Meet Our Team
Emily Bracken - Head Trainer/Owner
Emily has over 16 years of experience in dog training. She began her career as a puppy raiser for Canine Companions, where she discovered her talent for working with dogs and helping owners address behavioral challenges. In 2012, Emily purchased Dog Lovers Obedience School from Pat Lacy. She is committed to ongoing learning, regularly attending seminars and workshops to stay current. Emily specializes in behavior modification, puppy training, remote collar training, and therapy dog preparation. She believes in a balanced approach, using positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior and gentle correction when needed.
Emily lives in Powhatan with her husband and two dogs ( Chef the Clumber Spaniel and Zena German Shepherd). When Emily isn't training dogs, she loves to travel and try new restaurants.
Jess Cagnina - Dog Trainer
Jess has always loved having and being around dogs. In college, she studied biology because she knew wanted to work with animals in some way. After graduating, Jess started working in veterinary medicine and shortly after met a few friends that worked in dog training, who helped spark a new passion. Jess’ favorite thing about training is watching both the dogs and their owners grow together as a team. In Jess’ free time she enjoys taking her 2 pups, Tito (my lab/pittie mix) and Yogi (my 3 legged Papillon/chihuahua mix) out for hikes.