Team

Elevate Canine Academy

Get to Know Our Dog Training Team

At Elevate Canine Academy, we have two training locations to best serve you and your dog. All our training is completed by qualified trainers, who know how to support you and your dog for the best behavioral results. Keep reading to meet our team. You can also contact us at any time to learn more.

Our Bismarck, ND Staff

We have a fully staffed facility in Bismarck, ND. Our team is committed to helping dogs and their owners with all their behavioral and training goals. We specialize in difficult dogs, but we are equipped to work with all dogs. Keep reading to get to know our staff in Bismarck!

Kyle is married with three kids. His interest in dogs dates back to the beginning of his first professional career in law enforcement, where his goal was to work with a K9. After a brief stint in law enforcement, he made a career change to the IT field before having the opportunity to pursue working with a K9. With experience in IT and an entrepreneurial mindset, Kyle started several businesses, including a table and chair rental business. 

In 2016, Kyle decided to dive into dog sports, focusing on obedience, bite work, and scent work. This eventually led to working with reactive and aggressive dogs. Kyle began helping people with their dogs when he realized he had more knowledge than the average dog owner, thanks to the experience he had gained. With his entrepreneurial mindset, Kyle started Elevate Canine Academy as a side project in 2019, initially as something to do. 

Kyle did not realize how much demand there was for dog training in the area. In early 2022, Kyle sold his IT consulting business and, after 25 years in IT, made the decision to transition to dog training full-time. Now, Kyle and his staff are working on expanding service offerings to bring a higher level of training to the area.

Laura joined us in March 2022. After 25 years of marriage and three children, she now enjoys spending her free time camping and bonding with her family's dogs. As a passionate dog lover, Laura and her family share their home with two Vizslas. Their children have four dogs, which adds to the lively household.

Prior to her role with us, Laura spent 11 years as a paraeducator for Bismarck Public Schools. Her deep love for dogs led her to pursue a career working with them, and she considers it a dream come true. Laura takes immense pride in her work.

Laura’s top three favorite dog breeds are:

1. Vizslas, due to their ease of training, loyalty, and affectionate nature
2. Bully breeds, which she believes have been unfairly labeled as aggressive, when in fact they are often misunderstood
3. Belgian Malinois, whose intelligence and drive have captured her interest after extensive work with the breed

As a valuable member of our team, Laura has significantly contributed to the growth of the company through her leadership in launching our school education program. She visits schools to educate both staff and students on dog behavior and how to interact safely and respectfully with dogs. Her passion for dogs has been integral to the success and expansion of this program, further enhancing our reputation and impact in the community.

Michaela went to Iowa State with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, but she quickly realized that path wasn’t right for her. She had to take a step back and figure out what she truly wanted to do with her life. She started watching trainers on YouTube and fell in love with how dogs could be transformed through training. After college, she moved to Bismarck with her husband and reached out to Elevate Canine Academy to train dogs.

Michaela's top three favorite dog breeds:

1. Husky
2. Akita
3. Malinois



Michaela was the first trainer added to the staff at Elevate Canine Academy. She went from working 10 hours a week to full-time in a very short period of time. She has been instrumental in Elevate Canine Academy’s growth, providing valuable input in developing the business model and processes we use today. Working with dogs is her passion, and doing everything in her power to help clients succeed is something she takes personally. We are very fortunate to have her on our staff.

Our Fargo, ND Staff

Our Fargo, ND location is home to a dedicated team of professionals passionate about helping dogs and their owners. With a range of expertise in dog training, behavior, and care, our staff is committed to providing personalized solutions for every pet. Whether you're dealing with reactivity, aggression, or general training, our team works together to create a supportive, positive environment.

Sydney grew up on a hobby farm and was always surrounded by animals. Her mom rehabilitated foster dogs that were having a hard time getting adopted due to various behavioral issues, and Sydney learned a great deal about dog behavior and training from a very young age because of this. Later, they started boarding dogs for the local community and surrounding areas, which provided even more opportunities to work with a variety of dog breeds and temperaments.

Because of this upbringing, working with animals and training them became a passion. She trained everything from pigeons to dogs and the occasional duck. She especially grew to love large and giant breeds and finds working with aggressive and reactive dogs to be the most rewarding, as these dogs tend to benefit the most from her work.

Sydney graduated from MSUM with a degree in animation and a minor in music, and it became her goal to find a balance between her love of the media arts and her passion for animals. During her time in college, she adopted two dogs, a wolfhound mix with a variety of reactivity and aggression issues and an Akbash with a stubborn streak and destructive tendencies. Both of these dogs further cemented her desire to make dog training a significant part of her life.

After graduating, she worked at a dog daycare for a little over a year but eventually decided to return to her roots and focus on dog training. When she came across the opportunity to work at Elevate Canine Academy, she jumped at the chance. She is looking forward to working with aggressive and reactive dogs at Elevate Canine Academy, as well as contributing to video editing and filming for the team.

Ez has wanted to work with animals for as long as she can remember. It started with her family’s reactive dog, then expanded to socializing puppies, pet sitting, and a job at a boarding facility caring for and training hunting dogs. Even after all these years in the industry, there is nothing else she can imagine doing with her life. With her springer spaniel, Teagan, as her training assistant, Ez is always looking to expand her knowledge of the dog world.

With a soft spot for reactive dogs and a passion for educating owners, Elevate Canine Academy was the perfect next step in her career. She's a valuable part of our team, working with owners and their dogs

Clay has been in the dog care or service industry since the autumn of 2022, but he has always had dogs in his life since childhood. His passion for animals came from his experience as a professional dog handler. As a dog handler, he had plenty of opportunities to work with and care for many different breeds and mixes of dogs. During his time as a dog handler, Clay had learned to observe the many different personalities, behaviors, and temperaments of each dog he interacted with. This, in turn, sparked his curiosity to pursue the possibility of working and practicing with dogs in a controlled environment where he was able to see the working mind of a dog in real time.                         

Towards the middle of summer in 2024, Clay got the chance to pursue a different career as a professional dog trainer at Elevate Canine Academy. Since then, Clay has been exploring his passion fervently and looks forward to each day and what it may bring. Clay loves that each dog that walks through our doors is always different. He believes that each dog provides him as a trainer with new opportunities to learn and grow.

Dave is a 21-year law enforcement veteran. He spent 18 years with the Fargo Police Department and the last several years with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Dave has held many roles over the last 20 years. Nearly half of those years have been spent in the role of a K9 handler.

Dave started his K9 path as a decoy with the Fargo Police Department. In 2009, Dave was selected to be a K9 handler and attend the St. Paul Canine Academy in St. Paul, MN. Dave was paired with his first K9, Kimber. Kimber was eventually washed, and Dave was paired with his new K9, Falco. Dave and Falco finished their training together through Can Am K9. Dave has also helped start and train dogs with Can Am K9.

Dave and Falco had an exciting career, winning many medals and citations through the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) and the National Police Canine Association (NPCA). One of their career highlights was appearing on the national television show Top Dog and as a guest host on Live PD. Although very exciting, Dave says nothing was better than helping his coworkers find suspects that were actively evading law enforcement and or hiding their contraband.

Dave has always had a love for dogs and is excited to be a part of Elevate Canine Academy.