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Theophainia Brassard I grew up on a horse farm with one of the best animal trainers I have ever known. My mother. On any given month we would have a new horse on our property that had been neglected or abused in some way. My mother devoted her life and personal safety to the training and rehabilitation of these animals. From an incredibly young age I understood that there was all too often broken understanding in the human/animal training relationship. Truthfully horses scared the heck out of me when I was younger. I watched my mother get injured time and time again working with truly aggressive horses. Even then, I knew I still wanted to work with animals. While horses and dogs are obviously different in many ways, the most important comparison is that you must develop a relationship to co-exist safely. In the end, I still found myself gravitating towards the dogs on the farm. After 17 years in that environment, I set off for college in Boston where I studied art art animal sciences at SMFA and Tufts. I started volunteering my time at the MSPCA in Boston. I took any dog related job I could get my hands on starting at the age of 19. I walked dogs in packs of 8-12 on off leash hikes just north of the city. Shortly after that I worked for a grooming shop in Cambridge Massachusetts where I quickly learned more than any book could have taught me about handling fear aggressive dogs. And most importantly I took an internship with a trainer who introduced me to a balanced training approach. I was classically trained (so to speak) by the Animal Behavior College of CA. I was also trained carefully by the MSPCA that positive reinforcement (R+) Training was the only humane approach. For a long time I truly believe this was the case. You would have never caught me using or suggesting a tool such as a prong collar or e collar during my first years as a dog trainer. One day my incredibly social 1 year old German Shepherd whom I had raised myself was badly attacked by another dog. I found myself lost when my own anxiety and fear accompanied by then skill set were no match for his reactivity and aggression towards other dogs. There I was... a certified dog trainer with an aggressive dog and yet no clue how to keep him safe other than to try and avoid other dogs... But we lived in Boston, and it just wasn't possible. I was told by my peers that maybe I should consider moving out of the city, or finding a new home for him. I felt like I had failed him in his first year of life. This began my reluctant yet desperate search to find a trainer who knew what I was experiencing and how to address the behavior and not avoid it. I met with a few trainers who accepted my reluctance to a balanced approach. I settled on a trainer who had 2 large male German Shepherds. Viper and Prince. I will never forget the first time He was able to walk them with my dog after only a couple days with him. Once I saw it WAS possible. My outlook on training approaches changed dramatically on that day. Just about every dog trainer I have ever met truly loves the animals they work with. While I truly believe that there is no one way to train a dog, I also believe there is a better way. After a year of internship I devoted myself fully to training dogs. I chose to head West to San Francisco. Almost entirely based on the fact that there were allegedly more dogs than children in the city! While I had never been to California, I knew it was where I wanted to be to pursue my career and grow Refined K9. After getting settled into my first apartment in the outer Richmond District, I attended local training classes with my dog to see what environment was best for us to continue to learn. But all to often I found myself being turned away because my dog had a history of dog aggression. While I felt like I had a pretty good handle on it, I still needed a safe place to practice and some continued support in said practice. After all, this is how many people sustain a healthy practice of any skill... in a supportive community. When I found myself seemingly on my own I set out to change my predicament. I was going to create my own safe space where owners with dogs like mine could thrive. But where to start? In the beginning Refined K9 was a solo operation. Until one day I found myself in need of a second trainer to help me with some of my caseload. I was lucky enough to meet Jose Moreno. Jose is now one of my most senior trainers. But, back in 2009 Jose was in a similar place in his career, eager to learn more. We attended training seminars together and spent every moment together discussing cases we were working on and troubleshooting our individual approaches. From there our demand kept growing and I added on more trainers who shared the same morals and approach to dog training. I added more services and classes that were supportive to my overall goal of creating a community for owners with difficult dogs. I was able to carefully create what I was looking for 15 years ago with my first dog. I’m beyond proud of what refined K9 has become and invite you to become a part of our community! Theo’s pack includes: Stark - Black German Shepherd in a Great Dane costume - Training in French Ring Sport (French Ring -”Brevet” Title) Omen - Black German Shepherd who was everyones friend...if they liked it or not. RIP 2010 - 2024 Gunner - The OG German Shepherd who started it all - RIP 2004 - 2018 https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/jose daily 0.75 2022-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/90ce66e1-40c8-4473-a9e5-902daf0d8ceb/IMG_0330.JPG Our Trainers | Jose - Jose Moreno Dog Trainer & Behaviorist specializing in Board and Train. Jose Moreno operates our Tracy, CA facility. Jose started working with us in 2012 and brings an incredible ability to problem solve difficult behavioral issues in dogs. He is able to recognize how problems can relate back to the owner as well as combine to form into lasting resolve. Jose started training dogs in 2010 initially seeking out some of the best learning opportunities early on in his carrier. Jose attended several schools for trainers including: Animal Behavior College- 2010 http://www.animalbehaviorcollege.com/ National K9 Learning Center, Columbus, Ohio-2011 http://nk9.com/ K91 Specialized dog training, Peekskill, NY-2011 to 2012 https://www.dogtraining.world Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers, Petaluma, Ca-2012 to 2014 http://michaelellisschool.com/ Over the years Jose has helped the Refined K9 team develop a customized method for rebuilding a balanced relationship between dog and owner through the aid of the Board and Train. Our approach educates clients about responsible ownership, communication, handling, and future management. Jose lives on the beautiful property at our Tracy Board and Train location along with his wife Colleen, and 3 children. Jose’s knowledge and attitude towards training is simply infectious and one of a kind. Anyone who meets him to ‘talk dog’ walks away wondering if they should pick up training as a carrier themselves, or head back to school to learn more. I know I did when we first spent time training together nearly a decade ago. Jose has been a part of Refined K9 since our early years, and we are so fortunate to have him as a critical member of our board and train success. Jose has been active in competitive protection sports including Schutzhund, IPO, PSA, Competitive Obedience including competitive focused healing, retrieval, competitive jumping, and agility. Jose’s pack currently includes: Tess - Belgian Malinois - Currently competing in protection sports Otto - German Shepherd - Currently competing in protection sports Duke - Dogo Argentino - Currently retired and living his best life napping in sunbeams Daisy - American Bulldog/Pitbull - Currently retired, but still picks up babysitting jobs around the house. Lacy - Pitbull - Our Tracy facility mascot! - Aids in dog socialization and removal of pests on the property. Sebastian - French Bulldog - Official lapdog of the Moreno household. https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/ken daily 0.75 2024-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/d5f4c8df-c658-4ca9-83b5-874c991c37cd/IMG_0227.jpg Our Trainers | Ken - Ken Carpenter Ken operates our Lafayette CA Board and Train Facility. Ken's passion for dog training began 16 years ago with his own rescue, Cruz; an 85-pound working-line German shepherd. Shortly after adoption it became clear that Cruz had severe behavioral issues including leash reactivity and dog aggression. Cruz’s tendency to escape multiple enclosures caused him to be an extreme liability. Ken saw potential, taking action despite the enormous challenge of molding Cruz into an obedient and stable companion through rehabilitation. This effort introduced Ken to a “Balanced” training approach. Ken’s diverse background includes experience as a two-time Olympian and a career in professional finance helping him gain essential instinctual, observational, and analytical skills. These skills give him a distinct edge in understanding animal behavior. Ken enjoys staying informed with continuous education of training methodology. His education includes: Advanced obedience workshop - Michael Ellis Petaluma, CA. 2016 http://michaelellisschool.com/ Decoy Workshop - Michael Ellis Petaluma, CA. 2016 http://michaelellisschool.com/ Ken has a remarkable ability to relate to owners, frustrations, fears and anxieties. Ken’s kind and careful approach makes him great to work with one on one. His success and reputation with owners is a true testament to his abilities. Ken’s pack includes: Roxi - Belgian Malinois - Retired apple collector (RIP 2021) Ryker - Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd Mix - Holding titles French Ring: Brevet & 1(R1). Wren - Belgian Malinois - Perfected the house dog roll! Ghost - German shepherd - Adopted from a client who could not keep him due to human aggression. Ghost now has a safe home who understands his needs. https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/kim daily 0.75 2025-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/9eb3aabe-6e04-461f-9716-69adf11aea36/IMG_3085.jpg Our Trainers | Kim - Kim Capria Dog Trainer specializing in private training in the San Francisco area Having a strong affinity for dogs since she was young, Kim has been actively working as a trainer since 2015. Kim chose to focus on balanced training, after interning with Dr. Bill Ellinger of Integrity K9 in Phoenix Arizona. During her internship Kim learned to work with protection K9’s and earned her first EL title with the North American Dog Sport Federation. Kim hosted board and train dogs at her former home in Tempe AZ. She also owned her own training company before moving west. Kim successfully discovered a way to align her passion for training with her love of coaching owners with their dogs. She can be found teaching large groups at our LRA group classes as well as helping owners in and around their homes. Kim is a compassionate upbeat teacher, with an extensive knowledge of urban behavior issues in dogs. Kim has trained over 300 dogs in San Francisco to date with Refined K9! In her free time Kim volunteers at guide dogs for the blind in San Rafael helping them raise their team of future service dogs. She also shares a passion for music and can often be found playing guitar and singing at local venues in SF! Kim’s pack includes: Osco - Rottweiler - Lover of tennis balls and overall GOOF! (RIP 2023) Lady - Pit/Corgi/Beagle(?) - Ears that pick up AM radio stations! https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/kate daily 0.75 2024-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/97b7352b-6fdf-4ae1-a80b-68ef353cf865/IMG_7758.JPEG Our Trainers | Kate - Kate Cusimano Dog Trainer & Behaviorist, specializing in Board and Train & Private Training Kate operates our Vallejo CA Facility. Kate offers accelerated obedience board and train programs and in-home boarding at her home in Vallejo, California. She has developed a diverse skill set since first beginning to work with dogs as a professional groomer and dedicated rescue volunteer when she was a teenager. She has worked as a groomer across the country and became known as a skilled professional who could work equally as effectively with wiggly puppies for their first grooming experience and dogs with severe behavioral issues such as human aggression. Kate also holds a Masters Degree in Special Education and worked for 12 years in schools around the world, dynamically applying learning theory to address challenging behaviors, teach diverse learners, and work with families experiencing stress- which are skills that she applies to dog training as well. Several years ago, Kate originally came to Refined K-9 as a client, working with Theo to address her adopted Ecuadorian street dogs’ reactivity while living in San Francisco. This experience was truly enlightening and so she decided to pursue her passion for teaching, learning, and working with both dogs and people to become a professional dog trainer. In the years since, Kate’s education in the dog training field has developed methodically through a combination of formal study programs such as the renowned Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers and application of training concepts with a wide variety of dogs under direct mentorship with experienced trainers. She believes that establishing trusting relationships and maintaining an open mind is at the core of all succesful learning experiences; you’ll often hear her say that ‘every day is a school day!’ In addition to working with board and train and in-home boarding clients, Kate is actively involved in dog sports: she is currently training for French Ring with her Belgian Malinois (the team got their Brevet title as of September 2023), agility/nose work/barn hunt/dock diving with her Dutch Shepherd mix, and ‘neighborhood bikejoring’ with her athletic tripod street dog. Dante the Chihuahua is mostly Kate’s fun-sized travel buddy, but he is also a great helper around training dogs given his confident dog neutrality! She also occasionally fosters dogs for local shelters as well as a Malinois specific rescue, and still grooms dogs upon request utilizing her in-home grooming salon. Kate is very excited to be on the Refined K-9 team! Kates pack includes: Rogue - Belgian Malinois - paradoxical super cuddler and spicy sport dog Uma - Dutch Shepherd type supermutt - multi-sport athlete with ball drive for days Pocho - Kelpie type supermutt - only has three legs but can outrun the Belgian Malinois Dante - Chihuahua blend - living the good life as a adventure lap dog https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/alexia daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/83737dcc-ea8e-4d99-9415-41fd24f502df/0-2.jpg Our Trainers | Alexia - Alexia Rodriguez Dog Trainer & Behaviorist, specializing in Board and Train & Private Training Alexia operates our Smartsville CA Facility. Alexia’s passion for dogs began when she was 12 years old. Her mother showed and bred Japanese Chins in AKC conformation dog shows. As a young person, she worked as kennel help for various show dog fanciers and boarding kennels. During this time she worked several breeds. Including (but not limited to) Dachshunds, Salukis, Bloodhounds and Mastiffs. Alexia got her first animal related job as a veterinary technician when she was 18 years old. She worked as a Vet Tech for many years, working in Animal Emergency clinics and regular Veterinary clinics. She is proficient in animal first aid and CPR. After many years in the vet industry, Alexia decided to change careers and work in the beauty industry however her love for dogs never waned… She continued to be involved in small dog rescue and rehabilitation as a hobby. In 2012, Alexia and husband were introduced to Schutzhund training with their Cane Corso. This opened up a whole new and exciting world for her and her dogs. Alexia trained with several well known dog trainers in Northern CA focusing more on Schutzhund (German protection sports) as well as competition level obedience. She also started training one of her Corso’s for AKC agility competition, tracking, barn hunt and anything that was available near her. Alexia titled in several levels in AKC agility, Schutzhund, Conformation and a host of other performance sports. During this period she also applied and successfully became an AKC dog Show Judge. In 2016 Alexia met Sara Walchlii and Jess Pombo, both trainers and instructors at the Michael Ellis School For Dog Trainers and owners of Sonoma County Canine. The 3 of them met when they picked up a dog at a San Francisco shelter. They’d connected through the non profit organization she founded, West Coast Cane Corso Rescue, which still operates today. Alexia started a mentorship with Sarah and jess shortly after. Alexia’s goal was to work closely with these established trainers to expand her knowledge in dog behavior. Alexia learned to work with different temperaments and behavioral issues, and how to approach a training plan for each dog. During this period, Alexia also became very good friends with Oscar Mora of Elevated Canine in LA. In 2020, Oscar Mora and her other mentors gave her her first client dogs to train. This surrogacy helped guide her to ensure a successful outcome. After the first experience working with a clients dogs, Alexia decided she was ready to quit her day job and start her carrier as a professional trainer. Alexia continued to be mentored by the Sonoma County Canine ladies until purchasing her first home outside of Sacramento in 2022. Now She takes online classes with the Michael Ellis School and continues attend workshops with other trainers to continue to broaden her abilities as a trainer. “I truly love ALL DOGS and I enjoy showing owners how to deepen their bond with their pets. Dog training isn’t only about “sit” and “stay” its also about learning how to communicate with your dog and learn what your dog is communicating with you. I am always grateful to each and every owner who entrusts me with their dog and I am committed to you both for a successful outcome.” - Alexia Rodriguez Alexia’s pack includes: Mr Charm - Cane Corso - Lover of croissants, bite work, obedience and going for rides Marzipan - Cane Corso - Enjoys barking, bite work, obedience and all the snacks! Page - Chocolate Lab - Bird dog in training Ali - Malinois - The happiest Malinois in all the land Maya - Lowchen - Sassy but so sweet Sophia - Lowchen - Little sister to Maya and is a Sass in training https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/jeremy daily 0.75 2023-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/0d823daa-ceb6-48e5-be05-bd884869facc/IMG_8383.JPG Jeremy - Jeremy Friedman Dog Trainer & Behaviorist, specializing in Board and Train Jeremy operates our Chico CA Facility. After spending time in the military, Jeremy began his quest into working dogs. Jeremy apprenticed under an experienced animal behaviorist and found his passion for protection sports. The rest is, as they say, history. Jeremy has become a certified helper and decoy in multiple protection sports, earning national level with honors. He’s also earned titles on multiple dogs as their handler and trainer. He runs a working dog club in Northern California and has helped his club members achieve titles with their own dogs. Jeremy has also bred several litters of working line German Shepherds, all who have gone on to thrive. Taking the knowledge he gained training and competing with protection dogs, Jeremy began his journey into pet dogs over 10 years ago. He gravitated towards behavior modification as he found those very rewarding. Since, Jeremy has helped thousands of families learn and understand how to enjoy life with their dogs. Jeremy’s pack includes: Kimber - German Shepherd - Mother of 2 pups that went on to work for the DEA. She has multiple titles including: P1M, PD2, OB2, and BH. Estelle - German Shepherd - Kimber’s granddaughter who is just starting her carrier! Bubba - Pi Mix - Official bed warmer and demo dog! Nora - Malanois - Jeremy’s Newest addition for sport work. She is 6 months old as of 4/2023 https://www.refinedk9.com/trainers/mahogany daily 0.75 2024-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e5c7f24805a63534f185d50/9f031f71-3e01-447e-917a-84f995028536/0.jpg Mahogany - Mahogany Gamble Dog Trainer & Behaviorist, specializing in Puppy Board and Train Programs Mahogany operates one of our two Vallejo, CA facilities. Mahogany jokes that she has loved dogs since she was in the womb. Her passion for understanding dogs, their behaviors, and what fulfills them has never wavered. Formerly a San Francisco-based paramedic, Mahogany began learning more deeply about dogs from other trainers while working in management at a non-profit and volunteering at local shelters. Eager to expand her knowledge, Mahogany mentored under a well-known, local dog walker. She started her own dog walking business that soon became one of the largest in the Bay Area. It was there that she met two trainers to whom she credits much of her expertise as a dog trainer. Mahogany spent more than a decade learning directly from those two mentors with a combined 55 years of experience. Over the last five years, she has had many opportunities to coach trainers around the world and has been invited to give seminars throughout the U.S. and Canada. She enjoys training her personal dogs for high level sports. In 2023 she made the world championship team and competed in Romania with her dog Lexie. She’s now raising her next competition dog, looking forward to future world championships with him when he’s of age. Mahogany’s pack includes: Kayo, 13-year-old Lab mix, expert puppy raiser Remy, 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, expert puppy raiser and confidence influencer Lexie, 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, Mondioring world championship competitor Stazja, 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, French Ring competitor Ziglar, 5-month-old Belgian Malinois, future Mondioring world championship competitor https://www.refinedk9.com/privacy daily 0.75 2025-09-05 https://www.refinedk9.com/terms daily 0.75 2025-09-05