Kyla McRoy: Certified Professional Dog Trainer

ACUITI: Achieving Canine Understanding In Training Interactions

Kyla McRoy was fascinated by canine behavior since she was a child growing up in Andover, MA, but it wasn’t until 2005 when she was blessed with a Golden Retriever puppy named Saffron that her true training adventure began. Kyla first trained Saffy to achieve her Canine Good Citizenship Award, and then they became a registered therapy team through Delta Pet Partners. For several wonderful years, Kyla brought Saffy into local elementary schools to work with children with special needs. At the same time, Kyla began private training sessions with families who had recently acquired puppies, several of which achieved their CGC awards. With this experience, Kyla proceeded to earn her Certification as a Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT).

For 11 years, Kyla has specialized in raising and training puppies, but has worked with a variety of ages and breeds, as well as therapy and service dogs. In her obedience work, Kyla uses research-based force-free methods and clicker training. She strives to empower her clients by providing comprehensive and individually tailored training plans, as well as clear, visually appealing protocols and handouts so clients can successfully complete homework. Due to this systematic approach, Kyla has supported clients to build highly fluent and reliable behaviors in their dogs.

Kyla’s work with clients focuses on the family unit, with a particular emphasis on teaching children how to participate in training. Her interest in the overlap between canine and child development has led her to continue training dogs while pursuing a PhD at Michigan State University.