All Trainers
Alex Bassett
Las Vegas Territory Manager
Alex’s love for dogs started at a young age when she read the A-Z dog breed books cover to cover. She told her family that she wanted to be a vegetarian at age six and attended veterinary camp at Washington State University when she was in seventh grade. Growing up, she volunteered at her local animal shelter, which allowed her to gain the confidence to handle dogs that outweighed her.
Read MoreAmber Haseltine
Austin Territory Manager
Amber grew up surrounded by dogs! Her love for them blossomed while she was in charge of their care growing up. When Amber got her first dog of her own, she wanted to turn an affinity for training and care for dogs into a career. Amber worked in customer service for over ten years and developed excellent communication and managerial skills. She attended Animal Behavioral College and became certified in
Read MoreBrooke Janke
Chicago Trainer
Brooke has always had a special place in her heart for dogs! Growing up in a pet-loving family, Brooke was blessed to have several four-legged family members that made her childhood feel complete. In addition to dogs, horses have also played a significant role: she has been a riding instructor for the last 16 years and has competed for most of her life. Driven by her childhood dream, she has
Read MoreBrooke Novotny
Pittsburgh Territory Manager
Brooke grew up in the small town of Saint Michael, Pennsylvania. She has had a strong passion for caring for animals her whole life and always planned to make a career of it. She received her degree in Psychology with a concentration on animal behavior from Westminster College. Throughout High School and College, Brooke worked at a Dog Kennel and loved being around the animals every day. She was also
Read MoreCara Hopkins
Orlando Trainer
Cara has had an avid love for animals all her life. If you asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, you’d always get the answers “veterinarian,” or “I want to own a dog rescue.” She was born in Portland, Maine, where she first began pursuing her love of animals. She began volunteering at the local Animal Refuge League at age 11. Then she added in
Read MoreChristie Branch
Trainer
As a child, Christie’s first “favorite animal in the world” was dogs and it has stayed the same ever since! She had a canine sticker book journal where she could record and track every dog she ever met until she achieved her goal of meeting every dog breed and type in existence. She attended Virginia Tech and received her Bachelor’s in Animal Science with a focus in companion animal
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Dave Kozuchowski
Trainer
Dave was born and raised in the west suburb of Chicago, Bartlett, Illinois. Though he originally pursued a career as an electrician, he soon discovered that working with dogs was his true calling. With over 16 years of experience working with dogs—and 8 years as a professional dog trainer—Dave has developed a deep passion for helping both dogs and their owners build strong, lasting relationships. Outside of training, he enjoys
Read MoreDevon Oaks
Phoenix Territory Manager
Devon’s passion for animals and the outdoors started at a young age in his hometown of Mesa, Arizona. After honorably serving his country for eight years in the United States Army in Germany, Afghanistan, Texas, and Korea, Devon decided to pursue training dogs full time. As a loving father of two, it’s his firm belief that there are no “bad dogs”, just learned behaviors. Devon loves the unique challenge
Read MoreErin Hansen
Indianapolis Territory Manager
Dogs and Education have been a part of Erin’s life since she was born. Both of her parents were teachers with a strong love and respect for dogs and animals of all kinds. They made sure that they instilled that in Erin at an early age. Erin taught at a high school for 10 years. after which she worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis geared mainly toward working
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Erin Hardick
Trainer
Erin was born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area and moved to Phoenix to attend Arizona State University. She has 3 children, ages 22, 20, and 16. Erin is a lover of animals who has always had dogs and cats in her life and has firsthand knowledge of the challenges young children and pets in the same household face. Over the years, Erin habitually took in animals found
Read MoreErin Hegeman
Milwaukee Trainer
Erin grew up in a small town in west-central Wisconsin. Her love of animals started at a young age. Her first dog was a Cocker Spaniel that her parents let her pick out at the local humane society for her second birthday. Growing up they opened their home to many rescue dogs including a yellow Lab, American Eskimo, and Australian Shepherd. Erin studied Environmental Science at the University of Minnesota
Read MoreErin Reid
Las Vegas Trainer
Erin was born and raised in Utah. She has been a lifelong animal lover, but her passion for learning about dog behavior started several years ago after owning two pit bulls of her own. For 5 years, Erin worked at a dental lab making teeth, and gained experience working with dogs on the side. She spent a lot of time both working as a dog walker/sitter and helping friends
Read MoreGracie Reed
Houston Trainer
Gracie was born in Amarillo, TX, and raised in the suburbs of the Houston Area. She has loved animals, especially dogs, her entire life. Ever since she was a kid, she dreamed of having a career where she was able to work with animals. After high school, she began working at a local pet store. There she learned tons of information about pet nutrition, training, and worked with pets and
Read MoreJohn Hughes
Chicago Trainer
Born and raised in Lake Bluff, IL, John has spent his entire life in the Chicagoland area and currently resides in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. From a very early age, he's had a fascination with nature and all of its creatures. Growing up right next to forest preserves allowed him to spend his formative years outside exploring and taking in everything he could to better understand nature.
Read MoreJosé Rincón Peña
Philadelphia Trainer
After a few years working in the accounting industry, Jose realized that his true passion was in working with animals and more specifically, training dogs to help them and their owners have happy and safe lives together. Jose grew up with dogs and has always been an animal lover. He fostered cats and worked at a dog boarding facility while attending college, and is currently a dog dad to
Read MoreKati Del Pozo
Madison Territory Manager
Kati Del Pozo is originally from Toledo, Ohio. Her love and passion for dogs began at a young age when her grandparents brought home a Cocker Spaniel puppy for her family on Christmas morning. She’s always had family dogs in the household, including three Samoyeds, three Chihuahuas, and of course their very much loved Cocker Spaniel. It was a full house of fun, training, and lots of hair! Kati spent
Read MoreLauren Hauge
Milwaukee Territory Manager
Lauren grew up in a small town south of Milwaukee and attended the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse, where she earned a Community Health Education Degree. After college, she moved to Eau Claire, where she primarily worked with teenagers at the Boys & Girls Club, helping them to gain the tools and skills they need to be successful. Lauren is excited to be back in Milwaukee and have the opportunity
Read MoreLilliana Rodriguez
Miami Territory Manager
Lilliana grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and was always surrounded by animals and immediately grew a love for them. As she got older, her passion for animals never changed, and she made sure to put that passion into her career choice. While attending Florida State University, Lilliana studied biology, with a focus on animal sciences. During that time, she spent her free time working and helping animals in any
Read MoreLizette Hernandez
Trainer
Lizette was born and raised in Houston, TX. Growing up, she always gravitated towards animals of all kinds, and would spend a lot of time watching wildlife documentaries. When she turned 6, she was gifted with her first fur baby who stayed with her for 18 years. From that experience, she became enamored with dogs and enjoyed every bit of the duties that come along with caring for them. Prior
Read MoreMichelle Cook
Pittsburg Trainer
Michelle grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. From a young age, she has always had two loves: animals and hockey. Growing up, Michelle always had family pets (both dogs and cats). She also had a way of always finding wild animals in need and spent a lot of her childhood volunteering to rehabilitate injured birds, rabbits, squirrels, etc. This has stayed with her into adulthood, and during her 17 years
Read MoreMolly Juneau
Tampa Territory Manager
Molly’s passion for animals started at a very young age. She loved helping animals and people. Throughout her life, she has focused a lot of her free time on pet sitting, fostering animals, and volunteering at rescue and wildlife centers. Molly has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Grand Valley State University, which led her to opportunities in marine mammal training. She participated in internships in Florida to train and
Read MoreNate Banos
Chicago Trainer
Nate grew up surrounded by dogs and cherished every opportunity he had to spend time with his family’s dogs. He was raised in Chicago and went to college at Michigan Tech, where he received a B.S. in Mathematics. During his time in college, Nate worked as a math tutor and fell in love with teaching. After completing his degree, he moved back to Chicago and began to pursue his
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Nelson Medrano
Senior Trainer
Nelson comes from a family with a strong tradition of dog training; both his father and brother are dog trainers. While Nelson was growing up, his father was a hunting dog trainer and he would tag along as his father taught clients both basic and advanced hunting skills. Nelson would help with the dogs as much as he could and saw firsthand how happy the dogs would be when given
Read MoreNick Smoots
Chicago North Territory Manager
Nick Smoots is a Chicago native and an avid dog lover! He was surrounded by pets all his life and has always had a soft spot for animals! Last year, he adopted a two-year-old Pitbull mix named Juno. Nick discovered his passion for working with animals when Juno went through training with Suburban K9. He saw a complete 180 in her behavior in a short amount of time as the
Read MoreOscar Vela-Gonzalez
Las Vegas Trainer
Oscar has been living in Las Vegas since he was four years old. He is a passionate person with a love for dogs, sports, and anything outdoors! He has always had dogs in his life as long as he could remember. His deep admiration for the loyalty and companionship our four-legged friends offer is something he values so much. Prior to joining SK9, Oscar worked in the corporate world
Read MoreRebecca Webb
Philadelphia Trainer
Some people know what their dream job is from an early age or find it while attending university, while others take a more circuitous path to it. For Rebecca, being a dog trainer is like coming home after a long journey. Even though finding her true passion took a while, her previous career as a teacher and her lifelong love of animals helped prepare her for a career as a
Read MoreRemi McGinnis
Nashville Territory Manager
Remi grew up loving animals. As a child, they broke the traditional lemonade-stand mold by creating home-baked dog treats to sell to neighbors - and they’ve been working with animals ever since! Growing up in California and North Carolina, their home was always full of fluffy and feathered friends - from cats and dogs to rabbits and chickens. Over time, Remi developed their animal training skills naturally by building
Read MoreRose Pierce
Houston Trainer
Rose was born and raised in Houston, TX, and for as long as she can remember there have always been dogs in her life. With several years of retail experience she eventually landed herself inside of a holistic pet store which flared up her passion for pets to an entirely new level. Rose found herself enamored with every furry friend she got to meet and with every pet parent she
Read MoreSabrina Lopez
Chicago South Trainer
Sabrina spent the majority of her childhood surrounded by family dogs. Her parents adopted the first of many dogs when Sabrina was just three years old. Sabrina took a lead role in loving and working with the dogs from a young age. In addition to spending time with the family dogs, she loved running cross-country and track. Sabrina has a long history of making customers happy! She spent years working
Read MoreSamantha Doig
Chicago South Territory Manager
Born and raised in Plainfield, IL, Samantha had a lot of different pets, which fueled her love of animals. Her passion turned into a profession when she majored in Zoology and Psychology at Western Illinois University. She loved learning about the different ways animals think, behave, and interact with their environment. Her studies led her to work with animals in a multitude of environments. Samantha has worked at several
Read MoreTwila Johnson
Houston Territory Manager
Twila was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and has been an animal lover from the very beginning. She has had pets her whole life - even a hedgehog! As an Animal Science major at Texas A&M, she found every opportunity to work with animals she could. Twila also spent a semester in the Kentucky Bluegrass region as a Thoroughbred Breeding Farm intern. By her senior year, she was the
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Zach Shaw
Trainer
From a young age, Zach has been surrounded by animals of all kinds—fish, turtles, cats, sugar gliders, and most importantly, dogs. Growing up in that environment sparked a lifelong passion and understanding for the care our furry friends deserve. In fifth grade, when Zach welcomed his first pup at Christmas, a Wheaten Terrier named Tank, he instantly knew dogs would always have a special place in his heart. During his
Read MoreZachary Westfall
Jacksonville Territory Manager
A Florida native, Zachary discovered his love for animals at a young age. He took any opportunity to be around animals, which led him to begin horseback riding and volunteer work. Through volunteering, he was hired as a barn manager at a therapeutic riding facility and learned many skills necessary to manage the horses, volunteers, and facility effectively. Not only did he gain managerial experience from this job, but
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Holly Wengerski
Director of Training
Holly has been an animal lover throughout her entire life. Growing up she had pet dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, turtles, and even a praying mantis! Being an only child the connection with her animals was always strong. As she grew she saw the opportunity to turn her passion into a career and pursued a degree in Animal Science. Holly graduated from Illinois State University and had the opportunity to work
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Matt Covey
Trainer/Company Founder
Having grown up in a family that spent their time breeding and showing dogs, it was only natural that Matt’s long time passion for dogs turned into his profession. Matt’s training skills have given him the opportunity to train with celebrities and high profile clients around the country. Matt’s reputation also allowed him the incredible opportunity to work as the head dog trainer for a show on Animal Planet. Matt’s
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Matt Wlos
Head of Technology and Operations
Matt Wlos grew up around computers and technology; his father was instrumental in creating the early course registration system for the University of Illinois. Having a computer and internet access in the home prior to any of his classmates he was able to create webpages and other basic computer programs while still in junior high. He pursued his childhood passion of working with technology and graduated with a degree in
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Jessica Tritthardt
Human Resources Manager
Jessica grew up in a home that always had several animals rooming around. Her family home included four-legged friends such as dogs, cats, hamsters, and a rabbit. She has loved animals for as long as she can remember, which is why she worked at Petco starting in High School, all the way through college! Jessica graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and spent years
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Maggie Deemer
Director of Training
Ever since Maggie was four years old, there has always been a dog or two in the house. She learned a great deal helping her mother train all their dogs, from a Maltese to a sheltie to a mini poodle. Working with dogs and helping people better understand how to care for their companions has always been her passion! Maggie started her career with Suburban K9 many years back as
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Jeanne Dellagardele
Customer Service Representative
Jeanne loves helping prospective clients learn about our services and schedule training. She grew up in Iowa and moved to Chicago shortly after graduating from Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. She and her husband moved to Brookfield, Illinois not long after their son was born. Jeanne previously worked at Crain's Chicago Business as an administrative assistant. She enjoys gardening, hiking, cooking, and baking bread. Along with her husband and son,
Read MoreMiranda Pavnica
Customer Service Representative
Miranda grew up having many dogs in her family. That love grew as she got older, which led to adopting and caring for multiple dogs throughout the years! Miranda attended Florida SouthWestern State College where she studied Early Childhood Education. After graduating, she taught at a local elementary school where she was able to share her love of dogs and animals with her students. Since moving from Florida to the
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Stephany Douglass
Front Desk Manager
Stephany grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and Dallas, Georgia. Over the years, she had all different kinds of pets, from horses to dogs and cats, and even some ferrets. These pets have helped Stephany understand that every animal has a unique way of learning and loving. She began working with animals at a young age, as she trained and interned at a local horse rescue and county animal shelter. She
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Lenny Szatkowski
Director of the Suburban K9 Academy
Lenny has always been a dog lover, and knew early on that he wanted a career with dogs. He became a trainer with Suburban K9 in 2009, while still attending college at Northern Illinois University. Lenny quickly excelled as both a trainer and a student, eventually graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Over the years he became an expert in dealing with difficult dogs and training
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Kaitlin Butler
Customer Service Representative
Kaitlin's love of animals and helping others has always been a priority in not only her personal life, but her professional life as well. Her career in the animal industry began with her very first job at a doggy daycare and grooming facility. Once realizing animal welfare was her passion, Kaitlin spent the next seven years dedicated to shelter medicine and finding homeless pets their “furever” homes. Her interest then
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Marci Condon
Customer Service Representative
Marci was 15 when she got her first dog, Babe. After that she was hooked. Since then she has had many dogs and currently has a rescue Bichon Frise, Corey. Corey has brought so much joy into her family’s lives and is currently looking to rescue another dog. She has a husband and 2 boys in college. Her hobbies include crafting and working in the yard. She loves going to
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Fran DelValle
Customer Service Representative
Originally from New York City, Fran is an avid animal lover currently living in San Tan Valley Arizona with four English Bulldogs (Scarlett, Lexus, Wynter and Mr. Biggz), two chihuahuas (Elsa and Piper) and two canaries (Fiji and Stormy). Fran has over 35 years of Administrative Assistant experience. Prior to joining Suburban K9, she worked as the Assistant to the Administrator of a nursing home facility. That experience allowed her
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Joy Palmer
Logistics Manager
Joy grew up in Joliet, Illinois. After spending a few years in Iowa, she returned to the area where she was raised to meet and marry her husband. They now live in the warm and sunny suburbs of Orlando, FL. Joy has been around dogs all her life and currently has a Great Dane that she absolutely adores! Joy has worked as a hairstylist and a florist before joining the Suburban K9 team. It is so amazing
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