Owner

Stephanie Bennett, CPDT-KSA, is considered one of Houston’s top dog trainers and behavioral experts, as well as one of the city’s most innovative dog education and enrichment entrepreneurs, helping to create balance between mind, body, and spirit. 

Stephanie is recognized as Houston’s original puppy expert and is the founder of the city’s first all-encompassing, puppy-focused training programs. Her unique and effective puppy programs were developed under the guidance of her mentor, Dr. Ian Dunbar, who revolutionized dog training when he designed the world’s very first off-leash puppy class. Stephanie has made it her mission to educate new puppy owners and local veterinarians on the importance of early puppy training and socialization.

Stephanie is passionate about her education and has had the pleasure and distinction of working and studying with some of the world’s best dog trainers, including the great Dr. Ian Dunbar, who continues to be her valuable mentor today. Stephanie remains appreciative for opportunities to pay it forward and frequently mentors new trainers. Not only has she has taught her positive puppy training methods and fun & games group class curriculums to dozens of trainers, but she has also guided them towards their certification through the Council of Certified Pet Trainers.

Throughout her career, Stephanie served as the Director of Training at LA Dogworks in Los Angeles, started her own in-home private training company, Get Along Little Doggie, and co-founded Peace Love and Dogs in Houston.   

In 2017, she had a vision of a new Canine and Training Enrichment Center. She decided to build and develop something fresh and innovative —what she considers to be the next stage in the evolution of dog education and enrichment—Believe in Dog Training. 

As a result of her comprehensive education and hands-on experience, Stephanie has expertise not only in dog & puppy training, but also a wide variety of solutions to dog behavior problems, especially fear and leash reactivity. Because each dog is unique, Stephanie works with her clients to create a custom training program addressing the individual dog’s needs while meeting the goals of their human companions.

With over 15 years of experience, Stephanie has helped thousands of dog owners create beautiful relationships with their pets. Her goal is to help her clients become the center of their dog’s universe!

Stephanie regularly contributes her expertise to media outlets and television segments, including Houston Life, where she became the resident “Puppy Whisperer” after training KPRC’s station dog, Tex. She frequently writes for Houston Pet Talk Magazine and has had terrific opportunities to work with and train dogs for The Alley Theater, The Astros, The Houston Ballet, and Texas Children’s Hospital.

“Stephanie carefully observes and gives positive reinforcemenet to both pooch and pet parent. She’s patient and, most important, realistic. Her guidance is designed for what is best for the animal, understanding that all dogs are different. From group classes to one-on-one training, Bennett is as good as it gets, no matter what the breed or temperment.”

- Houston Press, Named Stephanie Best Dog Trainer

Senior Trainer

Megan always had a love for animals growing up. She would come home with toads, and turtles that she would find around her home in rural Illinois. Her love for animals grew with the cats and dogs that her family had throughout her childhood. She thought about pursuing a veterinary degree, but chose music instead.

Megan attended Illinois State University and double majored in music education and saxophone performance. She loved the creativity and expression that music gave her, but she wanted to help people, so she went into teaching. At her first teaching job in 2015, Megan adopted a German Shepherd named Loki from a shelter. He had a horrible start to life, and as a result, he did not trust people. Megan began reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts, and attending in-person classes to try and help Loki. In 2018, Loki passed his Canine Good Citizen test! Loki then began training to be a service dog for Megan to help her with her mobility issues from a degenerative joint disease.

Like many of the staff, Megan took a class at Believe in Dog Training and became a Believer. She wants to help dogs and their humans deepen their relationship and understanding of one another through training.

Operations Manager

Joanna was one of Believe in Dog Training’s first clients when the company was still a concept in Stephanie Bennett’s head.  She feels incredibly lucky to have joined the Believe in Dog client family so early with her reactive dog, River.  The advice that Stephanie gave for handling a reactive dog changed her life.  Plus her other dog, Pixel adores coming to any training class. 

Joanna has always loved working with animals.  She volunteered at animal shelters from a young age, cared for pet dogs and bunnies, and even worked as a pet sitter to care for the beloved household pets of Heights residents when they went away on vacation.  Now, working every day at Believe in Dog Training feels like a dream come true.  

Every day is a great day with puppies!

Assistant Manager

D’Ondra, a Houston native, brings her big love for dogs and years of leadership experience to the BIDT team. Her journey began over a decade ago, when she and her Australian Shepherd, Kala, attended a series of puppy classes with Stephanie Bennett. Those early experiences inspired D’Ondra to fully embrace Stephanie’s training philosophies, sparking a lifelong commitment to positive training and relationship building with dogs.

As the Assistant Manager at BIDT, D’Ondra combines her love for animals with a wealth of expertise in project management, staff development, and operations.

Outside of work, D’Ondra can be found exploring new places with her two beloved Australian Shepherds, Kala and Trigger. Whether they’re hitting the trails, enjoying the beach, or embarking on road trips, D’Ondra treasures every adventure with her dogs and is always on the lookout for new ways to keep their minds and bodies active.

Office Manager

Roxanna is thrilled to be a part of the Believe in Dog Training team. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Theatre Studies. She joined the pet care industry in 2018 while finishing her degree and loved not only the animals (obviously!) but the people too.

Roxanna has a dog-son named Orin, a Terrier/Chihuahua/Beef Wellington mix that she rescued in 2017 from Austin Pets Alive. Outside of work she gets to use her (expensive) theatre degree as a local actor and improvisor in the city.

She is happy to chat with you about the best training options for your dog, and help you in your first steps towards becoming a Believer!

Puppy Day School Manager

Since a young age, Alyssa has always had a passion for both animals and teaching. Growing up she spent most of her time caring for her family pets which included an array of animals such as your average household pets, to farm animals, and exotics. This early exposure lead to ambitions of one day pursuing a career with animals. However, shortly after graduating, Alyssa found herself pursuing a degree in elementary and special education. She was given a lovely opportunity to teach preschool age children for which she thoroughly enjoyed doing for several years. In addition to her teaching position, Alyssa and her mother created a Trap Neuter Release (TNR) program in their community. Taking in numerous strays, abandoned, and injured cats to eventually rehabilitate them and adopt out. Successfully the mother-daughter duo managed to TNR around 40 plus cats in the Montgomery county area and place over 20 kittens and cats into loving homes. Even with the success of the private rescue, Alyssa was still on the search for something that would allow her to work with animals full-time like she always dreamed. The chance came in 2018 when she got back into horseback riding and showing horses. A year into it, the stable owner offered Alyssa the job as assistant trainer and instructor. This gave her much fulfillment as she got to continue her role as teacher, but also care for the animals she was so fond of.

Alyssa’s Journey with Believe in Dog began in the fall of 2021 when she signed up for a puppy class with Fletcher, her American Pitbull Terrier. During their group classes, Alyssa was able to learn how to build solid foundations with her pup and strengthen their bond. She found herself pursuing new goals with Fletcher and even reshaping her existing relationship with her other dog Corbin. Alyssa proceeded to educate herself with books, podcasts, and classes. This sparked a new passion which was to educate people how they too could enhance their relationship with their pups and help them create a life that all dogs deserve. Now a part of the Believe in Dog team, Alyssa’s goals here are to train with the same philosophies and principles that BIDT uplifts. She and her boys, Corbin and Fletcher, are excited to emBARK (pun intended) on this wonderful career path of dog training!

“Dogs lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” —Agnes Turnbull

Trainer

Like other employees, Ashley was a client before coming to work with the Believe in Dog team. After a private training session and a group class, she was a believer. She is forever grateful for the way the Believe in Dog team helped Monte, her rescue, come out of his shell and build his confidence. As a foster and volunteer with K-9 Angels Rescue, she has experience working with dogs from a variety of backgrounds. Through fostering, her passion for training and rehabilitating dogs, both physically and mentally, grew. The more she learned the more she was able to help her foster dogs become more adoptable and find loving homes. A teacher at heart, she loves to share her passion and knowledge with others. Ashley wants to empower humans to learn and train with their dogs to ensure they both have the best experience. Ashley strives to help our clients become the center of their dog’s universe. You can find her working the front desk, teaching group classes, or subbing in for puppy day school when she has the time. She truly believes that both humans and dogs are built for connection that can be fostered through a positive relationship and teamwork.

“No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship. “ – Dr. James Comer

Trainer / Puppy Day School Teacher

Kate Janse van Rensburg hails from Houston, TX and has had a deep love of animals her whole life. From a very young age, she was the one who trained all the family pets in everything from basic obedience and potty training to swimming pool safety! Kate spent years riding American Saddlebreds competitively and later working in the horse business as everything from a groom to an assistant trainer and riding instructor. She has two World Grand Championships under her belt, and is one of the lucky few who gets to pursue both her loves by taking care of her rescue horse, Fame, and teaching at Believe in Dog!

Kate has a BA in History from the University of St. Thomas and a JD from the University of Houston Law Center. After passing the Texas Bar in 2014, Kate soon realized that while she found law intellectually stimulating, it wasn’t fulfilling for her. When she started bringing her pup to puppy classes, she realized that she had found a career she was excited about and where she knew she could help people and their pups lead better lives together. Kate started assisting Stephanie with classes, puppy training, and anything else she could get her hands on in 2015. She obtained her CPDT-KA certification in May, 2016, and hopes to continue her education by learning something every day she works with dogs and ultimately taking the CPDT-KSA. Kate lives with her husband, Henry, who tries daily to undo all the hard work and training she’s put into their three rescue dogs, Jasmine and Sasha the American Pit Bull Terriers, and Poe the French Bulldog.

Social Media Specialist

Wendy is a devoted dog mom who loves creating and capturing memories as she road-trips all over the United States with her husband and dogs. She believes that it's up to you to show your pups the world and expose them to different environments as long as they're comfortable, healthy, and happy. She stumbled upon Believe in Dog Training after extensive research, trying to find training that aligned with her belief in positive practices while strengthening the bond with her pups.

Wendy has always wanted to be a part of something truly rewarding. She dreamed of one day joining a place where she could freely express her creativity and, if lucky enough, work with puppies. Therefore, when the chance to become a part of the Believe in Dog Training team arose, she didn't hesitate to apply. You can now find Wendy helping all the first-day pups shine through the Believe in Dog Training social media platform.

Puppy Day School Teacher/Trainer

Valerie’s appreciation for dog training started her freshman year of high school when she started volunteering with Guide Dogs for the Blind. She raised and took care of puppies from the time they were 8 weeks old until they were around 15 months, providing them with socialization experiences and teaching them good manners while at home and in public. These puppies went with her everywhere from school to cross-country flights. She started working in the dog industry at 17 years old and gained experience with many different ages, breeds, personalities, and sizes of dogs. She has also spent time training and socializing shelter dogs from the Houston Humane Society in hopes to find them the families they deserve.

Valerie’s current dog is a 3 year old yellow lab named, Champagne. Champagne is a career changed dog that Valerie raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Together they have done several presentations for kids attending Camp Pawsome at the Houston Humane Society. Champagne has helped several shelter and rescue dogs come out of their shell, she is also a doggie coach for the puppies here at BIDT. 

Puppy Day School Teacher/Receptionist

Jessica grew up with pets and volunteered at shelters in high school for fun. She always knew she wanted to work with animals in some way. When she got her first dog on her own, Juliet, an adorable pug, she watched positive reinforcement training videos online to teach basic obedience.

After holding several jobs that she was not passionate about, Jessica entered the pet industry. She worked at a pet resort for 2 years with cats and dogs of all sizes, breeds, and temperments. She loved working with and getting to know the pets and their pet parents. Although she loved her job, she knew there was something else out there that would make a bigger difference in dogs and their pet parents lives. She got the chance to do so with Believe in Dog Training as a Puppy Day School Teacher and was ecstatic at the opportunity to learn a new skill set and help fellow pet parents with training and socializing their puppies.

Trainer

Katelyn is a native Houstonian and lifelong dog-lover. Though she works in mental health full time, her passion is dog training (there’s a lot of overlap in mental health and dog training philosophies)! In 2020 while on a long hike in the Sam Houston National Forest, a young dog popped out of the woods and followed her 7 miles back to her car; that’s how LS became a part of Katelyn’s family. LS was an overexcited dog with a lot of warming up needed to become a family pet so Katelyn sought out the help of a CDBC, CPDT-KA trainer and learned a lot about rehabilitating reactive dogs. She realized that patience, baby steps, never forcing your dog to do something, and learning to work with your dog at their pace makes a world of difference. You can find her at a Puppy 1 or Basic Manners class. She wants anyone reading this to say one thing they love about their dog and one thing they’re proud about doing for their dog. Believe and breathe!

Receptionist/Trainer

Kate was an early client of Believe In Dog after rescuing an anxious puppy off the street. Already the owner of a leash reactive standard poodle, Peaches, her interest and drive to learn about canine behavior and training is strong! The positive reinforcement and relationship-focused methods utilized at Believe In Dog are in direct alignment with her personal values for interacting with all sentient beings in the world, so it’s a great fit!

Pandemic pressures made her re-evaluate her career as an oil & gas IT Business Analyst; but her skills in understanding and evaluating systems (dogs), then ensuring users (pet parents) are equipped with the information and skills needed to result in a positive and fruitful experience for their specific situation (lifestyle) are immediately transferrable! She sees it all as a natural extension of her BA in Psychology from UT Austin, and is continuing to expand her ‘systems knowledge’ after earning her CPDT (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) certification in the spring of 2023.

Puppy Day School Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

Puppy Day School Teacher/Trainer

Morgan, a Northern California native, recently relocated to Houston, bringing with her a lifelong passion for animals. Growing up in California, she knew early on that her future would revolve around working with animals. Morgan’s journey began with active involvement in FFA and 4-H alongside her family, where she gained hands-on experience training a variety of animals, from sheep and chickens to horses and dogs. Her family also volunteered as puppy raisers for Guide Dogs for the Blind, raising five puppies over eight years, with three successfully becoming working guide dogs. This experience ignited Morgan’s love for training and inspired her to pursue it as a career.

Driven by the belief that dogs truly enrich our lives, Morgan is dedicated to helping owners create positive, lasting bonds with their pets. She currently shares her life with two beloved rescue dogs—a 6-year-old German Shepherd/Husky mix named Freya and a 2-year-old Rottweiler named Athena—both of whom she adopted when they were just 8 months old.

Puppy Day School Teacher

Marlena’s journey with animals began in 2018, when she started fostering puppies on euthanasia lists. Her dedication to rescuing and rehabilitating animals followed her across continents, even as her husband’s military service brought them to South Korea. There, she became a founding member of Rebel Rescue, South Korea’s first no-kill shelter, saving dogs from Meat Farm Markets and giving them a second chance.

Upon returning to the U.S., Marlena continued her mission, working closely with El Paso Animal Services to foster, train, and help dogs near the border. She also found a unique way to give back by working with senior citizens with dementia and Alzheimer’s alongside her certified therapy dog, Splash.

Now back in Houston, Marlena worked with Houston Pets Alive to save cats and dogs throughout the area before dedicating herself full-time to training in 2023. Outside of training, you can often find her enjoying a matcha latte or competing with Splash in dog sports like Rally, Fastcat, Agility, Barn Hunt, and Obedience.

Marlena’s commitment to animals and community shines through in every aspect of her work, whether she’s helping a dog find its forever home or providing companionship to those in need.

Puppy Day School Teacher

Coming from a place where dogs aren’t treated with the same level of care as in the U.S., Pedram’s passion for working with animals took root quickly after moving to America. In 2020, his cousin invited him to join him at a pet resort, sparking his career in the pet industry as an activity counselor. Within a few months, he was promoted to daycare, where he managed groups of 20 to 30 dogs. This role taught him just how much there is to learn about dog communication and behavior.

Driven to deepen his knowledge, Pedram immersed himself in canine education and joined a mentorship program that launched his journey into dog training. Today, he is a certified dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and loves helping to strengthen the bond between guardians and their dogs through effective communication and trust.

In his spare time, Pedram enjoys cooking, playing and watching soccer, and spending quality time with loved ones.

Caretaker

Born in Germany, Barbara grew up surrounded by animals, which became an integral part of her upbringing. From dogs and cats to a beloved parakeet named Mucki, who often perched on her shoulder, her childhood was filled with companionship and joy.

During her high school years, she earned her first paychecks working at a racing stable, a job that sparked her love for animals and solidified her work ethic. Barbara's life took a significant turn when she married a U.S. Army soldier, bringing her to the United States for the first time. As a military wife, she embraced the responsibilities that came with frequent deployments, supporting other army spouses through the challenges of separation.

A proud mother of three wonderful children, Barbara has always had at least one dog by her side as they moved every few years, for her husband’s job. In her free time, she enjoys helping a friend on her small farm in Waller County, which adds to her love for animals. She is the Caretaker at BIDT and since she first walked in the door, she felt an instant connection to the nurturing environment and the knowledgeable team. She is thrilled to have joined such a welcoming community, where she can combine her passion for animals and her caregiving spirit.

Trainer

Sam's love for dogs inspired her to become a dog trainer, a career she has excelled at for four years. Her passion for training deepened after observing dog communication and body language in doggie daycare. This experience sparked her curiosity about how dogs communicate with humans and their environment. The joy she derives from her three Dalmatians and one Belgian Malinois further fuels her passion. Sam's journey into dog training started with her first Dalmatian, Valkyrie. Realizing she needed more knowledge to train Valkyrie effectively, Sam decided to pursue a career in the dog world. Since then, she has relished the opportunity to connect and communicate with every dog and puppy she encounters.

Retail Specialist

Savannah grew up in North Carolina and developed a love for dogs early in life. Surrounded by animals as a child, she has always been passionate about them. Two years ago, she relocated to Houston, Texas, where she found her new home. Before joining Believe in Dog, Savannah worked remotely as a marketing assistant but was seeking a career change. When she discovered the opportunity at Believe in Dog, she knew it was the perfect fit!

With a keen eye for detail and a passion for helping people, Savannah thrives on assisting clients in finding the ideal products for their furry companions. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in digital marketing and advertising, combining her creativity and love for communication.

Outside of work, Savannah enjoys spending quality time with friends and loved ones, engaging in outdoor activities, and exploring new creative projects!