Emma has earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in Biology and one in Zoology, from Colorado State University. Prior to becoming a dog trainer, she worked in pet retail and animal nutrition, laboratory animal care, and pet animal care. Before earning her years of experience as the owner and head trainer of Bright Star K9, she was an instructor for Canine Learning Center for several years. She is also an American Kennel Club (AKC) Evaluator for Canine Good Citizen.

Emma has volunteered her time and home to foster dogs for Animal House, Bounce, Herding Dogs of Wyoming, and the Dumb Friends League, and she can be found judging 4-H dog shows in Colorado and Wyoming. She is a board member in the Long’s Peak Dog Training Club, an active member of the Northern Colorado English Springer Spaniel Club and Level Up CO GRC Club, an associate member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, and she was the co-captain of NoCo Disc Dogs Toss and Fetch Team for 2 years. She also has seven dogs of her own that participate in a range of AKC events including obedience, rally obedience, scent work, trick dog, therapy, barn hunt, and agility in addition to protection sports, dock diving, toss and fetch, disc dog, upland hunting, and canine fitness.

She holds herself and her dogs to a very high standard which is evident from numerous titles her personal dogs hold. She is a staunch advocate for continuing education and is constantly enrolled in classes, seminars, and private lessons to better herself and her dogs. She is a NePoPo Gold School graduate, a certified Martin Technologies E-collar instructor, and she has attended conferences and seminars held by the International Association of Canine Professionals, International Working Dog Association, NePoPo, and other professional dog trainers like Cameron Ford and Pat Stuart.

Emma is a balanced dog trainer. She takes each dog as an individual and tailors her training plan to meet the needs of the dog while using the tools that they respond the best to rather than implementing a one-size-fits-all training regimen. She always starts with the least intrusive methods that the dog responds to and works up from there. She is honest about her methods, why she selects them for each particular dog, what she thinks will work best to suit the needs of the owner, and which tools are needed to facilitate better communication between dog and handler. She is not sponsored by any company, so any food, tools, treats, or toys she recommends for purchase are unbiased by monetary gain and will be the honest opinion of a professional dog trainer.

Emma has always loved working with animals, and her true love of working with dogs was sparked by her first dog, Paige, an American Cocker Spaniel. She had begged her parents for a dog for years, and they finally submitted when she turned 8 years old. However, her first dog came with a few conditions. Foremost among these was that she had to train and care for the dog herself, but unlike many other children her age, that was her dream job. She took countless classes with Paige, learned how to groom her, went on adventures with her, and pushed the limits of their bond well beyond what anyone expected. It was her devotion to Paige’s well-being and development that sealed the deal for the next dog she asked for several years later.

Ever since Paige, she has been involved in the dog world. She raised puppies, trained obedience, and exercised dogs for neighbors, friends, and family. If anyone close to her family had dog needs, Emma was the one they contacted to find a solution. She has been continuously expanded her knowledge of dogs and dog training over the last 20 years. Her voracious appetite for all things canine has grown into an obsession, and in 2017, she began training dogs professionally.

Emma’s husband, Daniel, focuses on the dog sports side of dog training and conditioning. He was in the Marine Corps from 2010 to 2016 and is currently in a doctoral program at the Colorado School of Mines. His interest in dog training began to flourish in 2016 when he started to compete in rally with his dog Cosmo. He was quickly drawn into other competitive sports including scent work, agility, canicross, toss and fetch, barn hunt, and dock diving. He was co-captain of the NoCo Disc Dogs Toss and Fetch Team for two years, and he has been teaching canine odor detection and agility at Canine Learning Center since 2021. Alongside his dogs, he has earned titles in AKC scent work, NACSW nose work, rally, obedience, toss and fetch, and barn hunt. He has been an active member in the Longs Peak Kennel Club since 2017.

Daniel continues to improve his understanding of how to effectively and quickly train dogs to be competition-ready by attending seminars, taking classes, trying new methods, and trialing with his dogs. Despite qualifying for the title, he is one of the few scent work instructors in northern Colorado that does not teach as a Canine Nose Work Instructor (CNWI), preferring to instead use methods that prioritize a dog’s communication skills and drive to target odor over drilling searches with treats. Emma and Daniel work together cohesively to ensure that their dogs and the dogs in their care receive high-quality training and exercise to keep them confident and ready for the challenges of trialing and everyday life.

It’s hard for Hayley to remember a time without having a dog at her side. She grew up in a family of dog lovers, and competed with the family dogs in dock diving, surfing, and agility as a junior handler. From a young age, Hayley knew that she wanted to have a career working with these wonderful animals. Initially pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, Hayley attended Colorado State University and majored in Zoology. During her time in college, she became fascinated with animal behavior and dog training, so she decided to switch gears and follow this passion. 

Hayley has worked with dogs in a number of different roles over the past few years. She has spent several years working at Crystal Glen Kennels where she became a “jack-of-all-trades”, learning dog husbandry, professional grooming, puppy rearing, and dog training. She currently works as a K9 disease detection handler, specializing in training dogs to detect diseases in wildlife. She has been involved with training at Brightstar K9 since 2021, and thoroughly enjoys working with the client dogs under expert guidance. 

Hayley’s story is incomplete without mentioning her steadfast companion, Millie, who would be the spark that reignited her passion for dog training. In 2019, Hayley adopted the shy little Rez dog and the pair soon found themselves training in a variety of canine sports to help build Millie’s confidence. Millie blossomed into a new dog through her sport training and has earned titles in AKC agility and rally. Hayley and Millie have been invited to the AKC Rally Nationals for 2020 and 2021, and they have earned numerous High Triple and High Combined awards in rally. The pair hope to compete in obedience, tracking, barn hunt, and scent work in the future. 

The first time Liz smiled as an infant was when she met a neighbor’s dog. This must have been when her passion was sparked. Growing up, her dad referred to her as the “wolf child” because of her obsession with dogs. The day Liz was old enough, she went to the local shelter and signed up to volunteer working with the dogs because her parents told her she couldn’t have one of her own. When her dad finally caved and bought her a dog she spent most of her free time training and working with her dog. She ended up winning a trick contest at the county fair with him. This when Liz knew she wanted to have a career working with dogs.

Once she grew up and moved out on her own, she adopted her first personal dog, an American Bully name “Ricky.” Liz and Ricky trained and competed in weight pull competitions. She loved the bond they built training together. Liz went on to attend a program to become a certified obedience trainer through Animal Behavior College. During this time, she studied and worked under trainers assisting in doggy daycare, board and trains and obedience classes where she learned balanced and positive reinforcement training techniques

Aside from working with Bright Star K9, Liz has also been working as a dog handler for a wildlife disease detection program since 2018.  She is also pursuing her degree in psychology at Colorado State University and raising her 9-year-old daughter. To Liz, there is nothing better than getting to work with dogs every day.

Jessie's interest in animal training started as a kid when she taught her pet rabbits and cats to perform tricks. She competed and won in second level dressage in addition to earning year-end awards at local shows with her thoroughbred horse whom came with minimal training. Her parents eventually decided the family could get dogs, and she read whatever training books she could find to aid her in teaching them basic cues and life skills. When she got her own dog "Sadie" (a corgi) in 2019, she once again delved into learning about dog training and continues to be passionate about expanding her knowledge. With Sadie, she discovered the world of dog sports. The team plays and holds titles in obedience, rally, agility, barn hunt, trick dog, and scent work, and they have earned several high-in-trial awards. Jessie is particularly passionate about training ring preparation skills for a confident performance at trials and about combining precision work with fun training games. 

Jessie’s work with Bright Star K9 includes assisting with training client dogs and students in class. She says she’s fortunate to be on our training team because one of her favorite things about working with so many different dogs is learning who they are and what works for them as individuals. What do they find reinforcing? What captures their attention? What strengths do they have? She focuses on breaking training challenges down into manageable pieces and setting dogs up for success while working towards larger goals for them. 

Jessie earned a bachelor's degree in biology and has taught undergraduate biology students and worked in research labs. Years reading and writing research papers, teaching, and conducting experiments have helped her develop an eye for details, an ability to analyze results and pivot when things need tweaking, and a passion for continuing education. She spends much of her spare time listening to dog training podcasts, reading training books, and taking classes and seminars and applying what she learns. Jessie has served as a volunteer at Quest Agility Camp and at FDSA Training Camp, both of which involved three days packed full of learning from instructors recognized for excellence in their fields. She is currently secretary for Longs Peak Dog Training Club.