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Owner, Total Dog!
Sgt Brice Cavanaugh currently owns Total Dog! and is on the Board of Directors for the National Tactical Police Dog Association, Operation Overwatch and The Pink Berets. He is a Professional Member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and is an Evaluator for the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen multi-tiered program.
Brice’s unique perspectives come from decades of experience, from the tactical training and deployment of Military Working Dogs and Police Service Dogs to the instruction of deployment teams working in theater in some of the harshest conditions in the world.
Here is a look at his early tactical work:
As an instructor in the tactical field, constant reading of journals and LE updates is a must.
Not listed are dozens of courses that cover everything from Counterterrorism Tactics to Radiological Scanning Devices.
Professional Dog Trainer
Rhiannon started her dog training journey by fostering rescued pups for several years and in that time she became proficient in handling many different types of breeds and personalities. Rhiannon went on to create her own dog boarding business and developed a stellar reputation amongst her community as the “go-to boarding lady”. Rhiannon took her love for dogs a step further and became one of our Basic Obedience Trainers in which she learned and applied the Total Dog! training methods. Her care, attention to detail and enthusiasm make her an integral part of the Total Dog! Team!
Professional Dog Trainer
Andy’s K9 career began in the US Air Force where he graduated the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Handler course in 2010 and later the Kennel Master and Trainer course in 2014. Andrew has worked with Secret Service, The US Navy, Army and International Coalition Forces.
In 2016, Andy separated from active duty after ten years of service. He then attended Southern Utah University, double majoring in Aviation Sciences and Outdoor Recreation in Parks and Tourism.
Andy has worked as an instructor teaching others how to fly all kinds of airplanes. Andy uses his unique experience as a teacher and educator to help other understand. This is where Andy shines. His years of experience training handlers and canines, coupled with his love of teaching makes having Andy as your trainer a great experience.
Intern
Will is originally from South Louisiana and joined the United States Air Force after high school and served seven years as a jet engine mechanic on F15 aircraft. After that he working in the aerospace industry for defense contractors, including 13 years working for NASA on the space shuttle program.
In 2020 Will moved to Las Vegas and began an internship program with Total Dog! Vegas. Will helps with the daily training of all our board and train dogs. Will has hopes of becoming a full time trainer for Total Dog!
Professional Dog Trainer
Jen came to Las Vegas with 15 years of professional animal training experience. She has worked with many different animal species throughout her career. Jen has had a passion for animals since early in life. She began her journey in animal training by interning with a local veterinarian as a junior in high school.
Once in college, Jen began professionally training horses and birds. She then moved on to Sea World’s Discovery Cove. There she continued training exotic birds and worked as a Senior Trainer with 52 dolphins for 11 years. From helping juvenile dolphins become comfortable and build confidence in their environment, to training a wide variety of behaviors to help with routine veterinary care and interactions with guests, Jen has a passion for working with animals and educating people about their behavior.
Jen relocated to Tennessee where she worked with California Sea Lions and had the opportunity to train service dogs for military veterans. After spending some time working as a vet tech, Jen is extremely excited to join the Total Dog family here in Las Vegas.
Jen has experience with many different training techniques and styles and believes training should be a fun, bonding experience between dog and owner! She can use her knowledge to build a program unique to each individual animal, so they can learn and thrive. Jen knows communication is key when creating a special bond between dog and owner.
Director of Operations
Tyler (Ty) Staley is Total Dog Vegas’ Director of Operations. Ty is responsible for Total Dog Vegas’ client relations, business management, trainer support, and business development. Ty has over twenty years of business experience starting as a young adult. Ty has been working at Total Dog Vegas since the beginning of 2020. Ty is a professional who cares about all of Total Dog’s clients and employees.
Ty has had a respect for dogs since he was a young child. Ty has always enjoyed learning about wolves and later learned how connected dogs are to them. Ty ended up getting a wolf mix of his own when he was seventeen named ‘Willie”. Ty appreciates the strength and athletic abilities of dogs. Ty currently owns a Presa Canario that weighs 120 pounds at ten months old. Ty enjoys the bond that can be built between dogs and humans. He takes their training and care to heart.
This is were we take your dog out for an all day excursion with other dogs, handled by our skilled trainers. It is an all day event, so Fido comes home tired after having spent time with his canine buddies at various locations, from the lakes and rivers around us to trails, hills and parks. Think doggy daycare the way Mother Nature intended!
Here we provide lessons in the comfort of your home, and wherever life takes you and your furry friend! We meet weekly for about an hour to systematically reach the goals that are put in place from our consultation!
Learn the 12 basic commands in and around your home! We also work on behavior modification as discussed in the initial evaluation.
Off leash reliability is the goal here! The 12 basic commands, in the world that you live in! Visits to the Vet, pet stores, park, etc, wherever your life takes you and your dog!
We can train either the The Basics! skill set or the Total Dog! skill set. Time that the dog is off to boot camp depends on your dog as well as which program your dog is signed up for.
Learn the 12 basic commands in and around your home! We also work on behavior modification as discussed in the initial evaluation.
Off leash reliability is the goal here! The 12 basic commands, in the world that you live in! Visits to the Vet, pet stores, park, etc, wherever your life takes you and your dog!
Invest in your dog’s behavior with 2 weeks of Board & Train services as well as private, in-depth home training with one of our skilled dog trainers.
Learn the 12 basic commands and instructions that will be relevant in and around your home! We also focus on behavior modification as determined in the initial evaluation.
Our goal with this training is off-leash reliability! The same 12 basic commands will be included in this training set! We’ll also take your pet on visits to the Vet, pet stores, park, and wherever else life tends to take you and your dog!
Here, we provide six training to prepare your dog for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test that we administer! We can help your dog prepare for the examination! Once they pass, you get an AKC certificate and the ability to order “dog tags” and accessories for your Canine Good Citizen!
Our trainers show you how the fundamentals of the 12 basic commands and you follow through to success!
Professional Dog Trainer
Matthew Gluyas (MG) started his dog training career in the United States Air Force as a Military Working Dog (MWD) Handler. MG is a graduate of the Department of Defense MWD Handler School. MG has served on numerous POTUS missions for President Donald Trump. MG also served alongside his Explosive Detection Dog, Alfi in support of operations in recovery of Hurricane Michael.
MG honorably separated from the Air Force in 2019 and started working for Total Dog Vegas in 2020. MG is a training specialist and is responsible for the training of basic to advanced obedience. MG has had a love for dogs since being a young child. MG has had numerous dogs growing up and has always enjoyed training them. MG has a special way with dogs, his calm and patient demeanor speaks to dogs in an impressive manner. MG enjoys helping dog owners gain control of their dogs, thus giving them the freedom of having a well-trained dog.
Co-owner and Executive Assistant
Melissa Kitts is co-owner and executive assistant at Total Dog Vegas. Melissa has over ten years of customer service experience as well as an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. Melissa is responsible for the daily interaction with potential, current, and future Total Dog Vegas clients. Melissa is in charge of scheduling all training appointments and making sure Total Dog is giving their clients the best service available. Melissa is also Total Dog Vegas’ professional photographer and snaps photographs of all our clients dogs at the monthly Out and Abouts.
When you call Total Dog you will always be greeted by Melissa’s cheerful voice. She takes customer satisfaction very seriously and wants what is best for the client. Melissa’s professionalism is out of this world! You will not be disappointed when you call to set up your free in-home consultation.
Professional Dog Trainer
Matthew Templet started his dog training career in the United States Air Force as a Military Working Dog (MWD) Handler. Matt is a graduate of both the Department of Defense MWD Handler School as well as the MWD Trainer and Kennel Master School. Matt has numerous deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan under his belt accompanied by his Explosive Detection Dog. Matt was awarded the Bronze Star alongside his MWD Basco for their life saving actions taken in Afghanistan in 2011. Matt and his MWD are featured in the hit book, Hero Dogs: Secret Missions and Selfless Service.
Matt honorably discharged from the Air Force in 2018 and started working for Total Dog shortly after. Matt is a Total Dog Master Trainer, responsible for the oversight and quality control of our clients dogs. Matt believes in a balanced approach to dog training, using many different methods and tools to get the desired behavior from the dog. Matt uses these methods to eliminate bad behaviors and ultimately create the Total Dog! Matt believes that every dog has potential if you give them a chance. There are no bad dogs, he says. Matt will design a special training program to fit you and your dogs needs. No dog is too out of control!
Board & Train Director & Professional Dog Trainer
Brent Olson has been working with and training dogs his entire life starting at a young age. His passion for dogs started with his hunting dogs and later progressed to the police dogs he trained for the military. Brent served ten years in the United States Air Force before being medically retired in 2014. Brent is a graduate of the Department of Defense Military Working Dog (MWD) School as well as the MWD Trainer/Kennel Master School. Brent has multiple deployments serving aside his Explosive Detection Dog. His actions in Afghanistan earned him the Purple Heart. Brent is featured in the hit book, Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes.
Brent is Total Dog Vegas’ Board and Train Director. He is responsible for ensuring all of TDV’s Board and Trains are trained to the correct standard. Brent enjoys empowering dog owners and making their lives easier by creating a Total Dog. Brent has a special bond with the dogs he trains and takes their safety, training, and health to heart. Brent truly is one of the best in the business.
Owner, Total Dog! Vegas
Justin Kitts has always loved dogs. So it’s no surprise that Justin-the-kid, who was always fascinated with animals—from iguanas, to birds, to the ocean-dwelling creatures he studied at the Mystic Aquarium as a high-school student volunteer—would grow up to make that passion his life’s work.
With 15 years of professional dog-handling under his belt, Justin has trained more than 1,000 dogs across the country. His experience runs the gamut of dog breeds, canine personalities, and behavioral problems. There’s no dog too big or too small, too young or too senior. Justin has trained working police dogs and hunting dogs (like German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois), to a range of puppies and older house dogs (like a 5-pound Chihuahua and a 150-pound Mastiff giant).
Justin’s professional work with dogs and his military service has, on occasion, put him in the national spotlight. You might’ve seen him on a recent episode of A&E’s hit show “Wahlburgers,” or read about his combat deployment with K-9 partner Dyngo in Smithsonian magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times best-selling book War Dogs.
It was right after high-school graduation that Justin made the decision to serve his country and enlist in the Air Force. During his 18-year career in the military, 11 of those years have been devoted to military working dogs to include six K-9 partners and three deployments. After returning from their combat deployment in Afghanistan in 2011, Justin and MWD Dyngo were awarded the Bronze Star. In 2012, he was a lead instructor at a highly specialized and intensive pre-deployment training course at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona where he prepared dog teams from all military branches for their upcoming combat deployments. He’s also served on POTUS protection details for presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. In addition to his military (and police) experience with dual-purpose detection dogs, Justin has also been training dogs privately since 2012 in personal protection and patrol work.
Fellow dog handlers and former clients have often observed that Justin’s connection to dogs is unique—that he has an innate ability to communicate with them. He understands dogs and they respond to him with ease. Through his quiet, confident manner and practiced patience, Justin refines his dog-training approach with each and every dog he trains.
In addition to his years of experience as a military dog handler, Justin is a graduate of Animal Behavior College. Through the merging of his professional, military, and private training experience, Justin has honed not only his skilled methods for evaluating individual dogs and their behavioral issues—leash pulling, jumping, barking, and potty issues—but his approach to resolving them.
Justin’s breadth of knowledge and experience includes Puppy Training, Basic Obedience, Advanced Obedience behavior modification, aggression rehabilitation, Detection, and Protection.
At Total Dog! Vegas, we operate under the philosophy that there are no “bad” dogs. All dogs have potential if you give them the right chance.
We also believe that dogs are individuals and as such there is no one cookie-cutter method to dog training that fits every single animal.
Whether it’s potty-training overly rambunctious puppies or acclimating an older adopted dog to your home, we will work with you to determine the best approach for your situation and design a specialized training program to fit your dog’s needs.
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