Hi, My name is Michaela Anne Collins! I’ve been training professionally since 2009.  I’m a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), a certified American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), an Instructor for the DOG B.O.N.E.S Therapy Dogs of Massachusetts organization, and  member of the Pet Professional Guild.  I am a Fear Free Certified Professional. I joined Dog Gone Safe and am a presenter of their "Be a Tree" Dog Bite Prevention Safety Program for children.  What started as a hobby as a teenager, quickly became a passion when I got my first dog as an adult, and is now a lifestyle and I couldn’t imagine ever doing anything else.

I take continuing education very seriously and have attended seminars in the dog education field with Dr. Ian Dunbar, Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Emma Parsons, Sue Steinberg, Ken Ramirez, and so many more of the industry leaders.  I also look forward to Karen Pryor’s Annual Clicker Expo, the Pet Professional Guild Annual Summit and attended the Annual IAABC Conference for the first time in 2020. 2021 included The Clicker Expo, The Great Aggression Conference, and the Lemonade Conference as they were virtual! Our team attended the Aggression in Dogs Conference in person in 2022. Honestly, I LOVE learning about canine behavior and the latest developments in the dog world and strive to be more educated each day for my clients. It has been truly amazing to watch the field evolve in just these past 12+ years. Behind the scenes I am working on industry regulation, comfort dogs in the field of first responders, and temperament testing rescue dogs.

As a mentor with CATCH Canine Trainers Academy, I am able to support aspiring dog trainers. We have a wonderful community of trainers on the South Shore who support one another’s efforts to make a difference in the world of positive reinforcement.

As a Pet Emergency Education Instructor of Pet CPR and First Aid, I am able to empower pet professionals and parents with the most recent, valuable life saving knowledge.

When not training, I share my home with my husband, our two sons and our dogs Trigger and Rodeo. Chances are you can find me at the barn spending time with a very handsome horse, in the woods on the trails with some mixture of the aforementioned, or paddle boarding away into the sunset.

Meet the Pack:

Lennox, the Boxer, was a trained Therapy Dog who specialized in visiting nursing homes, hospitals and rehabs and making patients smile.  Getting him as a puppy, I wanted to make certain that I did everything correct to help him live the best life possible with our family.  He matured from a rambunctious puppy into a “nanny” dog that was doted on by his human kids. Lennox passed away in my arms on May 5, 2019 and will forever be deeply missed. He needs a memorial page for himself, but it is still too difficult to write. (7/2/2008-5/5/2019)

Chopper, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was a Therapy Dog who enjoyed children most.  His extensive resume included the Boston Children’s Museum, the Easton Children’s Museum, and the Museum of Science as well as a few local libraries. (10/1/2009-4/28/2022)

Trouble, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was once the naughtiest puppy who earned his name.  His anxiety and resource guarding at such a young age were definite causes for concern.  He earned his Therapy Dog certification and loved puppy parkour and running agility courses. (11/16/2010-7/15/2022) 

Maker, the Great Dane behind the logo, was our 6.5 year-old puppy. He was just the gentlest soul with the responsibility of knowing his basic commands well enough that he listened to the two little boys who were much shorter than he. He passed away on June 7, 2020 after a long battle with Addison’s Disease and has been missed ever since. The hardest part about being owned by a dog is saying goodbye. (9/3/2013-6/7/2020)

In the spring of 2020 we added Trigger, another Boxer to our family. His journey towards stardom will be shared on social media. (1/21 AKC Star Puppy, 9/21 TD Certification, 11/21 movie filming…stay tuned)

In the spring of 2023 we added Rodeo, another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to the family!

Professional Certifications

www.apdt.com CCPDT#2143654    www.akc.org     www.therapydog.info     www.petprofessionalguild.com     PPG #31414428     

Meet Our Team:

Hi, my name is Kim Thalacker.  After 32 years in the corporate financial world, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up - a dog trainer!  I've always had a love of dogs, dolphins and really all animals but it was my chocolate lab Mudslide II that inspired me to take this leap. I put a lot of time & effort into his training.  The payoff was the compliments on how well behaved he is and the places / homes he's been invited to. Wouldn't it be great if I could help other owners have that too? I am currently working with my newest family member, Whiskey, a Chocolate Lab puppy towards becoming an AKC Advanced Canine Good Citizen. He received his AKC Star Puppy this past Fall.

I graduated with distinction from CATCH and had the pleasure of being mentored by Michaela!  I'm a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed and member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers  (APDT) and The Pet Professional Guild.  I am also an American Kennel Club Evaluator. Additionally, I've participated in 'trainer for a day' programs with dolphins and bomb sniffing dogs - both of which use positive reinforcement methods. I can be reached at kim@omobedience.com and am on Instagram at @omtraining_with_kk