Legend K9 Retreat is a Professional Dog Training facility specializing in behavior modifications, and pet off leash obedience. Legend K9 Retreat offers many services (see “Services”), that can help you and your pet with your training needs.
Group Stay-Remi, Libby, Bear, Blue, Boo, Cappuccio, Nefi
Our Trainers
Legend K9 Retreat is picky in the trainers we choose to trust to you and your furry best friend. Each of our trainers have gone through extensive training and certification to get to where they are now. Our trainers all attend a minimum of 2-3 continued education seminars per year. Each trainer has dedicated time and devotion helping rescue dogs through proper rehab training to help them get to the point they can be adopted. We are very proud of our team and their dedication to each dog that comes into their care.
The Staff and Staff Dogs
About Us!
Head Trainer/Owner
Nellie Bird
Head Trainer Nellie Bird is extremely passionate about the dog industry. Not only does she have years of experience training dogs, but her motivations and goals revolve around giving owners and dogs the best quality life possible. Nellie has worked with over 20 other professional trainers, many world-renowned, and is extremely active in the industry both in sport and obedience competition. Continued education is a priority as Nellie believes that there are always new things to learn. Nellie has fostered many dogs, worked with many shelters, rescues, training facilities and other trainers and has taken what she has learned to develop her own methods to get to the best results. Nellie and her spouse own 7 dogs, Cali, Kovu, Ace, Spike, Rocky, Deli and Raichu.
Nellie is:
A graduate from Starmark Academy’s Professional Dog Training School and is a Certified, Professional Dog Trainer and Canine Behavior Specialist
A member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers
A member of the International Association of Canine Professionals
An AKC Evaluator
She runs a small rescue/rehab in conjunction with her dog training business
Please visit our Facebook page to see our incredible reviews!
Trainer
Kyler Sands
Kyler is a huge advocate for dogs. She grew up with labs and cattle dogs. Kyler’s passion for dogs has led her to work doggy daycare, work with rescue dogs and now to an incredible career in dog training. Kyler is our canine nutrition expert and dog sport enthusiast. She plans to work towards a specialty in competitive dog sports and health/nutrition of dogs. Kyler is a great member to our team and a crowd favorite with the dogs and owners! Kyler owns two dogs, Hazel and Oliver with a 3rd sport dog coming soon!
Trainer
Mike VanAusdal
Mike started out his dog training journey when his cattle dog started showing severe leash reactivity. He learned skills from a local trainer and very quickly became an impressive person to watch in public as he trained his dog everywhere. Mike very quickly started loving the feeling of his dog reaching the goals he had set forth. After all he had accomplished, and through hard work with his own dog, he considered that a career in dog training could be an amazing job for him. And He was right. Mike was often approached at dog friendly stores and parks during training sessions and asked if he would help train their dogs. As time went by, he felt that he had found a new calling by helping rescue dogs, dogs, and owners accomplish rehabilitation through balanced dog training. Mike and his wife make their dogs a huge priority, do amazing at their training keep up, and participate in dog sports! Mike is a great addition to our team and is definitely the class clown of our staff. Together with his wife, Mike owns 4 dogs, Gracie, Lily, BanJo and BlueJay.
