- Trainers Who Understand Dogs and You
The Experts Behind Every Transformation
- Home
- Meet The Trainers
Our Team
Meet the Expert Behind Our Success
Jason - Director of Training
Jason is the owner and director of training at Canine by Design. He has worked with dogs of all breeds in both dog sport and behavioral training applications professionally for over 15 years. He established Canine by Design to improve the experience for both pet owners and their dogs seeking training and pet services.
Jason carries diplomas and licenses from the elite NePoPo® Silver and Gold Schools founded in Belgium and taught by Bart and Michael Bellon. He thoroughly enjoys training and working with dogs of all backgrounds, and his passion for life-long learning fuels his pursuit of mastery in the theory and language of modern dog training.
In the area of competitive sport and working dogs, he is a training consultant with several Police K9 units throughout Utah and Colorado. He also competes with his own dogs in Schutzhund and is a certified trial helper in IGP (formerly known as “IPO” or “Schutzhund”) with 3 IGP organizations and is the training director of the Matrix Dogsport club. He is a professional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and is a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator.
In addition to working with dogs, Jason spends time educating pet owners, working dog handlers, and other canine professionals in the theory of modern dog training. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and enjoys the real-world applications of behavior theory in his work.
Steph - Office Staff
Steph brings a unique blend of leadership, customer service, and advanced working-dog experience to Canine by Design. Her diverse background includes veterinary care, pet rescue, and management roles leading large teams focused on exceptional client experiences. Her passion for dog training began while rehabilitating her reactive rescue dog, Kodi, which ignited her deep commitment to canine behavior.
A certified Search and Rescue handler, Steph works with her Dutch Shepherd, Shady, as a deployable SAR team specializing in human remains detection. She completed an 80-hour certification program through the Michael Ellis and Cameron Ford Detection School and regularly trains with the National Search Dog Alliance, HD Search Dog Fund, and multiple SAR groups across Utah. Steph and Shady are also active competitors in dock diving and detection sports.
Steph lives in Holladay, Utah, with her husband Chris and Shady. They enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle including rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking.
Dayna - Trainer
Dayna has been working with dogs for the last 9 years. She got her start with dogs as a kennel technician at a local training business where she was able to shadow experienced trainers. This gave her hands on experience with boarding and training dogs and since then, she has been actively training dogs for the past 7 years.
Dayna currently owns two German Shepherd Dogs, a Border Collie x Poodle, and a Weimaraner. She competed in PSA, a protection sport, with one of her German Shepherds and her Border Collie x Poodle, who is now retired. She is now preparing to compete in IGP (formerly schutzhund) with her German Shepherd. Dayna has previously competed in agility, dock diving, nose work, and disc dog competitions.
A fun fact about Dayna is that she competed on the TV show America’s Top Dog with her Border Collie x Poodle mix “Theo”. She placed first in her episode and won second in the overall competition!
Dayna also has a vast history of service dog work and has helped place dozens of service dogs into a variety of homes. Her service dog training includes; psychiatric assistance, veterans with PTSD, mobility assistance, hearing alert dogs, and medical alert dogs. Dayna is currently working to expand her skillset to include gluten and allergy detection.
Sarah - Trainer
Sarah has been working with and training dogs for the past 10 years and holds a bachelor’s in graphic design. Her passion for dog training was sparked when she began working with her Labrador. While her initial goal was to pursue a career in graphic design, she fell in love with dogs and quickly changed career paths. She began training dogs at a doggie daycare in her home state and eventually moved to Utah in 2014 to work for a dog training facility in Sandy.
Sarah’s passion for dog training led her to compete in the world of dog sports. She has competed in French Ring and IGP (formerly IPO) with her Malinois and German Shepherd. In addition to her working dogs, Sarah also has a senior Beagle.
Sarah’s professional experience training dogs has surpassed basic obedience into specialized training programs. She has trained service dogs, aggressive dogs with bite histories, reactive dogs, and many overly excitable dogs who lack impulse control and focus. She loves to help owners unlock new skills with their dogs and build a healthy relationship.
Outside of training dogs, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 kids. She enjoys hiking, eating sushi, and painting.
Mason - Trainer
Mason joined the Canine By Design team as a trainer in 2023. His love for dogs started an early age, but his interest with learning and hands on experience began 6 years ago when he got his first German Shepherd. Mason’s career in dog training began at a doggy daycare facility, where he worked as a kennel tech and supervised dog socials. Shortly after, Mason helped establish a local Gameness, Relationship, and Control (GRC) club. Since then, he has attended multiple workshops and seminars to expand his knowledge and skillset. In 2023, Mason graduated from the elite NePoPo® New Silver School. In 2024, Mason became an IGP Certified Trial Helper for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA).
Mason currently owns a German Shepherd x Belgian Malinois mix, Cora; and a German Shepherd, Sylas. They are working toward earning Cora’s SR1 title in GRC. He also hopes to participate in upcoming UKC nose work events for their novice title. Mason and Sylas are currently a members of Matrix Dogsport and are working toward earning titles in IGP and American Schutzhund.
Mason loves to volunteer his time to help foster dogs. He enjoys helping them find forever homes.
Andrew - Trainer
Andrew joined Canine by Design to continue his pursuit of professional training opportunities. He has an educational background with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Utah. In 2024, Andrew graduated from the well-known Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers.
Andrew’s mission as a dog trainer is consistently to provide the highest standard of training promoted at Canine by Design to whatever your needs are for your dog. His collaborative approach with both owners and their dogs is what makes him a great part of the team at Canine by Design.
Aileen - Trainer
Aileen brings six years of dedicated experience working with dogs to the Canine by Design training team. Her passion for dog training shines through in her impressive achievements, including earning High in Trial and a prestigious Diamond Award with Detection Dog Trials (DDT).
Aileen shares her life with two energetic companions: a Heeler/Border Collie mix and a German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP). Aileen is extremely outgoing and a welcome addition to our team, and with her expertise and love for dogs, she is successfully helping our clients in educating both dog and owner in their specific needs.
- What Our Clients Are Saying