Our Team
Chelsey
Founder
Head Trainer/Behavior Specialist
Chelsey decided early in her career to follow her love for dogs and studied dog training and canine psychology. Chelsey attended schooling and hands-on training for 2 years under the tutelage of two different top rated training programs - being exposed to a wide variety of dogs and behaviors. She quickly recognized that some dogs need more than basic obedience and started immersing herself into behavior modification where she perfected more advanced techniques to help address behavioral issues.
For 10 years she has pushed herself to becoming an expert in many different training methods in order to be able to effectively manage more difficult cases, such as: counter conditioning, desensitization, habituation, Behavior Adjustment Training, Constructional Aggression Treatment, LAT Protocol, Relaxation Protocols, TBTE Triad Protocols, confidence boosting techniques, stress coping mechanisms and Cooperative Care for Vet visits and groomer handling.
Tony
President
Tony started his career in the medical industry; specifically focusing on neuro and spine surgery. He and his team identified challenges many hospital faced and founded multiple companies that helped hospital systems across the US improve efficiencies within the operating room environment. By challenging the status quo of the medical industry, he was able to create new solutions, previously never attempted.
After 12 years of being in the medical field he wanted to take on a different challenge. Soon after meeting Chelsey, he saw a need to help her create a higher standard in the dog training industry. He’s passionate about focusing on the customer experience, and ensuring processes are in place that create the best possible outcome for you and your dog.
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Brandy
Behavior Assessment Specialist
At a very early age, Brandy discovered she had a passion for this industry. At 10 years old, she saw an arson detection canine do a demonstration and said "I want to do that when I grow up!"
She always had an interest in learning how behaviors are shaped in both canines and humans. The mind was always fascinating to her. She followed her passion and graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors in Criminology.
Brandy began working for a private canine company training dogs for scent detection (arson, indigo snake, mold, termites & bedbugs). There she worked to rescue and train over 150 canines.
In 2007 she joined US Department of Homeland Security and became a Lead Explosive Detection Canine Handler for 10 years, overseeing 3 other canine teams.
In 2018, Brandy experienced a severe canine attack from a mistake made by another "trainer", and had to undergo 2 surgeries. She was not able to physically work with dogs so instead she began working in the behavioral and mental health field. "Helping others has always been a passion of mine and if I couldn't help dogs why not humans!?"
After recovering from surgeries, her passion for dogs drove her back to working with private canine companies, focusing most of her time on behavior modification cases. "Seeing both humans and canines succeed together and living a more stable and happy lifestyle is truly rewarding for me."
Rayne
Client Experience Officer
Rayne is originally from England but has lived in the US for many years. From NY to FL she has worked in different industries such as investment banking, wine sales and the music industry. For the last 17 years she has been in NC working in the dog training industry; and has worked with rescues for even longer! She learned early in her career how important it is to communicate effectively with clients when it comes to something as important as your dog.
Rayne has a natural gift that makes every new and existing client feel warm and welcome. She will be the first person you interact with at Command Canine, and she will help you through each step of our process in order to make sure you feel comfortable and well informed.
"I have been an animal lover my whole life, I have a weakness for farmed animals and rodents. When I am not in the office, you can find me listening to or making music, rescuing animals, hiking with my rescue dogs, thrifting, streaming Netflix and pigging out on lots of vegan yummies. Thank you for reading my bio and I look forward to getting to know you too!"
Sydney
Behavior and Obedience
While completing her neuroscience degree at Temple University, Sydney worked as a dog walker and pet sitter where she discovered her love for working with animals. After college, she began her career as a behavioral neuroscience researcher for 2 years before she realized that wanted to get back to working with animals.
"I knew I needed to find a way to combine my love for dogs with my education in behavioral neuroscience."
She was able to find her passion by working as a full time dog trainer in Philadelphia for 2 years with one of the region's leading dog training companies, working with dogs of all types of obedience and behavioral needs. Her love of dogs along with her understanding of neurology brings a very unique understanding of how dogs think and act.
When Sydney isn't training dogs, she is out hiking with her golden-doodle, Piper. She also loves riding horses. We are very fortunate to have Sydney on the Command Canine team.
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Maggie
Behavior and Obedience
Coming from an academic family and having a passion for dogs, Maggie aspired to be a veterinarian early in life. However she quickly realized that being a vet wasn't the right fit for her. So she found herself detouring away from her love for animals, and attending Oberlin College in Ohio, graduating with several majors, none of which were related to animals.
During college, Maggie adopted her first rescue, Ryder, which was extremely under-socialized. Working to help Ryder become a mentally healthy and happy dog reignited her desire to work with dogs for a living, which convinced her to pursue a career working with animals.
Maggie began working at the largest doggie daycare in Cleveland, and by 2013 she assumed the role of General Manager. Maggie loved every bit of her daycare experience, but also found herself wanting more - more challenges, more opportunities, more ways to positively impact dogs. In 2015, Maggie was offered the opportunity to mentor with a professional dog trainer with over 40 years of experience. This opportunity quickly fulfilled many of the things she’d been looking for, and she spent the next six years working closely with seasoned trainers and helping as many dogs and families as possible, before moving to Charlotte in 2021 for the next step in her training career.
Since then, Maggie has trained hundreds of dogs, focusing primarily on behavior modification and obedience cases. Additionally, she has experience training service dogs, therapy dogs, object retrieval and personal protection dogs.
In her free time, Maggie enjoys baking (always vegan!), board games, hiking with her pack, and spending time with family and friends, especially her adorable toddler nephews.
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Shanty
Behavior and Obedience
Growing up with English Mastiffs and Poodles, Shanty has always been very involved with dogs.
She paid her way through college by caring for and training dogs. After graduating she began volunteering with shelters such as PSPCA and taking in behavior/rehabilitation cases. She worked closely with the behavior team to help dogs work through trauma and become good candidates for adoption.
Working with shelter dogs inspired her to become more educated and experienced in the field in order to help people understand their dog’s behavioral challenges and find ways to work through them so owners didn’t feel they had re-home their dog.
“I love digging deeper into why dogs act or react the way they do. I believe helping dog owners understand the way dogs think and interact with our world is key in having a long lasting happy and healthy relationship with their pets.”
While working as dog trainer in Philadelphia, she gained a ton of experience working with dog with behavioral issues, as well as working with obedience. She developed and lead classes in a wide range of subjects; including puppy seminars, STAR Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, obedience and trick training.
She is a Canine Good Citizen test administrator for the AKC, and a member of a competitive dog training club, actively competing in conformation, dock diving, and ACK scent-work.
When she isn’t training or competing, Shanty raises a working and show line Dogo Argentinos.
Meredith
Behavior and Obedience
Meredith's journey into the world of animal behavior and training began with a solid foundation: a bachelor's degree in biology, initially pursued with the aim of entering veterinary medicine. However, life took a turn when she started working at a veterinary clinic and adopted an under-socialized and overly excited Australian Cattle Dog. Facing financial constraints and unable to afford a professional dog trainer, Meredith embarked on a self-taught journey. Through extensive research and online courses, she gained a deep understanding of dog behavior, which enabled her to help her Australian Cattle Dog overcome reactivity and overexcitement.
Meredith's dedication and hard work paid off as she and her dog competed at high levels in dog sports, earning multiple trick dog titles and awards. Seizing the opportunity to deepen her knowledge, she used her veterinary connections to shadow board-certified veterinary behaviorists at UC Davis and a certified behavior consultant, gaining invaluable insights into animal behavior.
Her passion for learning led Meredith to connect with well-known and respected trainers in the area, allowing her to explore various training methodologies. This experience inspired her to open her own training company, focusing on behavior adjustment training. Meredith's business quickly evolved as she began helping litters of puppies, developing a special interest in puppy behavior and development. Her four-year-old Golden Retriever, Fig, was from the first litter she ever helped whelp and raise, giving her a unique opportunity to influence a dog's development from day one.
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Kristina
Behavior and Obedience
In addition to her degree in Animal Science and Behavior, Kristina has over 15 years of professional experience working with her passion; dogs.
She discovered her calling while volunteering at animal shelters. After witnessing the transformative power of patient and loving training with dogs that have behavioral challenges, she was inspired to devote her life to helping make positive changes in dogs.
"I've been fortunate enough to expand my expertise by working alongside some of the top elite dog trainers in the field. This experience has not only honed my skills but also deepened my understanding of the nuanced ways in which dogs communicate and learn."
Whether it's overcoming behavioral challenges or mastering new skills, Kristina's goal is to ensure that you and your dog embark on a path to success, marked by mutual respect, understanding, and love.
Justine
Obedience Specialist
Justine started her career in the dental field, working closely with children and adults. However, after seeing how dog training dramatically improved her relationship with her own dogs, she became obsessed with learning more about dog behavior and psychology. She decided to turn her passion into a career. After training and working with dog training companies, Justine eventually started her own dog training business, focusing on basic and advanced obedience. Joining Command Canine allows Justine to focus on doing what she loves most, while having a strong team to support her.
"I love to see the expression of my clients face when they see the change in their dog's behavior. It reminds me what got me into this industry in the first place. It makes me so happy to help people experience that same feeling I felt when they start a new relationship and bond with their dog."
