About Us
Dedication dog training
The last dog trainer you’ll ever need.
Dedication Dog Training opened in 2021 with one simple goal, helping dogs and humans work together. Starting with a simple program of behavioral modification and just two people, we offered premium and personal service with our clients. Since then we have expanded to offering everything from aggression rehabilitation to service animal training to sport dog conditioning. At the heart of all the work we do, Dedication remains our keyword. Dedication to health, to families, and to you.
30+ years
Combined Experience
300+
Dogs Trained
How We Work
Our Values
01
Transparency and Honesty
Our clients deserve to be informed and involved in every aspect of the training process. At Dedication Dog Training, we hide nothing, guide our clients through everything, and always endeavor create a collaborative relationship with dog owners in the process of raising the dog of their dreams.
02
Accessibility
There is a dog training option for every dog and every person. No matter your budget or background, we are committed to providing clear paths to success with your dog. From in-person training to our many free resources, we strive to ensure that dog training belongs to everyone.
03
Kindness and Equity
As a queer- and POC-owned business, Dedication Dog Training adheres firmly to a policy of doing no harm and tolerating no nonsense. We expect our clients to extend kindness, openness, and respect to our staff, each other, and themselves; and proudly hold ourselves to the same standard.
04
Holistic Approach
The health and comfort of your dog matters. We understand the link between behavior and overall wellbeing, and we always seek to support you and your dog in having the best possible quality of life in every dimension of wellness. Our greatest goal is to send dogs home better in every way.
05
Reliability and Respect
The success of our client dogs goes hand-in-hand with the success of our clients. We have a deep appreciation for the person at the other end of the leash, and consistently aim to treat every human with courtesy and consistency in accommodations, punctuality, and ongoing support.
06
Ongoing Growth
Just like the dogs with which we work, we are never done learning. We are ever-continuing to grow as canine professionals; from formal education, pursuing new certifications and accolades,
attending seminars and workshops, our staff is constantly evolving in order to bring the absolute best service to our clients.
Meet our Team
Sal Rabie
Trainer
In 2012, Sal joined a dog obedience club with their new puppy Fawn, a spitfire Australian Cattle Dog. There they competed in obedience at county and state fairs throughout the next four years. They also worked on Fawn’s fear aggression with strangers.
In 2016, Sal joined another positive dog training school in Seattle, Washington. There they worked alongside trainers specializing in Agility, Scent Work, AKC Obedience, Obedience Rally, and Behavior Modification. They observed a wealth of knowledge and techniques, as well as working hands on with dogs having all manner of behavioral issues.
In 2018, they started a new training journey with a second Australian Cattle Dog puppy, Karuna. Around the same time Sal joined a balance training team and found their true passion working with extreme behavioral cases, and training multiple service dogs, before striking it out on their own in early 2021.
In that time, Karuna has also grown into a full time service dog, sport prospect, and training assistant. Fawn’s favorite activity is still practicing her competition obedience, and tricks, but is retired from competing.
Kimberlee Tolentino
Trainer
Kimberlee’s journey as a dog trainer began in the same place she finds most of her clients: overwhelmed with an out-of-control dog. After adopting Grimm in 2017 and quickly feeling beaten down by his aggressive and unruly behaviors, she hit rock bottom and decided to take charge. Determined to fix her dog’s behavior to save his life, Kimberlee went through all the popular training methods until finally finding balanced training and, at last, getting real results.
Kimberlee has worked with dogs since high school, starting as a foster volunteer at her local animal shelter. She attended CATCH Canine Trainers Academy where she learned the science behind behavior modification, and has completed various supplemental forms of education from dog behavior internships to courses to training seminars. She has been a rescue partner, a shelter volunteer, and a long-time foster for rescue dogs. She has worked as a pet care professional for upwards of 8 years, swiftly moving from a dog walker and sitter into dog training and behavior modification.
Today, Kimberlee provides both hands-on modern balanced training and social media development to Dedication Dog Training. With an additional background in exercise science, Kimberlee always endeavors to leave client dogs happier, healthier, and more rounded inside and out.
Perdis Hawkins
Email Answerer, Researcher, Desk Organizer, Time Manager Extraordinaire.
Perdis is our deskwork extraordinaire, handling everything the trainers don’t do!
When they’re not taking calls and scheduling out lessons, you can find them working with the local nonprofit Youthspeaks Seattle, bringing spoken word poetry to the youth of Seattle.