Meet Our Professional Dog Trainers
DOG TRAINING SINCE 2013Meet Our Team
The Crunchy Canine Dog Training serves the Halton, Hamilton, and Norfolk County areas and almost everywhere in between. Since 2013, we have been providing clients with simple yet effective dog training for the family pet! We use a no-nonsense, holistic approach, and tailor our training to meet the unique needs of each dog and client we work with.
Katherine Vooys
Founder and Head Trainer
Thanks for visiting our website! I am the founder and head trainer at The Crunchy Canine. I serve the Norfolk County area, and run our facility in Simcoe, Ontario. I have had a passion for animals from a very young age, having owned several dogs and a horse, but there was one special dog that sparked my desire to get into training. That dog was Jackson, a German Shepherd/Doberman mix that had a variety of behavioural issues, and is the reason behind The Crunchy Canine. We tried several “Positive Only” trainers to work on Jackson’s issues, without any results. Having personally owned a dog with serious behavioural issues, I knew I wanted to take my passion for animals and help other dog owners who are struggling with these same issues. I sought out a “Balanced Trainer” who took me on as an apprentice and we worked side by side with several serious behaviour cases.
With rescue dogs being so near and dear to my heart, I began working closely with a few local organizations. Seeing the number of dogs who are brought in to just one of the hundreds of rescues in Ontario, one of the thousands in Canada, and one of the tens of thousands in the world, has truly been an eye-opener. My goal is to help dog owners before they feel the need to surrender their dogs, in hopes that there might be fewer dogs in the shelters waiting for their new forever home. I have also made it my mission to help the dogs who do unfortunately end up in a shelter become amazing canine citizens, increasing their chance of finding a new home.
Since starting the business I have made a commitment to expanding my knowledge in dog training and will continue to learn more in order to serve you better.
Training experience:
- Four-month Apprenticeship with Dino’s Therapy Dog Centre
- Chad Mackin’s Pack To Basics Dogmanship 2-day Workshop
- Tyler Muto’s Dogmanship Through Feel 2-day Workshop https://tylermuto.com/
- Tyler Muto’s Aggressive Dog 2-day Workshop https://tylermuto.com/
- Robin MacFarlane’s Remote Collar 2-day Workshop https://robinmacfarlane.com/
- Karen Laws’ Introduction to Remote Collar 1 day Workshop https://ontariodogtrainer.com/
- Monika Stuehler’s Creating A Calm Dog 2-day Workshop
- Duke Ferguson’s Unleashed Potential 2-day Workshop
- Training Between the Ears 3 day Workshop https://www.markmccabe.com/
- Nelson Hodges Lost Dog Recovery 1 day Workshop
- Nelson Hodges Relationship Based Behavior Modification 2-day Workshop
- Michael Ellis Puppy Training Online Course https://michaelellisschool.com/
- Robin MacFarlane E-Cademy for Professional Dog Trainers
- Robin MacFarlane Advanced E-Cademy for Professional Dog Trainers https://robinmacfarlane.com/
Lia Horta
Lia is one of our Head Dog Trainers in the Burlington and Oakville areas! Lia has loved dogs & animals for as long as she can remember. Her true passion for training began with rescue! She began fostering & retraining rescue dogs to provide them with the best chance at a new home. With each dog that transformed, her love for training grew stronger and she knew then it was something she wanted to pursue a career in.Providing dogs with a balanced & enriched life is something that is truly important to Lia. Dogs are such a meaningful part of our lives and it’s our job to set them up for success so that we can enjoy life together in harmony. Lia’s current dog Zita has been her guinea pig for all her dog dreams, they do agility, herding, frisbee and LOVE hiking off leash sometimes even on horseback! Lia brings many years of experience working with dogs in a structured pack setting as well as with obedience, agility & dog nutrition.
Training Experience
- 6 month Apprenticeship with The Crunchy Canine
- Robin MacFarlane E-Cademy for Professional Dog Trainers https://robinmacfarlane.com/
- Robin MacFarlane Advanced E-Cademy for Professional Dog Trainers
- Canine Communication 101 Course at Family Pet Services
- Senior Dog Handler at Family Pet Services
- Darn Good Dogs Drill Team at BRB K9 Services
- Pack Leader at Dogs Reformed Daycare & Boarding
- Sales & Nutrition Associate at Global Pet Foods
- Heather Beck’s Rehab Reality Course
Katie Dion
Katie is one of our Head Dog Trainers, and she serves the Ancaster, Dundas, Hamilton, Stoney Creek and Waterdown areas. Katie began her passion for dog training with her dogs Aubrey and Reddington who proved to be challenging dogs to train. With several group classes, and lots of private training under her belt, then shadowing another well-respected local trainer, Katie came on to join our team! She is very passionate about dogs and is a very talented trainer!
Training Experience
- Six-month Apprenticeship with The Crunchy Canine
- Don’t Blame ‘Em, Train ‘Em Level 1 Obedience Training
- Don’t Blame ‘Em, Train ‘Em Level 2 Obedience Training
- McCann’s Level 1 Obedience Training
- McCann’s Level 2 Obedience Training
- McCann’s Training Class on Walking with Reactive Dogs
- Invisible Fence Perfect Start Plus Training Course
- Invisible Fence Academy Dog Bites & Aggressive Dogs
- Shadowed Drew Hawyard in Private Training for Reactive Dogs
- St John’s Ambulance Pet First Aid Training
- Michael Ellis Puppy Training Online Course
- Training Between the Ears Level 1
- Heather Beck’s Rehab Reality Course
Tracy Millette
Tracy is our amazing Office Manager and Agility coach. If you email or call, you are talking to Tracy and she provides the best customer service! She started out as a client of The Crunchy Canine when her new puppy Rigger proved to be more challenging than she expected! She is very passionate about dogs and customer service! Tracy also teaches our agility classes in Simcoe!
Training Experience
- CCFC (Canine Conditioning Fitness coach), with Do More With Your Dogs https://domorewithyourdog.com/DogTricks/fitness-overview/
- Up Dog Judge and Free Style Judge https://updogchallenge.com/
- USDDN Toss and Fetch Judge https://usddn.com/
- Multiple Seminars for fitness, Disc, flyball and Agility
- USDDN Super Pro Toss and Fetch World competitor 2025
- CanAm Competitor for Flyball 2025
- Titles
- Rigger – SSB (speedstakes beginners)
- Flick – FD (Flyball dog)
Danielle Persaud
Danielle has always loved and been fascinated by animals, especially dogs. She is passionate about animal/dog behaviour and psychology. Working with dogs that her friends and family owned were some of her first training and learning opportunities. From there she began to work at a humane society as a dog walker/caretaker. Danielle’s first true opportunity didn’t arise until meeting Katherine at a free pack walk. And soon after, an Apprenticeship began. She is now our main dog trainer in the Norfolk area, co-trainer for day camp at our facility, and group obedience class trainer.
Training Experience
- One-year Apprenticeship with The Crunchy Canine
- Three-Day Seminar with Michael Ellis
- Leash Reactivity Seminar with Tyler Muto
- Loose Leash Walking Seminar with Tyler Muto
- Heather Beck’s Rehab Reality Course
- Dog walker/Caretaker Burlington Humane Society
Our Training Approach
A Practical, Individualized Approach to Dog Training
No two dogs or families are exactly alike. We consider your dog’s temperament, history, environment and training goals before recommending a program. Our focus is on clear communication, practical skills and training that owners can continue confidently in everyday life.
Our trainers work with puppies, family dogs and dogs experiencing challenges such as leash pulling, reactivity, unreliable recall and household manners.
Add links from the relevant phrases to Private Training and Group Classes.
Let’s Find the Right Training Plan for Your Dog
Not sure which trainer or service is the best fit? Tell us about your dog, where you are located and what you would like help with. Our team will recommend the most appropriate next step.
Serving Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand, Norfolk County and surrounding communities.