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Rooted in Passion, Guided by Purpose - Helping Both Sides of the Leash.
Rebels Total K9 was built out of passion and love—passion for helping families create a life they actually enjoy with their dogs, and love for the bond that grows when communication becomes clear and both ends of the leash feel understood. For the owners who want real relationships with their dog and love their dogs deeply… but feel overwhelmed by what everyday life brings for them.
Our goal is simple: help you build a deeper connection, create reliable real-world habits, and give you the tools to live with more freedom and confidence together. Our mission is clear: no dog owner should ever feel lost or alone in their training journey. Whether you're a family struggling with reactivity, a pet owner who feels like they've tried everything, or someone with big dreams for what they and their dog could accomplish together — you've found your people. No judgment. No cookie-cutter programs. Just a genuine team that is fully in your corner from day one.
Rebels Total K9 understands that every dog, family, situation, and goal is different. That’s why we don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Every program is designed with intention around the dog in front of us—your dog’s temperament, daily environment, biological needs, and what success looks like for your household. We focus on teaching you how to read your dog, meet their needs, and add the structure and boundaries that make expectations fair and clear. When communication is consistent, confusion drops, stress drops, and progress becomes something you can actually measure. Whether you’re working through reactivity, fear, or aggression, or you simply want a solid family dog, our only goal is to help you build a relationship based on understanding, trust, and real‑world reliability.
Our Training
We believe great training isn’t about forcing control or chasing perfect obedience. It’s about clarity, confidence, and communication that holds up in the real world. Our approach is balanced, fair, practical, and results driven. We motivate dogs through strong reinforcement and engagement, and we set clear boundaries and fair consequences when those boundaries are crossed so your dog understands exactly what’s expected. We believe that clear communication is everything. The goal is confidence and reliability, not “perfect” behavior in a sterile environment. We want your dog to make good choices when it counts: on walks, around distractions, at home with guests, and in the moments that matter for safety. Real life includes competing motivators, distractions, and high-stakes moments. Our job is to help you build reliability that holds up outside the training session, so you can trust your dog’s response whether you’re at home, on a walk, or in public.​
Reactivity, Fear & Aggression
While we work with dogs and families of all kinds, reactivity, fear, and aggression cases are where we feel most called. We know how exhausting and isolating it can be to live with a dog whose behavior makes everyday life stressful. We know what it feels like to love your dog deeply and still dread taking them out in public. These cases are never taken lightly — they are met with a clear plan, practical tools, and the kind of support that actually moves the needle. Our goal is to guide you from chaos and confusion to calm communication and real, measurable progress.
Your Part in the Training Process
The most important part of the training process is you. You are the constant in your dog’s life, and your success is our priority. We don’t just train dogs; we coach owners so the results last long after the program ends. Through weekly lessons, clear homework, and ongoing support, we make sure you know exactly what to do, why you’re doing it, and how to keep making progress at home. No matter which program you choose—board and train or private lessons—you’ll be treated like family and your dog like our own. We know the trust it takes to hand over a member of your family, and we don’t take that lightly. You can expect regular updates, pictures, and honest communication so you always feel informed, supported, and confident in the process.
A Community Built for You
At the heart of Rebels Total K9 is a commitment to building a supportive, judgment-free community for dog owners at every stage of their journey. No matter where you're starting from or what you're working toward, you will never face it alone. We are here to guide, coach, and empower you and your dog every step of the way — and to remind you that progress is always possible. We're not just dog trainers. We're problem solvers, educators, and lifelong students of the craft.
This is so much more than dog training. We can't wait to show you what that means.
Play
Play is not an “extra” in our training; it’s one of our most powerful tools, at the heart of all of our training, and it is far more powerful than most people realize. When used intentionally, play helps build deep bonds, trust, and engagement, while also fulfilling your dog’s biological and genetic needs. We use play to reward effort, build confidence, improve focus around distractions, and create a dog who truly enjoys working with you. We believe that training should be a fun and positive experience for everyone involved — dog, owner, and trainer alike.
Learning
Learning is stressful for all mammals—dogs and humans included—but the right kind of stress, handled well, is what builds resilience and confidence. Our job is to guide you and your dog through that learning curve in a way that feels challenging but not overwhelming. We teach dogs how to look to their owners for help when they’re unsure, and we teach owners how to advocate for their dogs, read their body language, and support them through tough moments. Over time, this process transforms confusion into clarity, chaos into structure, and anxiety into confidence. Your dog learns they don’t have to figure everything out alone—and you learn that you’re not alone in this process, either. Our mission is clear: no dog owner should ever feel lost or alone in their training journey.
About Molly
I didn’t start out as a dog trainer—I started out as a frustrated owner with a reactive German Shepherd and no idea what to do. That journey became my passion: helping misunderstood dogs and the people who love them. Today, I believe that every dog deserves to be truly understood, not just managed.
I've never spent a single day of my life without a dog by my side, and from the time I was old enough to hold a leash, I knew that dogs weren't just pets in our house — they were family. That connection followed me everywhere. Dogs have shaped my life, my work, and who I am as a person. I've never spent a single day of my life without a dog by my side, and that lifelong bond is the foundation of everything I do at Rebels Total K9.
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Growing up surrounded by canine companions, I learned early just how emotionally intelligent and complex dogs truly are. My passion for training really took shape when I owned a German Shepherd in high school who struggled with anxiety and eventually developed reactivity to people and dogs.
Living through that experience taught me more about patience, empathy, and communication than any textbook ever could. Watching him learn to trust again didn’t just change his life — it changed mine, too.
After that, I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to helping others who felt the same frustration, confusion, and heartbreak I once did. That experience is the heartbeat of Rebels Total K9 and the reason working with reactive and aggressive dogs isn't just a specialty for me. It's personal.
Since then, my path has taken me in many directions within the dog world. I believed that understanding dogs meant understanding every part of their world, not just the training side of it. From working as a vet assistant and learning the medical side of canine care, I continued to be drawn back to the training side after seeing the impact that training had not only on my dogs but my life with them as well. That is when I started my academic journey in the training world and continued my never ending thirst for knowledge about our canine companions.
When I’m not working with clients, I’m training, trialing, learning, and competing with my own dogs. With two of my personal working dogs - Rebel and Fatal, two Belgian Malinois - we actively compete and title in the protection sport of PSA. We're also pursuing narcotics and explosives detection work, tracking, dock diving, agility, and competition obedience and nose work through AKC and UKC. Through all of the training with my dogs, I have been able to travel across the country with the ones I love the most, build connections, and keep learning from some of the best trainers in a wide range of disciplines. I believe deeply that the best trainers never stop training, never stop competing, and never stop being students of the craft — and that belief shows up in every program I build and every dog I work with.
Education
Police Canine Instructor/Trainer Certification
Tarheel Canine
Completed an intensive 12 week professional dog training program that combined hands-on work, lectures, client dog training, group class instruction, and both written and practical testing. During the program, I ran group classes, trained client dogs, worked one-on-one with clients, and raised and trained three dogs to run through and pass all practical testing. One of those dogs was a Labrador puppy for the nonprofit Dogs That Help, who went on to be donated for service work supporting a veteran in need. Another dog I raised and trained as part of my practical testing later became an active police K9 with a department in Illinois.
Professional Dog Trainer Certification
The Tom Rose School
Completed a rigorous 4-month certification program, predominantly hands‑on instructor program focused on developing police K9s. Trained police K9s daily in tracking, apprehension/protection work, and detection — guiding dogs from the very beginning of their training (green dogs) through handler preparation and street-ready status. The program also included training sport and personal protection dogs for successful transition to working and companion homes.
Canine Nutrition Coach
NAVC
Earned certification as a Canine Nutrition Coach through NAVC to deepen my understanding of how nutrition supports a dog’s health, behavior, performance, and overall well-being. This education helps me take a more complete approach to each dog by considering not only training, but also the physical foundation that supports long-term success.
Contact
We’d love to connect with you! If you have questions about our approach, background, certifications, or training experience, don’t hesitate to reach out.
608-219-5478