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Meet the Team
Experience. Education. Ethics.
Teaching the next generation of trainers
Our team
Our Greatest Strength
Our future leaders in training and behavior
Carlos
CDBC | CPDT-KA
Head Trainer & Educator | Dog Behavior Consultant
Carlos (He/Him) is the head trainer, educator and dog behavior consultant at K9HS Online, our online school, and at Canine High School in Long Beach, CA—a force-free Puppy School and Dog School. He is the creator of the k9HS Dog Training System, Curriculum, and Philosophy, all grounded in evidence-based, force-free training with a strong emphasis on relationships and honoring both dogs and humans as individuals.
In addition to working with families, Carlos provides behavior consulting, mentoring, workshops, and continuing education for trainers, veterinarians, shelters, rescues, foster programs, and other animal care professionals. He also leads the k9HS teaching school, mentoring aspiring trainers through structured apprenticeship and internship programs while emphasizing ethical, evidence-based practice.
As a speaker and educator, Carlos has presented workshops for shelters, rescue organizations, trainers, volunteers, foster programs, and animal control professionals, helping teams strengthen their skills in canine behavior, handling, safety, and behavior modification.
He lives in Long Beach, CA, in a little house by the beach with his human, three dogs—GoGo, Kiba, and Choji—and one sassy cat named Habibti.
Carlos
CDBC
Certified Dog Behavior Consultant
By the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
CPDT-KA
Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed
By the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
Occupational Aggressive Dog Safety Consultant
Los Angeles County
Training & Policy Advisory Role
Certified Mentor Trainer
Long Beach Economic Development Dpt
By Animal Behavior College and & CATCH Canine Trainers Academy
AKC Evaluator
Temperament & CGC
By the American Kennel Club - AKC
Understanding
The Difference
Training. Behavior Consulting.
Which is right for you?
Certifications
Do they matter?
We think hey do
To maintain his professional certifications, Carlos regularly attends conferences, workshops, and advanced continuing education led by recognized experts in canine behavior, ethology, neuroscience, learning theory, and animal welfare.
This ongoing commitment ensures his work reflects current, evidence-based practices and the latest advances in the field.
What is a CDBC?
Certified Dog Behavior Consultant
By the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
A Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) specializes in assessing and addressing complex behavior concerns. Rather than focusing solely on teaching skills, behavior consultants evaluate the underlying causes of behavior—including emotional state, learning history, environmental influences, and health considerations—to develop individualized behavior modification plans for concerns such as fear, anxiety, aggression, reactivity, resource guarding, and separation-related behaviors.
What is a CPDT-KA?
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
By the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers
A Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) specializes in teaching dogs and their families practical, real-world skills using humane, evidence-based training methods. Their expertise includes puppy development, foundation skills, manners, loose-leash walking, recall, cooperative care, enrichment, and strengthening communication between dogs and their families through effective, individualized instruction.
Meet the Team
Experience. Education. Ethics.
Teaching the next generation of trainers
Natalie
Teacher Trainer
AKC Evaluator | Senior Apprentice
Natalie works in the school program with puppies and new families, where she helps them learn the foundations of force-free training and relationship building. Known for being incredibly patient and kind, she is a great fit for working with puppies as they develop new skills. She is also a Senior Apprentice at Canine High School, where she participates in monthly continuing education workshops focused on preparing for certifications in professional dog training and behavior consulting.
Guillermo
Teacher Trainer
ABCDT | AKC Evaluator
Guillermo is one of Carlos’ former interns from Animal Behavior College, where he earned his certification as a professional dog trainer. He works with junior dog and dog school students, focusing on the challenges of adolescent dogs and helping them advance their foundational skills into practical public access behaviors. Committed to force-free methods, Guillermo is kind and dependable, which allows him to build trust with dogs and support them through this important stage of development.
Kaitlin
Training Coordinator
Certified Canine Nutrition Coach | AKC Evaluator | Senior Apprentice
Kaitlin is a Senior Apprentice at Canine High School, where she participates in monthly continuing education while preparing for certifications in professional dog training and behavior consulting. She has also earned two certifications in canine nutrition, giving her a unique perspective on whole-dog wellness. Known for being kind, patient, and methodical, Kaitlin is a great fit for nervous, undersocialized, and reactive dogs, who quickly come to trust and feel comfortable with her.
Alex
Teacher Trainer
Videographer | Senior Apprentice
Alex is a Senior Apprentice at Canine High School, where he participates in monthly continuing education while preparing for certifications in professional dog training and behavior consulting. He is an incredibly talented videographer, responsible for creating the daily videos that share highlights of each pup’s day with their families, as well as producing tutorial videos for K9HS Online. He also works with FITDOG Club dogs, who are graduates of the program and serve as role models for newer students.
Sunny
Teacher Trainer
CCPDT-KA | ABCDT | AKC Evaluator | Senior Apprentice
Sunny is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). She works with advanced students in our socialization school and FITDOG Club, practicing behaviors in the most challenging environments. She is one of Carlos’ former interns from Animal Behavior College, where she earned her certification as a professional dog trainer, and she is also a Senior Apprentice at Canine High School, participating in monthly continuing education.
Beto
Teacher Trainer
AKC Evaluator
Beto is an AKC Evaluator with years of experience working with dogs and implementing enrichment activities. Known for being kind, patient, and detail-oriented, he is great at monitoring all of the dogs’ wellness states regularly. His main focus at Canine High School is our FITDOG Club dogs, who are graduates of the program and serve as role models for newer students.
Stefanie
Teacher Trainer
CCPDT-KA | ABCDT | AKC Evaluator | Senior Apprentice
Sunny is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). She works with advanced students in our socialization school and FITDOG Club, practicing behaviors in the most challenging environments. She is one of Carlos’ former interns from Animal Behavior College, where she earned her certification as a professional dog trainer, and she is also a Senior Apprentice at Canine High School, participating in monthly continuing education.
Volunteer Work
pay it forward
Shelter
Volunteer work
SPCA-LA | Seal Beach Animal Care Center
Carlos and his team volunteered at SPCA-LA, where they have worked directly with shelter dogs. During this time, they gained valuable experience in security procedures, cross-contamination protocols, and understanding shelter dog behavior. Carlos also volunteered at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, where he focused on working with more challenging cases to help increase those dogs’ chances of adoption.
Rescue
Volunteer work
Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation | Sparky and the Gang
Carlos has volunteered his time training, boarding, and rehabilitating several urgent cases for the Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation and Sparky and the Gang, two local dog rescues in Long Beach. Among these cases were dogs scheduled for euthanasia at the shelter who, through his efforts and the support of the rescues, were ultimately placed in loving forever homes where they now live full and happy lives. One especially memorable case was a feral dog named River, whom Carlos helped overcome severe trauma and fear; River now thrives with a caring local family.
Community
Education & Support
Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation | Sparky and the Gang
Carlos believes that community support is essential to building lasting success for both dogs and their families. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, he created and taught several online series of weekly community classes, ensuring that dog parents, fosters, and adopters continued to have access to positive training resources during a challenging time. Today, he leads the only local reactivity class in Long Beach, offered free of charge to financially impacted families who would otherwise be unable to access this specialized type of training. The program also provides critical support for rescue and shelter adopters, helping them address behavioral challenges, strengthen the human–canine bond, and reduce the likelihood of dogs being relinquished back to shelters.
Building on this commitment, in 2026 Carlos will launch the first Puppy Preschool program in Long Beach, also free of charge to the community. This program will focus on early socialization, confidence building, and positive foundational skills, ensuring that puppies and their families start off on the right path. Together, these initiatives reflect Carlos’s dedication to making force-free, high-quality training accessible to all, while fostering a stronger and more compassionate dog community.
Work Abroad
Spanish Language volunteer work
Vieques Human Society and Animal Rescue in Puerto Rico | Voz Animal in Sopo, Colombia | Territorio de Zaguates, Hereida, Costa Rica
Carlos volunteered his time training the dedicated team at the Vieques Humane Society and Animal Rescue in Puerto Rico, where he also created Spanish-language online training courses for staff and volunteers. He later supported Voz Animal, a dog rescue in Sopó, Colombia, by developing security and cross-contamination protocols. During his time there, he lived on the property, worked closely with many of the dogs, and cared for a seriously ill dog that ultimately recovered from a severe case of kennel cough. In Costa Rica, Carlos visited and donated to Territorio de Zaguates, known as the “Land of the Strays,” a sanctuary managing several hundred free-roaming dogs under the care of dedicated staff.
Work Abroad
Speaking / Training volunteer work
Dýrahjálpar Íslands (Animal Rescue of Iceland), Reykjavik, Iceland
Carlos volunteered his time with Dýrahjálpar Íslands (Animal Rescue of Iceland) in Reykjavík, delivering speaking workshops and training support for rescue foster families, caseworkers, local trainers, and animal control officers. His work focused on force-free training concepts, including cooperative care practices and the assessment, management, and treatment of reactivity, supporting more humane handling, improved safety, and better outcomes for dogs in rescue and community care.