Trainers & Instructors

At Stone Mountain Pet Lodge we believe that you have a very unique and wonderful relationship with your pet.  We are excited to offer a variety of training classes to help enhance and develop that important relationship!  Whether you simply need your pet to learn “Sit” and “Stay” or you wish to explore their ability in a more athletic way, Stone Mountain Pet Lodge has a class for you.

Bailey Johnson, Instructor We are excited to add Bailey onto our talented team of trainers here at Headwaters Canine Training! Bailey comes to us with a 4-year degree in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota and 10+ years of experience working with animals. Bailey grew up surrounded by animals, and currently has a Pug/Chihuahua mix named Arlow, an Old English Sheepdog/Lab mix named Wallace and a Persian cat named Audrey. She has completed a variety of internships and positions including work at the Research Animal Division of the Veterinary Science Department, various vet clinics in the Twin Cities, the Save the Manatee Foundation, the Neo-Natal Animal Intensive Care Ward at the U of M, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, the Raptor center, the Minnesota Zoo, and the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Along with her work at the Minnesota Zoo she has also completed a training internship at the Como Zoo working with the seals, sea lions, penguins and polar bears. Bailey also has two years of experience managing another day care facility. In addition to training here at Stone Mountain Pet Lodge, Bailey is also our doggy daycare manager.

Jenna Jones, Instructor Jenna comes to us with Bachelor’s of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota. Growing up on a hobby farm in rural Minnesota, Jenna has been around animals all her life. A few of the animals she grew up with are Arabian horses, Pekin ducks, black Labrador retrievers, and a dilute calico cat named Heather. While studying abroad in Australia, Jenna interned with Macquarie University’s Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour, which is located near Sydney. She took part in a research program in the graduate department - studying the behavior of Gouldian finches and conducting a nutrition experiment. Last year, Jenna was an intern with the Arica Exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo. She had the opportunity to work hands-on with zebras, wildebeests, ostriches, gemsbok, and two giraffes. The exhibit featured daily giraffe feedings, where zoo patrons could get up close and personal by feeding giraffes by hand with the help of Jenna and zookeepers. Jenna is very eager to continue her career with animals while training here at Stone Mountain Pet Lodge. Her wealth of knowledge makes her a key trainer on the team at Stone Mountain!

Andy Hlusak, Instructor Headwaters Canine Training is excited to have Andy Hlusak join our team of talented trainers! Andy has been around dogs all his life. Growing up, his family had a variety of breeds including Dalmatians, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Springers. Five years ago, Andy decided to become a foster for a local dog rescue. Through his experience as a volunteer he became inspired to pursue a career in working with dogs. In 2005, he received schooling and established himself as a dog groomer. He began formally training dogs in 2006. In 2008, Andy started teaching and testing dogs for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Program. In addition to training dogs here at Stone Mountain, Andy also works as a dog groomer. He relishes the challenge of grooming and training dogs with behavioral issues and possesses a unique understanding of dogs with special needs.

Denise Smith, Instructor Denise has always surrounded herself with dogs. Her current canine family includes Kaylee (yellow lab), Tanner (golden retriever/shepherd mix), and Rylee (yellow lab). It has always been an important goal for Denise to involve her dogs in as many aspects of her life as possible. Training, teamwork, and commitment made this goal a reality. Denise has a strong interest in pet therapy work and, while living in Kansas City, certified her dogs with Pets for Life. Now in Minneapolis, Denise continues to team up with her dogs to visit hospitals and nursing homes. It is amazing to witness first-hand the therapeutic affect dogs have on the sick and elderly. To keep up with the active side of her life and the endless energy level of the retrieval breed, Denise has been training her dogs in agility for the past several years. For the benefit of her overly exuberant and extra large lab, Denise discovered the sport of dock jumping! Denise shares the role of trainer with her dogs. As a runner, Denise enlists the help of her canine companions as her running partners/trainers. They have joined her on several competitive races and always accompany her on training runs. A long-term goal for Denise is to become part of a search and rescue team. After working with dogs in a variety of settings, activities and training environments, Denise is excited about sharing her experiences and knowledge to make the most of the relationship between dog owners and their canine companions.

Dena Brown, Instructor Stone Mountain Pet Lodge is excited to welcome Dena Brown to it's lineup of instructors. Dena joins us with many years of experience teaching all types of canine related classes. Her full bio will be coming soon!

Jessica Sabraski, Instructor I started training my first agility dog, a rescue Aussie named Buster, in 2002 and began competing with him in 2004. Buster is a very sweet and sensitive dog and loves agility training. Competitions were a little overwhelming for him but through patience and positive training he was able to have fun. Retired now, Buster earned many agility titles including his MX (Master Agility title), MXJ (Master Agility Jumper title), EAC (Elite Standard) and EJC (Elite Jumpers) as well as several titles in CPE and ASCA. My current competition dog is 6 year old Joey (Border Collie pictured with me, photo courtesy of Kelly McFaul-Solem). Joey started agility training as a puppy and quickly caught on to how much fun agility is! He received his NADAC NATCH in 2007 and is currently competing in Excellent for AKC, Advanced/Masters for USDAA and Level 5 in CPE. Also in training is Joey’s littermate Party who came to live with us when she was 4.5 years old. She has just started her competition career and is doing very well. While I actively compete in several agility venues, the time I spend training my dogs is my favorite part of agility. I enjoy seeing them figure things out and I can see that they love the game of agility as much if not more than me!