Mariana Mekelburg
Head Trainer
Dogs have always been an integral part of my life. I grew up with a Miniature pinscher/Chihuahua mix, named Tim and after him, Tika. I vividly remember teaching him and her tricks like sit, lay down and sit pretty. I didn’t realize at the time that these experiences would be the catalyst to my career. My first professional experiences with dogs started in 2011 as a pet care provider for the dogs in my neighborhood. In 2012, I began working for a groomer, where I learned the art of brushing and trimming dogs based on breed standards.
In 2011, my husband and I adopted our first dog, Dexter, from the Santa Monica Animal Shelter. Throughout our time together, he taught me more than I could’ve expected about canine behavior, training, and most importantly, myself. Dexter and I explored various training techniques and dog sports. During my training journey with him, I became involved with Los Angeles Responsible Pitbull Owners (LARPBO). I was so inspired to help others that I began working for LARPBO and became the lead trainer. During my 10 years with LARPBO, I gained priceless knowledge that allowed me to craft my skills while training dogs with all levels of social skills - or lack thereof - reactivity, and emotional states. I also created a program for new LARPBO dog trainers to further develop their dog handling and training skills. I'm a firm believer that you train the human to teach the dog. As a group the LARPBO dog trainers enjoyed volunteering time in local shelters to train dogs to improve their adoptability.
In 2013, my husband and I found Little Dude, a chihuahua mix, roaming the streets. We attempted to find his original owner, but sadly he was never claimed. We decided to make Dude a permanent member of our family. He came to us with a variety of challenges, including reactivity towards people which we've been able to work through with daily training and consistency. He has become my sidekick and demonstration dog who excels at showing owners that most barriers can be overcome with stability and commitment.
In 2021, we adopted Sloane, American Bully, in her golden years. She came to us fearful of new environments and we have thoroughly enjoyed watching her blossom into the dog she is today. She has truly taught us that older dogs CAN learn new tricks. She is a big loveable marshmallow and has been an amazing addition to our family.
My goal is to inspire my clients to accept and train the dog in front of them, challenges and all, and enjoy the S.T.A.B.L.E lifestyle. I believe that all dogs and their owners will thrive in an environment: Structure, Trust, (a positive) Attitude, Balance, Leadership, and Education.
In loving memory of Dexter (Titles; CGC, CGCA, Do More With Your Dog Trick Titles)
Bite work
Nose work
Barn hunt
Dock diving
Lure Coursing
Agility
Dude (Titles; CGC, TKA, VSWB)
Nose work
Lure Coursing
Agility
Dock diving
Frisbee
In loving memory of Sloane (full time marshmallow)
olympic gold medalist in eating & sleeping
Griffin Mekelburg
Head Trainer/Editor/ IT
I grew up with dogs all my life, but was never into the actual training. I grew up with not much direction of what I wanted to do. When my wife, Mariana, came out to Los Angeles, she pushed me to join her in this journey of training. Through the last 10 years, I have become confident working with dogs of all breeds and sizes, while also working on my photography and videography skills. I always loved technology, and now I can bring them together with dog training to enhance what we can bring to the community and help more people! While we have recently lost our main dog Dexter, we still have our 2 amazing dog Little Dude and Sloane, who you will notice all over the site, as well as all 3 in our own logo. My goals going forward are to get people to interact more with their dogs and bring Mariana’s amazing training techniques to more people through various new methods, including this very site!
