Our Trainer

 Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a certified professional dog trainer, earning my certification at the beginning of 2023. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to continuing my education, attending seminars and learning everything I can to help dogs and their people thrive. My biggest influences include Ivan Balabanov, Jay Jack, Dylan Jones, and Larry Krohn, whose philosophies and techniques inspire my approach.

I run Confident Paws, where my goal is simple: help dogs and their humans communicate, connect, and succeed together. I’ve worked with everything from basic obedience to more challenging behavior issues like reactivity, fear, and aggression. My approach is centered on play, partnership, and building confidence — dogs learn best when training is fun, meaningful, and tailored to their individual personalities.

When I’m not training, I enjoy spending time with my own dogs, Zuko, my golden retriever, and Jobi, my border collie — going for off-leash hikes, playing, and just hanging out in nature. I also love spending time with friends and family, enjoying deep, meaningful conversations, coffee, planning vacations, swimming, and listening to podcasts. Before working with dogs, I spent over 8 years in childcare, both in a daycare setting and as a nanny, which taught me patience, empathy, and how to understand behavior at a deeper level.

Price:

• In-Home (My Home, Southeast Columbus): $80 per 1-hour lesson
   
• In-Home (Your Home): $100 per 1-hour lesson
  (Travel fees may apply for locations outside the greater Columbus area.)
   

Private lessons are one-hour coaching sessions where I guide you to become your dog’s trainer and coach. Unlike board & train programs, these lessons are focused on teaching you the skills and strategies to train your dog yourself. I provide guidance, problem-solving advice, and personalized instruction tailored to your dog’s personality and needs.

These sessions are ideal for owners who want hands-on support while learning to manage obedience, behavior, or confidence-building exercises with their dog, all in a supportive, one-on-one environment.

Price: Starting at $2,400

For a minimum of 3 weeks, your dog will stay with me in my home in Southeast Columbus, where they’ll receive personalized, structured training in a comfortable, enriching environment. I establish a foundation of play and games, using them to teach your dog essential skills for obedience, confidence, and everyday life.

Your dog will receive daily training sessions, experience group play with my dogs, and learn how to navigate life in a safe and structured way. All programs include owner lessons, so you’ll be fully equipped to continue your dog’s progress at home. Owners are welcome to visit weekly for lessons, or if you’re out of town, we offer follow-up sessions to keep you involved.

To keep you connected, I also post daily updates to my Instagram stories, so you can watch your dog’s progress in real time.