OUR TRAINERS
NEIL MATHEWS
OWNER/TRAINER
Neil’s first memory of training dogs was when he was about 12 years old. He watched a program on TV about dog training and immediately began trying these techniques on his family’s Boxer, Misty. The rest, as they say, is history. Since then, Neil’s love for dogs and his desire to find better ways to make the relationship between dogs and their owners the best it can be has pressed him into being the trainer he is today. Neil is a 1997 graduate of the National K-9 School for Dog Trainers in Columbus, Ohio.
There he completed the Master Trainers course and was certified in:
- Basic and Advanced Obedience
- Breed Identification
- Puppy Development
- Behavior Modification
- Utility and Retrieval
- Personal Protection
- Basic Police K-9
- Tracking
- Scent Discrimination
- Support Dog
Neil has been training dogs professionally for 25 years now and has personally trained over 6,000 dogs himself and has overseen the training of hundreds more. This kind of experience has given him the ability to read dogs and understand how to bring out the best in them. He also has the ability to pass this understanding on to their owners in a way that allows them to continue the training their dog received at the Certified Canine Services camp at home.
Neil opened Certified Canine Services training camp in the spring of 2000. He has been a guest on such shows as Ted and Amy in the Morning show on 93Q in Syracuse as well as many other appearances around central New York. Neil is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals.
RACHEL MATHEWS
OWNER/TRAINER
Growing up, Rachel could almost always be found surrounded by animals but her interest in dog training began when she was in need of a trainer for her own dog Brutus, a Rottweiler with some aggressive tendencies. Her search for help proved to be harder than she thought. No one seemed to have any idea what to do with him and the few ideas she was given didn’t work well for her dog. She thought “There must be a better way of dealing with this.” A few years later she was able to pursue her dream and goal of being able to better understand dog behavior and how to better communicate with dogs. Rachel’s love for working with dogs and people alike makes her the great trainer that she is today. She is a 2007 graduate of National K-9 School for Dog Trainers where she also completed the Masters Trainers course and was certified in:
- Basic and Advanced Obedience
- Breed Identification
- Tracking
- Personal Protection
- Police K-9
- Behavior Modification
- Scent Detection
- Utility
- Puppy Development
- Assistance Dog
- Retrieval
Rachel is also a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and the National Dog Trainers Association. She continues to attend workshops, conferences, and seminars to continue her education in the field of dog training and behavior modification.
BRAD DAWLEY
TRAINER
When looking for trainers to join our team, we look for not just the experience, but for several personality traits that help separate a good trainer from a great one. Patience, compassion, and enthusiasm are just a few examples of the characteristics that are ideal. A combination of all of these can be hard to find, but we were lucky enough to find them all in our good friend, Brad Dawley. Brad is also a graduate of National K-9 school for dog trainers. He graduated in Feb 2017 and was certified in:
Basic Obedience
Behavior Modification
Utility
Breed Identification
Puppy Development
DESIREE HAYNES
TRAINER
When Desiree joined our team it was obvious she possessed a true passion and love for animals that can’t be taught. This is a characteristic that she developed as a child interacting and owning all kinds of dogs, cats, and ferrets and even rescuing and raising an armadillo! She is trustworthy, patient, kind, and has a gentle soul. We are so happy to have her on board.
Aside from her dog career, Desiree loves to spend time with her family and practice her training skills with her pitbull mix, Sophia.
Desiree is a graduate of national K-9 Professional Training program.
- Graduated in February 2023
- Certified Professional Trainer
- Basic Obedience
- Utility
- Behavior Modification
- Breed Identification
- Puppy Development
BROOKE WHITAKER
PUPPY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TRAINER
Brooke has always had the kindest soul and a soft spot for puppies ever since she could walk. She has grown up watching her parents operate Certified Canine Services and has been involved with puppies and dogs from very a young age. She understands that what happens within a puppy’s life between the ages of 8 and 14 weeks old can have an effect on their entire life.
She raises the puppies in her home and treats them as if they are were very own. She starts the process of crate training, housebreaking, leash walking, safe and gentle socialization. She also works right from the start to curb unwanted behavior, such as barking, jumping and play biting. Her goal is to get the puppies off to the best possible start for a smooth transition to their new homes. The most difficult problem for Brooke is giving the puppies back as she falls in love with each one of them.
ROBERTA TOUSANT
KENNAL ATTENDANT
Roberta has been a trusted member of Certified Canine for almost 8 years. Growing up on a farm her entire life made her a natural at understanding what it takes to take care of a kennel. She helps with sanitizing, cleaning, bathing, brushing, distributing medication when needed, potty trips, feeding, special diets, after-hours care, cuddles, and anything care related. If you’ve ever had a chance to meet her, you would know that she is passionate about what she does. At this point, we consider her family.