Hey there! I'm Genna
Dog trainer, former musical theater kid, and dog-mom to Bindi, Buoy & Bubba Gump - the one who started it all
​I've always loved dogs, but I didn't grow up with one until I was almost 12. After that dog passed and I was out of the house, I started working part-time at a gun dog training facility in Northeastern Connecticut—first as a kennel attendant, then as an apprentice trainer. I learned the foundations there: board-and-train programs, obedience work, and how to read dogs under pressure.​ But it wasn't until I adopted Bubba that I truly understood what dog training could be.
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After being denied by what felt like every rescue in Connecticut, as a first time dog owner I finally stumbled on Bubba's profile. His foster mom and I had a 45-minute phone call where she described how terrified he was of the world—no desensitization, no confidence, just a dog who needed someone willing to put in the work. I knew I had to have him.
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Bubba became my entry into true dog training. Not just commands, but communication, not just obedience, but relationship. And here's what changed everything for me: I had to shift my mindset from loving him through his fear to leading him through it. Love wasn't enough. He needed me to show him that the world wasn't as scary as he thought. That I had him. That he could trust me.
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That shift—from loving to leading—changed my entire perspective on relationships with dogs. Because the trust they can have in you? That's what changes everything. When your dog knows you're going to show them exactly what to do with calm confidence, it becomes an unspoken language. And every dog owner needs to learn it.
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When I moved to Charlotte in late 2015, I was picked up by a local training facility where I started shifting away from board-and-train and into one-on-one owner coaching. That's when I realized: this is what I'm meant to do. Not just train dogs but teach owners how to understand their dogs, lead with confidence, and build relationships that actually work in real life.
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I ran a boarding facility for two years during the pandemic, and it solidified what I already knew: my true calling is coaching owners. Not managing dogs in a kennel. Not doing the work for you. But teaching you how to do it, so you can live the life you want with your dog.
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Over the past twelve years, I've worked with countless breeds, from all levels of obedience, and all types of owners—from first-time puppy parents to people rehabbing reactive or fearful dogs. My favorite work? It's the moment when an owner realizes they can do this. When they stop feeling frustrated and start feeling capable. When their dog stops being a source of stress and starts being their best friend.
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And Bubba? Well, he's my Best Good Friend. And like Forrest Gump said—"that ain't something you find just right around the corner."