Salem Flores - Markim's Professional Trainer

Salem Flores began working with dogs more than 15 years ago, steadily acquiring skills from his father and uncle, who between them have more than thirty years canine training experience.

Studying at the University of Guadalajara, Salem ultimately earned his PhD in veterinary medicine. While attending the University, he joined the Mexican Canine Federation, where he assisted AKC judges with organized competitions, while at the same time gaining valuable experience working with a wide variety of breeds.

Salem joined Markim Pet Resort in 2003 as a trainer and manager. In 2009, he, along with his wife Luz who oversees Markim Grooming operations, acquired the business. Salem proficiency in dog training, combined with his veterinary medicine education result in his remarkable ability to quickly and accurately assess whether a problem is medical or behavioral.

In addition to being licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Mexico, Salem has been involved with training dogs for several California police departments. He is the Obedience Club of San Diego Director of Training, and also donates his time to evaluate, rehabilitate and train rescue dogs for organizations such as Lab Rescuers, and It's the Pits to prepare them for adoption.

April Mitchell

April Mitchell has several years of experience with dog training. Her love for dogs became her passion in 2007 after she began volunteering and fostering for  the Pits dog rescue. Soon thereafter, she enrolled in classes at the Animal Behavior College and received her training certification.

April joined the Markim Pet Resort team in 2008. She provides instruction in obedience training; basic manners; and solving behavior problems such as aggression, nuisance barking, chewing, digging, jumping, house training, and others. She offers private and group classes, as well as in-home and in-board kennel training. April is an AKC-approved Canine Good Citizen evaluator and has experience with a wide variety of breeds.

In addition to training at Markim, April donates her time to train It's the Pits rescue dogs and works closely with Lab Rescuers.

Dorothy "Dot" DeLisle

Dorothy “Dot“ DeLisle has been training dogs to work livestock since 1993. She has competed on a wide variety of courses and livestock in American Kennel Club, American Herding Breed Association, Australian Shepherd Club of America, and Western Cowdog Association trials. She has put hundreds of herding titles on dogs - as well as several obedience titles - and has a whole wall full of High In Trial and Reserve High In Trial rosettes. Dot is both an American Kennel Club and American Herding Breed Association herding judge and has put on herding training clinics across the US and Canada.

Dot realizes that herding talent is composed of a wide variety of traits and that an individual dog will come preloaded with only certain of these traits. The training is tailored to train in what is not naturally there while taking into consideration the temperament of the dog. Dot does not train with a preconceived regimen, but trains according to what she sees in the individual dog at the given moment.

Dot's emphasis is teaching the dog to work with self-control in a calm, confident manner; to work enthusiastically and obediently. Both dog and handler are taught how livestock need to be worked.

Gabriella Ravani

Gabriella Ravani has been instructing agility since 1998. She is totally addicted to the sport and competes in all venues of agility: AKC, USDAA, CPE, NADAC, UKC. She loves sharing her knowledge, passion for the sport and really enjoys working with all breeds.

She has over 84 titles on her 4 Dalmatians and her Dals are consistently ranked in the AKC top ten Agility Dalmatians. More importantly, her students are very successful in every agility venue.

Her goal for her clients and their dogs is that they: A) have a great time at class and B) learn everything they need to meet their own goals - whether that is to win Nationals or just to get some exercise and have fun with their dog.