Staff- Bismark, ND Location

Elevate Canine Academy

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. Little did he know at the time how much demand there was for dog training. 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

Laura joined Elevate in March 2022. With over 25 years of marriage and three children, she enjoys spending her free time camping and bonding with her family's beloved dogs. A passionate dog lover, Laura and her family share their home with two Vizslas, and their children's four dogs add to the lively household.

Prior to her role at Elevate, 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, saying, “I absolutely love working with dogs and enjoy watching their behavior transform. It’s rewarding to help owners learn to live harmoniously with their canine companions.”

Laura’s top three favorite dog breeds are as follows: First, the Vizsla, due to their ease of training, loyalty, and affectionate nature. Second, the bully breeds, which she believes have been unfairly labeled as aggressive, when in fact they are often misunderstood. Third, the Belgian Malinois, whose intelligence and drive have captured her interest after extensive work with the breed.

As a valuable member of the Elevate 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 in the success and expansion of this program, further enhancing Elevate's reputation and impact in the community.

Michaela

Michaela went to Iowa State with the intention of becoming a veterinarian but quickly realized that path wasn’t 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 in search of an opportunity to train dogs. Michaela says, "The thing I love most about my job is making a difference in my clients’ lives and helping them actually enjoy being with their dogs and taking them places. What made me love balanced training specifically is that I tried positive-only training and wasn’t getting anywhere—I even considered rehoming my own dog. Once I started balanced training, our relationship changed for the better, and now she and I have so much more freedom, like running off-leash and being trusted in many different new environments."

Michaela's top three favorite dog breeds:

1. Husky
2. Akita
3. 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.

Kristina

She was born and raised on a cattle ranch southwest of Bismarck and has been involved with animals from a very young age. One of her first jobs was working at a local veterinary clinic, and she had always thought that veterinary medicine was her calling—until she started working with the farm dogs more as she got older and fell in love with the process of training them!

“My favorite dogs to train are reactive or aggressive. I love to see them become more trusting again and to show them how to work through scary situations!”

Some of her favorite dog breeds include:

1. Australian Shepherd
2. Blue/Red Heeler
3. Cane Corso
4. Caucasian Shepherd