For The Love Of Dogs

“Are you walking your dog or is your dog walking you?”

This is one of our favorite questions at Island Dog Obedience.

While our friendly companions can be our very best friends, their habits can be incredibly frustrating. Habits, like pulling on leashes, jumping on people, stealing food off the counter, and being overly aggressive can all be embarrassing and can sometimes even keep us from leaving the house for extended periods of time. If any of these sound like your pup you’ve come to the right place.

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About Island Dog Obedience

We believe every dog is unique along with his or her needs. This is why we specialize in individual one-on-one dog training. Only taking up to 3 pups at a time allows us to focus specifically on your dog’s behavioral adjustments while allowing your dog to socialize and practice these new behaviors in small, supportive groups.

We are confident that, no matter what the behavioral needs of your furry friend are, we have the skills, knowledge, and experience to work with them and get you back to being the proud puppy parent you deserve to be.

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“Your dog is not just a pet, it’s a loving family member that needs to be understood and sometimes, moved in the right direction.”

About Maria

Maria moved from Germany to Hawaii 20 years ago to finish her MBA. She grew up with multiple strays in Bulgaria which strengthened her soft spot for rescues. She loves giving dogs a second chance and enabling them to have a better life.

Prior to starting Island Dog Obedience, she donated a majority of her time to the Hawaiian Humane Society. It wasn’t until she adopted her fur baby Valentine (a 4-year-old stray from Waimanalo) and had to train her from scratch, that she found her love for dog training.

Maria was working in corporate America but her true passion was K9s, so when the opportunity presented itself to switch careers and be a dog trainer, she decided to follow her heart. She became a certified dog trainer in Virginia as well as Hawaii and the rest is history.

Maria with two dogs on the beach in Hawaii
Kristi dog trainer

About Kristi

Kristi was born and raised in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, and from childhood, she has always had an affinity for nature and animals, with a special interest in marine life.  She fostered her love of animals with a variety of pets (including a golden retriever named “Peaches”) and local neighborhood wildlife, and she realized she was keenly interested in animal behavior. This led her to obtain a degree in zoology so that she could pursue her childhood dream of working with marine mammals.
She landed her first job in Hawaii, where she immediately fell in love with the lifestyle, culture, and beauty that makes Hawaii so special. After working with marine mammals for 15 years, she hung up the wetsuit to work with dogs in the film industry. It was action-packed but Kristi knew her true strengths were more tuned to behavior modification and helping owners and pets live their best lives together. When she’s not training, she’s often spending time with her dog, Chex, and her parrots, or enjoying various ocean sports.

About Chi

Chi was born and raised in Waipahu, Hawaii. Since she was a child, she has always had a keen interest in animals and has enjoyed reading about them and watching documentaries about them. She volunteered at the Aloha Animal Sanctuary throughout its initial stages before she moved to Colorado. She returned because she missed the community and the beauty of the island, including the beaches that surrounded it and the lush green scenery. She’s tried various things, but working with dogs, learning more about them, and helping them, has always been her heart’s desire.

Chi completed a dog trainer course offered by one of the world’s top behavior experts, Sharon Bolt, and received a certificate. Through Island Dog Obedience, she hopes to expand her knowledge of dog training. Helping dogs be the best dogs they can be and assisting dog owners in providing the best support for their dogs at home gives her great feelings of fulfillment and gratification.