Dog people.

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Angela began working with animals professionally in 1989.  She received her license with Washington State as a Veterinary Technician in 1991 and applied animal behavior in 1993. She began Tails-A-Wagging in 1997 as owner and lead trainer.  She specializes in Canine Body Language and dog-to-dog communication, with a particular interest in fear and aggression in small breeds. Angela’s focus in training is to help people learn how to communicate with their dogs to further their relationship with each other, using science-based, dog-friendly, reward-based training methods.  Angela is a vegan and lives in Bellingham with her dog, Meg. Angela is a certified Fear-Free Professional and certified dog bite prevention educator.

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Hello! I grew up in the greater Seattle area and I’ve loved animals of all sorts since I was a child, but most especially dogs. I have always wanted a career working with animals, and I used to want to be a veterinarian, but quickly realized that I can’t stand to see animals or their humans in distress. I’m elated to have found such an incredible place to work with dogs in an environment where I can focus on keeping them happy and entertained throughout the day! My husband and I just adopted a young puppy of our own and I cannot wait to raise her into our little adventure buddy. Outside of work I love to go for hikes and spend time in nature, play D&D with my friends, attend trivia night at least once a week, and just spend time with my dog!

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Calie describes herself as a “fun based trainer”. She utilizes reward based methods along with using a dogs natural drive to make training fun for both the canine and human partner. Calie began her dog training journey with her own dog, working on tricks and performance routines. She has since moved on to all sorts of training from basic manners, behavioral treatment and management, calm down work and service dog prep and training. Calie specializes in the “crazy dogs” of the world. The amped up, energetic, out of control types are her favorite. Instead of trying to suppress or extinguish their zeal and love for life, she channels that energy into training, and teaches them how to have an off switch to relax when needed.

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Cam is a northwest-raised adventure lover! He began working with dogs at Tails in 2008 before moving to Portland, Oregon in 2010. Continuing to work with, and learn from dogs and their people, Cam earned his CPDT-KA certification in 2016 and returned to Tails in 2018. His favorite aspects of training include building confidence in both dog and owner and fun having-relationship building. He strives to turn everyone into a little more of a nerd for their dogs!

Cam specializes in herding dogs, especially cattle dogs

CPDT-KA

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Did somebody say mush? Always a dog enthusiast, Charley fell in love with dryland mushing after looking for ways to exercise the family husky. Since then they have always been surrounded in life by all things dog. You can often find them being pulled around by their sled dog duo, Hiccup and Roxy. You could say they have a type: big, fluffy, and full of attitude. If not accompanied by their dogs you may find them practicing in a local symphony, or enjoying beautiful downtown Bellingham. Always feeling like their old job was missing something, they finally realized it was time to take their love of dogs into their career. Excited to join the team at TAW, they can’t wait to learn everything there is about our furry friends.

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Raised with a special needs dachshund, Chloe has always had a sweet spot for making sure our best friends are taken care of. WA native that enjoys spending every free moment outdoors either biking, kayaking, or just sitting on the beach. The neighborhood go-to for dog walks and house sitting, Chloe has experienced the biggest to the smallest of dogs with every personality in between. Thrilled to be on the TAW team and always eager to give extra scratches.

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With a career in the world of four-legged companions that began in 2015, Colton—a dedicated canine enthusiast—is back with the Tails-A-Wagging team! Seamlessly merging his passion for pups with a keen focus on safety and exceptional care, Colton brings a wealth of expertise to the table.

From his early days working within a hunter’s reserve and vizsla breeding program, where he honed his skills in evaluating puppy personalities for the perfect home, Colton’s journey led him to our team here in Bellingham. At Tails-A-Wagging, he embraced the world of positive reinforcement and fear-free training—a transformative experience that continues to shape his approach to dog care. During his time away from the area, these principles of training remained a cornerstone of his own dog walking business, influencing his methods while working with unsocialized and easily overstimulated dogs.

Now, as Colton circles back to the Bellingham area, he seizes a second opportunity with the Tails-A-Wagging team. His passion for fostering positive, personalized pet care remains strong, and he looks forward to further developing his skill set in this dynamic environment.

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Caribbean born and PNW raised,

Damilka has had a life full of both adventure and challenges. Having had dogs throughout her childhood, she’s had the privilege of learning the intellectual part of love, compassion, and appreciation for the small things.

There have been moments in Damilka’s life when she has been in need of a therapy dog. Thankfully, those moments have not been in vain.

Damilka has the passion and drive to learn more about dogs and return the love she received from them as a child back.

Additionally, Damilka has a special appreciation for arts and humanities such as: Philosophy, Art History, Literature, Herbalism, and Romance movies. She hopes to one day either be an Art Curator for underrepresented artist demographics, or a herbal shop owner for holistic care, supporting her core values of caring for and uplifting others.

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Born in Bellingham, Derek has always been the type of person at parties that hangs out with the dog more than talking to people. 

After graduating from WSU, Derek worked in advertising and radio for five years in Seattle before moving back to Bellingham to try something new… which led him to work at Tails-a-Wagging!  He has been with us since Summer 2023

Derek has his own Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy named Juno, who is the cutest, most well-behaved Aussie in the world.????

If you ever see Derek or Juno at Tails feel free to say hi!

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Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Devan has always had a strong connection to nature and the outdoors. He knew from a very young age that conservation of our natural resources was crucial in order to preserve the beautiful world that we live in for generations to come. He is currently an engineering student at Whatcom Community College, with hopes to focus his career on sustainable clean energy.

Growing up, there was never a time that he didn’t have a dog (or two!). He has a soft spot for stigmatized bully breeds and has a Pitbull mix of his own named Duck. He lives in Nooksack with his wife Summer and hopes to spend the rest of his life in the beautiful state of Washington!

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Eli is a new arrival in the PNW, born and raised in Florida and (almost!) always surrounded by pups. As a child, his family had Yorkies that loved boating as much as the rest of the family, and Eli continued that love for both time on the water and playful puppies into his own adult life. Several years ago, a strong-willed Spaniel-mix named Henry found his way into the home from the local humane society and a love affair with rescues was born! Now at home in Bellingham, Eli lives with his wife Kate and their three pups – Henry, who was later joined by a terrier/ beagle/ basset-hound/ mystery pup named Sophie, and Fancy, a long-legged scruffy terrier. The whole family loves hiking, camping, and enjoying the beauty of the PNW!

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A 3rd generation Bellingham native, Emma grew up with animals always a part of the family. Her love of dogs comes from her Aunt, a professional dog trainer in California who also raised therapy dogs to bring to hospitals and senior communities. Through this, she taught Emma how valuable dogs were to us, humans. Emma is eager to join the Tails-A-Wagging team, and follow her passion for helping animals and humans, like her Aunt.

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Born and raised in the rainy PNW, Gil has always loved outdoor adventures starting with her floofy family dog as well as dogs all around the neighborhood. She was the go to dog sitter all the way through college here in Bellingham where she continued to explore her love for animals. 

She always knew she wanted to work with animals, but dogs always held a special place in her heart for their dedication to love us humans through all those hard parts in life and of course those cute floppy ears! She created her interdisciplinary major in Human-Animal Relational Balance Through Alternative Therapies and Entrepreneurship where she had the incredible opportunity to train under a Service Dog Trainer. This taught her the amazing abilities dogs have to not only help their companions, but teach us how to be better humans in the process. We can learn a lot from dogs! 

She continued working with dogs in several different dog related places, but has found Tails-A-Wagging to be her favorite place yet! In her free time she loves to take her 2 year old Pitsky, Halle, adventuring outside, exploring new forms of art, and cuddling up with Hal Bear to read a good book! 

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I’ve spent over fifteen years working in animal welfare, at shelters and rescues as well as providing guidance through training to dogs and their people in my private practice. After seeing so many pets lose their homes due to in-home conflicts, much of my work has been helping families with dogs through life changes – from newly adopted pets to bringing home babies, moving across the county, or just learning to walk comfortably, and safely around the neighborhood together. I’m especially drawn to working with shy/sensitive and over-reactive dogs and have a strong affinity for herding dogs.
I frame most of my training as games we can play with our dogs; it is integral to me that both ends of the leash are enjoying themselves! We build better lives with our dogs through enrichment/management, deepening our understanding and communication, and through our training and play together. My training is science-based and kindness-led.
I look forward to learning with you and your dog!”
As to cases I welcome – general training/basic manners, shy/sensitive and or over-reactive dogs, newly adopted dogs, families with dogs and babies/kids, husbandry/handling training, relaxation training, leash/walking skills, muzzle training.

CTC, HSUS CHES, KPA CTP, and Family Paws Educator (FFPE), Certified Fear Free

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Born and raised in the PNW, Kayden has been around animals for his whole life. Growing up as an only child, the family’s cat and two dogs were his best friends and #1 playmates. He learned respect for animals from a young age and has always been passionate about all creatures and critters, and continues to foster that love in his adult life. Now, Kayden spends as much time as he can smothering his family dogs with love and affection and often petsits for friends and family, considering himself the “fun uncle” of their animals.

Along with his love of animals, Kayden is also an artist and has a passion for illustration. In his free time, he enjoys gaming and playing D&D with friends.

Kayden is super pumped to be a part of the TAW team, and to spend time with all the doggos as he continues to grow his appreciation for these awesome beasts.

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Kerry is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who has been training dogs for over 25 years. She has trained with Tails a Wagging since 2002 and in the past worked with Canine Academy in Seattle, Chuckanut Dog Training Association and Cassidae Canine Academy in Bellingham. She has also volunteered as the trainer for the Whatcom Humane Society for many years. She currently teaches our Wag It Games and Freestyle classes at Tails-A-Wagging and owns a beautiful Rough Coated Collie named Annie, who enjoys coming to daycare and attending class with her mom.

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Lea is an Eastern Washington native who began her professional dog training career by training classes in Montana and Arizona after graduating from Washington State University in 2011. She has been residing in Bellingham since 2017 and loves going on outdoor adventures with her bestie Badger, the German shepherd/husky. Lea is excited to have recently joined the Tails-A-Wagging team!

A part of the Tails Team since 2007, Meg takes her job very seriously.  She is small but mighty and known for her ability to handle situations with assertiveness and grace. In her off time, Meg enjoys napping, eating, enrichment puzzles, yard wanders and chasing bunnies.

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Rae has worked with dogs for over 23 years in a variety of settings, from being one of the first pack dog walkers in Seattle when dog parks opened, to rescue and shelter work to dog training and classes. She achieved her CPDT-KA in 2016, and has trained around King and Kitsap county. Rae and her canine companion Apollo moved back to the NW after living down on St.Thomas, USVI’s for a year after the Irma-Maria hurricanes, volunteering at the Humane Society and helping rebuild. She somehow always knew she would end up in Bellingham (falling in love with it on her 1st Ski to Sea race over a dozen plus years ago) and is so happy to be training at Tails-a-Wagging!

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Born and raised on San Juan Island, Ramona has taken care of 15 family dogs in her lifetime,

and she is beyond excited to spend the day with your pets! From the littlest dogs to the biggest dogs, she loves them all, whether they’re rambunctious or calm, loud or quiet she’s happy to spend her day with them. When she’s not working with dogs, Ramona enjoys acting in local theatre, playing her guitar, and anything that scratches that creative itch.

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Riley grew up on acres of land that were just begging to house every furry, feathered, or scaled friend imaginable. As soon as she was old enough to have a say, inviting animals into her home was her favorite hobby; much to her parent’s dismay. Through all that excitement, she was never seen without a dog by her side. Whether that means, teaching her own pets every party trick in the book, or being the one person at the party who hangs out with the dogs more than the people. She’s excited to be a part of the Tails-A-Wagging team to further expand her knowledge on canine body language, training, and care and loves each and every dog in their own special way!

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Rory moved to Bellingham from Lebanon, Oregon where she grew up and attended high school. She has been surrounded by dogs and other animals all her life, at her home and at her friends. As a result, she grew to love them and wanted to work with them as an adult. She has worked with animal shelters and organizations like the SafeHaven Humane Society and Shake and Shine. She has a dog of her own named TigerLilly who is a blue healer mix, tuxedo cat named Zero and a black corn snake named Snakey, who is as long as she is tall. Rory is a big Disney and Studio Ghibli fan but an even bigger animal lover.

Animals have always been a part of Sarah’s life and dogs have certainly played a central role. She has always had a soft spot for rescues and has had three dogs from shelters, a re-homed snake, and a previously abandoned pet mouse. Growing up in the PNW, she developed a strong desire to learn more about how people interact with their local flora and fauna. This led Sarah to earning her BA from Western Washington University studying anthropology and environmental studies. She has had the opportunity to work with a large variety of animals and enjoys any form of education on the subject that she can get her hands on. She is so happy to be working at TAW where her love for dogs can grow even more!