Lake Stevens K9 Academy
About Us
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Meet our Accredited and passionate team of dog trainers and handlers who are dedicated to providing top-notch care and training for dogs and their owners. We strive to continually improve our skills and knowledge to better serve our furry clients in a positive and loving environment.
Kim D.
My love and passion for animals started at a young age. My first dog was Chelsea, a very sweet golden retriever. We took obedience classes at the community education program. A love for dog training was sparked in me, and we continued and sought out more advanced classes with Joan Fetty's positive dog training. There, I would build my foundation, which I use today.
I continued training dogs within her program for many years with my German shepherd, Sasha.
I've taken handling courses, earned therapy dog status, and volunteered with my Mastiff Edward for many years in the Reading with Rover program.
My behavior modification seminar with The Animal Behavior Clinic with CHRISTOPHER PACHEL, DVM, DACVB, and CABC that I attended has helped me understand dog behavior more, and helping fear-based dogs is a specialty of mine.
My hands-on training for more than 30 years has earned me recognition in conformation, obedience, and therapy dogs. I am certified with AKC in Canine Good Citizen, CGCA, and Star Puppy, and I am a Farm Dog Judge.
I ran and built Lake Stevens K9 Academy LLC, starting with offering community education dog training classes within the Lake Stevens school district for almost twenty years. Now, we offer many classes at our training facility in downtown Lake Stevens.
I have owned, loved, and trained many breeds, including Rottweilers, English Mastiffs, Australian shepherds, Bulldogs, German shepherds, Black Russian terriers, and Pugs. This diverse group has helped me understand the importance of really seeing the dog in front of me and learning to work with the individual dog's needs.
My hope as a trainer is that I can help you have a well-mannered dog both in public and at home.
Maggie
I was born and raised a Midwest girl with animals of all kinds in my life from the age of 5 years old. Studying the behavior of dogs began as early as 10 years old. I am a college graduate with a BA in Communications. I am a registered Therapy Dogs Inc, Handler as well as a member of the APDT. I have an Obedience Competition background having earned titles on my dogs such as; ACK-CGC, UKC-UCD and others. I also apprenticed as an assistant instructor at a well known Dog Training facility in Woodinville for 2 years in 1993 & 1994. I spent 5 years working as a nutrition consultant with Nature’s Variety Pet Foods and have attended numerous seminars on nutrition and training for dogs to keep my clients informed on the best choices for theirs pets.
"I remember going to the animal shelter with my family to get our first family dog "Nellie". She was 1 year old when we adopted her and she lived with us until her last day at 19 years old. She was a true friend. I have had so many canine and feline friends in my life that I can't remember there ever being a time without them. They have taught me so many valuable lessons and they continue to do so.
I have been in the Seattle region for 25 years now actively training the dogs (and their people) of this beautiful area and making life long friends along the way. I continue to learn new things from the dogs and people I meet in each new family I train with, as I pass along my knowledge to them."
Christina B.
Christina Bunn is the owner and master trainer of Puget Sound Detection Dogs. Christina has been training detection dogs for over 21 years and has owned and operated her own facility for over 15 of those years. Christina has evaluated hundreds of canines for work in detection and has trained over 150 for the detection of controlled substances. At one point, Christina had over 50 dogs working throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the country of Brazil. Among the dogs that worked in Oregon, 11 of those dogs had been with Oregon State Police.
Christina has been an instructor at the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association’s conference for the last 10 years. Christina is a volunteer for Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue and has served in many capacities for 21 years. During her time with SCVSAR Christina has handled two canines. K9 Matty was an area search dog and was also crossed trained to locate human remains. K9 Matty’s daughter K9 Springfield was a trailing K9 and was also crossed trained for human remains. Christina and her K9 partners were utilized on hundreds of missions and had multiple
With over 45 collective years in the working and companion dog realm, Christina has worked with humane societies, boarding kennels, and veterinarian hospitals. She is a Canine Good Citizen/STAR Puppy/AKC Tricks Evaluator, Certified Nosework Instructor and Trial Judge. She teaches 13 sport detection classes a week for all levels from intro to Elite. successes in live find as well as human remains. She is the trainer for the county’s HRD Team and conducts weekly trainings.
Kim H.
All my life I have had an inherent love for animals, especially dogs.
This love for helping dogs led me to running a very large breed specific dog rescue for more than 11 years. During my tenure there I fostered more than 40 dogs in my home, learning to work through mild to severe behavioral issues. In addition to fostering, I was responsible for the hundreds of dogs that came through my rescue annually, often helping fosters with behavior issues, evaluating dogs coming into rescue and dogs that were already in rescue. I decided it was time to take my passion to the next level so I attended the NW School of Canine Studies, where I dove head first into canine behavior studies, learning how to take a positive approach to behavior modification. Upon completion of the CCS program, I enrolled in ABCT program, earning my training certification. I have been diligent about educating myself in all aspects of training; physiology, behavior, and animal sciences.
I take a relationship-based approach to training, which is a method of training that uses the cooperative relationship between the trainer and the animal to achieve mutually beneficial results, while at the same time enhancing and strengthening their relationship. Together we will learn how to accurately interpret your dog's body language, find out what motivates your dog, and we will use it to your advantage, and use positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior you want. My goal is to help my clients achieve harmonious, enjoyable lives with their dogs. Isn’t that what we dream of when we adopt a puppy or dog? A well-behaved dog can do more, enjoy more in life, and have more fun!
Currently I share my home with 2 amazing Boxers and a goofy French Bully who enrich my life on a daily basis.
Amanda D.
Dogs have always been my passion!
After training my own German shepherds and earning Canine Good Citizen titles, I wanted to do more. I assisted in training puppies and adult dogs in obedience for three years, and I decided to pursue further education in dog behavior.
In 2019, I received my CCS-professional dog Training Certification from the Northwest School of Canine Studies. I am also certified by the American Kennel Club to teach and certify Star Puppy, Trick Dog, and Canine Good Citizen. I have worked with dogs and their owners ever since. I will continue my education in the fall of 2024 in UW’s Applied Animal Behavior program.
As a dog trainer, I aim to educate owners on how dogs engage with the world. I want dogs and their owners to enjoy living life together.
Currently teaching Puppy Boot Camp, puppy classes, basic manners, other group classes, and private lessons
