to listen to the dogs themselves. She strives to bring some of that hands-on experience, understanding, and education to her clients in a way that will long outlast any training session and serve as lifelong, evergreen skills for every pet owner.

My name is Klaudia Markus, I was previously a horse trainer which brought me to the US from Hungary 10 years ago, and I got my citizenship in 2017. I graduated from a six-month program at Tarheel K9 School in North Carolina where I was immersed in both pet and working dog training. This was an extensive program with classroom time, but mostly it was hands-on experience. From basic pet obedience to preparing Police K9’s for the street, I learned to work with a wide range of temperaments and how to problem-solve on the fly. I also have a lot of experience with my personal dogs.

Currently, I have two Belgian Malinois, my male is competing in PSA K9 Sport (just started in Level 2), and I work my female in tracking and detection. I have previously owned a variety of breeds including Husky, Dalmatian, Komondor and mixed breeds. Before I found dog training, I was a horse trainer for the past twelve years. I worked for high-level professional horse riders + trainers both in Europe and also here in the US. I have always loved training animals and after starting to compete in the sport world with my Malinois, I decided I wanted to pursue this full-time and went to Tarheel to get an education and start.

I am a graduate of the Koru K9 Dog Training Master Program, worked hands-on with Koru K9’s Regional Trainer, Sierra Fabian, and have experience in handling severe aggression, behavior modification and bite cases from my time with her with breeds such as Akitas, Shepherds, and Malinois. My goal is to be able to help owners and their dogs have better communication and understanding of each other so they can have a happier life. Whether your dog has basic obedience needs, reactivity or aggression issues I want to be able to help owners understand the specific behavioral quirks of their dogs and work towards a balanced lifestyle for them. Growing up with 2 Rottweilers helped me to understand at an early age the importance of training and boundaries for our animals so that we can provide them with the life they truly deserve.

Jennifer has always had a fascination with animals, particularly dogs. She grew up always intrigued by animal behaviors and dreamed of becoming a local zoo keeper as an adult. Fast forward to after college, a mess of a German Shepherd Dog somehow landed into her home which opened the door to her dog training adventures. After mentoring and shadowing under a few balanced trainers, Jennifer was introduced to the world of sport dogs and working dogs. Venturing into competition has allowed Jennifer to learn and read dogs to a higher degree, understand their behaviors, and bring the skillset to her pet dog training program. Jennifer enjoys working with clients on troubleshooting and developing a better relationship with their dog(s). She strives to strengthen the communication and engagement of the dog and owner team to create a healthy relationship. Jennifer has two Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd and they all compete in a variety of sports!

Kim was born in Brooklyn, NY where she spent her summers on Long Island catching tadpoles, fishing
and walking the neighbor’s dogs. That was the beginning of her love for animals. Kim had dogs from a
very early age and, because of that love, slowly added cats, a bird, chickens, ducks and rabbits to her
animal family over the years. Kim graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Kinesiology,
with an emphasis in Dietetics. From there, she owned her own business as a Personal Trainer. Many of
the skills she acquired during that time crossed over to the world of dog training as she works closely
with one of the Koru K9 Dog Training trainers in East Tennessee. Throughout a lot of her career she held
administrative and customer service positions, which has enabled her to cater to our clients and be
empathetic to their situations. Kim has lived in East Tennessee for 16 years where she resides with her
fiancé, 3 cats and 2 rabbits. Working for Koru K9 has been a “dream come true” for Kim as she is able to
help clients and their dogs live happy lives together!

Darcey Hall is a professional dog trainer and behaviorist. She has dedicated the last fifteen years to training canines. She is CA P-O-S-T Certified K9 Handler and a Protection Sport Association (PSA) member. As a balanced trainer Darcey’s passion is creating a bond between the owner and the dog to make an everlasting relationship. She loves doing fun games to create a learning environment for the dog to retain their obedience. Specializing in advanced obedience and behavior modification, Darcey is also an AKC Canine Evaluator for Canine Good Citizen certification, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and is part of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).

Rebekka hails from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where she grew up with a dog who she cared for throughout her childhood. She ended up living in the US and is a mother to four children and four dogs! When she became a dog owner as an adult, she was intrigued by the idea of communicating with dogs and once she found out about training, she knew it was for her. Rebekka has been training dogs since 2013 and can’t imagine ever stopping. She received her Diploma in Dog Behavior and Training at both the Professional and Master levels from the Tom Rose School in St. Louis, MO. She specialized in tracking and search & rescue with her dog, Rosie, who always has her nose ready for an adventure. In search of more comprehensive training, Rebekka attended the NePoPo Dog Training System in Holland and in Missouri, where she learned more in-depth methods of negative-positive-positive reinforcement training. Her extensive training over the years has given her a window on multiple methods for training dogs, as well as a deep understanding of the psychology involved in motivating different personalities of dogs. She looks forward to helping you by training your dog to respond to your commands with heart and soul. She also believes in the importance of teaching you to communicate more effectively with your dog. She sees that as a win-win!

Claire’s love for dogs has existed since early childhood, but that love sparked into something bigger at the age of 9 when she started agility with her childhood Cavalier. Around 2018, after stepping out of the horse world of three-day eventing, Claire dove into researching Belgian Malinois and started shadowing balanced trainers in her area to learn more about dog training. Shortly after, she signed up for the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers Immersion Program, and bought a Malinois puppy through Michael’s breeding program, Loups du Soleil. After graduating from the school, Claire worked under top trainers to continue her education, and she is currently training for French Ring with her malinois. In her free time, Claire loves to go camping and hiking...with her dogs of course!

I’ve been a dog advocate for more than 25 years working with organizations such as Stray Rescue out of St. Louis and adopting a variety of pups abandoned and left to wonder if they were worth loving. I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 26 owning restaurants, a clothing line, and consulting for corporations. I bring my life experience to training dogs and horses on my small farm in Black Forest Colorado. I sought to work with Koru K9 because of their philosophy around helping the core issues that keep the dog and the owner from a fulfilling relationship together. If I’m your last resort or you want to take the steps to teach your dog valuable life skills, I will be dedicated to giving you my very best and helping you discover your dog’s true potential!

My name is Halle Tennison. I have been working with animals my whole life. I personally have rescued and rehabilitated two adult huskies and an adult pit bull. All of which were intense, behavior modification cases. I have been trained through multiple eight hour sessions of animal nutrition through Pet Food Express and Just Food For Dogs to be able to solve food allergies, sensitivities as well as other dietary related issues. I have successfully passed the Animal Behavior College of Santa Clarita’s internship and hands on externship program of positive reinforcement training. I am certified in Animal CPR and have worked with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley as an assistant for over half a year. I use the LIMA (Least intrusive, minimally adverse) approach to my balance training to ensure maximum success with dogs. I have seven years private client experience with behavioral modification in all sizes of dogs. Please reach out to me at any time with any dog related product or dietary concerns.

I have loved canines since I was a child. I gained my passion from my mom who would rescue all kinds of dogs that were found on the street. Everyone knew they could call her and she would be there for them. We had 4 family dogs and I would train them to do tricks and a few simple obedience commands. From there my passion grew and my need for knowledge grew louder and louder. I fell in love with working dogs at the age of 5 due to the movie “Ace of hearts”, it was about a german shepherd named Ace who would stop at nothing to find the suspect and protect his family. Once I was out on my own I bought my first dog Dutch who I do everything with. He is a German Shepard and is trained in detection work, tracking, trailing, AKC tricks, obedience, and is a pro as a hiking companion. He sparked my Professional dog training career, if it wasn’t for Dutch I would not be where I am now.

Kym has been working in the canine industry for eight years. Her experience started in the U.S. Navy as a Military Working Dog Handler, searching for narcotics and explosives, along with training patrol work. She’s spent her newly gained civilian time learning to work with and train companions, service animals, and their owners. She believes there are multiple ways to succeed with your companion and adapts techniques to work best for everyone.

Kym spends her free time out hiking, paddle boarding, and camping around the PNW with her own dogs. Her household includes a six year-old Golden-Doodle, a three year-old Belgian Malinois, a one year-old German Shepherd, and a four year-old orange Tabby Cat. If you're looking for a great conversation starter, try discussing the Star Wars universe with her!

Haley grew up in Louisiana, and always had dogs growing up. She loves to travel and be outside with her dogs. Training and playing with her dogs has allowed her to do that more. She started working with her own dogs and quickly began to see progress. As Haley’s knowledge of how dogs learn grew she became fascinated and developed a passion for it. She soon discovered that she wanted to work with dogs and their owners full time. There’s nothing more rewarding to her than assisting dog owners in building a relationship between them and their dog. 

Tino has been involved with working dogs from a very young age. Originally born in Mexico, he and his family managed a large ranch that was their livelihood. They owned a large pack of working dogs who were a integral part of their every day life, playing countless roles to help his family. Even as young as 5 years old, he was tasked with caring for his own pack, this gave him a fantastic foundation in dog behavior and understanding different dispositions.

As he got older he moved to the states, while he took a break in school he quickly got back into working with dogs once he graduated. He eventually moved to Northern California where he met a training club and quickly learned to be a decoy as well as trained his own personal dog in protection. Since then he has been hooked, he has been decoying and working with protection dogs for over 5 years and now managed a ranch with his wife, Celeste. Bringing back some of his roots he also now trains his dogs to help aid with daily chores on the ranch, including managing the livestock. It has also created a great environment to work with his clients in, offering many new distractions and experiences they would not get to have in a city environment.

I was born and raised in Chicago where I attended college at Benedictine University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology. I moved to Denver about 2 years ago to pursue a career in law enforcement. I quickly realized this is not the route I wanted to take and found a deeper passion for working with dogs. I got my first dog before I moved to Denver and my life has never been the same since. My German Shepherd, Dakota, has taught me so much about myself as a handler and the passion I have for training dogs. I attended Tarheel Canine School for Dog Trainers where I obtained my certification from their Master Obedience Course. I am currently participating in protection sports with my other German Shepherds and have big goals of opening my own German Shepherd kennel someday. I enjoy furthering my education by attending dog training seminars, and mentoring other trainers. I am so proud to be a trainer with KoruK9 and absolutely love what I do everyday!

Joshua is a balanced dog trainer that has been training dogs for 10+ years. He has always had a passion for training animals as a child and made these dreams reality. In 2010, he began training dogs with behavioral issues and taking on the most aggressive or fear based cases. Eventually this led to him starting his own business where he currently trains and supplies police dogs, border patrol dogs, protection dogs, and service dogs. He also runs a Working Dog Club in Arizona, where he has helped members title and certify their dogs.
He has a very diverse background, also training horses and becoming a licensed falconer now training birds of prey. Working with other animals has helped him gain the background on how animals learn psychologically in different ways. This experience makes it much easier to train animals with behavioral issues especially. He loves a challenge and takes pride in his work. Although he has trained dogs for narcotic detection, protection sports, patrol/security, service dogs to accompany disabilities, etc.. His favorite dogs to work with are those that have behavioral issues, or lack obedience and structure. He takes pride in rehabilitating animals and training dogs to be the best they can be.

Emily Whipp has been training dogs professionally for over 10 years. Her experience has been gained through intensive, self-propelled study and execution. With a solid foundation based in competitive dog sports she has amassed years of experience in both balanced and motivational techniques.
Emily has learned from some of the most successful pet dog trainers and competition dog handlers in the world. It has been this accumulation of knowledge and experience that has aided her ability to implement real, science based training to create and even change behavior in companion dogs today.
Emily is also a National level competitor with her two female German Shepherds in a dogsport called PSA.
Her mission is to help her clients and her community to better understand their best friends. That when we have a relationship based on trust and respect, the effects are mutually beneficial.

Ruth was born in LA, but moved to the Atlanta, Georgia area when she was 7 years old. Georgia is where she remembers growing up, and she considers herself a southern girl! She loves to read, game, and craft (mainly crochet and knit) in her free time. She has one cat named Lil bit, and hopes to have her own “zoo” of furry, feathered, and scaled friends one day. 

Hi my name is Mikayla, I have been working with dogs for almost 7 years now. I have two dogs of my own. Jupiter, who is my 5 year old rescue, she is the one responsible for getting me into dog training. My other dog Saturn, is just about 2 years old now and we compete in dog sports. While training dogs is my life I also currently study Aerospace Engineering at San Jose State University. Hence, my dogs are named after planets. I also work with and train local police K9 units in Cambpell, Santa Clara, Yuba County, Fremont and Richmond. My goal as a dog trainer is to teach owners how to enrich your dog's life through clear communication, building a strong relationship and providing proper outlets so your dog can be an active member of the family. I look forward to meeting you and your dog and helping you guys conquer anything.

I can’t remember a time I haven’t been training and helping dogs. I began volunteering at animal shelters in elementary school and teaching dogs fun tricks and basic obedience to help them get adopted. As I got into high school I joined FFA which was an immense help to giving insight to animal behaviour and handling skills! After high school I worked with a few Service Dog programs before venturing into creating my own training program for all varieties of dogs…and other animals on occasion too! I am also taking classes in Kinesiology and Chiropractics to become a certified Animal Rehab specialist.

I currently own 3 personal dogs (626, 1oh1 and Cinder-Ella…I have a Disney theme going!); all of them working and sport competition dogs. We compete in just about anything and everything from protection sports to agility and everything in between! 1oh1 was also one of the models in a training book!

I also occasionally take in shelter dogs and help them get some training and find suitable homes whether that means just pets or in a specialty field of work. One of my rescue dogs even starred in a movie while he was training with me!

I love finding what makes the dog happiest and working with them to achieve our goals of becoming a well balanced and mannered pet. I work with all types of dogs from fun puppies looking to get a great start to extreme aggression cases. Dogs need structure and my goal is to help them along that path and ensure the owners have the tools and knowledge to keep their pup happy and safe!

I have spent my entire life learning about and training dogs. Starting at a young age with  4H, I progressed on to training for competition obedience, then later protection dogs with  Project Safe Run in the late 80s and early 90s. After graduating college I began a successful  career as a Computer Programmer, but continued to foster my love of dog training, and  increase my knowledge base, spending much of my spare time training and competing with  dogs in French Ring, MondioRing, Schutzhund, PSA, NADF, Herding, Agility, Obedience,  Tracking, Weight Pull, Flyball and other venues. 

When time permitted I also took in the occasional board and train dogs for clients, ran  private and group obedience classes, and have coached many competitive teams in a variety  of venues, helping them overcome obedience and/or behavioral issues that were preventing  their dogs from excelling. 

Over the years I have owned a wide variety of breeds, including Dobermann (my first love),  Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler, Beauceron, Boxer, APBT, Am Staff, Jack Russell Terrier, and  Belgian Shepherd Dogs, AKA Malinois and Tervuren. The Malinois eventually became my  primary breed of choice, although I do still dabble on occasion with other breeds. 

I have walked on the trial field over 400 times in over 12 different venues and and put over  100 titles on various dogs, most titles requiring 2-3 legs to complete. My personal dogs  have been the #1 dog in the Nation in both French Ring and Herding, in addition to winning  local and regional trials in many venues. I’ve been a founding member of a number of sport  dog clubs, held office in local and nationals clubs, and hosted numerous seminars and  demonstrations. As a breeder I have produced dogs that have won Regional, National and  World Championships, worked for the military and police, earned numerous performance  and working sport titles, worked as ranch dogs and medical assistance dogs, protected their  owners from assault, and even finished a few conformation championships. 

I believe that learning never stops, and have attended numerous seminars over the years,  and continue to soak up knowledge wherever I can find it. When time permitted over the  years I also took in the occasional board and train dogs for clients, ran private and group  obedience classes, and have coached many competitive teams in a variety of venues, helping them overcome obedience and/or behavioral issues that were preventing their dogs  from excelling.  

I love dogs! They bring me so much joy!  I have more than 20 years of experience working closely with dogs from raising and training my own to working as a veterinary nurse, veterinary practice manager and providing pack hikes and dog walking, grooming and boarding services.  I have also worked for many years as an educator and have trained other educators in the field of environmental conservation.  I found Koru after adopting my fourth dog Max, a 100lb doberman, hound, shepherd mix who was extremely reactive and aggressive on leash.  Having had such an easy time training all of my previous dogs using a positive only approach, he felt impossible to train.  As a last resort I looked for a company who specialized in training and rehabilitating aggressive dogs. It was a life changing experience and from that point on I was a firm believer in a balanced training approach.  All dogs are different and we need to adapt our training methods to their varying needs and environments. I have always dreamed of being a professional trainer so I went on to complete Koru’s Balanced Trainer Academy: Master Program.  My favorite thing about training with Koru is seeing the transformation in the dogs’ behavior when they are given clear boundaries and consistent training.  I am passionate about coaching clients to bring out the best in their dogs so dogs are not given up or put down due to behaviors that could have been managed with balanced training tools and methods.  When I am not hanging with a pack of dogs I enjoy volunteering at an equine therapy program, paddling in the bay, camping, cooking for my children and all of their friends and spending lots of time outdoors with my dog and human family.

I began training at a very young age with my own American Eskimo from the basics to tricks. That’s where my spark and love of dogs began. Shortly after I knew I wanted to work with dogs, but never really knew what exactly. Little did I know training dogs would become a passion for me and then into my career. I trained under great mentors that were balanced trainers that have made me the trainer I am today. Working from pet dogs, to dogs with behavioral issues to sport dogs and competing in the sport IGP with my personal dogs. I’m also an active certified explosives K9 handler with my yellow lab and have been working in detection for the past 3 years and it’s been great being able to learn more skill sets! In my free time, I also enjoy spending it with family or traveling, as well as enjoying time with my pups!

Ever since I was little I knew I would always be working with dogs, I grew up volunteering in shelters and worked as a veterinarian technician during and after college. Once I got my high drive Belgian Malinois, Church, I knew I had to get him into an activity that would fulfill his genetic needs. Together we became a certified explosive detection K9 team and have worked all over the country. I have trained many law enforcement dogs and independent teams in obedience and detection work. I now live with my two working dogs, a Malinois and a Working line Cocker Spaniel, and a pet pit bull.

My favorite part about dog training is seeing an anxious dog come out of its shell and gain the confidence it needs to live a happy and fulfilled life with its family, as well as teaching the owners how to better communicate with their pet. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places and going on hikes with my pups.

In July of 2015 Ted attended the Tom Rose School where he learned under Dave van Garderen and Jacob Plascencia. There, he learned how to train dogs from basic pet obedience, to more advanced things like sport and competition obedience such as AKC, IGP (formerly known as Schutzhund and IPO), scent detection, and tracking.

After graduating both the Professionals and Masters courses, Ted accepted a Head Trainer position at a local kennel in April of 2016. There, he trained hundreds of dogs of different breeds and different temperaments. While working for the kennel, Ted also joined the training ranks of Got Your Six Support Dogs, where he took home and task-trained service dogs for veterans and first-responders with PTSD.

Despite being 6'2'', Ted is a soft and very patient trainer, bringing even the most shyest of dogs out of their shells. He loves bringing out the best of every dog, and making sure they reach their fullest potential. His favorite thing to do with his personal dogs is scent-detection and tracking.

Sarah is a graduate of Mary Institute and Country Day School (Class of 2011) and a graduate of DePauw University (Class of 2015). She’s always had a fascination with animals and animal behavior, which motivated her to pursue as many opportunities and internships involving animals as possible. This gave her a wide experience with both domestic and exotic animals. Those experiences include working with the Humane Society of Missouri, the Zoo of Acadiana (now called Zooisiana) in Broussard, Louisiana, and the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, MO.

In January of 2016, Sarah attended the Tom Rose School under the instruction of Dave van Garderen, Jacob Plascencia, and Jeremy Ciepluch. There, she learned the art of dog training from basic pet obedience, to more advanced things like sport and competition obedience such as AKC, IGP (formerly known as Schutzhund and IPO), scent detection, and tracking. After attending school, Sarah accepted a job at a local kennel where her experience training different dogs with different temperaments and dispositions grew; however, her learning doesn’t stop there. Sarah continues to expand her training education when she can by attending training seminars. Sarah is also an active member of GWDA (Gateway Working Dog Association), where she and her Dutch shepherd, Remus, train and compete in PSA. She also has a black lab, Sirius, that she competes with in AKC obedience.

Victoria’s love for dogs started at just two-years-old when her father brought home a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy, Max, who became her best friend. Growing up she had many pets such as cats, guinea pigs, fish, hamsters, hermit crabs, and of course, always a family dog. From a young age, Victoria started pet sitting and dog walking, which continued to teach her how to work with animals of many different temperaments.

Victoria’s first experience with behavior modification happened after she met her partner’s dog, Ghost. A deaf Aussie/Pit mix, Ghost had developed fear reactivity towards people, resulting in a few bites. Feeling that he needed help, Victoria found Koru K9 and signed him up for their 3-week board and train program. After Ghost returned home, Victoria became passionate about continuing his training and realized she wanted to do this for the rest of her life.

Victoria found a position as a Dog Trainer Apprentice and quickly began learning as much as she could. She participated in two, week long seminars focused on e-collar training, took classes on clicker training, and continued to read and research different methods in her free time. After advancing to Dog Training Manager, Victoria decided she would like to grow her knowledge in balanced training and was excited to find the Balanced School for Dog Trainer’s through Koru K9. Since completing her mentorship program she has been greatly enjoying doing both board and trains and in home training. In Victoria’s free time she enjoys training her personal dogs for both Agility and Mondio Ring, hiking (with dogs of course), and camping.

Erin has always had a love for animals. Whether it was smuggling new pets into her parents house or spending time at the farm, she has been involved in the animal world from a very young age. Once she began volunteering in the rescue world, she realized the amount of issues that could have been solved with a little guidance and a helping hand! This unlocked a passion to improve the lives of both dogs and owners alike. 

Erin has four dogs of her own, and is currently training and competing in PSA. When she’s not on the training field, you can find her hiking or playing ball with her dogs. On the rare occasion she is not spotted out with her dogs, she’s probably planning her next road trip (with her dogs).

I’ve been a K9 Handler with Nevada County Sheriffs Search and Rescue and California Rescue
Dog Association (CARDA) since 2011, and with El Dorado County Sheriffs Search and Rescue
for the last 2 years. With these entities I train and deploy dogs in Search efforts for missing and
deceased individuals in suburban and backcountry terrains throughout the state of California. I
also serve as Mentor and Primary Evaluator for CARDA and K9 Team Lead for El Dorado
County SAR.

Search and Rescue sparked my interest in Obedience training and K9 scent work. I enjoy
teaching handlers how to build drive in their dogs and utilize that drive to hunt specific odor.
Whether it’s human remains, natural oils, narcotics, or even certain nuts or bed bugs, teaching a
dog the game of how to find what we’re looking for is sometimes challenging and always
rewarding.
In scent work classes, we teach the dog to associate odor (birch, anise & clove) with a reward:
either high value food or a toy. Once the dog understands the association between odor and
reward, then we create the game of hunt for odor.

In 2016 I became a certified dog trainer through Animal Behavior College, and in 2018 I left my
job as an Animal Control Officer with Nevada County Sheriffs Office to strike out on my own as a
dog trainer. Through my company I offer Basic and Advanced 1-2-1 Obedience, behavior
modification for aggressive and reactive dogs, 2-6 week Board and Train, day training, and
scent work classes.

Continuing Education:
● 3 day K9 Handler Development class with Cameron Ford of Ford K9, June 2020
● 2 week K9 Police/Professional Detection Training Seminar, October 2020
● 1 week K9 Sport Detection Training Seminar, again with Ford K9 in Las Vegas NV,
March 2021
● Annual Locating the Dead training in San Luis Obispo, CA. This is a specialized and
restricted Cadaver K9 training utilizing whole human cadavers in various scenarios
including submerged in water, buried, in burned vehicles etc.
● In November of 2021 I organized a 3 day Canine Cognition Clinic with Ford K9 for our
County and regional Search and Rescue K9 teams.

Hi I’m Olivia! I grew up with a chocolate and black lab I loved so much. When I turned 18 I decided to buy my first dog, a Dutch shepherd and traveled all over with him from there everything just went up! 1 Dutch shepherd, 2 Malinois, and 2 black labs later my whole life revolves around dogs! Training and detection is my happy spot for sure! One of my labs is an explosive/firearm detection k9 so working events with her have definitely been an amazing experience! On my off time I’m typically training my personal dogs in protection sports or detection, traveling, and enjoying time with family. What I love the most about training is seeing dogs make complete 360s and strengthening clients relationships with their fur babies! I’m always so excited to improve more lives of everyday pet owners! From little sweet puppies to working dogs I love working with them all!

Hi there! My name is Aolanis and I am so excited to meet you and your baby! I grew up in sunny San Diego CA and recently moved to the Bay Area to further pursue my dog training passion.I have been training dogs for 5 years, and it all started with my love for my 2 German Shepherds I had as a child, after an unforeseen event during my childhood we were forced to get rid of all our animals on our farm and my heart yearned for a German Shepherd again someday. Once I graduated Highschool I purchased my very own German Shepherd puppy named Saint who came from Czech Working Lines and helped me expand my dog training skills outside of obedience and behavior modification and falling in love with odor detection! Saint and I have accomplished numerous things, one of them being a competitor team on an A&E show called "America's Top Dog" we made it to the final round and only lost to a seasoned Police K9 team by only 3 SECONDS. I have experience with small animals as well as livestock and canines. When I am not training dogs I am working as a Lead Surgical Technician at an animal hospital. I hope you can find comfort during your baby's stay with me that he has a nurse with him at all times and 24/7 access to veterinary care shall he/she need it! I love the outdoors and traveling from time to time.

Brittni was born and raised in East Tennessee where she currently resides with her partner and their three dogs. Brittni has always loved all types of animals and as a young girl, had many pets. Her wide variety of pets ranged from farm animals and reptiles to cats and dogs. “My parents supported my love for all animals, which in turn gave us quite the odd little farm.”

Over the past decade, Brittni has acquired a strong background in customer service as well as food service management in healthcare. On top of this, her partner owns a dog training business which Brittni assists in managing daily, this lead her to find Koru K9. With Koru being a company that truly wants to help all owners and their dogs succeed, choosing to join the team was a no brainer!

Maloree has been training dogs since she was 12 years old. Her and her dog Bella were the youngest certified therapy dog team for Delta Society and Intermountain Therapy Animals. At 16 she began working as a trainer at Gateway to Canine Partnerships in Salt Lake City training service dogs and running daily classes and outings. She also managed a veterinary clinic as the lead technician and office manager for 6 years. 

She did an internship at Logan Haus Kennels in West Virginia. She worked for Ty the Dog Guy and then opened her own business for 5 years in Salt Lake City. 

Once she moved to the PNW she now lives on an acre with her 3 German Shepherds, a French Bulldog, and a Bengal kitten. She trains and competes in IGP, Dock Diving, and Scent work with her dogs.  Her passion is helping owners have a meaningful relationship with their dog and fixing reactive behaviors. She also specializes in therapy and service work. She volunteers for Woof Project and frequently has foster dogs. She is so excited to help you with your pup!

I have been working with dogs for two years now and they are my passion! My goal is always to give them the best quality of life. I have been exposed to dogs my entire life whether it has been volunteering at rescues, training assistance dogs, being in charge of over 50 at a time in daycare, or board and trains. I love building relationships with rescue dogs and teaching them how to navigate the world. It makes me so happy to also be able to teach people about how they can communicate and build the strongest relationship with their pets. Looking forward to working with you. 

After over 20 years in the Information Technology industry, Annette decided it to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a dog trainer. The skills learned in her Information Technology career have taught Annette how to be a continuous learner, communicate well, understand her client’s needs quickly, set realistic expectations and follow through on what she says she will do. Annette successfully completed Koru K9’s Balanced Trainer Academy’s Master Program.

Annette is passionate about teaching other dog owners how to experience the very best in their unique bond with their K9s. Annette’s love of dogs started with Betsy the Beagle. After Betsy, she has had several dogs, all of different breeds, sizes and temperaments from Baloo the Springer Spaniel, Whilee the Akita, Coyote, German Shepherd mix, Impulse the mutt, Mater the Golden Retriever and Thor the Mastiff mix. Annette currently has two purebred Italian Mastiffs, Stella and Nero.

I was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I spent a fair amount of time with animals throughout my childhood taking care of stray cats and dogs along with family pets. I then started my career in veterinary medicine in my early 20s and pursued a degree as a licensed veterinary technician. In veterinary medicine, I saw a variety of behavioral issues in pet animals and slowly became the go to person to help with aggressive and fearful cats and dogs. Once I took in a second dog I peeked interest in training and started shadowing under a balanced trainer. After working in veterinary medicine for 7 years I saw the struggles pet owners were having with their dogs and I started training dogs basic obedience and behavior modification using balanced training. When I’m not working I really enjoy hiking the mountains with my personal dogs, rock climbing and yoga.

Alanna has been an animal lover all her life so having the chance to incorporate dogs into her professional life was a no brainer! In 2018, Alanna attended the Tom Rose School for Professional Dog trainers where she earned two certifications with her yellow lab, Millie and was invited to stay on a scholarship where she had the opportunity to assist in teaching the incoming class of students. Alannas education not only cemented her passion for dog training but also gave her the skills to help owners create better relationships with their dogs. However, her craving for knowledge didn’t stop there. Alanna believes in the importance of continuous education to better serve her clients and their canines. She realizes that each dog thinks, learns and responds in a unique way to different techniques and training methods. Alanna continues to attend seminars and workshops and is eager to expand her knowledge as a dog trainer. In her free time you can find her dock diving with Millie as well as training for upcoming scent work trials. In the near future she plans on exploring the world of protection sports as well.

Ellie grew up in the California Bay Area with Alaskan Malamutes as family pets.  She joined 4-H and participated in Dog Showmanship where she was first introduced to the basics of Canine health, nutrition, grooming, and the foundations of behaviors and training.  Driven by a passion for wanting to understand the “why” behind behaviors she got her Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and has recently graduated from Koru K9’s Master Trainer Course.  She also has spent the last 10 years fostering dogs, with a particular interest in rehabilitating canines that have behavior issues. Ellie has six dogs currently, two rescue mixes, a Golden Retriever and three Australian Shepherds.  Her dogs are a pivotal part of her family; she travels with them on trips across the country and also enjoys finding enriching ways to engage with them in day to day life.  Ellie strives to help others understand their dogs and achieve a respected relationship that will allow them to live life to the fullest.

Owen grew up in a part of the countryside where he was surrounded by horses, cows and family dogs, igniting a love of all animals.  Just before starting high school he began to explore his passion with riding horses and soon progressed to competition showing in english hunter jumper and cross country. Owen eventually went on to manage a stable with over forty horses, run summer camps, train clients horses, and assist in a breeding program for Belgian warmbloods. After college he went on to work in the hospitality industry and was focused primarily on training people how to excel in their professional and personal lives, but never lost his passion for working with animals. After adopting his own dog, an Australian Shepherd named Emma, Owen jumped head first into training with her using a balanced approach. After completing the Koru K9 master class and mentorship program, Owen is now dedicated to using his skills in training dogs and people to help them build the best possible relationship that’s built on a balanced foundation of respect and trust.

For Juliana, growing up around family dogs helped solidify a deep passion for all things dog. From a very young age, she has dedicated herself to learning and being around dogs as much as possible. She has taken every opportunity to work with dogs and has loved learning about their behavior! She currently attends UC Berkeley and is majoring in Molecular Environmental Biology with an emphasis in Animal Health and Behavior. 

She has further nurtured her passion through working as a conservation detection handler for a private company called Mussel Dogs and as a professional dog trainer at another private company. Her main goals are to help owners build stronger relationships with their dogs through clear communication and trust. 

She currently owns three dogs, Bailey, a husky mix, Wyatt, a German Shorthaired pointer and Violence, a Belgian Malinois. These dogs are her pride and joy! During their free time, they love to spend time outdoors, perfecting their training! Bailey works as a demo dog to help with client sessions as a distraction. Wyatt is also a demo dog and is working towards NAVHDA hunting tests. Violence will be training as a PSA prospect. 

Hello! My name is Jordan. I have a service lab named Mowgli and a personal protection malinois names Kronos—both of which I trained myself. Ever since I was little, my nickname has been “Boo”, but I’ve always had such a connection to animals that my parents started calling me “Dr. Boo Little”; since then, I have always dreamed of working with animals. I’ve been in the industry for six years working as a veterinary technician, dog nutritionist, and dog trainer. My goal as your trainer is to form a line of communication between you and your dog that will better your relationship.

Shannon was born in New Jersey and has always loved animals! Spending summers at the Jersey Shore inspired her love for the ocean and protecting marine life. From a young age, Shannon and her family had a wide variety of pets, including dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, and lizards. Shannon attended Rutgers University and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Marine and Coastal Sciences as well as minoring in Psychology and Informal Science Education. After university, she moved to Orlando, Florida to pursue her dream of working at SeaWorld. During her six years with the company, she held several positions within the Education Department. Next, Shannon moved across the country to work at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as the Tour Programs Supervisor. Some of the highlights from Shannon’s time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium include hosting proposal tours in front of the Kelp Forest and teaching people about African Penguins from inside their exhibit!

Shannon’s experience with animal behavior and guest service means she understands the importance of positive training experiences - for both animals and people! For nearly ten years, she has worked in the animal care industry teaching people about the importance of training and how it can improve the relationship between animals and people! In her free time, Shannon loves to spend time with her two cats while she binge watches her favorite series or dives into a good book. Koru K9 is a perfect fit for Shannon because she loves to help people who simply want the best training for their animal companions!

Brandon has grown up with animals all of his life. Once he graduated school, he spent 8 years working as an automotive repair technician and excelled rapidly. It wasn't until he got his Pitbull Mix Opie, that he was drawn to the world of Balanced Dog Training. Brandon attended Koru K9's Balanced School for Dog Trainers and found his true passion and career path. He found joy in helping dogs and owners build a solid relationship with trust, and structure. In his free time, he can be found fishing, hiking and spending time with his wife, son, two dogs and horse.

Trey grew up in a small rural town but that never stopped him from seeking a new adventure.

After realizing college wasn’t right for him his research into the dog training world began. Trey then attended the Fall 2019 Immersion Program at The Michael Ellis School for dog trainers with his American Bully, Shark, who had become reactive to most dogs and cats. It was there Trey learned to help his dogs live a more fulfilling life using a reliable communication method through balanced dog training. 

Trey hopes to compete in bitesports one day and learn the art of decoying. 

Mikayla’s dog training journey started on her 11th birthday with a bundle of love disguised as a Golden Retriever puppy named Penny. Penny was Mikayla’s first introduction to the world of canine behavior, training, and competitive obedience, and was a loving adventure buddy for many years. After graduating from college, Mikayla decided to rejoin the dog community and adopted an Australian Cattle Dog rescue named Miracle. What was supposed to be a smooth entry back into the dog world quickly turned in to a crash course in aggression rehabilitation and behavior modification. Seeing the changes and improvements in Mira’s quality of life was incredibly rewarding, and inspired Mikayla to continue learning and developing her training skills. It wasn’t long before friends, family, and neighbors began asking for training advice with their dogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Mikayla is passionate about helping dogs and their owners develop healthy relationships through clear communication, consistency, and confidence building (for both dog and owner!). When she’s not working with clients, Mikayla can be found spending time with her personal dogs (Mira, Moose, and Das), volunteering for multiple dog rescues, and honing her decoy skills.

Sarah started out working with task trained service dogs for veterans with PTSD. During that time she also apprenticed under another trainer rehabilitating dogs with behavioral problems. Her passion has always been learning how to communicate with everyone, both dogs and people, in the way they understand best. Sarah enjoys dock diving, disc games, mondioring, and training many other tasks and tricks with her two personal dogs.

As a child, Joey grew up in a house that had a (at the time) strict no pets allowed rule. This only made his desire for canine companionship grow stronger. So he sought out the local neighborhood dogs he could play and interact with.
Once he left home he picked a career path in the grueling world of the food service industry. Between odd hours and long hours it didn’t leave much in the way of owning and caring for a dog. So he did the next best thing. He volunteered at a local animal shelter and always took on offers to pet sit for friends and coworkers.
Joey worked as a coffee educator for a once small specialty coffee chain where he trained countless baristas. He then went on to work as a cook and chef in various kitchens that took him to places like New York, Los Angeles, Rome, and even China. During this time he would often joke that his life goal was to have enough free time to get a dog of his own.
It finally happened and he traded in the chef whites for a training vest and got his first ever dog, an extremely exuberant Malinois. He knew right away that this was going to be more than a hobby, it was going to be his new career and passion. His training experience started by attending the Immersion Program at Michael Ellis School (where he went home with his second Malinois), and interning for a friend and fellow dog trainer. Joey plans on competing and decoying in ring sports and IGP. When he is not training his own dogs or going on hikes, he visits his parents' senior dogs so he can enjoy a slower pace of life.

A little about me. I have 5 personal dogs, 2 working dogs, 2 house pets and 1 retired hog hunting dog. Nani, Orson, Geisha, NightMare and Piggy. I’ve been working with dogs since 2011 when I started volunteering at Berkeley Animal Care, I gradually worked my way up to being a Shelter mentor, Bad Rap handler/volunteer and fostering n training dogs labeled “aggressive”. Sadly seeing so many dogs fail due to human error had me striving to really work with the dogs and guide the humans to be better and do better. I train n compete with my personal dogs in Dock Diving, Weight Pull, Wall Climb, French Ring Sport along with K9 Detection. I also competed on America’s Top Dog Season 3. On my off time I like to go to the gym, relax and Road trip to new food spots. 

Clover has a BS in Captive Wildlife Care and Environmental Education. He contracted for the US Army and spent time working the medical aspect of military working dogs as an animal health specialist at Schofield Barracks, in Hawaii. He took to studying more on obedience work and earned his certified dog trainer certificate.He became a police decoy under the tutelage of his mentor a former K9 handler for his county agency and vendor/trainer, in Utah, who train and sell dogs to departments across the country, and started working as many dogs as he could. He traveled to seminars and he learned theory and practicum as to how and why certain methods are used. He compiled all that he's learned into a variable method that can be used to strengthen the trust between a dog and their owner whether they are a K9 team on the street or deploying, or a person and their companion as home.He competes in Protection Sports Association and is a certified trial decoy as well.Clover also is employed by HRD Police K9 as an adjunct instructor. Outside of dogs Clover competes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and goesoffroading.

Being around animals has always been a passion of mine. Having grown up with many types of pets, from dogs and cats to snakes and birds, I have always sought new and better ways to live and communicate with each and every one of my animal companions. However, I always knew that dogs held the most special place in my heart. Their drive, intelligence, loyalty, and unique personalities are unmatched and what led me to devote my time learning how to repair and create healthier relationships between owner and dog. All of my experience has been hands-on, including learning from various mentors and dogs of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. I am hoping to change the world through dog training by educating those around me and creating healthier and happier dogs and owners!

Natalie has been training dogs and working with a wide range of critters professionally since high school.  Originally a Northern California native, Natalie interned and eventually worked for a dog training facility in Chico as the Training Center Coordinator. In 2005, Natalie earned her certification as a Registered Veterinary Assistant. In 2011, she graduated from Sierra Nevada University with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Her professional animal training career has included working with everything from tigers to tortoises, but dogs have always played a pivotal role in her life.  In 2016, Natalie began working as a Dog Trainer for GET RATTLED which conducts Rattlesnake aversion training clinics for dogs all over the country. Through experience with her and her husband's beloved dog, Jack the Lab x Gorilla mystery breed, Natalie has acquired a devoted passion for Balanced Dog Training and the high quality of life it can bring even the most reactive dog. Natalie, her husband, dog, cat, Flemish giant rabbits, horses and reptiles now live on the Oregon Coast in Lincoln County. She is thrilled to be able to represent Koru K9 and bring her experience to the area. 

Lynneice was born in Alabama and is truly a Southern Girl at heart!  She lived in the Bay Area for some time where she received a degree in Early Childhood Education from San Jose State University.  Lynneice humorously notes that many of the skills used in teaching humans can apply to our furry friends as well! Although she hasn’t owned dogs in a few years, she has many “nieces & nephews,” because her sister Mahogany is a trainer with Koru K9 and has quite a few pups of her own! When not speaking about dogs, Lynneice’s children keep her busy.  Lynneice resides in Georgia and is a mother of four.  Her twin daughters are currently learning all about dog training from their Aunt Mahogany!  Lynneice is also an avid reader and aspiring voice over artist who thoroughly enjoys meeting all who come through the doors of Koru K9. Wag On!

Ashley was born in Bradenton, FL and got her first fur baby in 2005. Ashley moved to Miami, Florida to attend Johnson and Wales University to pursue her passion for Baking and Pastry which she now couples with her love of animals in her bakery business where she makes homemade dog treats (as well as yummy human treats!). 

I was born and raised in a small, rural mountain town in Northern California, where I found a love for the outdoors and all the creatures that inhabited the forests and streams around me. From a young age I was known for my love of animals. Once, I raised a starling chick that fell from its nest, feeding him every two hours around the clock and making sure he stayed warm. I never left him even during my softball tournaments, he would sit in his box on our bench as the unofficial mascot of Lassen Xplosion! I received my first puppy, a Jack Russell mix with what we thought was cattle dog, at the age of 9.

It was quite a daunting task to raise such a high-strung dog at a young age, but I was up for the challenge. My parents made it clear they would take no part in raising the dog, so I set my mind to proving I could make my puppy, Peanut, the best dog. She never left my side, my partner in crime. I would teach her trick after trick. Making her stay while I threw her most prized possession, a tennis ball, until I gave her the release. I taught her all the tricks I could think of at the age of 9 which included dance, sit, shake, roll over, sit pretty, craw, and jump.

After high school I became a mother to 3 beautiful children. Being a mother, I get to pass on my love for the mountains and animals to those dearest to me. I get to coach Tball to my children and see them struggle and succeed at something they have little control over while teaching them failure is fine, as long as you never give up. Looking back at my childhood and raising a dog of that caliber on my own devices makes me grateful to work for a company that offers help to those who need it. Peanut had the potential to become a very destructive and dangerous dog. This company helps save dog lives like Peanut.

Kaitie was born in Connecticut and spent her childhood surrounded by animals. Her mother is a Veterinary Technician, and she inspired Kaitie’s love of animals. Her family had a number of pets including dogs, cats, birds, guinea pigs and tortoises. Kaitie moved to Florida to attend the Florida Institute of Technology and pursue her passion for Animal Behavioral Psychology. After university, she worked in the Education department of SeaWorld Orlando, doing small animal handling as well as other management positions. Kaitie went on to focus on her love of assisting people and worked at overseeing the Guest Arrival experience of SeaWorld Orlando. Kaitie has a background in both animal behavior and guest service and she understands the need for positive training experiences to help better the relationship between people and their animal companions. Kaitie is an avid reader and loves to SCUBA dive whenever possible, she lives in Celebration, Florida with her husband, dog Guster and 2 cats. Koru K9 is a perfect fit for Kaitie, as she loves assisting people who simply want the best possible training for their companions.

Seyonna grew up in a small town in California called Chester. She bought her home in Hamilton Branch California and spends a lot of her spare time gardening, and enjoying the lake. She has 3 young children and spends a great deal of time coaching, and volunteering outside of work. She brought her first dog Tiena home when she was in elementary school. Growing up with labs, and chihuahuas throwing a cattle dog in the mix was a whole new world. Seyonna now has her second cattle dog Juniper and her little brother Borris the Basset hound.  The dogs love the lake and spending time with the kids at the ball field. Like Seyonna did to her parents when she brought Tiena home for the first time, her kids found an abandoned cat at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere living on a pile of rocks. They now call him Rocky. With a very active lifestyle and a full plate, having a job that she loves helping owners with their pets is an indescribable reward. Over the years Seyonna has worked for Koru K9 she has developed a strong background in customer service and has organized and managed over 60 people. The level of organization and attention to detail that comes with running the office has truly been a great learning experience. This job is nothing short of amazing and working with a company as great as Koru K9 has been a blessing. Helping thousands of owners with their dogs, and finding trainers to fit the Koru family has been life changing for Seyonna. Thank you for joining our pack!

Jefferson has over 15 years of experience training and rehabilitating dogs. He holds a Foundation Level Huntsmith Trainer Certification through Ronnie Smith Kennels, where he spent a month as an apprentice. He also holds a Certificate through the Balanced School of Dog Trainers and spent some time with Jonathan Katz of Chicago Canine Company learning more about Protection Work and Decoy Work. A true outdoorsman, Jefferson and his Pudelpointer, Gunner, are an amazing team together. Gunner is a bird dog and loves spending time hunting with his dad! Jefferson’s down to Earth and straightforward nature make him a favorite with many of our clients.

Lindsey has been training dogs for over 13 years. Her passion for dogs started as a child, and only grew more as an adult. After volunteering at a dog shelter in college, she decided that she wanted to spend her career helping dogs with training and behavioral needs. She attended the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers, and ended up working for the school as a training instructor for 6 years.​She became fascinated with Belgian Malinois early in her training career, and now currently breeds, trains, and raises working Belgian Malinois. She competes with them in a sport called Mondioring. Lindsey is passionate about helping dogs and owners better understand each other to make life together more enjoyable. She considers herself a reward based trainer, but believes that punishment is a necessary part of the learning process. She uses prong collars and electric collars in a fair and consistent manner so the dog has the best opportunity to learn how to properly behavior in the world.

Kristin has had a lifelong interest in behavior and cognitive processes which led her to earn her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in counseling. Her everlasting love of and interest in animals motivated her to join the veterinary field from 2005 until 2017. She has always enjoyed the casual training and activities with her dogs. In early 2013 she acquired Ash, a reactive Australian Cattle Dog, and her interest in canine behavior modification fully emerged. Her goals were reached with dedication, balanced training, and the help of seasoned trainers. Her passion for using her veterinary experience, education, and experience training guided her to a three-month apprenticeship where she continued to learn and practice balanced training methods for basic obedience and behavioral modification. In 2015 she began offering private lessons, conducting group classes, and training dogs in the board and train program and has been training people and their pets ever since. She believes learning, like training, is a lifelong process and continues to learn with hands-on experience, research, seminars, classes, and working beside other experienced trainers. For Kristin, it is incredibly rewarding to assist dogs and their owners in overcoming personal limitations, building healthy relationships, and living happier lives together. In addition, she is an AKC CGC evaluator and a professional member of the APDT. In her free time, Kristin enjoys taking her Australian Cattle Dogs, Ash and Rowan hiking and participating in herding training.

Ericka has been training dogs since 2000. Ericka has run her own dog training business, that included running a working sheep ranch with 200 sheep and 11 working dogs, developing and managing the behavior department for two animal shelters, training and competing with dogs in agility, conformation, obedience, rally-o, weight pull, nosework, mondioring, and lure coursing, and helping thousands of people and dogs live better lives together. Ericka is certified in several programs that help people and dog live happier lives together. These include: The Train to Adopt Program making dogs in the shelter more adoptable as well as provide them with daily mental stimulation through training. The Training Wheels program, that keeps dogs out of the shelter by providing mobile behavioral and medical assistance to the community. She also became certified in the Lug Nuts program that helps intercity kids keep out of dog fighting and give them an outlet to “show off” their dogs while using positive reinforcement training and fostering a community bond. Ericka excelled in her ability to match dogs and people together to make life long matches in the Asses a Pet program. In addition, she is certified in the Pets for Life program helping owners transition their new dog or puppy in their home. Dog Sport are her passion. She loves to help pet dog owners make the jump to dog sports and reap the benefits! Ericka believes training is more than just teaching dog behaviors. Seeing the relationships that develop between dog and owner and the freedom that well-trained dogs can experience is what is it all about. In addition to working with Koru K9, Ericka is the lead trainer for the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers where she teaches several courses — with her favorite being Detection. Ericka is a NoseWork Judge, CGC Evaluator, and the President of a NoseWork and Rally Obedience Club.

Growing up on a working horse ranch, Heather’s work with animals began at a young age. With 30 head of cattle, several dozen chickens, and various other species to look after; she began training her rescue German Shepherds how to herd and help with ranch work. In high school, her bond with animals continued to grow as she began competing in ranch horsemanship, reining, trail competitions. and dog agility. Her love for science and animals lead to Heather pursuing her degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at the University of California Davis. During her time at UC Davis, Heather worked for the UC Center for Neuroscience as an Animal Behaviorist. There she would asses various exotic species for training. Heather would design behavioral experiments to test various aspects of the neuroanatomical findings for labs and act as a behavioral consultant for a variety of projects. She also worked on her own behavioral research and is currently working towards publishing her findings. While at Davis she continued her work with dogs and started a dog rehabilitation program for dogs sanctioned to be euthanized for aggression issues. It became her goal to save as many dogs as possible and she continues to take on “project” dogs for rehabilitation to adopt out as therapy dogs for hospice, children’s hospital and various other non profit organizations. Because of her time spent at UC Davis, and seeing the lack of results purely positive methods gave clients, lead Heather to moving to become a balanced trainer. Heather and her dog Quigley have also piloted a program to give emergency therapy dog services to those in need. Through interactions with local cancer support groups, she have been able to create a network of emergency dog therapy support lines.

Debbie Port grew up riding and training horses professionally. She trained her own dogs on the side and over the years got interested in dog sports. Over the past 15 years she has taken clinics and seminars to better her training for her dogs. As she educated herself more she decided to switch from helping horse owners to having better relationships with their horses to helping dog owners to have better relationships with their dogs. She attended the Micheal Ellis School for dog trainers and is an AKC Evaluator for the Canine Good Citizens, Community Canine, Urban Canine and Tricks Dog certifications . Committed to providing the most effective, convenient solutions to her clients dog training needs, Debbie advidly pursues ongoing continuing education and provisional development by attending several seminars per year and keeping current on all industry literature. When not helping clients to enjoy easier lives with their canine companions, Debbie trains her own dogs in IGP (Schutzhund), ring sport, AKC obedience and dock diving.

Becca has been training dogs professionally for over six years. During that time, she has made the transition from a purely positive trainer to balanced training, after seeing the limitations of purely positive training, particularly when it comes to behavior modification. Becca has managed a successful daycare, and board & training facility for 5 years in her home town of Chico, CA. Her experience at this facility allowed her to gain invaluable experience in dog behavior through working with a wide variety of dog breeds in diverse environments. Becca’s own personal dog, Smokey, a German Shepherd mix, proves that, at 12 years young, it’s never too late to train! A year later Becca adopted an Australian Shepherd, named Bentley, who had resource guarding issues as well as reactivity towards people. We are happy to report that, through balanced training, Bentley is a calm, cool, and collected guy, and is one of our staff dogs used to help other reactive dogs. Becca has continued expanding her training by obtaining her certification through the Balanced School for Dog Trainers.

Jeremy has had a strong passion for working with animals since a young boy. After spending some time in the military, he began his quest into working dogs. Jeremy apprenticed under a highly experienced animal behaviorist, and, during that time also found his passion for protection sports. And the rest is, as they say, history. Since then, Jeremy has gone on to become a certified helper and decoy in multiple protection sports, earning National level with honors in one. Jeremy has successfully earned titles on multiple dogs as their handler and trainer. He runs a working dog club in Northern California, and has helped his club members achieve titles with their own dogs. Jeremy has also bred several litters of working line German Shepherds — all who have gone on to live and thrive in working homes. He is incredibly dedicated and passionate about helping owners and their dogs achieve a relationship they never thought was possible.

Ashley has held a lifelong affinity for dogs. Through her childhood and teenage years, she trained dogs and volunteered at an animal shelter. As Ashley went on to college, she realized she could turn her lifelong passion into a career. She continued her schooling and finished with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, while also studying dog behavior and getting as much hands on experience as she could. After graduating Ashley attended the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers, gaining more insight on dog behavior and complex training techniques. Ashley is currently working her Belgian Malinois for Mondioring and her Border Collie for Dock Diving, Nosework and Rally Obedience.

Jourdan was born and raised in Santa Cruz County. Her passion and love for dogs started at a very young age. Jourdan has owned high drive, working breeds her entire life, and realized, at a young age, that she had a natural affinity for training. The beginning of Jourdan’s career in canine training started with her seeking a higher level of training for her Australian Cattle Dogs. She took them to an Obedience & Agility class at a local police K9 training facility. The facility owner had been training dogs fro over 30 years, and immediately identified Jourdan’s potential, and offered Jourdan her first apprenticeship. Upon completion of this apprenticeship, Jourdan began private lessons, and group classes in obedience, protection, and agility, as well as board and trains for dogs with behavior issues, and for mobility and medical alert service dogs, and puppy raising. Jourdan’s interest for protection training and sports was peaked, and she began attending protection and obedience seminar or workshop she could. Through these seminars and workshops, Jourdan has trained with some of the best, and most inspiring trainers in the world. She has competed at a national, and International level with her personal Belgian Malinois, and has trained and titled multiple dogs / breeds. Jourdan who is forever a student of her craft, is happy to pass along her years of experienced, and education to her clients, and is excited to see her client dogs become happy, confident, engaged dogs.

Irini started her journey into the world of dog training through sport work. Competing and training at higher levels allowed for Irini to learn and understand how to read dogs, understand their drives, and behavior at a higher level that she can then bring into her pet dog training. After realizing that dog training was the path she wanted to follow in life, she started working with the local Police Department to help with their K-9s to work through control, and obedience issues. Irini competes in French Ring with her Belgian Malinois. She has two Belgian Malinois, a German Shepherd Mix, and a Shiba Inu.

Originally from Rhode Island, Brian has had a love for dogs his whole life, especially his old lab/ridgeback Zeke from Providence. That feeling has continued out here for his twelve years in the Bay Area. Previously, he served in the Marines, studied comparative religion and psychology in college, and most recently has worked in the organic produce industry. Brian immersed himself into the dog-training world through various seminars, classes, and working jointly with established dog behaviorists. Brian completed his internship and education through The Balanced School of Dog Trainers. His work is best seen in his Pit Bull, Maté, a fantastic transformation done by utilizing balanced techniques.

From the time she was young Celeste always had a deep passion for animals. Learning as much as she could and spending her free time with the family dogs. In her early teens she got her first dog Dakota, who had severe fear aggression towards people, and fear-based reactivity towards other dogs. She reached out to local trainers to work with him. That turned into Celeste mentoring with those trainers and eventually becoming their assistant trainer. These trainers worked for an animal shelter, and Celeste assisted them in training and rehabilitating the shelter dogs that had behavior issues. She learned the importance of timing, consistency, and balance, and worked Dakota through his behavior issues. Dakota was such a success story that he became their go-to demo and training dog! Little did Celeste know at that time that she would eventually end up fulfilling her mentors’ role, and become the lead trainer for the shelter. Celeste was also responsible for evaluating the temperament of all the dogs at the shelter, giving her a tremendous depth of experience in dealing with a wide variety of breeds, temperaments, and behavior issues. In her spare time, she began training Dakota in sport work — successful competing with and titling Dakota. It was through this process she discovered her passion for German Shepherds, and went on to compete with and title her first GSD, as well as train him up to be her Medical Service Alert Dog. Since that time, she has also gone on to start her own, successful breeding program for German Shepherds as well.

My passion for dogs started at a very young age! It began by teaching my family dogs new tricks to volunteering at my local animal shelter in high school. I have since, put in years learning about different dog training methods through mentorship programs, seminars and hands on experience. I am currently working towards competing in PSA with my Belgian Malinois, Moose, and recently sold another Malinois to a Police Department as a dual purpose apprehension and detection dog! 

I love to help teach families how to communicate with and better advocate for their dogs. Through the use of balanced training, I help families train their dogs to be the best companions they can be regardless of breed, size or behavioral issue. I want nothing more than for you and your dogs to live happily and in harmony! 

Maddie has always had a passion for dogs. Aside from growing up with them, as soon as she graduated high school she was volunteering with a local German Shepherd rescue and shadowing a balanced trainer. After that, she began working for a company that did behavior modification and working dogs. From there, her passion grew for working dogs and she started working with detection canines in the school system and conservation detection canines that detect invasive species. Maddie was a competitor on Americas Top Dog Season 2 and is now working towards PSA (Protection Sport Association) titles with her Malinois. When Maddie is not working with dogs she enjoys working out, traveling and hiking (dogs are typically still included here though!).

John got started with dog training learning personal protection with Guard Dogs of Miami, under owner Vince Cooper in the 1980’s. Then he got into sport training and has trained in all 5 European sport disciplines: Schutzhound, KNPV, NVBK, French Ring and Mondio; and has been certified twice as a French ring decoy, once as a Mondio ring decoy, and has been a Schutzhund helper. In addition to this, John was the president of North America Ring Association (NARA), has opened 5 ring clubs, and is the training director of Independent Ringers North (IRN). John worked with Tony Guzman of Metro Dade K9, working with police k9s, and has also menteed under Michelle Valladon, Dany Maison, Stephen Vanderbeck and Christopher Malsert. He enjoys attending as many seminars as he can, and has traveled to Europe, Mexico and across the U.S. to further his education. For the past 7 years, John has been the trainer for Scooter’s Pals Rescue.

Izzy has spent her entire lifetime surrounded by animals and was always the resident expert for all family and friends with pet questions. At an early age, Izzy began pet sitting and quickly became comfortable with a plethora of animals and animal husbandry techniques. As she continued to expand her animal care network, she remained close with her two family dogs, Scout and Sequoia. Although her love for all animals persists, her true passion remains in dog behavior. Izzy began studying her own two German Shepherd’s behavior and researching operant conditioning and classical conditioning. Her German Shepherds sparked an ongoing curiosity obedience training and she was inspired by her dogs’ ever-present drive to learn and engage. This continued interest in training led her to volunteer countless hours at the Humane Society of Ventura County. Her time working with high risk shelter dogs gave her the opportunity to work hands on with many difficult cases and observe behavioral changes brought on by a highly stressful kennel situation. Her natural ability to read canine body language made her one of the few volunteers who could handle the more difficult dogs in the shelter. She committed to help as many reactive dogs as she could and make training her career. While seeking a training school, Izzy met Heather, an animal behaviorist with 10 years of experience and a degree in behavior and neuroscience. Heather recognized Izzy’s natural talent and immediately took her under her wing and into her internship program. Under the guidance of a behaviorist, Izzy practiced training fundamentals with several dogs with varying degrees of reactivity. Over the course of her internship, Izzy worked with several challenging cases of human aggression, dog aggression, fear reactivity, resource guarding and more. It quickly became clear, training dogs saves lives, and this constantly fuels her passion to learn more and grow as a behaviorist. Izzy continues her education by attending seminars and seeking her perfect working dog companion who will most likely be another German Shepherd. Once she finds her future working dog, Izzy wants to continue to expand her knowledge of the field by competing in PSA, GRC and scent work.

Kathi has been working with dogs professionally for over 13 years. Her parents allowed her to get her first dog at 14 years old only because she promised to train him. She signed up for obedience classes and overtook it by week 5, helping the other students and becoming the instructor’s assistant. She started going to client’s homes to teach private lessons when she got her driver’s license at 16 years old, and started teaching group classes for the Auburn parks and recreation department.

After a little while, she wanted to do more than obedience and behavior modification, so at 18, she got her first German Shepherd and started dog sports and Search and Rescue. She has titled several dogs in AKC obedience and rally, National Association of Canine Scent Work, Schutzhund/IPO/IGP, and Working Dogs of America venues, as well as certified in Search and Rescue for live find and human remains detection. Kathi uses balanced training methods to teach behaviors from obedience to searching to behavior modification.

Heather has been training professionally since 2015 when she started her own training company and has loved how amazing it has been working with and meeting so many amazing owners who want their dogs to enjoy this beautiful world we live in! She currently has 4 dogs, 2 rabbits and a cat. Her GSD competes in IGP and Dock Diving and has her Dock Senior Title! Heather’s pet dogs include a Beagle, GSD X, and a Lab X who get to delve into scent work, tricks and lure coursing.

She has been around animals her entire life and her first two loves were horses and dogs. She used to show competitively in equine sports (3-day eventing) and absolutely loved working and training horses! She has always had a job working with and caring for animals. These jobs included stablehand, dog daycare attendant, dog walker, dog sitter and vet assistant. Heather could not imagine a world in which she didn’t work with animals!

Damian grew up in Northern Indiana, playing sports and spending as much time outdoors as possible. After high school Damian started an apprenticeship at an automotive paint and repair shop where he excelled at the trade and spent almost 10 years honing those skills and positioning himself for a successful career however, he soon realized that his chosen trade was not fulfilling and he had to try something different. So he put in his notice and spent the next two years traveling the country with his 3 German Shepherds. Damian hiked to the top of mountains in Colorado, boated the Great Lakes, and even rafted rapids in Wisconsin, the whole time his dogs were right next to him. The bond he developed with his “pack” was the reason he pursued a career in dog training. Damian wants every dog owner to have a bond and relationship like he had with his dogs — and the best way to achieve that is through structure and opening up communication between pet and owner. Damian started his dog training education through mentorship with one of the most passionate and knowledgeable trainers in the country, and continues to develop and learn through continued mentorship, weekly club, and any other opportunity he can grab. Damian is a decoy for various protection sports.

Chris has owned and trained dogs his whole life except for the 4 years he was in the US Coast Guard. Starting off training his own bird dogs, Chris quickly became the go-to person within his family and friends when it came to dog training. Since 2004, Chris has been an avid diver, specializing in freediving. He is an Instructor Trainer Evaluator for one of the top agencies in the world. Chris has devoted most of his time educating people through complex courses. In 2018 Chris started training his Dutch Shepherd in French ring as well as training as a French Ring Decoy. Chris has decided that he would like to help other dog owners develop the best and healthiest relationship he can with their dogs.

Sparky grew up in a small Port Townsend, WA where his love of dogs and fascination with animal behavior began at a very young age with his clever and quick-witted Border Collie. He spent countless hours working with this dog, teaching her obedience and new tricks where eventually he convinced his parents to let him get a German Shepherd, under the circumstances that he would train the dog. Not only did Sparky keep this new dog under control, he dedicated his life to training him and soon was introduced to the sport of Schutzhund and began learning the tedious training process of advanced sport and trialing for the next few years, truly unlocking his passion for dog training. After finishing high school, he made the decision to dedicate his life to dog training and make it a career, thus not even a month after graduating, Sparky ventured to the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers to take their long-term immersion program. This program opened up so many doors and directions for Sparky and allowed him to dedicate all of his time and energy to the work he truly loves, including introducing him to the Belgian Malinois breed where he now owns two of and is preparing them to compete in the ring sports. Sparky is dedicated to keep growing as a trainer by continuing his education in dog training by attending seminars, sport work clubs, shadowing other trainers all over the west coast, and routinely returning to the Michael Ellis School.

Kareena Moore is a Certified Master Dog Trainer who graduated from Tarheel Canine in Sanford, North Carolina. She grew up in the beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington where she competed in 4-H with her horse, Toye where she went to the State Championships in Western Gaming. She started her love for dogs and more specifically working dogs when she got her cattle dog, Po. She experimented with Po and his herding capabilities out at the ranch with the horses and that then led her on the road to North Carolina to attend Tarheel Canine, specializing in police dogs and training. Most recently, Kareena trained pets in Chicago, Illinois, at Chicago Canine Company while apprenticing under Jonathan Katz, PSA Judge and highly respected working dog trainer. While she was there she worked with rescued and abandoned senior dogs along with all of the knowledge she began to learn in the world of sport dog training. After learning more about these dogs she has become more driven to educate people about the dogs they are getting and the responsibilities of owning them. When Kareena is not busy training her clients’ dogs, she enjoys training her own dogs in different sports and activities like PSA, French Ring Sports, Agility, tracking, and various odor detection. Kareena is also a co-host on The Balanced Dog Podcast, along with Sr. Trainer, Samantha Lee, and Koru K9 Owner, Bridget Murphy.

Hello everyone!

My name is Taylor Davis, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Koru K9 team! I have always had a fascination with animals and knew that I wanted to work with them from a young age. In 2014 I attended The Tom Rose School for dog trainers, where I learned many aspects of training. After completion of both the Professional and Master courses, I knew that I needed to learn more. I have spent a lot of time travelling the country learning about various types of training ranging from competition to police canine training.

Through my travelling and learning I believe in a few key things when it comes to training. I believe that it is my obligation to provide you with the skills and knowledge to not only train your dog, but to create a trust, bond, and understanding that that goes beyond simply teaching obedience. Individual dogs are unique and require various things in training and in their lives. Determining what will make you and your dog’s life better will ultimately determine what you need from training. We show these animals the ultimate respect when we provide and treat them in ways that will make them prosper and understand what it means to coexist with humans. When these things are done properly, we create a canine that is attentive and respectful of us. It is our duty as their caregivers to lead them in the right direction. This is my mission when training with not only my own dogs, but you as well.

In January to September of 2014, I attended the Tom Rose School for professional dog trainers under the instruction of Kari Koch, and Dave Van Garderen. I took my learning and put it to practice with my own two dogs, and later found them great homes as dual purpose K9’s. After graduating the Professionals program, I accepted a job at Kennelwood Pet Resorts, in Saint Louis Missouri, where I met and worked with so many great people and dogs. The biggest learning experience for me is finding ways to work with the dog that’s in front of me. Aside from training dogs, I absolutely love working with their owners! It’s so rewarding to see happy and motivated owners that are excited about working with their dog.

I have, and always will, consider myself a student of dog training! My goal is to always be learning because not every one dog is the same, and should not be treated as such. I have been training dogs professionally for over 10 years, starting at the young age of 18. You’ve heard it straight from me… I started as a trainer for Petsmart. I longed for something more, which is where I found myself attending the Tom Rose School for professional dog trainers (TRS) at the age of 19. I graduated from their professional and master program.

When the opportunity arose, I became an instructor at TRS where I helped many others like myself find out more of what our dogs can offer. I really developed a liking and passion for working with protection dogs, and in 2013 I certified as a Protection Sports Association(PSA) decoy. After working many dogs and many trials, I was honored to become a PSA national select decoy in 2017, 2018 in Canada, 2019, and 2020. It has been amazing!

In March of 2020 I attended a NePoPo R seminar, with Bart and Michael Bellon, that helped reignite and refuel my passion for learning. I graduated the silver program, and a couple months later attended and graduated from the gold program. With so many schools of thought, it can be a daunting task for any dog owner to choose which way to go with their dog. It is my goal to use all the tools in my toolbox, all my resources, and all my experiences to help guide owners on their dog training journey and enjoy the process. Training and learning is fun, and that is why I am here.

Sean is a veteran of the United States Navy and the United States Army, serving his country from 2005 to 2012. Sean served as a NCO and as a MOS 37F Psychological Operations Specialist. During his military career, Sean developed a strong appreciation for his fellow canine service members. After leaving the military, Sean perused his interest in canine training. He attended The Tom Rose School’s Professional and Master Dog Training Programs. Sean specializes in canine obedience, detection, and apprehension training. Currently, Sean works as a decoy for High Risk Deployment Police K9, a network of canine trainers, decoys, and handlers that are committed to improving police canine training well beyond the existing certification standards. As a board member of Hounds 4 Heroes, Sean oversees daily operations, training programs, and assessment of canines.

Most know Lindsey as the girl with the dog. In 2004 she began her canine ventures by raising a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind. This experience sparked an interest that ignited a passion. She continued working with service dogs for the next twelve years. Focusing greatly on early development and socialization of puppies in training.

After attending The Tom Rose School in 2017, she ventured into other fields of dog training. Participating in agility, tracking, nose work, protection, obedience, tricks and therapy work.

In more recent years she has been the manager and trainer for a doggy daycare in Southern Oregon. During which Lindsey set up a canine enrichment program. The idea being a daycare alternative that provided both mental and physical stimulation for dogs that were not suitable for social play. Enrichment activities included obedience, tricks, agility, nose work, treadmilling, brain games and more.

As a trainer, Lindsey’s goal is to maximize a dog’s potential. As this varies from dog to dog, so does her approach of achieving it.

Hanna Seitamaa started her animal career by going to school to be a Zookeeper, and she graduated in 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden. During this time she volunteered at a dog shelter in Malaga, Spain, and she was also heavily involved with a local dog rescue where she helped them find good homes for their rescue dogs. During this time she had her own 2 dogs as well, a golden/border collie mix and a border collie/dalmatian mix.
In 2011 Hanna continued her passion for dogs by working for K9 Lifeline, a respected dog training facility in Salt Lake City, where she stayed for 7 years. This is when she joined the IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals), she went to multiple seminars a year and got to learn from some of the best dog trainers in the industry. After years of intense learning, Hanna had the opportunity to train nearly 3000 dogs and their owners.

She traveled throughout the country where she co-taught workshops to teach other dog trainers, as well as visiting other countries to spread knowledge about how to better our communication and lives with our 4-legged family members.

In 2018 Hanna moved to Portland to continue teaching dogs and their owners how to better understand each other, so both the 2-legged and 4-legged can live better, more fulfilled and happier lives.

Hanna takes on behaviors through a big picture approach, and she emphasizes to teach owners why their dogs do the behaviors they do so they can fully understand and achieve the best solutions and training. It’s crucial to understand the why’s, so we can act correctly to help our dogs and ourselves to have easier and happier lives together with more freedom to explore.

Hanna is enjoying her family that consists of her husband James, her 4 dogs; Violet the White Shepherd, Maja the Chocolate Lab mix, Merlin the Iggy, and Pizza the terrier mix and their 3 cats; Booboo, Coyote, and Astro.

Hi! I’m Brittney Howard, I own Dawg Boss! I started training dogs when I was 12 years old in 4H, and since then I have been dedicated to the art of dog training. I opened Dawg Boss in 2016, while stationed in Alaska! In 2018, I got out of the military to peruse dog training full time. At Dawg Boss, our specialty is behavior modification. Our goal is to change your dog’s state of mind; from frustrated, crazy, distracted to a dog that is focused, attentive and respectful to the norms of our day to day life. We can also tackle those hard cases of aggression that get dogs put down. One of my favorite board and train programs we offer is our “puppy raising program”, allow us to train your puppy to be the best adult dog possible! I cannot wait to train with you all!

Sammy grew up with a humongous family surrounded by all types of different animals. She has owned dogs, cats, chickens, horses, goats, bunnies, and so much more! Sammy grew up riding and competing in local horse shows and spending time with her fur friends. Sammy became passionate about dogs when she was a teenager and started working for her local dog kennel. She has helped with local rescues as well as rehabilitating horses. Sammy and her husband own two pitty mixes who they consider to be their best friends and family members. When Sammy is not in the Office at Koru K9, she can be found backpacking, hiking and exploring with her two dogs and her husband.

I have been a dog guy since childhood. I started my professional training career in dog training 15 years ago as a behavioral rehabilitation specialist right here in Nashville. Over the last decade I have made a well respected name for myself in the working dog world, producing Law Enforcement K9’s. My love for teaching comes across in my communication with my clients. I live for that “light bulb” moment when a pet owner gains the knowledge and perspective to communicate clearly and precisely with their pet.

I have an amazing wife of 17 years that puts up with all my “crazy” dog antics and we have one amazing son 7 years old. Even though I’m originally from Texas…Tennessee is home and has been almost two decades.

I look forward to helping TN dog owners gain a better understanding of their beloved dogs and opening up those lines of communication to allow a happier, more fulfilling, and active relationship between you and your dog!

Eloise’s history with Working Dogs date back to 2009 in the British Forces, followed by an ongoing career in Firefighting. Before her move from Britain to the USA in 2015, her main focus was Accelerant Detection Canines. Arson roles in the US are commonly filled by Law Enforcement, due to this, she found herself delving into apprehension training. Over the years, she’s stayed busy with; Pet dogs, trialing her own Dog, and training with K-9 units and other mentors nationally (always looking to better her trainer and decoy skills). This is how she learned about Koru, through Ray Murphy and HRD. Eloise currently has a career firefighting, and instructs and assists with various Fire Academies, and owns her own Pet/Working Dog company. We are happy to have her as a part of the team and happy to see Tennessee on the Koru K9 map!

Ray Murphy is the co-owner, Training Director, and Lead Behaviorist of Koru K9 Dog Training and Rehabilitation, co-owner of The Balanced School for Dog Trainers, and High Risk Deployment Police K9. Ray’s background in the military and project management gives him a unique perspective and advantage when it comes to working with the human aspect of the dog training equation. With a passion for rehabilitating aggressive dogs, Ray is known for taking the most difficult cases and turning them around with results that far exceed client’s expectations. Ray is Koru K9’s lead aggression specialist and regularly works court mandated training cases. When given the chance for training, Ray turns these dogs around and the cases have been dismissed! These dogs are often dogs that other trainers have given up on, or are unwilling to work with. He is certified through Tarheel Canine in North Carolina, and is a Police K9 Instructor Certification through Torchlight K9. Ray and Nero (pictured) achieved their PDC, PSA-1 title (Protection Work and Obedience), and Canine Good Citizen title before Nero’s untimely and unexpected passing. Ray is now working with his new German Shepherd puppy, Voodoo — training to be future PSA champions!

Bridget and her husband, Ray, co-own Koru K9 Dog Training and Rehabilitation, The Balanced School for Dog Trainers, and High Risk Deployment Police K9. Her passion for behavior training started while rehabilitating her own dog, Luna, who Bridget describes as a “hot mess” when she was rescued. While Bridget spends the majority of her time running the Koru K9 operational side of things, her training style is one that is motivational and with a focus on building the relationship between the dog and it’s owner. Bridget and Luna, who is no longer a hot mess, work together in sheep herding as well as high level obedience. Bridget and Cairo, have achieved their PSA (Protection Sports Association) PDC, and PSA-1 title, and are actively training for their PSA-2. Bridget also founded The Balanced Dog Podcast, and is a co-host along with Samantha, and Kareena.