Our 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.

Lydia Reid, DDT

Location Manager

Lydia has been at Dogma since 2021. Like many, she found herself searching for her passion when the world paused during the lockdown, that was also around the same time her dog started showing signs of reactivity and she knew she needed to help him. While searching for a trainer, she discovered the Dogma Academy and a fire ignited in her to not only advocate and educate herself for her own dog but for yours too. 

Tiffany Couture, DCBC

Training Support Specialist

Megan Coleman, DDT

Junior Trainer

Megan has been with Dogma since 2009 and has loved every moment of it! She lives with her 2 dogs Kipper her 9 year old Border Collie Mix and Maisie her 2 year old Mixed breed. 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!

Taylor MacDougall, DDT, DCBC

Senior Trainer

Natasha Mazac, DCBC, CPDT-KA,
Senior Trainer

Natasha is a born and raised Calgarian who has always loved animals. After securing her first home she was so excited to have her own pup only a week after moving in! Learning about all the different needs and training styles to best support her sensitive girl she realized not all trainers are created equally, and after starting the puppy training program with Dogma she discovered a career path that is equally rewarding and offers a great intellectual challenge. She started the apprenticeship program before joining Dogma's team and leading private and group training while heading behaviour in the Day School before taking Maternity Leave with her son. She completed her DCBC certification with Dogma while on leave and is back and excited to work with the pups again. She loves being able to see that "click" between owners and their dogs when the communication is finally understood between them. At home she lives with her husband and son, and has her "first baby" Revy, a cat named Rosa, and a dumped bun that's adopted herself in the home named Sully. 

Vicky Mishchan

Junior Trainer

Viktoriia approaches every dog she works with through a lens of curiosity, compassion, and possibility. With a background in veterinary medicine and years of hands-on training experience, she believes in meeting each dog where they’re at—and guiding them forward using patience, kindness, and clear communication. Originally from Eastern Europe, Viktoriia is a newcomer to Canada and brings a global perspective to her work. Since 2019, she’s worked with dogs of all breeds and personalities, helping them grow in confidence through positive reinforcement and trust-building. Her training style is rooted in understanding—not judgment—and she values the individuality of every dog and every owner. Whether she’s helping a fearful dog take brave first steps or supporting families in building better routines, Viktoriia’s goal is always the same: to make learning feel safe, fun, and rewarding for everyone involved. Now based in Calgary, Viktoriia continues her education in canine behaviour and training. She lives with a deep respect for the individuality of every dog and is committed to making each interaction positive, calm, and supportive—for both dogs and their humans.

Jessica Velander, BS, MA

Junior Trainer

Jessica has had a love for animals for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, her family took in dogs with behavioral issues which grew her love for helping animals. After graduating with a degree in Biology, she moved into Dog Training and learning the foundations in positive reinforcement. She then moved into Zookeeping where she expanded her knowledge on enrichment, training, and cooperative care with animals. After moving to Canada with her own dog that struggled with anxiety, she began to want to learn more about how to help her own dog as well as others and found Dogma. 

She currently lives with her partner, a roommate, two dogs, and two cats. When she isn’t training her own dogs or at Dogma, she enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and climbing.

Paige Wagner

Day School Attendant

I started my journey with dog training at Medicine Hat College where I graduated with a degree in Service Dog and Canine Studies Management. I’ve always had a deep love for dogs, and I am especially passionate about working with reactive dogs to help them build confidence and positive feelings about our crazy world! When I’m not training, I enjoy being outdoors in the mountains, with hiking being one of my favourite ways to recharge.