Meet Your Trainers
MINDY​
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My dog training journey began in 2012 when I adopted my first dog, a fearful mixed breed named Maple. I realized there was a need to better understand shelter dog behavior after adopting her, and began helping at local animal shelters to walk dogs and provide enrichment. My early experience with shelters eventually led into my professional dog training career in 2017. Since I began dog training, I've helped hundreds of dogs and their families in everything from basic obedience to competition training, but my passion lies in helping with behavior modification cases for anxious, reactive, or fearful dogs. When I'm not helping clients with their dogs, I volunteer my time helping animal shelters and educating individuals through training workshops and providing hands-on instruction with dog care and behavior management. Behavior is one of the primary reasons dogs are returned or surrendered to shelters, and I believe that understanding how to manage these behaviors is key to succesful adoption and fostering experiences!
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I am certified in Pet Tech CPR & First Aid, a registered AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. I'm also Houston's local coordinator for Go Team Therapy, Crisis, & Airport Dogs and volunteer with my certified therapy dogs in places like assisted living homes and children's behavior clinics to bring comfort to those in need. In my free time, I also enjoy hanging out with my five dogs and cat, going on long walks, and competing in dog sports, such as obedience, hunt tests, agility, and dock diving.
ROLANDO
My career with dogs began in 2016 as a Military Working Dog (MWD) Handler in the Marine Corps. I worked as a Specialized Search Dog (SSD) handler with my partner, K9 "Eddie," stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Throughout my military career as a dog handler, I traveled with Eddie to work/train in Iwakuni, South Korea, Arizona, and California. I worked with over 30 handlers and their dogs, eventually going on to coach and train new MWD handler/dog teams to the highest standard.
After my time with the military, I got a job in security with a new K9 partner, "Oz II," an explosive detection dog (EDC). Oz and I do explosive detection work for major teams, including the Houston Astros, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals. We also screen cargo to keep the public safe, searching for explosives and screening thousands of pieces of freight before getting shipped out of IAH and other airports in the state of Texas. When not working in explosives detection, I've also continued my dog training career working with pet dogs and their families in basic obedience and behavior modification, and I specialize in working with anxiety, fear, and aggression cases.
I’m always continuing to learn and grow as a trainer, and in my free time, I enjoy obedience and hunting retriever training with my labs. I also volunteer with my retired Military Working Dog, Eddie, doing therapy dog work, visiting facilities such as assisted living homes to bring people comfort.
