ABOUT MELODY

Professional Member - International Association of Canine Professionals

Hi! I am the owner of Kuri K9 Trail & Train. Thank you for visiting our website, and coming here to learn more about me!

My career in animals started out as a 'Kennel Kid' for a veterinary clinic in New Zealand at 12 years old. Detours were taken; gaining a Diploma in Adventure Tourism Management, and traveling overseas spending a summer trail guiding on horseback, amongst other jobs. Eventually winding my way to a position in a daycare and boarding facility in Victoria, BC.

When the opportunity came up to join Adventure Dog as a Hike Leader, I jumped on it. I spent two and a half years leading offleash pack walks, honing my skills and seeking ways to improve our walks for both two-legged and four-legged beings.

Moving to Cedar, I took a Hike Leader position with Pooch Pack Adventures and have been working there until launching Kuri K9 Trail & Train.

I have 3 of my own incredible Australian Shepherd furballs, Tui & Rua, and most recently, Aio. We have trained and learned together, taking agility classes, rally-o classes, and competing in disc competitions, as well as gaining multiple DMWYD Trick Titles and dabbling in dock diving.

I have raised a deaf Australian Shepherd puppy, who found his forever home and lived out his best life on an acreage in Nanaimo. As well as fostering and rehoming another Australian Shepherd, and an Australian Cattle Dog who ended up returning to her original owners.

I am always on a quest to do more, learn more and become better. Part of that quest lead me to an Assistant Trainer position with Smart Dog Training, where I assisted with group classes and puppy socialisation groups. The knowledge I have gained here is supplemented by various online courses, educational books and plenty of fun trial and error training my own dogs.

I have gained further experience sharing my knowledge with training clients, helping them to sharpen up their dog's basic obedience. Some of my favourite classes are the private puppy sessions, helping get them and their new owners off on the right paw towards a successful future together.

Seeing dogs' confidence bloom on our pack walks, or helping to reform our more exuberant members and create well mannered K9 citizens nourishes my soul; as does helping dogs and their owners build the trust, partnership and communication between them.

ABOUT LARA

Hike Leader - Full Time

With 19 years of experience owning a successful pet care business, I bring a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for working with dogs. My background includes front-of-house roles at two veterinary clinics, hands-on grooming experience, and a team member at multiple large-scale doggie daycares and kennels. I am also Pet First Aid certified, ensuring the highest level of safety and care for every dog I work with. My dedication to providing loving and attentive care drives me every day. I am thrilled to join the Kuri K9 crew and look forward to contributing my expertise to this fantastic team!

ABOUT MICHAEL

Trainer - Contractor

With over 35 years of experience, my dog training journey began in England with my first
German Shepherd and a deep passion for building communication, structure, and trust. I've been
fortunate to train under respected mentors in both the UK and Canada, gaining hands-on
experience in obedience, protection work, scent detection, and tracking.

I hold the following certifications and memberships:

DOGSAFE® Canine First Aid
Northwest Kennels – Companion Concept Program (Basic & Advanced Obedience)
Northwest Kennels – Protection Program
Taylor K9 – Fundamentals of Scent Detection
Taylor K9 – Introduction to Tracking and Article Searches
Taylor K9 – Interior and Exterior Article Searches
Taylor K9 – Obedience
Nanaimo Sport Search and Detection Group

Ensuring your dog’s welfare is always my top priority. My approach is real-world and
relationship-focused, grounded in positive reinforcement while also addressing unwanted
behaviors through fair and consistent guidance. I believe that successful training begins with
understanding both the dog and the handler. By learning about your dog’s environment, daily
routine, and your goals as an owner, I create custom programs that are practical and effective.
My goal is to help both ends of the leash move forward with clarity, confidence and connection.
It’s a true honour to continue my dog training journey with Melody and the amazing team at Kuri
K9 Trail and Train. I look forward to helping you and your beloved dog build the deep, trusting
bond you’ve always dreamed of.

ABOUT JACQUELINE

Administration

My road into working with dogs started when I jumped into the deep end by working at a dog kennel. There I quickly learned I loved working with the dogs and that I had good instincts into their behaviour. The following year, I had a wonderful opportunity to work for Adventure Dog in Victoria, where I spent 5 years being a hike leader. From there, my love and passion for working with dogs grew.

Currently, I work part time hiking and boarding dogs privately and working for Melody behinds the scenes, so you will see me in your emails at times!

I have one dog, named Beanie, and she has been with me for 10 years. We have been through thick and thin together, and a large amount of my dog knowledge comes from working with my quirky girl.

I am looking forward to continuing my role at Kuri K9 with Melody and her team, and of course, spending lots of time with dogs!