ANNISSIA, CO-FOUNDER, TRAINER

"Like most, I've always been an animal lover. However, I believe there is a deeper connection between a human and a dog if you can communicate with your dog. This is exactly why I became a dog trainer to help others get that same relationship with their pets, and I truly couldn't see myself doing anything else! When I'm not training client dogs I spend my time on local Wilderness K9 Search & Rescue team where I am the team's Director. I also am an evaluator and instructor for two National Certifying K9 Search & Rescue organizations for the disciplines Air Scent as well as Human Remains Detection. I have 1 operational SAR K9 partner, 1 retired SAR K9 partner, and 2 K9 partners in training . I love being able to help the community with my pups. In total I have 12 dogs, and many other fun pets!"

" Hey there! My name is Alyssa, and I am a co-owner and dog trainer of Cultured Canine. I have three personal dogs; Annie an Australian Shepherd mix, Arlo a German Shepherd, Ted a Husky and Ollie a Golden Retriever. I have a bachelors degree from NC A&T in Animal Industry, and I have loved working with animals since I was little. In my free time, I enjoy training for protection dog sports with Arlo and teaching Annie every trick in the book. My goals for Cultured Canine is to help owners learn to communicate with their dogs and build a better bond."

David has been with Cultured Canine since early on. He started in the kennel and worked his way up to dog trainer. Beyond his professional life David enjoys his time in nature. He currently has 2 huskies and a Belgian Malinois. David is also a member of the NC Troopers Association K9 Search & Rescue team where he's training his dog, Sidewinder, in Human Remains Detection.

Nilsa is the often your first point of contact when you reach us at CC. She has been our office manager since 2022. She loves to see all of our training pups progress and watch the owners better communicate with their dogs. In her spare time she enjoys learning about all things animal nutrition, watching True Crime, and spending time with her wife and their zoo of animals!

Amber has been with CC since March of 2024, and is our kennel manager. Amber's main responsibilities are making sure all pups in our care are healthy and happy, and boy does she do a good job at that! Outside of work Amber enjoys camping trips with her Goldendoodle girls River, Piper, Quinn and Wanda. She loves all dogs but especially the Goldendoodles! Amber is patient, kind, and loves every pup as if they were her own! 

Ciara has been with CC since August of 2023. She says, "working with dogs is fun because they have such unique personalities and bring so much joy and energy to any environment". Outside of working with your pups, Ciara plays school and beach volleyball and participates on a national volleyball team.

Em has been a kennel tech with CC since July of 2023. Em enjoys art, music, podcasts, and all things spooky themed! Em has a service dog, Samara, and 3 geckos. Her favorite dogs to work with are flat coated retrievers and Vizslas! Em always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude!