I’ve Spent Years Learning
to Look Beyond the Behavior.
I’m Dana — canine behavior specialist, canine nutritionist and holistic pet health coach.
I started professionally working with dogs in 2011 as a trainer and behavior specialist. Over the years, the dogs pushed me to keep learning because I kept seeing cases where another obedience exercise was not going to explain the whole picture.
Today I bring behavior, nutrition, natural wellness, emotional health, lifestyle and good old-fashioned dog sense together to help pet parents better understand the dog standing in front of them.
I Started With Training.
The Dogs Made Me Look Deeper.
My original professional education was in dog training and behavior. I worked with puppies, family dogs, service dogs, aggression, reactivity, anxiety, fear and some very complicated household cases. Training taught me how dogs learn, how people communicate with them, and how quickly behavior can change when the right pieces are put in place.
But I also began seeing dogs whose behavior did not fit neatly into a training plan. Some were chronically anxious. Some were uncomfortable or in pain. Some had digestive issues, allergies or inflammatory problems happening right alongside the behavior. Some simply could not settle no matter how much obedience work they had already done.
That sent me deeper into canine nutrition, fresh food, aromatherapy, homeopathy, herbs, energy work, emotional health and natural wellness. I did not stop being a behavior professional. I added more ways to ask a better question:
What is driving this dog’s behavior — and what are we missing?
I’m Proud of Where I Started.
The K9 Coach began as a dog training business. Those years gave me thousands of hours watching dogs, working with families, troubleshooting behavior and learning how dramatically the human end of the leash can change the outcome.
My work looks different now because I know more now. I no longer want every dog problem reduced to another weekly training package, and I do not believe every behavior problem begins and ends with obedience.
I still evaluate behavior. I still teach practical skills. I still recognize when a dog genuinely needs training. But I am far more interested in helping pet parents connect the pieces — behavior, stress, physical health, nutrition, environment, history, lifestyle and relationship.
I Don’t Start With
“How Do We Stop That?”
I want to understand why it is happening, what keeps reinforcing it, what the dog may be communicating, and what else is happening in the body and household at the same time.
Behavior
Triggers, patterns, body language, learned behavior, bite history, reactivity, fear, anxiety, arousal and what the dog has practiced over time.
The Dog’s History
Age, breed tendencies, early experiences, adoption history, trauma, prior training, household changes and the things we may never fully know.
Physical Wellness
Pain, mobility, digestion, inflammation, sleep, hormonal changes, medications and other physical factors that may change how a dog feels and responds.
Nutrition
Food quality, freshness, gut health, intolerances, supplements and whether nutrition may be supporting — or working against — the dog we are trying to help.
Lifestyle
Exercise, enrichment, rest, household routines, freedom, overstimulation, breed outlets and whether daily life fits the dog you actually have.
You
What you can realistically do, what has already been tried, what feels overwhelming, what your household needs and what success actually looks like for your family.
Nothing brings me more joy than watching a dog come back into balance and seeing the family finally understand what that dog has been trying to tell them.
Sometimes the answer is training. Sometimes we need to change the food, reduce stress, address discomfort, change the household routine or stop asking the dog to cope with something they simply are not ready for. Usually, the best plan comes from looking at more than one piece.
— DanaA Bigger Toolbox Was Built on Purpose.
I have continued studying throughout my career because behavior, nutrition and wellness overlap far more often than most pet parents are ever told. My education has remained dog-focused, practical and heavily influenced by the cases sitting in front of me.
Behavior & Training
-
Certified Dog Trainer & Behavior Specialist
National K-9 School for Dog Trainers — 2011 -
Professional Member
International Association of Canine Professionals — since 2011 -
Training Consultant
Merit Pit Bull Foundation and Humane Society Richmond County -
Former Board Member
American Pit Bull Foundation -
Operation SideKick
Former Lead Trainer
Nutrition & Wellness
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Certified Canine Nutritionist
Companion Animal Sciences Institute — 2019 -
Certified Raw Dog Food Nutrition Specialist
DNM University — 2020 - Pet Health Coach
- Dog Allergy Specialist
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Founder, The WellOiled K9
Canine nutrition and natural wellness education
Complementary Modalities
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Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy Association
Non-veterinary member; certified aromatherapy education for animals - Certified Animal Raindrop Technique Practitioner
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Certified Reiki Master
Usui Shiki Ryoho -
Healing Touch for Animals
Practitioner education - Homeopathic Pet Educator
- Animal Communication
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Emotional Freedom Technique
Tapping practitioner education
Behavior and Wellness
Belong in the Same Conversation.
I maintain two websites because sometimes a pet parent begins with a behavior problem, and sometimes they begin with food, aging, disease support or natural wellness. Eventually, those paths often cross.
The K9 Coach Carolinas
Start here for dog behavior, aggression, reactivity, anxiety, new-dog help, practical training resources and behavior evaluations.
Start With the Top 10 →The WellOiled K9
Go deeper into fresh food, canine nutrition, aging, longevity, supplements, natural remedies and whole-dog wellness.
Visit The WellOiled K9 →You Can Read What Pet Parents Say About Working With Me.
Some of those stories go all the way back to my earlier training years. Others show the behavior-and-wellness connection that has become such an important part of my work today. I’m proud of both.
That’s Okay.
Dogs Rarely Fit Neatly Into Boxes.
Tell me what has been happening, what you have already tried and what you are worried about. We can figure out the most sensible place to start.
