Meet The Trainers
Rachel Fein, KPA-CTP, CTDI, CCFC, CGC Evaluator
Head Trainer, Owner
Rachel grew up working with dogs. Her first experience with training came with her dog, Nico, when she was seventeen. She later trained a rescue dog named Kali. Kali went on to earn a champion title in agility as well as titles in obedience and tricks. Rachel has participated in agility, dock diving, tricks, obedience, nose work, and therapy work. Her dog, Flash, is competed in agility and disc dog. Flash also earned her Trick Dog Champion title. In addition, she enjoys herding, dock diving, and obedience. Rachel also has three other dogs. Cloud is her Service Dog who also competes in agility, dock diving, disc and is a Trick Dog Grand Champion. Her two younger dogs (Star and Tsunami) are both training for agility, disc, dock diving, tricks, and PSA (protection sports). Rachel enjoys the chance to participate in new activities and loves to have fun with her dogs. She wants to prove that you can train a protection sport dog using only positive reinforcement.
Rachel is a force-free trainer. She loves to help owners bond with their dogs through positive reinforcement training and has been working with dogs for more than 10 years. In that time, Rachel has worked with dogs of various ages, breeds, backgrounds, and temperaments. She has trained dogs for agility course work, herding, dock diving, tricks, obedience, and therapy work, and has worked with dogs and owners to solve behavioral problems. A Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), Rachel is also a certified trick dog instructor, certified stunt dog judge, certified canine conditioning coach, and a certified pedestal trainer.
In addition to training clients' dogs, Rachel also trains emotional support animals for Pets for Vets. Pets for Vets rescues dogs from shelters and trains them. The dogs are then placed with veterans. These animals help heal the emotional wounds for the veterans. Its a win-win for both the animals and veterans.
Rachel has also been selected as the August 2015 KPA CTP on the Month. This is a great honor for any dog trainer. To read more click here.
Continuing Education:
•Advanced Crate Games by Katie Oilschlager
•Body Awareness & Core Strengthening by Katie Oilschlager
•The 5 Minute Formula for Recall Success by Susan Garrett
•Puppy Peaks by Susan Garrett
•Handling 360 by Susan Garrett
•From Maddening to Maturity by Suzanne Clothier
•Sense(s) & Sensibility Seminar by Patricia McConnell and Steve White
•Certified Trick Dog Instructor Course (CTDI)
•Disc Dog Foundations by Ron Watson
•Intro to BAT by Grisha Stewart
•BAT 2.0 by Grisha Stewart
•Certified BAT Instructor Course by Grisha Stewart
•Pawsitive Vybe Disc Dog Camp by Ron Watson (x5)
•Clicker Expo (x3)
•Trick Dog Expo (TriDex) (x2)
•Disc Dog Tricks Workshop w/ Abby Cline
•Freestyle Routine Building w/ Andrea Rigler (x4)
•Control Unleashed Conference (x2)
Head Trainer, Owner
Rachel grew up working with dogs. Her first experience with training came with her dog, Nico, when she was seventeen. She later trained a rescue dog named Kali. Kali went on to earn a champion title in agility as well as titles in obedience and tricks. Rachel has participated in agility, dock diving, tricks, obedience, nose work, and therapy work. Her dog, Flash, is competed in agility and disc dog. Flash also earned her Trick Dog Champion title. In addition, she enjoys herding, dock diving, and obedience. Rachel also has three other dogs. Cloud is her Service Dog who also competes in agility, dock diving, disc and is a Trick Dog Grand Champion. Her two younger dogs (Star and Tsunami) are both training for agility, disc, dock diving, tricks, and PSA (protection sports). Rachel enjoys the chance to participate in new activities and loves to have fun with her dogs. She wants to prove that you can train a protection sport dog using only positive reinforcement.
Rachel is a force-free trainer. She loves to help owners bond with their dogs through positive reinforcement training and has been working with dogs for more than 10 years. In that time, Rachel has worked with dogs of various ages, breeds, backgrounds, and temperaments. She has trained dogs for agility course work, herding, dock diving, tricks, obedience, and therapy work, and has worked with dogs and owners to solve behavioral problems. A Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), Rachel is also a certified trick dog instructor, certified stunt dog judge, certified canine conditioning coach, and a certified pedestal trainer.
In addition to training clients' dogs, Rachel also trains emotional support animals for Pets for Vets. Pets for Vets rescues dogs from shelters and trains them. The dogs are then placed with veterans. These animals help heal the emotional wounds for the veterans. Its a win-win for both the animals and veterans.
Rachel has also been selected as the August 2015 KPA CTP on the Month. This is a great honor for any dog trainer. To read more click here.
Continuing Education:
•Advanced Crate Games by Katie Oilschlager
•Body Awareness & Core Strengthening by Katie Oilschlager
•The 5 Minute Formula for Recall Success by Susan Garrett
•Puppy Peaks by Susan Garrett
•Handling 360 by Susan Garrett
•From Maddening to Maturity by Suzanne Clothier
•Sense(s) & Sensibility Seminar by Patricia McConnell and Steve White
•Certified Trick Dog Instructor Course (CTDI)
•Disc Dog Foundations by Ron Watson
•Intro to BAT by Grisha Stewart
•BAT 2.0 by Grisha Stewart
•Certified BAT Instructor Course by Grisha Stewart
•Pawsitive Vybe Disc Dog Camp by Ron Watson (x5)
•Clicker Expo (x3)
•Trick Dog Expo (TriDex) (x2)
•Disc Dog Tricks Workshop w/ Abby Cline
•Freestyle Routine Building w/ Andrea Rigler (x4)
•Control Unleashed Conference (x2)
Tony Sulita
Senior Agility Trainer
Senior Agility Trainer
Courtney Johnson, MS, CGC Evaluator
Senior Trainer (substitute)
Courtney graduated from Downers Grove South High School in 2013. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from University of St. Francis in Joliet as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from American College of Education. Courtney is a teacher at West Leyden High school for students with severe and profound disabilities. She grew up around dogs and her love for them grew as she got older. Her passion for dog training started when she got her Cane Corso puppy, Demi. Courtney and Demi started out in puppy class at Cloud K9 in summer of 2018. Since then she and Demi have worked their way up through manners class, earned their AKC Canine Good Citizen title, and are now working on a therapy dog certification. Courtney has seen first hand how well the force free training methods that are used at Cloud K9 work and is excited to help you bring out the best in your dog.
Senior Trainer (substitute)
Courtney graduated from Downers Grove South High School in 2013. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from University of St. Francis in Joliet as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from American College of Education. Courtney is a teacher at West Leyden High school for students with severe and profound disabilities. She grew up around dogs and her love for them grew as she got older. Her passion for dog training started when she got her Cane Corso puppy, Demi. Courtney and Demi started out in puppy class at Cloud K9 in summer of 2018. Since then she and Demi have worked their way up through manners class, earned their AKC Canine Good Citizen title, and are now working on a therapy dog certification. Courtney has seen first hand how well the force free training methods that are used at Cloud K9 work and is excited to help you bring out the best in your dog.
Marie Smith, KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator
Senior Trainer
Marie Smith is a seasoned competitor in both rally and traditional obedience. Marie and her poodle, Noelle, have earned nine AKC titles and were qualifiers in the AKC Rally National Championship invitational in 2020. After earning their Rally Master title in 2019, Noelle and Marie are working toward their RACH Rally Championship title. Marie loves competing and sharing knowledge about how to bring out the best in your dog. For Marie, watching the bond grow between the handler and their dog is her favorite part of teaching.
Marie studied music at Interlochen Arts Academy and worked as a professional cellist until she made a career change to dog training. In both music and dog training, timing is everything. She is a graduate of Karen Pryor Academy and dedicated to positive force/fear free training for dogs and her students.
Senior Trainer
Marie Smith is a seasoned competitor in both rally and traditional obedience. Marie and her poodle, Noelle, have earned nine AKC titles and were qualifiers in the AKC Rally National Championship invitational in 2020. After earning their Rally Master title in 2019, Noelle and Marie are working toward their RACH Rally Championship title. Marie loves competing and sharing knowledge about how to bring out the best in your dog. For Marie, watching the bond grow between the handler and their dog is her favorite part of teaching.
Marie studied music at Interlochen Arts Academy and worked as a professional cellist until she made a career change to dog training. In both music and dog training, timing is everything. She is a graduate of Karen Pryor Academy and dedicated to positive force/fear free training for dogs and her students.
Courtney Temen, BS
Trainer
Courtney completed her Bachelors of Science, Zoo Science, from Friends University in 2019. In 2017 she completed an internship at Brookfield Zoo where she was able to clicker train tamanduas under supervision. She spent all of her college free time interning and volunteering at Sedgwick County Zoo with various mammals and birds, including gorillas, red river hogs, maned wolves, and lemurs! After graduating college, Courtney looked for jobs in zookeeping but instead was offered a position to be a dog trainer apprentice in August 2020. In January 2021 Courtney found Cloud K9 and brought her puppy, Eevee, for manners class. Courtney has seen great improvement with Eevee listening and focusing around other dogs. She started an apprenticeship with Cloud K9 in April to educate herself more with dog training and is thankful to now be an official part of Cloud K9. Courtney loves helping pet owners bond with their dogs through force free training!
Trainer
Courtney completed her Bachelors of Science, Zoo Science, from Friends University in 2019. In 2017 she completed an internship at Brookfield Zoo where she was able to clicker train tamanduas under supervision. She spent all of her college free time interning and volunteering at Sedgwick County Zoo with various mammals and birds, including gorillas, red river hogs, maned wolves, and lemurs! After graduating college, Courtney looked for jobs in zookeeping but instead was offered a position to be a dog trainer apprentice in August 2020. In January 2021 Courtney found Cloud K9 and brought her puppy, Eevee, for manners class. Courtney has seen great improvement with Eevee listening and focusing around other dogs. She started an apprenticeship with Cloud K9 in April to educate herself more with dog training and is thankful to now be an official part of Cloud K9. Courtney loves helping pet owners bond with their dogs through force free training!
Christine Adams
Trainer
Trainer
Daniel Petro - Trainer (substitute)
Paige Krause - Apprentice Trainer
Paige Krause - Apprentice Trainer
