Today’s guest is Ali Van Es — a certified professional dog trainer who began her journey at the prestigious Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers. After completing her formal education, Ali continued her development by learning directly from some of the top sport dog trainers in the country and regularly attending advanced workshops and seminars.

Her passion for animals started young, but dogs have always held a special place in her heart. By the age of 18, Ali was already training professionally, joining the team of a dog training company where she had previously attended classes with her own dogs. While she enjoyed helping handlers strengthen communication with their dogs, she felt limited by the group class format and sought a more personalized approach.

That drive led her to launch her own training company — where she could truly tailor each session to the individual needs of both dog and handler. Helping people build stronger, more effective relationships with their dogs is something she takes great pride in.

Beyond her work with pet dogs, Ali is also active in the competitive world of dog sports. She currently competes in Mondioring — a protection sport — with her Belgian Malinois, and has also trained in Rally, Lure Coursing, Dock Diving, and Herding. Most recently, she’s diving into the world of advanced Trick Dog Training.

In Episode 1 of The Nate Schoemer Dog Training Podcast, Nate sits down with Certified Professional Dog Trainer and PhDogs co-founder, Bethany Preud’homme.

Bethany is a canine education expert certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. She graduated top of her class and made history as the first K9 team to complete a 3,000-mile thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail.

In this episode, they dive into essential dog training topics, including:

• Basic dog obedience

• Puppy imprinting

• Dog aggression & resource guarding

• Rescue dog rehabilitation

• Service dog training

• Competition obedience

• What it takes to become a professional dog trainer

With over 100k views on YouTube, this episode is packed with insights for dog owners, trainers, and anyone passionate about canine behavior and training.