Mike
Trainer & Pack Leader
I was born in CT and raised on Cape Cod. Some of my first memories as a child are of a Golden Retriever named Leo and creating art. I’ve always loved dogs, and as kids my sister Mindy and I always wanted to be Veterinarians. In 2004, after some college, traveling the country and a long stay in SW Florida as a tattoo artist, I moved to Raleigh. Seeking a change in my life I found a job at YLD and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, I have volunteered at the SPCA, studied dog behavior, pack behavior and have become a Certified Dog Trainer through the Animal Behavior College. I also had the privilege of studying with Barbara Long, the Vice President of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers. I thoroughly enjoy teaching people dog behavior and how communicate and live successfully with them. When I’m not with the pack or teaching classes I can be found at Tattoo Jim’s and Son or off on an adventure with my girlfriend, our two Greyhounds and two Australian Cattle Dogs.
I was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to Raleigh in 1998.
While working in restaurants, my wife and I began an in-home petsitting business as a side project in 1999. That turned into a fulltime job and we were able to open an interactive doggie daycare in 2002. My wife is a professional dog trainer, so I’ve been able to work closely with her over the years and absorb her vast amounts of knowledge on animal behavior, which I can apply to both my work and home environment (we’ve had a pack of anywhere from 2 to 10 dogs of our own for about 15 years). When we decided to sell off the business and both return to school, I continued to work with dogs and joined YLD in 2005. This has been a very positive experience thanks to our clients and their furry friends and I hope to enjoy many long years working closely with both the humans and animals here at YLD.
I was born and raised in New Jersey. I’ve wanted to work with dogs my whole life. When I was a teenager I made a life plan for myself. Plan A was 20 years of house cleaning; Plan B was to work with and train dogs. For two years I volunteered at the local SPCA, worked with Hospice patients and studied dog training. My husband, 2 dogs and I eventually packed our things and moved to North Carolina. By chance, I was hired at You Lucky Dog! as one of the newest Pack Leaders. Everyone has made me and my 2 cocker spaniels feel so welcome, at home and part of the pack. I’m looking forward to learning more, teaching and training all types of dogs and their parents. 
I was born and raised in Raleigh, NC and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Studio Art concentrating in photography. Throughout college, during which I trained my own two dogs, I became very interested in dog behavioral science and training. While not giving up pursuing life as an artist, I looked for training jobs and daycare facilities to find the best environment to learn more about dog behavior. You Lucky Dog! was of the best caliber. I have been learning so much from co-workers and dogs alike. This experience is helping me build better relationships with my own dogs, co-workers and customers while also building my knowledge of dog behavior. 
I grew up on Cape Cod with my brother, staff member Mike, and have always loved animals and art. I spent much of my time on Cape Cod studying feral cat behavior and taking part in feral cat rescue, as well as pet sitting and creating sterling silver jewelry. I moved to Raleigh in 2009 for a change of scenery and became a frequent visitor to the YLD office. Before long I was working behind the desk, and eventually started working in the pack. I was immediately drawn to the grooming room. After much research I chose to attend Nash Academy of Animal Arts in Lexington, Ky and that was the best decision of my life. I missed my fuzzy pack friends and chose to come back to YLD after graduation. I pride myself on safe and gentle handling, and providing a clean and stress free environment for my grooming dogs.
I am from Winston-Salem, North Carolina originally but have lived in Raleigh since 1975. That is when I came here to attend Meredith College. After obtaining a degree in Business Administration with an Accounting concentration I was married, worked for a couple of years, then became a stay-at-home mom with my daughter and son. That was all twenty five years ago! As my children are now responsible young adults, I realized that the time for "mom" to embark on an adventure of her own had arrived. As a long time client of You Lucky Dog! I have always believed this to be a very special place for our canine companions to spend a couple hours or days, to be groomed or trained. My respect for the work that is done at You Lucky Dog! combined with my love for animals led me to become interested in purchasing the business. I became the proud owner in August, 2011. I personally own two goldendoodles, Phoebe and Bo. They are very special to me, as are all the sweet animals in our care.
