About Happy With Dogs

About Happy With Dogs

Happy With Dogs LLC is a two-market training company: "Happy With Dogs began in Miami, Florida in 2016

with one simple mission: helping people enjoy life with their dogs. Founded by Marine Corps veteran and

professional dog trainer Rebecca Pasko… In 2023, Rebecca expanded Happy With Dogs to her hometown of

Howell, Michigan, bringing the Happy With Dogs approach to families throughout Livingston County."

Contact is info@happywithdogs.com and (305) 735-9311.

Where training happens

The site is explicit that there is no training storefront: "Unlike a traditional dog training facility,

Happy With Dogs offers training in real-world environments. Depending on the program, sessions may take

place in your home, at pet-friendly locations, or in one of our trainers' homes for our

boarding-with-training options."

The Michigan service area is listed as "Howell, Brighton, Hartland, Pinckney, South Lyon, Fowlerville,

Whitmore Lake, Hamburg, Genoa Township, Green Oak Township, and nearby communities", with a wider

statement elsewhere covering "Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne, Macomb, and Livingston counties."

Services

The published Michigan menu is **Board and Train Michigan**, **Michigan Group Classes**, **Private

Lessons**, **Puppy Training**, **Group Training Class**, **Aggressive Dog Training**, **Virtual

Training** and the **Happy Hounds Club**. The three headline categories are described as:

– **Puppy Training** — "From potty training accidents and constant nipping to jumping, barking, and not

listening – we help you navigate common puppy challenges with a clear, simple plan".

– **Obedience Training** — for dogs that struggle with "leash pulling, door bolting, or listening in

general", built around "clarity and consistency".

– **Behavior Modification** — "Whether your dog is struggling with reactivity, aggression, fear, or

anxiety, we design training that works within your lifestyle, using structure and guidance to help

your dog make better choices".

The delivery formats are summarized as "Private and In-Home Lessons", "Boarding with Training Retreats"

and "Home Schooled Hounds". A free intake is published: "I offer FREE virtual consultations", in a

three-step path — free consultation, custom plan, then training. A free workshop is also listed: "The

Canine Connection Kickstart: A free workshop that introduces pet parents to scientifically backed dog

training methods".

Rebecca Pasko

"Hi, I'm Rebecca Pasko, a multi-credentialed professional dog trainer with over 20 years of experience

in behavior modification, service dog training, and obedience training." She grew up "on a bustling

livestock farm with four siblings", learned training "through Livingston County 4-H", and served "in

the United States Marine Corps, where I completed missions in Djibouti, Iraq, and Afghanistan as part

of the Female Engagement Team". She founded "Cadence K9 LLC in 2012, which I rebranded to Happy With

Dogs".

Her published credentials are: "Official Trainer for CPAWW (Florida Atlantic University Program for

Veterans & Shelter Dogs)", "AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator", "Certified Training Without

Conflict Dog Trainer", "UpDog Challenge Judge", "Professional Member of the International Association

of Canine Professionals (IACP)" and "Service Dog Trainer for Veterans with PTSD". Her stated philosophy

is "rooted in scientific reward-driven methods, focusing on communication, trust, and play-based

enrichment".

The team

– **Lauren – Training Director.** "Lauren grew up in Lakeland, FL. She is an FSU Graduate. Lauren has

experience training many exotic animals such as Siberian Lynx, Eurasian Eagle Owls, Lemurs,

Capuchins, Chimpanzees, Rhinos, Elephants, and of course… Dogs."

– **Sam – Professional Dog Trainer.** "With over 3 years of dog training experience and a background in

behavior analysis from the University of Florida"; currently "pursuing a Master's degree in Animal

Shelter Medicine and Management" and "a Fear Free certified trainer working towards CCPDT

Certification."

– **Alana – Administrative Coordinator**, on guest services.

Reviews

Several Google reviews are republished on the home page, verified through Trustindex. One, from Erika

Porrino: "My 4 month old puppy Bagel did a two week retreat with Sam and I am completely blown away by

her progress. In two weeks Ive already seen a significant improvement in potty training, leash training

and general overall puppy behaviors."