Hi, my name is Rich and I own Dog Training Elite Michiana. I have always had a love for animals as far back as I can remember, but being 1 of 6 kids, my mother was slow to believe my unconvincing arguments that I could handle a pet. Finally, at the age of 10, she broke down and let me get my first parakeet, Petey. Since Petey, I have had more birds, a few hamsters, a frog, fish, dogs, and even bunnies. Currently, we have our dog, Ajax, and our bunnies, Cooper and Lenny.

While I am an attorney by training, I got into the pet care business in 2022, when I opened Fetch! Pet Care of Michiana, a dog walking and pet sitting franchise. My day-to-day interaction through Fetch! with people and their dogs showed me the immense impact dog training can have on people, families, and their dogs and the incredible need for experienced dog trainers. That is why I decided to bring Dog Training Elite to Michiana.

Dog Training Elite brings a proven system to teach basic obedience to dogs, but couples that with a passion for training service and therapy dogs, all while basing its philosophy in community and helping people and pets. We look forward to meeting you and your pup and starting the Dog Training Elite journey with you.

Hi, I'm Jess! I'm the Lead Trainer with DTE Chicago. My favorite part about dog training is learning from our dogs and using the information they give us to help strengthen bonds and communication skills. Knowing dogs on an individual level is always key to reaching out training goals.

Growing up I was fascinated by the way our family dog understood me and I was inspired to train him for fun. I really enjoyed teaching him to jump over agility jumps, and that is still one of my favorite skills to train!

During college I began working with dogs in my home and in a large dog daycare facility. That gave me an amazing opportunity to observe a wide range of dog behavior and become a pro at reading dog language. After earning a bachelor's degree in psychology I went on to earn my certification in dog obedience training from Animal Behavior College in 2019. 

Ember - Lead Demo

Meet Ember, a sweet and spunky Miniature Pinscher who loves to show off her skills! You can catch her exploring the city on walks, shopping in dog-friendly stores, or snoozing with my two senior dogs at home.

Fun fact, Ember and I share the same birthday! 

Hello! My name is Sarah and I am a Trainer at Dog Training Elite Michiana. Growing up, my family has always had dogs. I spent a lot of time outside with them playing fetch with a ball or a Frisbee. I remember teaching them tricks like sit, shake(paw), down, bow, and heel. I always loved feeding them, bathing them, and brushing out the burrs from their fur after playing in the woods. It was a dream of mine to work in the pet industry from the start!

My love of animals has grown with each new opportunity I have grasped. I have worked in many different areas which have required the utmost care of client pets. I had my start at a daycare facility which gave me the opportunity to be trained in basic manners and dog body language. I have had experience in boarding, daycare, grooming, swimming, training, and post-surgery pet care.

These experiences have shown me the importance of teaching basic manners, bonding with, and socializing your dogs. Dog Training Elite provides that training to you and your dog to help you navigate through life with the best start and helping to fix problems that arise along the way.