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Our Team

A Team Committed to Your Dog's Well-Being.

Everyone says they have the best team, but we mean it. The Dogma team is a group of compassionate dog lovers who uphold the Dogma Difference in all that they do. This means they are focused on continual learning and improvement, understand that dogs deserve best, and do all that they can to provide a positive experience that improves each dog's behaviour while they are with us.

We are a great company because of our people and we are committed to our team's well-being and personal and professional growth. Dogma is a certified living wage employer and we provide an extensive benefits program that includes a full education package. This creates a career for dog trainers that is not common in our industry and upholds our commitment of our team having the knowledge and experience to do what's best for your dog(s). We were recognized for our investment in our team when Dogma won the Empowering Employee Leader award from BeLocal in 2019.

Management & Support Team

Megan Stanley, CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, FFCP (Trainer)

Founder & President

Megan has been a strong advocate for animals since a young age, and that passion, along with her first dog, led her to a career in dog training. Guinniss, came to Megan as a dog that was terrified of the world and highly reactive. Through her work with him, she recognized a need for qualifed individuals to help dogs like Guinniss overcome their concerns. She also recognized that the proper approach was needed for young puppies to prevent them from developing. In an unregulated industry, Megan set out to create a business that set the standards for care and training of dogs and help develop the dog trainers that would continue to improve the lives of dogs and the people that love them.

Opening Dogma in 2006, Megan went from being an independant contractor working privately with clients, teaching classes out of multiple vet clinics, and developing behaviour programs for the Cochrane Humane Society and Animal Rescue Foundation. She opened the Chinook location in 2008 and launched Dogma Academy in 2009. The second facility was opened in Killarney in 2012.

Since then, Megan has become an active volunteer through local rescue organizations. Wanting to do more for her industry, Megan served on the Board for the Assocation of Professional Dog Trainers for 5 years. She served as Chair in 2018 and was the first Canadian in this role. Megan currently serves on the City of Calgary Licensing and Community Standards Appeal Board and the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers. She is currently serving as Chair for this organization. 

Regularly featured in various publications, podcasts, and more, Megan provides education to dog owners and trainers through her business, online resources, and through speaking engagements. She believes life is too short to not do what we love, so strives to inspire and encourage others to follow their dreams.

Learn more about Megan here.

Kris Stanley, DCBC

C.O.O. (Chief Operations Officer)

Kris Stanley was born and raised in Clarenville, NL, and moved to Alberta 2001. He is a Red Seal Journeyman Glazier and made his way to Calgary in 2006. He brought home two pitbull puppies, Duke and Mya, in 2010 and found his way to Dogma. Duke and Mya became regular students at Dogma and Kris's interest in dog training developed from there.

He graduated from our DCBC program in 2011 and became an active assistant in Dogma's classes. His favourite part of working with dogs is helping fearful/reactive dogs overcome their fears and become his best buds. Kris's passion for dogs flourished over the years and him and Megan connected on a more personal level and were married in 2016.

Since then, Kris has become more invovled in the business and has shifted his focus from his glass business to taking on the role of C.O.O. in 2019. He manages multiple areas of the business and is a favourite to many of our four-legged friends. 

Shelley Cherniawsky, DCBC, CPDT-KA, FFCP (Trainer)
Director of Behaviour & Education

Similar to many trainers in the dog industry, Shelley found Dogma when she found herself with a dog of her own presenting challenging behaviors she was unsure of how to address. At the time, Shelley owned and operated a successful business as a certified Equine Therapist practicing holistic treatments along with working with disabled youth through respite work. When a 6 week old puppy, Gus, injected himself into Shelley’s life through a client at the time her professional life changed directions. This is when Shelley found Dogma.

Shelley has been with Dogma since 2012 beginning with successfully completing her DCBC (Dogma Certified Behavior Consultant) and moving on to earning her CPDT-KA and Fear Free (Trainer) certificates. Education has always been a strong driving force in her career and she continues to stay up to date in the industry through multiple continuing educations courses each year.

You will see Shelley both in person at facilities as well as virtually through a variety of services at Dogma. When the Dogma Academy moved online, Shelley was thrilled to jump on board focusing time “training the trainers” working primarily with DDT students.

Shelley currently shares her home with her two dogs, Gus and Ferro, husband, Nick, and two daughters, Hannah and Isabelle. Even though Gus was not what many would traditionally call a dream dog, he is Shelley’s soul dog that continues to inspire her work with fear and reactivity cases to unlock every dog’s full potential. Gus being on the more extroverted side, it seemed fitting that Ferro found Shelley as a shy, under confident dog when Gus was 6 months old. Learning firsthand the challenges, and subsequently the joys, of living with fear and reactivity behaviors with a family dog has been the driving force behind Shelley’s passion in dog training.

Tiffany Couture, DCBC

Training Support Specialist

Tiffany has always been a huge animal lover since she was a little girl, which led to her being very involved in rescue, and in turn, adopting special dogs. She became interested in training to help her rescue Jake, and found the Dogma apprenticeship program in 2011.
 
After she graduated, she worked as a trainer with Dogma, specializing in the fearful dogs. She left Dogma (but not the dog world) to raise her two little animal loving girls. Tiffany returned to Dogma in 2023 as the Training Support Specialist where she does a lot of behind the scenes work as well as helping people choose which training option is the best for them.
 
She currently lives with her Husband, daughters Katalina & Kenna and her newest foster fail, Millie.  

Training Team

Sara Clement, BA, BSc, CPDT-KA, FDM, FFCT

Senior Trainer/Lead Supervisor

Sara’s passion for the study of animal behavior began during her simultaneous pursuit of a BSc in Biology and a BA in Psychology, both centered on animal behaviour. Her background in animal welfare, including extensive, hands-on work within a shelter environment, gave her deep insight into the diverse and often complex challenges dogs can face. Building on this foundation, she completed her Professional Dog Trainer Certification (CPDT-KA), earned her Fear Free Certified Professional credential (Animal Trainer), and obtained her Family Dog Mediation certification. These qualifications reflect her dedication to understanding dogs not only through learning theory, but through their emotional needs and unique environmental contexts.
 
Sara is deeply committed to supporting dogs with a wide range of behavioural needs, from routine training goals to sensitive, fear-based, or highly individualized cases. Her approach prioritizes compassion, clarity, and respect for each dog’s behavioural history. An active proponent of lifelong learning, she continues to expand her knowledge of canine behaviour science to ensure her methods remain progressive, informed, and attuned to the needs of both dogs and their families.
 
Grounded in evidence-based practice, Sara’s work focuses on fostering a positive, trusting relationship between dogs and their owners. She strongly believes in creating environments that encourage learning and emotional safety, where she can empower both dogs and the people who care for them to build confidence, communication, and lasting connection.

Taylor MacDougall, DDT, DCBC, CPDT-KA, FFCT

Senior Trainer

Originally from the Maritimes, Taylor has built a fulfilling career rooted in her lifelong passion for animals. She began her journey volunteering in animal shelters, where she discovered the power of compassion and clear communication in working with animals. In 2021, she joined the company and earned her DDT certification through Dogma, later graduating from the DCBC program. Taylor is committed to a fear-free, positive reinforcement approach that supports both dog and human.

Today, she gives back to the shelters where it all began by donating her professional services to help with behavioral cases, offering dogs a better chance at finding lasting homes.

To her, there’s no such thing as a “bad dog” - only dogs in need of understanding and guidance. Helping dogs build confidence and feel safe is what brings her the greatest joy.

Jess Andersen, DDT, DCBC, FFCT

Senior Trainer

Jess Andersen is a lifelong dog owner whose experience has largely been shaped by living and working with behaviourally complex dogs. That hands-on understanding sparked a deep interest in canine behaviour and ultimately led her into the professional dog world.

Jess began her career in 2019 as a dog walker and sitter, where she quickly found herself supporting dogs and clients navigating behavioural challenges. Inspired by her own dog, Scooby, and the many dogs she met early in her career, she transitioned into training in 2022. She went on to earn her Dogma Dog Trainer (DDT) certification in 2024, followed by her Dogma Canine Behaviour Consultant (DCBC) designation in 2025. Jess previously spent two years working in behaviour within the shelter system, gaining extensive experience with a wide range of complex cases before joining the Dogma team.

Jess is committed to science-based, ethical training practices that prioritize the wellbeing of each individual dog. She uses fear-free, positive reinforcement methods and believes that strong, trusting relationships between dogs and their people are the foundation for meaningful, lasting change. Jess is also dedicated to continuing her education and staying current with the latest science in the training and behaviour field, ensuring her clients and their dogs receive thoughtful, up-to-date support.

Megan Coleman, DDT

Junior Trainer

Megan has been with Dogma since 2009 and has loved every moment of it! She lives with her 2 beautiful Mixed breed dogs Maisie and Bogart. She started out dog sitting and walking for friends and wanted to persue a career in helping to better dogs! She is living the dream job and earned her DDT in 2022!

Sarah Kuervers
Junior Trainer

Coming Soon

Sage Muirhead, DDT
Puppy Trainer

Sage has loved dogs for as long as she can remember, she was begging for one as soon as she learned to talk, and that love never faded. She’s deeply passionate about animal care and believes training and time with dogs should be both effective and fun for everyone involved. After completing her DDT certification, Sage is excited to continue expanding her education and skills so she can provide the very best care and guidance for the dogs and families she works with.

Mickey Sheridan

Day School Attendant

Coming Soon

Naioka Sutherland

Junior Trainer

Nay grew up loving dogs and always wanted to take part in a more hands-on approach with them. She has now been working in dog obedience training for 2 years, and is eagerly growing her abilities in the field. She loves getting to see her pups grow in confidence and capability. She has goals to specialize in dog behavior and to see all her dogs graduate from the programs we offer.