About

Helping your dogs be the angels they are meant to be.

Proudly serving Novato, San Rafael, and San Anselmo since 2017.

About The Trainers

Mary Dormody, Owner
KPA CTP

Mary grew up training dogs, and her experience shows in her natural communication with dogs and their owners.

Mary became a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner in May 2018. The Karen Pryor Academy is a rigorous 6 month course that includes instruction in the science of learning as well as hands-on experience teaching people and multiple species of animals.

From February 2015 to August 2017, Mary worked as a Receptionist and Veterinary Assistant at a veterinary hospital in San Anselmo. There, she learned about animal behavior as it pertains to health and safety, and gained invaluable experience.

Mary earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Biology from the University of California, Davis, in 2014. While at Davis, she interned with the late Dr. Sophia Yin, a pioneer in animal behavior and training. Mary credits Dr. Yin as the mentor who changed her focus from veterinary medicine to dog training and helped her realize her talent.

From the ages of 12 to 18, Mary volunteered at Marin Humane as a Dog Training Assistant, among various other positions. She has always had a passion for helping animals in need, and is thrilled to put that passion to use in her work.

Heidi, Trainer
ABCDT

Heidi has been working with dogs for over 20 years and has always been fascinated by how they learn new things so quickly and almost seem to have a 6th sense for reading both our body language and moods.

Heidi became certified through Animal Behavior College in 2021, where she studied positive reinforcement training techniques and the science behind how dogs learn.

Through her experience working with dogs and training her own, Heidi saw a strong need for training methods grounded in the science of animal behavior.

Heidi loves that dogs and humans have been partners for thousands of years, and she chose this career path to help strengthen and preserve that special bond.

Melissa, Training Assistant

Melissa’s passion for dog training began at 14 with her energetic Labrador who needed a productive outlet. Starting with agility training, she quickly fell in love with the process of teaching and communicating with dogs. Wanting to learn as much as she could, Melissa began working under a professional trainer at a puppy day school, where she gained hands-on experience and continued developing her training skills.

She has a particular interest in sport and working dogs and enjoys training driven, high-energy dogs.

Melissa continues to build her experience working with a variety of dogs while developing her skills as a trainer. She enjoys learning and is committed to continuing her education as she works toward becoming a professional dog trainer.

Testimonials

Ellen formerly from Terra Linda
I adopted Vito, and he was shy, scared, and lacked confidence. Over the course of our training, Vito blossomed into a different dog. He gained in personality, confidence, and happiness! Mary's ALL about positive, and being truly supportive. I could not have chosen a better trainer for US. Vito continues to be happy, obedient, and thrive since Mary helped bring out his true personality. If you're needing The Best trainer, she's it! I'm forever grateful.

Rick from Novato
Mary is a very knowledgeable dog handler & trainer, always positive in her training. Our dog Rusty is a highly distractible, curious Red & White Irish Setter. Mary helped us to help Rusty stay focused so he would take enjoyable walks, respond to commands, and overall channel his curiosity into a positive strength rather than a distraction. Highly recommend!

Jen from Novato
Mary is literally amazing. Our Boston came to us without socialization with humans and seems to be scared of basically everything. Mary has taught our little Reese to interact with us and she just keeps blossoming after each session we have. Thank you so much for helping us to see our puppy for who she is and to help her excel. Thank you!! We are looking forward to the future and are thrilled to know Reese is happy and thriving with your continued assistance.

Jean from San Anselmo
We couldn't be more pleased! Mary literally made it possible for us to keep Chinook, a rescue dog that had been in 5 homes in 6 weeks. She saved his life.