Head Trainer & Owner
Kirsten McKenzie

My name is Kirsten McKenzie. I have always been passionate about animals, particularly dogs. I grew up the majority of my life around them and, in early high school, started volunteer training and working with both local shelters and rescues, as well as with my family's dogs.

In 2014, my husband and I adopted our mixed breed, Raleigh. She challenged me as a trainer and required me to grow and learn at a much more advanced level so that she could have a better quality life and we could have a peaceful household. We wanted her to be a more present part of our family instead of being locked away or limited because of her behavioral problems. Whatever your dog struggles with, I can almost guarantee we’ve worked through some of it with Raleigh.

I learned and worked alongside my sister, http://www.lifedogtraining.com/, as she pursued her own dream of being a professional pet dog trainer. I assisted her with her clients and business whenever I could, and we often share training knowledge to help each other continue to grow and sharpen each other in our expertise. I also spent several years volunteering helping rescues near me train their dogs and mentored under a couple of other dear friends, professional trainers, and working with other training companies.

I'm a freelance illustrator as well, but after several years of doing that work at home alone, I knew I needed to find another career choice where I could be out and working with people and animals. Dog training seemed to fit perfectly with my passions and desires. Above all, I have a deep desire to help other people and bring peace and understanding between people and the furry companions they live their lives alongside.

We got our German Shepherd, Kaladin, in early 2017, and he has been both my loyal partner as well as my guinea pig in perfecting training behaviors that were new to me. Soon after getting him, my own health began to decline, and I found myself in need of an service dog, so Kal has become my daily life and training partner. He helps me function and live life safely to the best of my ability, and has helped me learn how to best help others in their journey of training a service dog to assist them.

Whether you’re here for pet or service dog training, my goal is to help you meet your personal goals, improve your bond, and make the household as peaceful and cohesive as possible. I want you and your dog to have a fulfilling relationship full of fun, trust, and respect.

Trainer
Octavia Pizarro

Growing up on a farm in small New York town brought out my love for animals specifically dogs. When graduated high school I started working at a boarding/daycare facility in which helped me gain knowledge on different canine behaviors. After rescuing my first dog Marley who is a German Shepherd/Labrador Retriever mix I decided to take a step into the dog training world.

I started shadowing Marley’s trainer and eventually started working with her. After making the move to California I decided to work back in the veterinary field as a Veterinary Assistant. This was an amazing opportunity to retain more knowledge on animal health and behavior. Although I loved this opportunity, I missed training. My other dog Bentley was a rescue with severe reactivity issues.

When I met Kirsten, she not only showed me a new approach to training but inspired me to step into the balance training world. My main goal is to help you build a better relationship your dog. But also providing you with the knowledge and confidence to reach higher levels of success. 

Trainer
Ember Sotnick

Although I didn’t get my first family dog until I was 12, I have been a lifelong animal lover and became fascinated by dog training at an early age, when I saw a border collie performing incredible frisbee stunts and complex tricks on TV. Throughout my teen years I volunteered at my local animal shelter where I got to work on teaching basic obedience and nice leash manners to the dogs waiting to be adopted. During this time I also worked with my family dog on both fun trick training and what was once severe reactivity around other dogs.

When I did finally get my very own dog in 2017, a Border Aussie named Echo, I delved headfirst into the world of dog training and consulted every training resource I could. My goal had always been to train an adaptable and extremely reliable dog that I could take on adventures with me, so when my health began rapidly going downhill later that year and my doctors and I decided that a service dog would be a viable treatment option for me, our early training foundations really payed off! I immediately began training Echo various tasks to help with my different medical conditions and was blown away by just how much dogs can learn when you make the effort to establish clear communication with them. After countless hours of training, he ultimately made it possible for me to get through all of college safely, and continues to help me through my daily life. He has taught me so much not only about dog training, but about patience, persistence, and staying positive.

I first met Kirsten a few months into my service dog training journey when we started meeting up to train our service dogs together and bounce ideas off of one another. I had a deep appreciation for the training methods she used and found myself consistently on the same page as her, unlike many of the other trainers to which I had briefly gone in the past. I quickly fell in love with balanced training and the way it can be customized to benefit any dog. As I became more a part of the dog training community and eventually started shadowing Kirsten’s sessions, it grew clear to me that there is no one right way to train a dog; every dog is unique and needs an individualized training approach to flourish! In my opinion, that’s what makes dog training so much fun. I love to troubleshoot problems and come up with creative training solutions for every type of dog. My main intention will always be to strengthen the relationship and communication between you and your dog so that you can reach your training goals together!

Trainer
Emma Cartstens

I’ve lived in the peninsula my whole life. Ive grown up in a very dog oriented community. We’ve had dogs in our house since I was about 3 years old and have never lived without dogs since. I grew up dreaming about becoming a vet, or running a dog rescue, or almost anything in the animal field.


In 2016 I began volunteering for a local animal rescue to help as many dogs as possible get into loving forever homes. Not long after I began fostering and have now fostered over 150 animals. To this day I still foster dogs for that same rescue. Back in 2019 I foster failed my first dog Toffee. After bringing toffee into my life I jumped head first into the dog training world starting with my own dog. After starting training with Toffee I began doing basic training and slight behavior modification with dogs waiting to be adopted through the rescue I worked with.

I had first met Kirsten through a friend who previously worked with her. But when I really got the opportunity to work with her I finally met someone who had similar training styles as myself. As well as the same goal which is to help you reach the goals you have for you and your dog, in addition to creating and or strengthening your relationship with your dog.