Amy has been a dog trainer for twelve years and received her certification while being employed at Petsmart. She fell in love with changing canines and their owner's lives through positive training. As her passion and love grew for training, she received five promotions and became the area trainer for Petsmart. Amy has now received her certification as a K9 behaviorist, Dog and Human Rehabilitation with Aggression, scent work, Therapy Dogs, and Service Dogs. She also is an evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen test and is a mentor and professor at the Animal Behavior College. Amy left Petsmart to continue her dream to start her own business. She ensured the company she created was family based and always had the clients best interest at heart. Most importantly she wants to make a happy environment for both owner and canine, along with saving lives. Amy has many accomplishments including being a member of AKC, ABC, and ADPT. Her hope is to continue to grow her business with her daughter by her side and continue changing the lives of so many. She currently runs three locations, oversees all trainers, Doggy Day Out, dog running, an dog sitting. She has also earned the respect of Rogers County Courts and has been requested to be their main source of training.

Megan is a certified trainer through Animal Behavior College. She received her certification in 2009 when she lived in San Diego, CA. She knew then that she always wanted to be a dog trainer. In 2012, she moved back to Oklahoma. Megan began to work with Amy and Spirit Ranch Dog Training. In 2014, she adopted Luke who is a Lab/Pit mix that Amy rescued. Megan is now the head Trainer with Spirit Ranch Dog Training and oversees the training at the three locations. She looks forward to learning more about the different areas of training. Megan is learning how to deal with Dog and Human Aggression in dogs which is something that she is very passionate in learning about. Training is a passion of hers and she looks forward to helping others and saving dogs lives.

Cody is one of our trainers and Dog Sitter. He has been working for Spirit Ranch Dog Training since April 2016. He left Target where he was Front End Supervisor to come to Spirit Ranch Dog Training because he has a strong love for dogs and all the dogs absolutely love to be around him. His passion and love for dogs is what makes him such a great trainer and employee. It definitely shows how much he loves his job in doggy daycare and when he is training in class. Cody is striving to learn more in the dog training field so that he can become a better trainer for his clients. He also wants to expand his training qualifications. Cody has a 3 year old Pit named Zoe who was rescued by a client of ours. Zoe and Cody instantly fell in love when they first saw each other.

Shelley is Spirit Ranch Dog Training's long time dog sitter. Her humor always manages to light up any room. Shelley is reliable, kind hearted, and enthusiastic. She has worked for Spirit Ranch Dog Training loyally for over six years, and continues to exceed our expectations. Her love for dogs is inspiring.

Chuck graduated from the United State K9 Academy in Milford, Connecticut in 1988. He was taught by Jack Healy a pioneer in canine behavior of that time. Mr. Healy set out to find a scientific method of dog training. The Healy Method is a non-intrusive technique for training canines for reliable companionship and Protection. Over the years, Chuck has continued to improve his skills and embellish his knowledge by staying current with the modern scientific techniques regarding canine behavior. Combining reward based training systems with the Healy Method he is able to help dog owners have a reliable and obedient canine companion.

Hello, I’m Niki!
I am 27 years old, and I work as a dog day care attendant here at Spirit Ranch Dog Training. I was in the restaurant industry for about 10 years, when I discovered it was not for me anymore. I was bringing my puppy to day care almost everyday to Spirit Ranch Dog Training. Everyone was always very kind and treated my puppy great. I used to dog sit growing up, and I remember how much fun I would have. Now, I’m living the dream taking care of these wonderful beautiful dogs everyday!

Thank you
Amy Vaughan

From the age of six Ester’s father, a trainer, breeder and hunter himself, had her working with dogs instilling a firm sense of consistency, patience, and willingness to see each animal in front of her. At 16 she acquired her “first dog”, a schnauzer, who participated in agility and minor obedience. From that day forward, she was hooked. Once she graduated high school, Ester started working/studying the many different facets of the pet industry including pet stores, professional kennels, vets’ offices, and canine hospitality such as grooming, boarding and daycare. She wanted to ensure that she not only understood dogs but the world humans had created for them. She continues her education to ensure she applies the best information, tools or training aids, and approach for every dog she comes into contact with. She has studied the work of trainers such as Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, and Patricia McConnell Ph.D to form the basis of her overall approach to dog training.

When it comes to training, Ester loves it all. From working with her own dog on the agility course in high school, she began professionally training at PetSmart to learn the basics. Since then she has encompassed multiple areas of training. Some of her fields of study have been; service dog handling, public access training, therapy dog curriculum and fear work. In the future, she is hoping to return to her roots and gain more experience with both raccoon and duck hunting, leading up to prison search and retrieval in rugged conditions. Size, breed, temperament; bring it on! Ester has worked with hundreds of dogs ranging from teacup yorkies and miniature poodles all the way to the giant Caucasian Ovcharkas and Dogo Argentinos. To Ester, “Every dog has drive but they aren’t always going the direction we want.” Her main focus during her training with you is to:

· Establish a direct line of communication between dog and owner
· Educate the dog about the owner’s expectations
· Build a training program to fit the whole family
· Forever preserve the spirit and personality of your canine companions

The name is Jennifer, I own one dog and four cats. I refer to all dogs as human beings, and all dogs are perfect and we are not worthy of their presence! for a good portion of my life i was a cat lady, until my Jackson (dog) came into my life and turned everything around, i became active in the rescue community as did my dog Jack, he loved cats and when we would go to the oet store he had yi always see the cats, he just wanted to give them all kisses, and then i found my current dog Simon, actually Jack and Simon became best friends through a fence! eventually we rescued Simon from a car lot, but unfortunately after a year with Simon our Jack was diagnosed with Cancer and passed away a month and a half later, Simon stepped up and made all the pain my wife and i were feeling easier, but the pain is still fresh, but we are beyond lucky to have Simon, he makes everything better in this world! I love all animals, i can never turn a blind eye to a dog or any animal thats in need! thats all folks!

Hello, I’m Niki.
I’ve been with Spirit Ranch Dog Training since February 2021.
I started bathing dogs when I was sixteen at a mom and pop shop. In 2006, I met Amy and she got me on at a petsmart. I fell in love! My goal was to learn everything DOG! From there I became certified to teach grooming and have my certification in training. I now am pursuing my training hands on training and Managing Spirit Ranch Dog Training.
I’ve found where I belong.
I have 3 pups Jeffrey Hostetler, Carlos Enchiladas, and Olive oliie oh! I also have an Amazing human child Hadley. (Who’ve you all probably seen or talked to) I can’t wait to see what’s next for me here at Spirit Ranch Dog Training!

Hello, my name is Shon Whitten.
I am a very lucky husband and father to two beautiful daughters. My wife is my best friend and my girls are my life. Dogs have Always been in my life, and we have Dutchess, Akiko, Shadow and Buddy in our family. They are my life too. All my life I have gratefully accepted love from every dog I encountered and I believed I was returning that love back to them. I equated 'giving them what I thought they wanted' as showing love, boy was I wrong. Becoming a father showed me that I need to set boundaries, be a leader, and help guide my daughters into making sound decisions that will benefit their lives ultimately. Giving them what they actually need to be happy as opposed to 'what I think they need'.......That is showing True love.
Turns out dogs require the same guidance. Mind you nothing I did was bad, I loved them all to pieces, fed, protected and coddled them. They were never without any basic needs. However, since I have begun to employ the training techniques advised by Spirit Ranch Dog Training, I have seen my relationship grow deeply and blossom into a loving relationship I Never could have imagined between me and my dogs. Instead of being just their best friend, I am working to become their pack leader, number one cheerleader and best friend all in one. Just like with my daughters, this is required to lead them into making proper decisions in their lives. This has enriched my life so profoundly and now I wish to share this with all my fellow dog lovers so they can have the same experience, which is why I am working to become a certified dog trainer at Spirit Ranch Dog Training.
Dogs reside in the present moment exclusively, and that is where I wish to dwell. We only have one life to live here on earth, so we should do what we love and what makes us happy. In being around dogs all day I have found this available, and that is why I offer dog sitting at your home or mine, daily drop-in's when you are busy but need your dog cared for, dog walking, delivering your dog to and from doggy daycare, delivery of Spirit Ranch's nutritional needs to your home, working in doggy day care, and am also learning to become a trainer.
It is Never too late to chase a dream so follow your heart, be at peace, take care of each other, and remember, Life is better because of dogs !--
Respectfully,
Shon Whitten
Luckiest Dad Alive

Hi, my name is Atty! I’ve worked as a kennel attendant at Spirit Ranch since December 2021. I grew up on a farm working with and training Mountain Curs along with volunteering at multiple rescues. I have one dog named, Ajax, he is an Anatolian and German Shepherd mix who was brought to my old job as a stray and now he is my whole world! I’m so grateful and happy to be taking care of your fur-babies, they’re in good hands with me and all of the other amazing staff members we have here.

Hello, my name is Justice. Growing up I was a very shy, reserved child so I didn’t always have a lot of friends but I did always have dogs! When I was six my family moved into a pond side home at which the previous owners had abandoned two beautiful and perfect border collies, whom we named Ginger and Sissy. We had always had dogs along with various other pets but those two really showed me the love our dogs have for us; that they are not ours, we are theirs. From day one they would walk me to and pick me up from my bus stop, play with me and go on small adventures into the woods. I adored them but because of complications, they both unfortunately passed. In high school my family and I got our best boy, a Rottweiler named Powak. The sweetest goofball around with a wild love for water and hatred of water hoses. He’d lived with me for the last six years and in his life time prevented three home invasions, the first when I was fifteen and home alone. Unfortunately in October 2021, he too passed. I’d been wanting to get another dog but couldn’t not only because it hurt to think about but also my job in the food service industry would make it incredibly unfair to the new addition as I was almost never home and they were sure to be bullied by the cats. So I made the decision to leave that industry and go where my heart had always been, at Spirit Ranch along side my mom where the puppies are! For now you can find me in the daycare, chatting it up with your pup but soon we’ll be talking about if bangs really do flatter your dogs face and personality or what is the best course for training.

Hello, my name is Aidan. I am a 27 year old female who recently moved to Tulsa back in May. I was brought to Spirit Ranch through a dear friend and once introduced, I immediately felt I had found a new home. I have always been an animal lover since I was young, both domestic and wildlife. I have a deep respect for animals and I believe that they are here to teach us more than we know. As an employee at Spirit Ranch, I get to work in doggy daycare, playing and petting, in addition to both in-home and away-from-home dog sitting. I have also had experience as a dog walker. Thank you for trusting me with your furry friends!

Hi I’m Shana the pet stylist here at Spirit Ranch. I have three amazing kids, a beautiful granddaughter, and three sweet fur babies that are my life. I have been grooming pets for the past 24 years. I was introduced to grooming when I was a little girl by a close family friend who owned her own shop that I would hang out at. I remember watching her work her magic and thinking I want to do that so in 1998 I got the opportunity to learn how to groom and I’ve been doing it ever since. I feel very blessed to have found a career that is so fulfilling and I still love to do.