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A black and white border collie standing and staring intensely off to the left of the camera. The dog is in the middle of a grass field.

Owner and Head Trainer
Megan Wallace (She/her), B.S., CNWI, CCUI

Megan Wallace, NOCO Unleashed's owner and head trainer, sitting outside on the grass and smiling with her black and white border collie Tori. Megan is wearing glasses and her brown hair is pulled back out of her face in a loose ponytail. She is wearing a light pink T-shirt and blue jeans.
Megan working one of her black and white border collies on some goats in a large dirt ring

Megan has been training dogs since age 11 when she attempted to certify her family dogs as therapy dogs. While the family dogs were a bit old to pursue new careers, being 11 and 13, Megan was at the start of a lifelong passion for dogs which eventually became her career. This passion led her into the world of dog behavior and training, and started a quest for knowledge that has been never ending. With a gift for relating to people as well as their pets, Megan strives to find solutions to behavior problems that work as well for the owners as they do for dogs. She stays up-to-date with the most progressive dog training methods by attending seminars, reading training books, and taking classes with her own dogs.

 

Megan believes that training should be fun for the dogs and the owners, and strives to help every person find the joy in dog training. She does this by teaching straight-forward, dog-friendly methods that cater to the needs of all dog owners. Megan is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, and is a Certified K9 Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) through the National Association of Canine Nose Work, and a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI). She also works with dog training professionals to learn how to run successful businesses as an Assistant Coach with The Modern Dog Trainer. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Colorado State University. She is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the National Association of Canine Scent Work.

In her free time Megan enjoys spending time with her husband James, and their three dogs, training and competing with them in a variety of dog sports, and enjoying the wonderful local Colorado music scene. She also enjoys volunteering at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center, where she handles their educational ambassadors, as well as giving presentations. She continues her love of education by teaching the public about raptors, and how humans impact their lives. Her goal in life is to help humans and dogs (and all animals!) understand each other just a little better.

Seminars/Continuing Education Attended:

  • Sue Ailsby (Training)

  • Kay Laurence (Behavior and training)

  • Leslie McDevitt (Behavior and training)

  • Patricia McConnell (Behavior)

  • Jean Donaldson (Behavior)

  • Dan Estep and Suzanne Hetts (Behavior)

  • Amy Herot (Nose Work)

  • Leah Ganglehoff (Nose Work)

  • Dana Zinn and Sue Sternberg (Nose Work)

  • Dog Scout Camp, 2009, 2010, 2012

  • Clicker Expo 2012

  • Volunteered at Penn Vet Working Dog Center, April 2013

  • K9 Nose Work Camp, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019

  • K9 Nose Work Instructor Certification Course, 2015

  • Certified in Pet First Aid by the American Red Cross

  • Art and Science of Animal Training Conference 2019

  • Virtual Nose Work Camp 2020

  • Certified Control Unleashed Instructor 2020

Certifications and Education

Why do certifications matter?

You will notice that Megan has quite a few letters behind her name, most of which won’t make sense without some explanation. She could tell you exactly what those letters stand for, but that still may not make much sense if you don’t know what’s behind these achievements. The truth is, the dog training industry is unregulated, so she doesn't need any of these letters to do her job. However, they represent a commitment to continuing education, and always striving to bring you the best client experience possible! Each of these certifications represents time spent learning new skills, making videos to prove her ability to teach these skills, studying for tests, communicating with mentors, and networking with her colleagues. She does this because she wants to bring the most up-to-date knowledge on training and behavior, so that you and your dog will be successful in anything you do!

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