about apd
At A Pleasant Dog, we use operant conditioning, classical conditioning and positive reinforcement (a.k.a. science) to help you and your dog be the best team you can be. We are proud to be the premier source for positive reinforcement training in Michigan and to lead our industry through continuing education for trainers, behaviorists and the veterinary community.
Our trainers are based in Grand Rapids and the lakeshore and all carry or are pursuing industry recognized certifications. They are educated in learning theory, ethology, animal husbandry, health, and more. We keep our skills sharp through continuing education. In addition to dog training, many of our trainers have crossed over from dog training to other species and bring experience in equine learning, feline learning, exotic learning, and more to the classroom.
Just like a human school, we have trainers who specialize in different subjects including puppy socialization, AKC CGC, tricks and sports, fear, anxiety and tough behaviors like aggression and more. Whatever your learning goals, we can help you and your dog. And if we can’t, we will refer you to someone who can.
say hello to our pleasant people
jenn gavin
ba, cpdt-ka, fppe trainer + founder of apd
(She/Her)Jenn Gavin, CPDT-KA, FPPE is the owner and founding trainer at A Pleasant Dog. She has been rescuing and training dogs for over twenty-nine years. For the last eleven years, Jenn has focused her practice on anxious and aggressive animals, and has become one of the most trusted trainers working with anxious and aggressive animals in our state. Jenn works extensively with clients, veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists throughout the country. She also consults with cases in other countries.
Jenn is passionate about learning and sharing what she has learned. She presents frequently to the training and veterinary communities. She has conducted research in animal behavior, and that research has been selected for presentation at the Veterinary Behavior Symposium each year for the last three years by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Jenn has also been an invited speaker before the The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, West Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, Mid-Atlantic Behavior Conference, The Science of Animal Behavior Conference, West Michigan Therapy Dogs, and others. She has spoken on a variety of topics including "Helping Fearful & Aggressive Animals - It Takes A Village", with Kathy Sdao and Dr. Jill Sackman, DACVB; "Risky Business - Assessing and Managing Risk in Aggression Cases"; "How to Choose A Trainer" with Dr. Jill Sackman, DACVB; "Covid Puppies"; "Body Language and Therapy Dogs"; “THE USE OF SSRI’S AND CLONIDINE IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPERAROUSAL BEHAVIOR IN DOGS”; “OUTCOMES AND SIDE EFFECTS OF BEHAVIOR MEDICATIONS IN YOUNG DOGS”; “USE OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT VIA A TREAT DISPENSER IN COMBINATION WITH BEHAVIOR MEDICATION TO TREAT SEPARATION ANXIETY STUDY“ with Dr. Jill Sackman, DACVB; and more.
Jenn is the author of the book Pleasantly Independent and developed the method contained therein for treating separation anxiety and associated disorders.
Jenn is also a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator! She adores working with families and their dogs.
In her free time, Jenn enjoys camping and hiking with her family and their dogs. She spends any free time she can training horses. And, she has a thing for old houses, having served on the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission from 2017-2021.
virginia brophy
cpdt-ka, ctdi, idpka & akc evaluator + trainer
(She/Her)Gin has a diverse background, but when she adopted her first dog, she discovered her passion and has been training ever since. She has a passion for shaping and confidence building, and loves watching for that moment when it just clicks and the dog starts to figure out what they are learning! Some of her favorite training areas include puppy socialization, leash walking, counter surfing, and dog sports. Her mission as a trainer is to build trust and connection between dog and handler teams, and helping people learn how to have fun with their dogs!
Gin shares her home with her three dogs - Charlotte & Ferris, a pair of mother & son rescue terrier mixes, and Rizzo, a longhaired miniature dachshund. Rizzo is actively competing in agility, nosework, musical freestyle, and rally obedience, has her AKC Advanced Trick Dog title; she also enjoys dog parkour and shed hunting practice. Ferris holds his Canine Good Citizen title (CGC) and has an extensive list of sport titles including rally obedience, lure coursing, trick training, barn hunt, musical freestyle, and agility. Ferris has also dabbled in flyball, tracking, and disc, and is currently enjoying nosework and musical freestyle in his retirement from agility. Charlotte is a sensitive girl who was living on the streets when she came into rescue, in labor with Ferris and his 8 littermates. She is working on her first trick title from the comfort and safety of her home.
Gin holds several certifications including her CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer), AKC Evaluator, CTDI (Certified Trick Dog Instructor), and is the second IDPKA (International Dog Parkour Association) certified instructor in the state of Michigan.
In her free time Gin enjoys many hobbies including training and competing with her dogs, watercolor painting, yoga, and bird watching.
pat parker
agility trainer
(She/Her)Pat has been around dogs throughout her life. Beginning with training them for her father (a dog breeder) as a child and then teaching her first 4-H class at 15, her experience is varied and well rounded.
Pat has been training dogs in agility since 1996 with her first competitions in 1997. She has titled several dogs in conformation, obedience, and agility. Currently she trains regularly with Jen Pinder, international team member, regular contributor to Clean Run Magazine and internationally known agility instructor.
She loves to teach her agility students and loves for her students to do things they never could have imaged themselves doing. Her students have earned numerous titles in all venues. For Pat, teaching people and their pups life skills and agility teams to work together is the most fun thing you can do in life.
kaylee cook-benjamin
lvt, vn, bs, adt + trainer
(She/Her)Kaylee Cook-Benjamin is our licensed veterinary nurse with a passion for training both dogs AND cats!
She is a Fear Free Elite certified professional, Certified Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional, and an Accredited Dog Trainer (ADT) with years of experience working in rescue and shelter environments. Kaylee completed an internship with Dr. Jill Sackman of Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan prior to graduating from MSU, and anticipates pursuing her Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS) in behavior.
Kaylee is passionate about cooperative care and pain management and loves working with reactive dogs and their owners. When she’s not training dogs, she also works as a cat behavior consultant through Rosie’s Pet Rescue.
At home, Kayleee shares her life with two dogs: Rosie, a severe abuse and neglect survivor; Annie, an incredibly fearful Aussie; Lucas, a one eared kitty whom she rescued from a hoarding case, as well as her husband, Brandon, a human.
miriam kort
trainer
(She/Her)Miriam originally joined us as a client, but her skill in behavior became quickly apparent. Don't let her young age fool you, Miriam is an invaluable member of our behavior and research study teams. She will be starting college at Calvin University soon. Miriam is owned and loved by Bingley, a rough collie, Georgiana, an Icelandic sheepdog, and Othello, a tuxedo cat. In her free time, she enjoys playing cello, walking dogs, and playing rally with dogs.
parker sheffield
cpdt-ka trainer
(She/Her)Parker has been working with animals through every possible avenue throughout her life. As a child, Parker frequently volunteered at her local animal shelter, started pet sitting in her teen years, and eventually, worked at a grooming salon before starting her dog training career at Petco in 2016. Parker worked there for just under 8 years and became a mentor at the start of 2020. In 2022, Parker moved from Los Angeles to Grand Rapids to continue her training journey with Petco, before joining the APD Team in August 2023. Recently, Parker earned her CPDT-KA certification. She also received a certificate of appreciation from the city of Los Angeles for my volunteer work through Valley of Change in 2021. Parker is passionate about mental enrichment and is interested in canine nutrition.
Her childhood dog, Judy, was her soul dog and the driving force behind her career path. Parker currently shares her life with Juniper and Peter, both foster fails that stole her heart, in addition to two ferrets, Bandit and Looter (Lootie), and a Bearded Dragon named Spike. In her free time, Parker enjoys spending time at home with her partner, Matt, and all of their pets but we are happiest when water-logged on a lake!
zach zeneberg
cpdt-ka trainer
(He/Him)A graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Ecology, Zach's first exposure to animal training was working with non-releasable wild birds of prey at Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor, where he was teaching outdoor education programs. When given the opportunity to become a full time professional animal trainer, he moved to Florida and spent a year presenting free-flighted bird programs at Disney's Animal Kingdom. While there, he studied behavioral science and learned choice-based training methods while working with various species -- hawks, ravens, crows, cranes, various parrots, chickens, and rats among them. After obtaining his CPBT-KA certification, he returned to Michigan and spent the following year at Doghouse Ann Arbor, a local training and boarding facility, before packing up and heading west.
He spent the next seven years in Eugene, Oregon, at Cascades Raptor Center - a beautiful nature center and wildlife hospital. As a trainer, his focus was on cooperative care -- using positive reinforcement training to make the lives of resident non-releasable raptors as comfortable and enriching as possible. Although Zach misses the PNW, he is excited to be back in Michigan, working with the team of amazing trainers at A Pleasant Dog. He's committed to improving the quality of life of all animals in human care, and believes a great way to do that is by teaching pet parents how they can use behavioral science and positive reinforcement to build strong, trust-based relationships with their fur babies. Zach held a Certified Professional Bird Trainer - Knowledge Assessed certification until 2024.
Zach spends his free time playing Irish Traditional Music on the flute and adventuring with his wonderful partner Amy and dogs Maeby the Aussie Mix and Hazel the Toller. (Edit: His cat, Loki, demanded mention. Loki is also wonderful.)
brittany zerkle
trainer
(She/Her)Brittany started her journey into the dog world in 2017 when she brought home her reactive sheltie, Perseus. She had to quickly learn all about dog training to help him manage his big feelings about the world, and she fell in love with it. From there, she started trick training and virtual titling as well as taking agility and rally classes, and Perseus flourished in dog sports.
In 2021, she brought home another sheltie, Orion, and together they have earned over 40 titles in scent work, fast cat, rally obedience, musical freestyle, trick titling, and more! They’ve also dabbled in barn hunt and agility.
When she isn’t playing with her shelties, Brittany is also an artist and a small business owner (BeeZeeArt). She loves reading, cooking, and all things creative.
lauren carpenter
cpdt-ka trainer
(She/Her)Growing up in a household full of animals, including cats, dogs, horses, fish, rats, and a snake, Lauren has been lucky to have a lifelong love of animals. She started her training journey working with horses at Detersmination equestrian center, where she fostered a love of working with children with special needs and horses. Lauren later growing to foster puppies and kittens in need of homes for local rescues. Lauren completed her mentorship and early training at Happy Tails Dog Training, where she also earned her CPDT-KA.
Lauren's special training interests include teaching taskwork to help handlers with service dogs and special needs, and she has taught her own rescue dogs, Dahlia Rupert, tasks to assist with her own chronic illness.
cindy blair
cpdt-ka trainer
(She/Her)Cindy Blair CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified Trainer, Fear Free Certified Groomer, Care with Consent Professional Trainer, Certified Predation Substitute Training Instructor, AKC Evaluator (CGC, CGCA, UCGC, STAR Puppy, Trick Dog, AKC FIT DOG Instructor (Levels 1–3)
Cindy has over 10 years’ experience training both puppies and adult dogs for every day skills, as well as behavior modification for leash reactivity, resource guarding, fear of people or other dogs, touch sensitivity for grooming and veterinary care, and for modification of high prey drive. Prior to working with private clients, Cindy worked in a shelter environment for 8 years, where she helped facilitate a smooth transition from a shelter to a home setting. She decided to become a trainer because I wanted to help dogs before their owners became frustrated and surrendered their dog to a shelter.
Her first dog was fearful of some people and uninterested in other dogs, but was perfect with our cats. I worked on building his confidence around people and teaching him how to politely interact with her cats. She is loved and owned by her current dog, Luke, a 4-year-old Labrador Retriever. He has earned his Canine Good Citizen, Urban Canine Good Citizen and Novice Trick titles. They are currently working toward becoming a certified therapy dog team. In her free time, she and Luke like to shed hunt and do scent work.
joanna rogowski,
kpa ctp trainer
(She/Her)JoAnna is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and holds a master’s degree in Comparative Pathobiology (Animal Behavior and Welfare Concentration) from Purdue University. Her passion for animal behavior began while working at a vet clinic in high school and she decided to make a career out of it. She graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Animal Sciences in 2014, then took a quick, 5-year detour to teach high school science in South Texas through Teach For America before returning to Purdue for grad school. JoAnna’s research focused on the effect of caretaker interactions on dog welfare in commercial breeding kennels. During that time, JoAnna completed her Karen Pryor Academy certification and started seeing private training clients with a focus on fear, anxiety, and aggression. She later gained more hands-on experience at Veterinary Behavior of Indiana under Dr. Amanda Rigterink, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. There, JoAnna further developed her skills in addressing complex behavior concerns in both dogs and cats. She has presented her research and various other behavior topics at several conferences and local veterinary clinics. She is excited to bring this experience to A Pleasant Dog as she continues her lifelong journey of learning all things animal behavior.
JoAnna and her husband, Phil, share their home with their two dogs, Foxy (Chihuahua mix) and Maple (Red Heeler mix), and cat, Booger. In their spare time, they enjoy going on hikes with the dogs, playing soccer, and traveling.
milani cantave
fear free groomer
(She/Her)Milani started grooming just over two years ago, but she has been working in dog care much longer. She started her animal care career in doggy daycare, then slowly worked her way up to where she is now. She has done a little bit of everything in animal care. She is a Fear Free certified groomer. Her favorite thing about grooming is being able to get creative and make dogs look fancy. She especially loves working with dogs who have special needs and struggle the hardest because she says they need the most love. In her free time, she makes jewelry, goes on walks, and spends time in nature. Milani is owned and loved by two dogs: Ziggy, a chihuahua; and Sativa, a min pin.
al mills
social worker
(She/They)AL (Allison) joined our A Pleasant Dog team after seeking services for their own dog with big feelings. In their day job, Al is a therapist and licensed social worker with years of experience working with kids and families after a traumatic event has occurred. At A Pleasant Dog, Al is able to provide social and emotional support to families and individuals who are experiencing emotional turmoil due to their dog's behaviors or demands. Additionally, Al runs our Reactive Dog Support Group, which meets the last Tuesday of every month at 6pm and is open to everyone. If you are interested in social work services, please call A Pleasant Dog to set up an appointment.
kristine sheeter
graphic/web design
(She/Her)Kristine comes to us with a strong interest in dog behavior and a Bachelors of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Grand Valley State University. She has worked professionally as a graphic designer for nearly a decade at various marketing companies before taking the leap and freelancing for her personal design business Grey Fin Design. Now she joins us here at APD to combine a love of dogs with her passion for design tackling a variety of pleasant design projects for us.
In her free time Kristine enjoys getting lost in the woods on hikes with her 5 Icelandic Sheepdogs; Inara, Jaina, Dorey, Suki, Calcifer and her chihuahua mix Gilligan. Kristine also trains for and competes in various dog sports and conformation dog shows.