Our Expert Staff is Ready to Take on Any Challenge!
Get to Know Our Dog Training Teams
At Elevate Canine Academy, we have two training locations to best serve you and your dog. All our training is completed by qualified trainers, who know how to support you and your dog for the best behavioral results. Keep reading to meet our team. You can also contact us at any time to learn more.
Meet Our Bismarck Staff!
Our Bismarck, ND location is home to a dedicated team of professionals passionate about helping dogs and their owners. With a range of expertise in dog training, behavior, and care, our staff is committed to providing personalized solutions for every pet. Whether you’re dealing with reactivity, aggression, or general training, our team works together to create a supportive, positive environment for both dogs and their families.
Kyle
Owner
Kyle is married with three kids. His interest in dogs dates back to the beginning of his first professional career in law enforcement, where his goal was to work with a K9. After a brief stint in law enforcement, he made a career change to the IT field before having the opportunity to pursue working with a K9. With experience in IT and an entrepreneurial mindset, Kyle started several businesses, including a table and chair rental business.
In 2016, Kyle decided to dive into dog sports, focusing on obedience, bite work, and scent work. This eventually led to working with reactive and aggressive dogs. Kyle began helping people with their dogs when he realized he had more knowledge than the average dog owner, thanks to the experience he had gained. With his entrepreneurial mindset, Kyle started Elevate Canine Academy as a side project in 2019, initially as something to do.
Kyle did not realize how much demand there was for dog training in the area. In early 2022, Kyle sold his IT consulting business and, after 25 years in IT, made the decision to transition to dog training full-time. Now, Kyle and his staff are working on expanding service offerings to bring a higher level of training to the area.
Laura
Trainer
Laura joined us in March 2022. After 28 years of marriage and three children, she now enjoys spending her free time camping and bonding with her family’s dogs. As a passionate dog lover, Laura and her family share their home with two Vizslas. Their children have four dogs, which adds to the lively household.
Prior to her role with us, Laura spent 11 years as a paraeducator for Bismarck Public Schools. Her deep love for dogs led her to pursue a career working with them, and she considers it a dream come true. Laura takes immense pride in her work.
Laura’s top three favorite dog breeds are:
- Vizslas, due to their ease of training, loyalty, and affectionate nature
- Bully breeds, which she believes have been unfairly labeled as aggressive, when in fact they are often misunderstood
- Working line dogs whose intelligence and drive have captured her interest after extensive work with these breeds
As a valuable member of our team, Laura has significantly contributed to the growth of the company through her leadership in launching our school education program. She visits schools to educate both staff and students on dog behavior and how to interact safely and respectfully with dogs. Her passion for dogs has been integral to the success and expansion of this program, further enhancing our reputation and impact in the community.
Cassidie
Trainer
Cass developed a strong interest in dog training after relocating to Bismarck, North Dakota, in 2020. What began as a personal endeavor—training her Border Collie mix, Olive, in obedience and trick work—quickly evolved into a deeper commitment to understanding canine behavior. When Olive exhibited dog and mild human reactivity, Cass became motivated to expand her knowledge and skill set to better support her dog.
She went on to work part-time for approximately two years at a positive reinforcement–based training facility, where she gained valuable hands-on experience and was introduced to the world of competitive dog sports, particularly agility. While the experience was instrumental in her development, she ultimately realized it did not fully align with her long-term training philosophy.
After exploring other professional opportunities, Cass found herself drawn back to her passion for working with dogs. She is now a valued member of our team, where she specializes in working with high-drive dogs, helping them channel their energy into productive and structured behaviors.
Cass shares her life with her Border Collies, Olive and Boone, and is an enthusiastic competitor in a variety of dog sports, including obedience, rally, scent work, Fast CAT, and especially agility.
Mandy
Trainer
Mandy is a dog trainer at Elevate Canine with a background in photography and supporting emotional and behavioral growth as a paraprofessional and RBT. She has a love for all animals, especially dogs and highland cows. Her passion for dog training comes from that love for connection, trust, and helping dogs and people understand themselves and each other better. She has learned that dog training is more than just obedience, it’s about building confidence, and creating stronger relationships.
She is a mom of two teens and recently adopted Georgia, a Great Dane, who has made her life brighter and has made her more passionate about learning about dog behavior and training. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors, and trying new things. She is always up for an adventure. Nothing makes her happier than to know that she helped make a positive impact in someone’s or a dog’s life!
Michaela
Sales Manager / Trainer
Michaela went to Iowa State with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, but she quickly realized that path wasn’t right for her. She had to take a step back and figure out what she truly wanted to do with her life. She started watching trainers on YouTube and fell in love with how dogs could be transformed through training. After college, she moved to Bismarck with her husband and reached out to Elevate Canine Academy to train dogs.
Michaela’s top three favorite dog breeds:
- Husky
- Akita
- Malinois
Michaela was the first trainer added to the staff at Elevate Canine Academy. She went from working 10 hours a week to full-time in a very short period of time. She has been instrumental in Elevate Canine Academy’s growth, providing valuable input in developing the business model and processes we use today. Working with dogs is her passion, and doing everything in her power to help clients succeed is something she takes personally. We are very fortunate to have her on our staff.
Meet Our Fargo Staff!
Our Fargo, ND location is home to a dedicated team of professionals passionate about helping dogs and their owners. With a range of expertise in dog training, behavior, and care, our staff is committed to providing personalized solutions for every pet. Whether you’re dealing with reactivity, aggression, or general training, our team works together to create a supportive, positive environment for both dogs and their families.
Ez
Operations Manager / Trainer
Ez has wanted to work with animals for as long as she can remember. It started as growing up with dogs and checking out every dog book in the library. When she was older, it turned into working with her family’s reactive dog, then expanded to socializing puppies, pet sitting, and a job at a boarding facility caring for and training hunting dogs and family pets. Even after all these years in the industry, there is nothing else she can imagine doing with her life. With her springer spaniel, Teagan, and doberman, Roz, as her training assistants, Ez is always looking to expand her knowledge of the dog world.
With a soft spot for reactive dogs and a passion for educating owners, Elevate Canine Academy was the perfect next step in her career to dive further into the world of behavioral modification. “Every struggle people have with their pet stems from not knowing how to speak dog. Though every dog is an individual, the problems that come through the door all come from the same place. This job lets you make a real difference. And that’s what gets me out of bed every morning.”
Clay
Trainer
Clay has been in the dog care or service industry since the autumn of 2022, but he has always had dogs in his life since childhood. His passion for animals came from his experience as a professional dog handler.
As a dog handler, he had plenty of opportunities to work with and care for many different breeds and mixes of dogs. During his time as a dog handler, Clay had learned to observe the many different personalities, behaviors, and temperaments of each dog he interacted with. This, in turn, sparked his curiosity to pursue the possibility of working and practicing with dogs in a controlled environment where he was able to see the working mind of a dog in real time.
Towards the middle of summer in 2024, Clay got the chance to pursue a different career as a professional dog trainer at Elevate Canine Academy. Since then, Clay has been exploring his passion fervently and looks forward to each day and what it may bring. Clay loves that each dog that walks through our doors is always different. He believes that each dog provides him as a trainer with new opportunities to learn and grow.
Sydney
Multimedia Specialist / Trainer
Sydney grew up on a hobby farm and was always surrounded by animals. Her mom rehabilitated foster dogs that were having a hard time getting adopted due to various behavioral issues, and Sydney learned a great deal about dog behavior and training from a very young age because of this. Later, they started boarding dogs for the local community and surrounding areas, which provided even more opportunities to work with a variety of dog breeds and temperaments.
Because of this upbringing, working with animals and training them became a passion. She trained everything from pigeons to dogs and the occasional duck. She especially grew to love large and giant breeds and finds working with aggressive and reactive dogs to be the most rewarding, as these dogs tend to benefit the most from her work.
Sydney graduated from MSUM with a degree in animation and a minor in music, and it became her goal to find a balance between her love of the media arts and her passion for animals. During her time in college, she adopted two dogs, a wolfhound mix with a variety of reactivity and aggression issues and an Akbash with a stubborn streak and destructive tendencies. Both of these dogs further cemented her desire to make dog training a significant part of her life.
After graduating, she worked at a dog daycare for a little over a year but eventually decided to return to her roots and focus on dog training. When she came across the opportunity to work at Elevate Canine Academy, she jumped at the chance. She is looking forward to working with aggressive and reactive dogs at Elevate Canine Academy, as well as contributing to video editing and filming for the team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I request to work with a particular trainer?
All our trainers are equally capable of helping you, but if you would like to request a particular trainer for your General Obedience, 1 on 1, or Single Session, we are willing to accommodate that. However, your scheduling options will be limited to the times that trainer is available.
My dog is a bite risk, can you handle them?
Yes! Our staff is experienced with and trained to handle dogs that are a bite risk.
If they are a bite risk we will ask that you bring them in on a muzzle on their first day for everyone’s safety. If you do not have a muzzle let us know and we will get one fitted for them.
Follow us on our socials!
Follow us on our socials and stay updated on all our events, promotions & classes!