Dawn O'Cain

Dawn is The OG for Positive Training in The Midlands. She was the first to offer Obedience Classes using modern positive methods after seeing firsthand at a Dog Trainer's Conference in San Diego how effectively and efficiently dogs can be trained without pain or fear.

 Dawn's Dog Training experience is vast, spanning 30+ years. She has done Therapy with her dogs, Search and Rescue, and titled several in Competition Obedience. She co-founded the Greyhound Prison Program and taught inmates to train retired Greyhounds for adoption. She has done private dog rescue, worked as a Vet Tech, and currently runs a Boarding Kennel from her home.

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Dawn's passion is Great Danes which she breeds and shows in Conformation. A true animal lover, Dawn shares her home with dogs, cats, birds, horses, and chickens.

Kelly Whittington, FDM

Kelly has lived with dogs all her life, literally since birth. But, her passion for Dog Training was ignited by a skinny, flea-bitten stray dog she found in 2004. Unable to keep him or find his original owner, she had the idea that training him would help him get a good home faster. When she saw how much fun positive training was, she was hooked!

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Kelly has fostered many, many dogs for a local pet rescue group. She loves to take the most challenging ones who might otherwise be considered "unadoptable", help them become their best self, and find their perfect forever home.

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Kelly is a "Behavior Geek" who reads and studies animal behavior for fun! She is the author of all the articles for students, using her deep knowledge and experience to help dog owners better understand their dogs. She is a Family Dog Mediator and trained in working with Aggression in Dogs. Kelly shares her home with several rescue dogs and reptiles.

Lauren Gazella

Lauren has been working with retired Greyhounds since she was 12 years old. Her mom co-founded the Greyhound Prison Program with Dawn, and she took over teaching the inmates how to train the Greyhounds when Dawn retired.

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Lauren is a Certified Vet Tech currently working in Emergency care. Her angel Greyhound, Uno, was a blood donor and Lauren helped him earn the Canine Good Citizen title. Her Dog Training passion is teaching dogs to stay calm and relaxed for veterinary procedures. When dogs are accepting of vet care, it is easier on them, the veterinary staff, and the owners.

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In her free time, Lauren loves Hiking and Biking with her rescue Doberman, Enzo.