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Fitness Trainers

Dawn has 12 years experience in the Personal Training arena. She has worked with both men and women from 20 – 75 years of age.  Her experience includes everything from weight loss, posture, core strength, cardiovascular, flexibility and balance training.  She has taught yoga, kickboxing, boot camp & sculpting classes in corporate, outdoor & residential settings.  Dawn enjoys anything outside!  She loves to run, hike, mountain & road bike, kayak, swim, surf, & yoga.  As long as Jack is with her and she is outside,  she is happy.

Certifications:  ACE certified Group and Personal trainer, CPR/AED, Pet CPR/ First Aid, Wilderness First Aid.

Education: A.A. degree in Radiography, B.S. degree in Kinesiology.

Other:  Additional certification classes in posture, gait, muscle balancing and nutrition. Has worked with people with a number of disabilities.

Jack is a Cairn Terrier that does not like to be left behind.  He goes just about everywhere with Dawn or else he teaches her a lesson by chewing up her slippers!!  He likes showing off how fast he can run (has been clocked at 21 mph), he loves to swim, surf, dock dive, hike, get dirty and of course chase the ball FOR HOURS!!  He is a member of the SO Cal Surf Dogs and he has won numerous medals dock diving. He also does numerous tricks if he knows he will get a tasty treat for performing!! 

Being an avid health and fitness leader, Kelly spends her time both at home and work focusing on being physically fit.  Since adopting her dog Scooter, she has included him in her fitness routines and they have been mainstays in Leash Your Fitness classes. Kelly works for Booz Allen Hamilton in San Diego as a consultant and is a lead of their Health and Fitness Club which creates innovative events centered on being healthy and fit.

Credentials: BA in English from UMBC, Certified in CPR, ACE Group Fitness, and Pet CPR / First Aid

Kym Detwiler-O'Reilly. Kym has 11+ years of fitness experience working in corporate, residential and traditional gym settings. Instructing individuals of various ages ranging from kids to seniors with personal training, semi-private and group fitness classes. She has studied yoga in India and is currently working on her Masters in Holistic Nutrition as well as continuing education in Yoga Therapy and 500-hour RYT. Prior to the fitness industry, Kym worked in the animal industry as a Veterinary Technician for 10+ years.

Kym enjoys activities such as swimming, cycling, kayaking, hiking, camping, practicing yoga and walking Miss Mazie Gray on the beach.

Certifications: ACE Personal trainer, Aqua, CHEK lifestyle coach, Pilates, Spinning, CPR/AED

Education: B.A. in Organizational Management with a concentration on Physical Education, Fitness Specialty program-Mesa College, Yogafit Teacher Trainings: Levels 1-5, Anatomy/Alignment, Yoga Therapy 1, Pre/Post Natal & Senior yoga, 200-hour RYT

Volunteer: U.S. Navy's Fitness Enhancement Program as a Yoga and fitness instructor, UCP as an Adaptive Swim Coach, "Project Walk" as a trainer for spinal cord injury recovery, Assisted an adaptive group on various adventure trips, such as: river rafting and kayaking

Dog Trainers

Salem Flores has been involved in dog training for over 15 years. He started learning and working with his dad and uncle who have more than 30 years of experience in dog training. In 1996 he needed to make a decision, to continue training dogs or go to college, he decide to do both where he studied 5 years of veterinary medicine in the University of  Guadalajara in Mexico. Because of his background he has a great understanding of dogs, finding out if their problem is either medical or behavioral and making the right decisions to help them. In his second year of his career he join the FCM (Mexican Canine Federation) where he helped with competition in obedience and conformation helping AKC judges in the ring where he learned from them the quality's and behavior of the different breeds.

Titles:  Training Director, Obedience Club of San Diego; Owner, Markim Pet Resort Boarding and Training.  Also, donates time to training rescue dogs.

Experience In: Police dog training, working with dogs that have severe behavior problems such as human aggression, dog aggression, shyness, destructive behavior, separation anxiety etc... training the dogs along with their owners to solve their problems and even going one step further, getting their CD, CDX, UD and CGC where Salem is also AKC evaluator.

Lara Schindler is the founder of Happy Dog Happy Owner and has over 12 years experience training people and their dogs. She is an avid reader of the latest dog training publications and attends seminars and training classes to keep her knowledge and skills up to date. She has been influenced by Dr. Ian Dunbar, Pat Miller, Jean Donaldson, and Karen Pryor.  During her free time, Lara volunteers at the San Diego Department of Animal Control and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.  Lara specializes in training people how to train their dogs and believes: "Every dog deserves the opportunity to be great. My mission is to help."

Certifications:  ABC Certified Dog Trainer, Pet First Aid, AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator

Carol Harris has been a professional dog trainer for more than thirty years and is the owner of The Educated Pet. She is the primary trainer and behaviorist offering many types of obedience and specialized classes for dogs with behavioral issues as well as in home behavioral consultations and training. 

Carol integrates a positive reinforcement method of training with a solid education of the pet owner to help animals reach their full potential. Many of the referrals Ms. Harris receives are from local Veterinarians.  She works extensively with pet owners whose pets suffer from varying behavioral issues such as aggression, separation anxiety, inappropriate elimination and fear based issues.  She has a direct and forthright approach with her clients and a loving manner with the pets.

Experience: Rally, agility, showing dogs for both the obedience and show ring.

Certifications:  CPDT

Professional Affiliations: APDT

Professional: Regular speaker on KPBS, Author of numerous magazine articles, guest lecturer at Mesa College Vet Program, Taught Animal Careers course at ROP, Best Dog Trainer San Diego Magazine 2009

Through her experience in "in-kennel" training, over 4 years as a private and group instructor, and her work performing behavior evaluations and modifications for a variety of San Diego based rescues, Zoe has become an expert in a range of training methods. She has successfully taught everything from potty training to correcting severe aggression. She uses a motivation based approach that emphasizes structure, and consistency in order to help dogs and their owners succeed. She is an advocate and contributor to over 10 rescues in San Diego and Mexico and has professional association with the International Association of Canine Professionals and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.