ABOUT US

Ashley Alden (Pronouns: She/Her) | CCS, PSDT-A
Instructor

Ashley Alden is a distinguished graduate and team member of the Northwest School of Canine Studies, a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and a supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She recently completed her associate certification at the Peninsula School for Dog Trainers (PSDT-A).

A scientist at heart, Ashley has a thirst for knowledge and a desire to provide canines and their people with the skills needed to live their best lives. With this in mind, she regularly attends conferences and seminars to remain current on the latest research and best practices within the industry.

For nearly a decade Ashley, her spouse, and their canine companions have fostered hundreds of dogs and aided in their transitions to new homes. As a result, she has a soft spot for misfit mutts and the humans who love them. Ashley lives in Rochester, Washington.

Paul Grosart (Pronouns: They/Them) | BS, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, AKC CGC Evaluator
Instructor

Paul is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Counsel for Professional Dog Trainers, and an Accredited Dog Trainer of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). They have spent the last 4 years of their professional development focusing on service dogs, and learning best training practices to ensure the highest working success rate.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of WA, and has over 7 years of professional experience working with a wide range of species and breeds (dogs, cat, small mammals) on basic obedience, household acclimation, and a variety of behavioral challenges.

On their off time Paul expands their skill set by working with their own dogs in Rally, Nosework, trick dog training, and herding. Passionate about helping breeders and rescues a like, Paul continues to expand their knowledge of conformation and ethical breeding practices, focusing on community education around early puppy development.

Jodi Halvorson (Pronouns: She/Her) | CDW, SAMP
Instructor + Adventure Guide

Jodi, a longtime client and Agility student at HDI, is our newest addition to the team. She’s a dog-savvy, dog-loving outdoor enthusiast (which is putting it mildly). Jodi goes adventuring almost every weekend, and has gone fast packing with her own dog on the Pacific Coast Trail into Canada. She is currently training for a 100 and 250 mile trail race, is Canine and Wilderness First Aid certified and is a Certified Dog Walker (CDW).

Jodi is a certified as a Small Animal Massage Practitioner (SAMP) with a certification in maintenance, performance and rehabilitation massage techniques as well as certification for kinesiology taping. She is working towards a certification as a Small Animal Acupressure Practitioner.

Jodi lives in Olympia with her partner Greg, and her dog Stormy.

Emma Holly (Pronouns: She/Her) | MS, CPDT-KA, CSAT
Co-Owner/Behavior Consultant

Emma has a Masters of Science in Animal Behavior & Welfare from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). She is also a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and a Dog Walking Academy Field Trip Coach.

Emma specializes in canine anxiety and aggression using reward-based, scientifically proven training and behavior modification methods. She especially enjoys working with dogs who are afraid of humans and those who have anxiety issues to improve their quality of life (and yours!). She also enjoys helping families prepare their dogs for the arrival of a new baby.

Her goal is to provide people with practical, non-alienating or overwhelming solutions to addressing behavior problems. She wants to help people understand how their dogs think and learn. If we know WHY they do what they do, that’s half the battle of understanding how to change and influence behaviors.

Emma is dedicated to turning around even the most challenging behavior problems, while helping you understand your dog’s behavior and become more confident in working with them. She lives in Olympia with her family, two dogs and three cats.

Heather Ringwood (Pronouns: She/Her) | CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FDM, AKC CGC Evaluator
Co-Owner/Director of Training

Specializing in Agility and Advanced Manners training, Heather’s heart, love, and training focus is in showing others how to have fun and discover more joy with their dogs. She studied Dog Behavior and Canine History, and has a degree in Dog Training & Business. After college, Heather trained assistance dogs for the hearing impaired.

In addition to dogs, Heather also coaches and trains people. These two skill sets play a major role in her ability to help people communicate more effectively with their dogs, and learn how to embrace and engage with their dog’s temperament and personality. She has a certification in Family Dog Mediation from Kim Brophey (FDM), is an Accredited Dog Trainer through the IAABC (IAABC-KA) and is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). She is also a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator.

Heather is very active in the sports of Agility and Scent work, both in teaching agility and scent work through HDI and in competing with her own dogs. She also truffle hunts with her dogs! She brings a wealth of knowledge in training and sporting, and working with the “whole dog” – from nutrition and impulse control to interactive games and physical exercise.  She is committed to working with you and your dog to be successful in meeting your training goals.

Heather co-owns a cider company in addition to co-owning Happy Dog Institute. She lives in Olympia with her partner Dave, and her three beloved dogs.