KIMBERLY WEGEL, 31 / Director of Services/Canine Behavioral Trainer, Nature’s Emporium
Kimberly Wegel is a rewards-based Canine Behavior Trainer with almost a decade of experience. Now the Director of Services and trainer at Nature’s Emporium’s Doggie Day School and Training Academy, she is proud to be part of a company offering obedience training and behavior modification using exclusively positive, force-free methods. She specifically trained her own dogs, Linus and Jemma, to be demo-dogs for this work, wanting every canine to be the best versions of themselves. Her training improves the overall safety of not only the dogs, but the dog “parents” and Roanoke citizens; she helps owners understand there is no shame in needing help, facilitating healing and comfort for every dog, no matter their background. “Dogs, like all of us, deserve to learn without fear of aversive ‘correction’ or punishment, and they deserve to have their anxieties recognized and validated,” she says. “When we help dog-human teams succeed together, we help keep dogs in their homes – off the streets, out of the shelters.”
- Graduate of Haverford College, double major in History of Art and German Literature, 2012
- Trains her two dogs Linus and Jemma, who both train as service dogs to help other dogs build confidence
- Offers weeknight and weekend courses such as “Reactive Rover”
From the Nomination: “Kimberly Wegel is one of the few well-read and sincerely qualified rewards-based dog behavioral specialists in the Roanoke Valley. Kim frequently receives the most ‘broken’ dogs to facilitate healing and comfort so they can live their lives as the joyful, loving creatures we know them to be at heart. Kim has undergone rigorous examination to understand constructive and humane corrections of canine behavior in a theoretical sense, and has vast experiential knowledge to reinforce these credentials. By training these dogs in a rewards-based framework, she can improve the overall safety of dogs, their ‘parents’ and Roanoke citizens, by preventing unfortunate misunderstandings between well-meaning strangers and frightened and/or defensive dogs. Kim helped me understand there’s no shame in acknowledging that my dog is not “just difficult that way,” she can be helped, and her stress levels can be modified with proper support. With regular training, after-hours support and the Reactive Rover workshop, I feel my dog’s enjoyment of life has improved.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Wegel: “Roanoke is home for me. Though I’ve lived in many places, the view of the Blue Ridge Parkway from my grandparents’ living room window always drew me back.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Wegel: “I believe that every dog is a good dog, and it is our job as their humans to help them become the best possible versions of themselves. I’m very proud to offer my knowledge of canine behavior and training to our community, and to offer positive solutions to their dogs’ behavioral problems. When we help dog-human teams succeed together, we help keep dogs in their homes – off the streets, out of the shelters.”
