My mission is simple: to positively impact our client’s lives one dog at a time.
- Is your dog suffering from separation anxiety?
- Need help with basic manners or have a serious behavioral concern?
- Did you just add a puppy to the family?
I can help! I specialize in separation anxiety, puppy raising, manners, therapy dog preparation and behavioral consulting.
Your dog is part of your family – learn why working with a qualified, educated and credentialed dog training and behavior specialist is the best choice for you and your pet.
Education Matters
I pride myself on my education and certifications as a professional:
- I am a graduate of the esteemed Karen Pryor Dog Trainer Professional Program
- I am an Accredited Dog Trainer through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
- I am a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer
- I am a Fear Free Certified Animal Trainer
- I am a Certified Controlled Unleash Instructor
- I am a Certified Family Dog Mediator
- I have my bachelor’s degree in psychology
Community Involvement Matters
Because my clients choose to partner with me I am able to give back to our community in the following ways:
- I volunteer with Therapy Dogs International
- I am a search and rescue handler with Dakota Search and Rescue
- I also foster dogs in our area
Dog Training Methods Matter
At Tenacious℠ I believe training should be FUN for both ends of the leash! I do this through positive reinforcement training. If you want to learn how to train your dog with methods, which are rooted in science, than you are in the right place! We specialize in clicker training, an exciting way to communicate with your dog!
Please visit the official position statement, on these training methods, from the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.
Tenacious℠ Dog Training isn’t just about training humans on how to train their dogs, it is about developing the Sioux Falls dog community of passionate, kind people who want to learn and have fun while building trust-based relationships with their canine companions! We’re a team here, and you’ll be part of something bigger!
Meet the TenaciousSM Team
Maggie Pearson
Maggie Pearson graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy for dog trainers, has her certification as a Separation Anxiety Trainer, and her Fear Free Certification. She is an Accredited Dog Trainer with IAABC, a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator for AKC, and an AKC CGC and Fit Dog instructor. She is also a Controlled unleashed certified trainer as well as a Certified family dog mediator.
To Maggie, it feels like she has never not been a trainer. She’s always been fascinated by training. As a child, she had Guinea pigs, rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, salamanders, frogs, and dogs—everything under the sun. She went on to get a degree in psychology to feed her fascination with learning theory and how animals learn.
Her passion never wavered, and she kept taking classes. It happened naturally that she started teaching group classes at her local kennel club. After a few years of doing that, she decided she should get more education. This is a theme for Maggie, a lifelong learner.
She met Lisa when she applied for Malena DeMartini’s Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) program, which Lisa was working for at the time. In 2021, she was delighted to join the Cold Nose team as a trainer and licensee. She says of Cold Nose, “I think it’s a great, great group of fantastic trainers who just want to help people.” She particularly enjoys the many learning and collaboration opportunities.
After Maggie got her separation anxiety credential, those cases quickly became her favorite. She has had a dog with separation anxiety and is familiar not only with the panic disorder itself but also with the stress it can put on a dog guardian. She loves helping dogs overcome their separation anxiety and giving pet parents the ability to leave their dogs without guilt and worry, hence giving the entire household some relief.
Maggie has a background in human resources, which helped her learn to advocate for people and to communicate. She is versatile and flexible in her interactions with people. She’s a superb listener and works to understand where clients are coming from and what their goals are with their dogs. Then she helps them bridge that gap.
She enjoys explaining dog behavior and helping people understand that often, what their dog is doing is normal. She can then help them find out an outlet for the dog to do “dog things” in ways that better fit in their human lives.
You can see Maggie’s practicality in the educational offerings she has created for local clients, including “Office Dog,” a program for business owners who want to provide their employees with the unique benefit of bringing their dogs to work and do so safely. It’s one of her most popular offerings.
Maggie provides her skills to her community. Along with search and rescue work with her dogs Ruger, RLo and Arson, she does therapy work with her dog Gracie. She is active in her local kennel club. She volunteers with fostering dogs in the Sioux Falls area.
Maggie Pearson is on a mission to positively impact lives, one dog at a time.
Maggie Pearson's Certifications
Brooke Dolce
My name is Brooke! I moved to Sioux Falls from Colorado Oct 2020 with my staffy Ruben and we are loving it so far!
I have been a force free trainer for around 4 years now and have been able to train in Utah, Idaho, Colorado and now South Dakota.
Ruben and I love to compete in dog sports and my all time favorite thing to teach is agility. We have competed in agility, barn hunt and scent work so far and we are hoping to soon be able to offer sport classes to Sioux Falls.
I am on my way to becoming a certified dog training professional and hopefully can work with reactive dogs in the future.
I love to see what kind of relationship you can create with your dog!
Pam Dennison, is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), member of The Pet Professional Guild, Truly Dog Friendly and former member of NADOI and Association of Professional Dog Trainers.
Pam started training dogs, in 1996. Since then she has helped thousands of dogs and handlers build their relationships and solve problems. She works with aggressive and reactive dogs.
LRayanne is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, an Accredited Dog Trainer through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a Family Dog Mediator, and a Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.
Rayanne has been working with dogs in some capacity since she was 10 years old! She has worked professionally as a force free trainer for 4 years and in that time earned several certifications. She lives in Sumrall, Mississippi, with her two dogs, Hoss, a Labrador Retriever and Kávé, a Mudi. Her passion is puppies! She loves helping owners set their puppies up for success and enjoy the benefits of a positive relationship. She loves working with both baby puppies and with “naughty” teenager pups as she currently has one of those herself! Her goal is to educate pet parents and to show them they can have a wonderful time training and building a bond with their dogs through positive reinforcement.
