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.
Adria Lem, DCBC, CPDT-KA. FFCP (Trainer)
Location Manager
Elizabeth Bilous, DCBC, DDT, CPDT-KA. FFCP (Trainer)
Head of Behaviour & Education
Lydia Reid, DDT
Jr Trainer & Brand Ambassador
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.
Lydia lives with her husband, her animal loving son, three kitties and her best friend, Frankie dog! When she’s not at Dogma, you can find her playing music with her family or in her craft room creating.
Lydia is always excited about meeting new dogs and learning their story and she is excited to meet yours soon!
Tiffany Couture, DCBC
Training Support Specialist
Training Team
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!
Addison Cooper, DDT
Junior Trainer
Bio Coming Soon
Ivan Iliev
Puppy Program Coordinator
Ivan leads the puppy day school and group class programs. In his role, Ivan is dedicated to providing a nurturing and educational environment for puppies, ensuring they develop the social and behavioural skills needed for a happy and healthy life. He loves to build strong relationships with dogs, helping them to embark on adventures together and create lasting memories.
Ivan has a personal dog named Remi, a 3-year-old Goldendoodle, and he loves spending time and training with him. Their bond exemplifies Ivan's commitment to building strong, trusting relationships with dogs.
With a passion for the outdoors, Ivan enjoys hiking, camping, and skiing in his free time. His love for nature and animals has driven his career in animal care, making him a valuable asset to the Dogma team.
Taylor MacDougall, DDT
Junior Trainer
Larissa Verhoog, DDT
Junior Trainer
Larissa has lived in Calgary her whole life and worked as a chef for 5 years but wanted a career working with animals. She started out working at a dog day care where she found her passion and wanted to focus on dog training to better understand dog behaviour. The guidance and knowledge that Dogma provides is her ideal career path and cannot wait to continue her career with Dogma.
When she isn’t at Dogma you can find Larissa trying all the new restaurants, going fishing, and bird watching on her balcony with her 2 cats Milo, Otis and soon to be dog!
Day School Attendant (DDT's in training) Team
