Our Trainers
Meet the team behind your dog's success.
Our trainers are experienced, certified professionals who specialize in building confidence, skills, and lasting relationships between dogs and their people. Each trainer brings their own unique strengths, experience, and passion to the work they do—and they’re all committed to helping your dog thrive.
Whether your dog needs real-world manners, sport foundations, or support with reactivity and confidence building, our team has the knowledge and experience to help.
Meet Our Team
Jenika Valdez (she/her)
Lifelong dog experience and five years at Liberty Bark, excelling with reactive dogs, shy dogs, and puppies.
- Puppies & early development
- Dog & human reactivity
- Shy dogs and confidence building
- Public manners & real-world skills
Jenika brings lifelong experience with dogs and five years of professional training experience at Liberty Bark. She enjoys working with reactive dogs, shy and sensitive dogs, and puppies, with a strong focus on emotional regulation and confidence building. Her training approach centers on helping dogs feel safe, supported, and successful in real-world environments.
Her style is deeply informed by hands-on experience with her own dogs. Jenika has helped her overly excited Husky/Malamute mix, Bowser, learn to settle and navigate public spaces calmly, and continues to support her human-sensitive Cattle Dog, Aries, through high-stress environments. These real-life challenges have shaped Jenika into a thoughtful, empathetic trainer who prioritizes meeting dogs where they are.
Certifications
- K9 Lifeline Reading Dog Emotional State
- PetTech CPR, First Aid & Care
- Julie Hart’s Nose-Centric Dog Training & Rehabilitation Workshop
- K9 Lifeline Daycare Shadow Program
- Certified Professional Dog-Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) — In Progress
- AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator — In Progress
Kisaki (Kiki) Nakatsukasa (she/her)
Specializes in puppies, confidence building, sport foundations, and everyday life skills with 5+ years of experience.
- Puppies & early development
- Confidence building
- Sport foundations
- Public manners & real-world skills
Kiki brings over five years of hands-on experience in the dog world, including competitive dog sports and shelter work, with more than three years at Liberty Bark. She specializes in puppies, confidence building, sport foundations, and everyday life skills, creating thoughtful, developmentally informed programs that support dogs from their earliest stages through advanced training goals.
Kiki actively competes with her personal dogs and has extensive experience across a wide range of dog sports, including Conformation, Rally, Barn Hunt, Coursing, Agility, and Scentwork. She is currently working toward Therapy Dog certification with her personal dog, Raisin.
In addition, Kiki is a breeder of Japanese Terriers and has earned multiple breed-first titles. She works closely with the AKC to help preserve the breed and serves as President of the Japanese Terrier Club of America, reflecting her deep commitment to ethical breeding, education, and breed advocacy.
Certifications
- K9 Lifeline Reading Dog Emotional State
- AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator
- AKC Fitness Level 1 Evaluator
- AKC Temperament Test (ATT) Evaluator
- Therapy Dog Certification — In Progress
Astrid Fournier (she/her)
Specializes in sensitive dogs, building trust and emotional security as the foundation for learning.
- Shy dogs and confidence building
- Special needs dogs
- Public manners & real-world skills
Astrid brings three years of experience at Liberty Bark, along with a personal background that deeply informs her thoughtful and compassionate approach to training. She grew up with a human- and dog-aggressive dog and participated in training programs in New Hampshire from a young age, shaping her early understanding of behavior and emotional safety.
Astrid specializes in working with sensitive dogs, focusing on building trust and emotional security as the foundation for learning. She is patient, highly attuned to canine body language, and adapts expectations based on how a dog is feeling each day. By prioritizing stress reduction and a calm, predictable relationship before introducing skills, Astrid helps dogs build confidence in a way that is respectful, sustainable, and reinforcing.
Astrid also participates in dog sports with her personal dog, Bosco, including FCAT and Barn Hunt. She values sport work as an additional outlet for confidence building, enrichment, and strengthening the human–dog relationship.
Certifications
- K9 Lifeline Reading Dog Emotional State
- PetTech CPR, First Aid & Care
- Julie Hart’s Nose-Centric Dog Training & Rehabilitation Workshop
- AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator — In Progress
Shandra Winward (she/her)
Specializes in puppies and sensitive dogs, building confidence and positive relationships through patient, individualized training.
- Puppies & early development
- Shy dogs and confidence building
- Public manners & real-world skills
Shandra brings lifelong experience with dogs, including nearly three years of professional training experience at Liberty Bark. She enjoys working with puppies and shy, sensitive dogs, with a special focus on building confidence and helping dogs develop positive relationships with the world around them.
Her passion for dog training began early, inspired by her mom’s work with protection and search-and-rescue dogs. Shandra’s training style is deeply informed by hands-on experience with her own dog. She has helped her overly excited Husky mix, Taka, learn to settle and navigate public spaces calmly. These real-life experiences have shaped Shandra into a patient, encouraging trainer who understands that every dog learns at their own pace and deserves thoughtful, individualized support.
Certifications
- K9 Lifeline Reading Dog Emotional State
- AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator — In Progress
Bailey Bradford (they/them)
4+ years of professional experience with deep passion for supporting dogs through behavioral challenges.
- Dog & human reactivity
- Shy dogs and confidence building
- Public manners & real-world skills
Bailey brings over four years of professional dog experience, with more than two years at Liberty Bark. They are deeply passionate about supporting dogs and handlers through behavioral challenges with patience, empathy, and clear communication.
Bailey specializes in dog and human reactivity, as well as working with shy dogs who need confidence-building support. Their approach is informed not only by professional experience, but also by personal connections—living with a dog-reactive dog and supporting family members with reactive dogs has given Bailey a strong understanding of the emotional side of behavior work.
Through thoughtful, individualized training plans, Bailey focuses on helping dogs feel safer, more confident, and better equipped to succeed in real-world environments.
Certifications
- K9 Lifeline Reading Dog Emotional State
- AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator — In Progress
- Certified Professional Dog-Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) — In Progress
Trainer Qualifications & Standards
All of our trainers are committed to ongoing education and professional development. Trainers approved to teach Specialty Skills have shadowed an AKC evaluator and demonstrate a strong understanding of evaluation standards. Every trainer on our team is trained to read canine body language, manage stress, and adapt training plans to meet each dog’s unique needs.
When you choose a trainer for Day School (Real-World Skills), you’re welcome to select based on their individual profiles, experience, and availability. For Day Training programs, dogs are paired with a trainer based on program needs and trainer availability.
Your Dog Deserves a Great Teacher
Our trainers aren’t just skilled professionals—they’re people who genuinely care about dogs and the families who love them. Whether your dog needs confidence, structure, or sport foundations, our team is here to help.