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Chelsey
Founder
Behavior Specialist
Command Canine is led by Chelsey Marino, a highly respected Behavior Specialist who is quickly gaining national recognition as one of the top experts in the field. She is a leading voice in helping dogs with fear, anxiety, and trauma. Chelsey's expertise is sought after by major rescue organizations handling some of the most severe behavioral cases, including dogs from a life in animal testing laboratories who suffer from extreme trauma.
Chelsey’s training methods are trusted by veterinarians, rescue organizations, and industry professionals, and her lectures on behavioral rehabilitation are shaping the future of dog training. (See her lecture on Rehabilitating Fearful & Traumatized Dogs)
Her initiative, The Keeper & Kin Project, is North America’s only training and rehabilitation program built for dogs released from research facilities; dogs who have never walked on grass, climbed stairs, or even had a name, just a number tattooed in their ear. As the official partner of rescues across the U.S. and Canada, Chelsey coaches fosters and adopters to ensure these dogs’ second chance isn’t wasted.
When she’s not working with dogs, Chelsey can be found taking on DIY projects around the house, most of which turn out..... fine. She also loves cooking competition shows, offering plenty of critique despite having no ability to cook whatsoever.
Tony
President
Tony Marino began his career in the medical industry, specializing in spine surgery. Throughout his work, he and his team identified critical inefficiencies in hospital systems and created multiple companies that helped hospitals across the U.S. improve operating room efficiencies. By challenging the status quo, Tony introduced innovative solutions that had never been attempted before, transforming the way hospitals operated.
After 12 years in the medical field, Tony was ready for a new challenge. Upon meeting Chelsey, he recognized an opportunity to elevate the standard in the dog training industry. His passion lies in enhancing the client experience and ensuring that structured processes are in place to achieve the best possible outcomes—for both owners and their dogs.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Tony is also a dedicated aviation enthusiast. As a licensed pilot, he enjoys flying around Charlotte and traveling to visit family and friends whenever possible.
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 farm 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!"
Maggie
Training Manager
Behavior and Obedience Trainer
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, who 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 had been looking for. Maggie 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.
Heather
Behavior and Obedience Trainer
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Heather has been a professional dog trainer since 2014, bringing over a decade of expertise to her practice. Her passion for animals started at a very early age, and she has dedicated more than 20 years to working with them in various capacities.
Heather's diverse experience includes roles in veterinary hospitals, grooming salons, animal shelters, pet specialty retail, and dog walking. Her well-rounded background in the animal industry has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to address a wide range of canine behavior and training needs.
As an AKC CGC Evaluator and Professional Member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP), Heather is committed to empowering dog owners on their training journey. She believes in fostering strong relationships between dogs and their owners, ensuring a harmonious and fulfilling partnership.
Outside of her professional life, Heather enjoys yoga, taking leisurely walks with her Pomeranian, Phoenix, and nurturing her orchid and houseplant collection. Her love for animals and dedication to their well-being is evident in every aspect of her life, making her a trusted and compassionate guide for those seeking to improve their relationship with their canine companions.
JaXx
Behavior and Obedience Trainer
JaXx has a Bachelors degree in Animal Science from UC Davis and has spent the last fifteen years building a solid foundation in animal training based on a combination of education, science, and hands-on experience.
JaXx owned a very successful training and boarding business in Los Angeles, training many hundreds of dogs over her career. She was also fortunate enough to train many celebrity's dogs during her time in L.A.
After wanting to get away from California, she found her new home here in Charlotte.
JaXx is a professional member of several well respected organizations such as the American Kennel Club. She also founded Pawsitive Outcomes Dog Rescue which serves the south Los Angeles Community by rescuing dogs off the street and also pulling at risk dogs from local animal shelters.
Her passion is to help dogs and their parents create a happy, cohesive relationship based upon a mutual understanding of love and respect for one another.
Justine
Behavior and Obedience Trainer
Justine is a professional dog trainer with over 20 years of hands-on experience and a deep commitment to helping dogs and their people succeed together.
She owned and operated her own dog training business for many years, building an outstanding reputation in her community for her knowledge, professionalism, and results. Throughout her career, Justine has worked with dogs across a wide range of roles and environments—from companion dogs and sport dogs to service dogs and working teams. Her approach to training is thoughtful, ethical, and rooted in clear communication, with a strong emphasis on both a dog’s physical health and emotional well-being.
She holds multiple professional certifications, including Certified Service Dog Trainer (ABCSDT), Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI), Animal Actors Certified Evaluator (AACE), and Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach (CCFC). She is also Herm Sprenger Prong Collar Knowledge Assessed (PCKA), an AKC Evaluator, AKC Fetch and Fit Dog Judge, AKC Temperament Test Evaluator, and a UKC Spot Evaluator.
Beyond her work with clients, Justine is actively involved in the professional dog training community. She serves on multiple committees, including the IACP Service Dog Committee and several trial committees, mentors trainers through Animal Behavior College, and serves as an AKC Canine Ambassador. Through these roles, she supports education, ethical standards, and responsible dog ownership within the industry.
At the core of her work is the belief that effective training is about more than behaviors—it’s about building trust, confidence, and lasting partnerships. She is committed to continued education and ongoing professional development and is excited to bring her experience, leadership, and passion to the Command Canine team.
Emma
Behavior and Obedience Trainer
With a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Mount Olive, Emma brings a strong understanding of animal behavior to her work. Over the past six years, Emma has been developing a successful pet sitting business in Waxhaw (and the surrounding areas), nurturing a lifelong passion for animals. However, it wasn't until she got her dog, Easton, that she truly found her calling in dog training.
The challenge of being a student athlete while raising a puppy in college was a pivotal experience that led her to the world of dog training. For 3 years, Emma shadowed Chelsey, and learned to address behavior issues in dogs, which she also applied to Easton. She was fascinated with the parallels between training dogs and psychology. While dogs can't speak, their behaviors communicate a great deal.
Emma's mission as a dog trainer is to positively impact both dogs and their owners. To her, dogs are family members, not just pets. Outside of training, Emma often helps with foster puppies or enjoys playing frisbee with Easton. She also cherishes spending time with family and friends. Emma is eager to work with you and your furry companions, to help build stronger, happier relationships.
Nick
Behavior and Obedience Trainer
Training professionally for over a decade, Nick has dedicated his work to helping dogs and their owners build stronger, healthier, and more reliable relationships. His passion for training began after experiencing firsthand the transformative impact of structured training with his own dog, sparking a deep interest in communication, behavior, and the bond between dogs and their families.
Nick’s training approach is rooted in clarity, consistency, and relationship building. He specializes in pet dog training, helping families develop well-mannered and confident dogs through personalized behavior modification and practical obedience instruction. He thrives on uncovering each dog’s unique motivations and guiding them toward their full potential. Whether he is solving common household challenges or building solid foundational skills like recall, his work emphasizes patience, understanding, and teamwork with the owner.
Beyond general obedience, Nick has a passion for the high-level discipline of dog sports. He trained in Schutzhund (now known as IPO or IGP) with his German Shepherd, Draco. This demanding sport sharpened his understanding of drive management, precision handling, and canine athleticism. These insights shape his training style today, allowing him to work skillfully with dogs who need structure, purpose, and meaningful engagement.
Nick believes every dog deserves a fulfilled life, and every owner deserves to enjoy life alongside a well-behaved best friend.
When he’s not training, Nick enjoys visiting amusement parks, working on his car, and spending time with his own dogs.
Ben
Canine Dietitian
Ben Cornwell has over 17 years of hospitality experience. In his previous job, Ben managed a large fine dining establishment with over 100 staff members. Ben has always been around different animals, his late father, Greg Cornwell, was a key faculty member at the Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville, SC. Greg sadly passed away in 2020 from his second battle with cancer.
Ben married his future business partner, Megan, at Webb Custom Kitchen in Gastonia, NC, where he was an operating partner. Shortly after, his mother, Anne, also passed away from ongoing health issues. While grieving his parents, Ben and Megan took great comfort in spending time with their pets. Both began their research into pet nutrition and EarthWise Pet Matthews followed shortly after.
Ben has a clear passion for pets and proper nutritional practices. Becoming a Certified Pet Dietitian urged Ben to add another fur baby to the Cornwell pack. As a gift to themselves, Ben and Megan got their handsome Golden Irish Retriever, Volstagg, before opening EarthWise.
Megan
Canine Dietitian
Megan Cornwell is a Winthrop University graduate, Certified Pet Dietitian, and co-owner of EarthWise Pet in Matthews, NC. She is married to co-owner Ben Cornwell, and they have 3 fur children: Thor, Valkyrie, and Volstagg.
Megan has always had a passion for animals, especially dogs and cats, growing up around both. Her first purchase after moving out of her parent’s house was her sweet Golden Retriever, Thor. Her pet nutrition journey began with Thor’s fair amount of digestion issues as a puppy. Megan and Ben were on a mission to find a food that worked. After lots of research, they found the right foods and also found EarthWise Pet. Both looking for a career change, they jumped at the opportunity to open their own Nutrition Center and Wellness Spa.
EarthWise Pet provided Megan and Ben with the training and resources to become Certified Pet Dietitians. Both spent over a year doing extensive coursework, case studies, and readings on pet nutrition to prepare them for their store. During construction, Megan also worked for Steele Creek Animal Hospital as a receptionist and kennel assistant to gain more knowledge of the veterinary medical industry.
To Megan and Ben, pets are family, which is why they’re dedicated to helping pet parents find the best nutritional practices to help pets thrive!
Join Our Team!
We are expanding, and are currently looking for talented obedience and behavioral trainers in the Charlotte and Lake Norman areas to join our in-person team.
We're also hiring experienced Behavior Specialists across the country who are passionate about working virtually with clients through structured, effective, and supportive online programs.