My Story

                  Hi! My name is Tracey Kendig and I have been a dog trainer for over 10 years! I began my dog training journey in Hagerstown, MD where I adopted my German Shepherd, Gia! When I first brought her home, I had no idea what I was getting into and did not research the breed at all. Once I brought her home, I realized very quickly that this puppy was going to need more than a walk around the park to be satisfied and that is where my dog training career began.

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                 I started out at a local doggy daycare and boarding facility that also offered training through private lessons and board and train programs. I apprenticed under the head trainer from 2014-2016 and worked as many dogs as I could get my hands on. I eventually worked my way up to teaching group classes as well as working with rescue dogs who would be turned into service dogs for disabled veterans through the program, ‘Save a Vet, Save a Pet’. I found myself being called into more of a one-on-one atmosphere and started to travel to people’s homes to help them with their dog training needs. I opened my own dog training business in 2016 under ‘Unlimited Pawtential’, where I continued to provide in home training to the Washington County community. An opportunity presented itself to train under a magnificent trainer, George Cockrell and his beautiful wife Jessica Cockrell, who combined have been in the industry for 50+ years that I just couldn’t pass up. From 2017-2019, I apprenticed and trained at Dogizone in Rockville, MD where I did thousands of board and trains as well as hosted puppy, basic obedience, and unlimited group classes.

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                In 2019, I took a step back from dog training and entered the pet retail industry; I took over 20 courses in pet nutrition through U.C. Davis and got to know the pet/parent community much better. When Covid hit, I decided to make the move that I always dreamed of doing and made my way down south to the beautiful state of Florida and landed in Port St. Lucie. Upon arriving, I found my second family through the amazing owners of Essential Paws, Kyra Lollar and Gabbie Trefelner! In 2021, I became a member of their amazing crew and started to train dogs that came through their doors. 

 

                  Essential Paws created an environment and provided me with the tools necessary to further my love and commitment towards training! For the last 3 years, I have worked tirelessly to grow my knowledge and understanding of the industry with the support of my team. After working in every corner of the pet industry, I know that training and building confident relationships between dog and pet parents is where my passion is and I couldn’t be more excited to offer my services through my new company, Palms & Paws Dog Training!

 

                  Making this transition has always been an absolute dream of mine and I cannot wait to begin the journey with each and every one of you!