Our Trainers
Andrew Richards
Head Trainer, Owner
ABCDT
Andrew is a certified dog trainer through the Animal Behaviour Collage with 10 years of
experience with all breeds of dogs through working with various shelters, rescues and his
own rescue foster dogs. Andrew is truly passionate about his work with dogs, and it shows!
Andrew will not only be your dog’s trainer, he will quickly become your dog’s best friend. His
goal is to create a fun and enjoyable experience for you and your dog. Training should be
something that your dog looks forward to! Further, he aims to strengthen the bond between
owner and dog by creating a clear form of communication between the two. Through
Andrew’s mentorship with Shelagh Begg of Dizine Canine, he developed a love to working
with behavioural issues and reactive dogs. Andrew is Good Hound’s go to for all our
reactive dogs both private and our very popular Reactive Dog Class. It is so easy for
owners to turn to harsh corrective tools like prong collars and e collars to ‘help’ reactive or
aggressive dogs. While these tools aim to suppress emotions, Andrew will show you how to
get to the root of the issue in order to change these emotions for lasting results. No band
aid fixes around here!
Education is our foundation. Andrew is always learning by attending seminars and through
constant readings and research. Andrew is also a member of Association of Professional
Dog Trainers, Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the International
Boarding and Pet Services Association and certified in Walks n Wags Pet First Aid.
When Andrew is not here training dogs, working with dogs and training handlers in our
daycare you can see him at home playing with his own dogs Blue (rottweiler/doberman
mix), Storm (pit bull) and Odin (malamute x) and his daughter, Abbygail!
Holly Ovington
KPA- CTP, CSAT
KPA- CTP, CSAT
Holly has been passionate about dogs from the get go! Holly was part of dog training clubs from a young age, learning to train and show her own dogs. Throughout high school she volunteered at a local vet clinic and the SPCA, then began working at a dog daycare and dog walking company. While she loves working with dogs one on one, it is the teamwork between dogs and their owners that Holly is really interested in, this drew her to dog training.
Working with Holly you will find understanding, empathy and ease in the process of working through your dog’s behaviour concerns. Holly’s goal is to help you understand your dog and why they do what they do. Training should be fun and manageable and Holly works closely with you to set both you and your dog up for success. She provides customized, realistic advice resulting in long lasting behaviour change so you can effectively fulfil your goals.
Holly started her own company, Positive Paws Training in 2019 in Vancouver, BC and is now joining the Good Hound team, since she has moved to Delta! Holly is certified with the Karen Pryor Academy, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, a Fear-Free Certified Trainer, an Instructor for Dog Biz Dog Walking Academy, Walks N’ Wags First Aid Certified and has completed the Aggression in Dogs Course.
Holly is available for private lessons for general life skills, reactivity and separation anxiety. See rates here
Damara Begin
CPDT-KA
Damara is a Good Hound staple as she has been a Daycare/Boarding Handler and Shift Lead at our Country location since 2023. Damara also mentored under Trainer Rachel Kilbrai CPDT-KA for 6 months before moving on to Good Hound’s Head Trainer, Andrew’s guidance. Damara is now CPDT-KA Certified! Damara’s love for her own dogs drew her to Good Hound and her natural affinity and connection to the dogs made her an invaluable member of our GH Family. Damara has competed the Karen Pryor Dog Trainer Foundations Course and Puppy Start Right Course, Nosework Certified through Doggone Smart and is Walks n Wags Pet First Aid Certified. Damara also holds her BA in Psychology from the University of British Columbia.
Maura Gill
Agility Trainer
Maura has been involved with the sport of Agility for the past 10 years. Maura entered the world of Agility as a recreational activity to keep her dog busy. But it didnt take long for her to fall in love with the sport. Maura has now competed at both at a local and provincial level.
Over the past 2 years Maura has combined her love for agility with her professional skills in adult education as an Agility Instructor. Maura enjoys sharing her love for the sport of agility and passion for R+ training with her students. Maura has a love for high energy herding breeds and is currently working towards her CPDT certification.
Maura has also participated in tricks, herding, and dock diving with her K9 companions. In her free time, you can find Maura at local agility trials competing with her aussie Ember, hiking local trails, and spending time with family.
