Who We Are
Alexis Toriello, Founder & Trainer (She/Her)
Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, M.A., ACDBC, CPDT-KA
Alexis is a certified professional dog trainer, behavior consultant and canine cognition researcher. She has nearly two decades of experience in dog behavior modification and has worked with thousands of dogs over the years, with needs ranging from fear to reactivity to separation anxiety and beyond.
Her methods avoid the use of force and rely on molding pet dogs' behavior by building positive life experiences and a strong relationship between human and dog. As a canine behavior and cognition researcher and long-time trainer, Alexis draws from a thorough knowledge of canine cognition and behavioral science, and bases her training on methods that are scientifically supported as being effective, humane, and lasting.
Alexis is an active member of the international dog behavior community. She is:
An International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (ACDBC)
A Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
A Master's Degree Candidate in Animal Behavior and Conservation at Hunter College
A professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
A licensed Family Paws Parent Educator
Endorsed by the the Washington Humane Society
Endorsed by Veterinary MDs Linda Isaacson and associates at Prospect Heights and Crown Heights Animal Hospitals, Lisa Scibetta of Hamilton Animal Hospital and Caroline Tan of Dupont Veterinary Clinic
A member of the national accrediting Animal Behavior Society
A member of The Association for Force Free Pet Professionals Pet Professionals Guild (PPG)
A member of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional Positive Pet Trainers (MAAPPPT) network formed by well-known behavior expert Pat Miller
A member of positive dog trainer networks Truly Dog Friendly and Force Free Trainers.
Certified by the American Red Cross in Canine First-Aid and CPR
Alexis has extensive experience working in animal shelters as a canine behavior specialist and has done foundational work in city shelters in DC and NY to build their behavior departments and rehabilitate their most challenging dogs for life in homes. She has also trained shelter dogs as therapy and companion animals for disabled war veterans for the organization Pets2Vets.
Alexis was born and raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and currently lives in Kensington, Brooklyn with her two dogs and her daughter. Look for her in Prospect Park and say hello!
Xander Garcia, Dog Behavior Consultant & Dog Walking Coordinator (He/Him)
Zander Garcia is a dog trainer living in Brooklyn, NY with his dog Raja, a 9-year-old female pitbull/rottweiler mix. He got his start working with sea mammals at the NY Aquarium, and subsequently expanded to birds, exotics and of course, dogs! He now focuses solely on dog training and behavior modification and has been an active member of the science-based, force free dog training community in NYC for the past seven years. Look for him and Raja in Prospect Park and say hi!
Moriah Shapiro,
Dog Trainer (She/Her)
Certified PMCT1
Moriah was born and raised in Brooklyn. She initially started dog walking and boarding as a young child as a ruse to get dogs in the house, and quickly moved up to fostering dogs in her teen years. After working at various Animal Clinics in NYC and North Carolina as a Veterinary Assistant, she realized that her heart lay in the realm of animal behavior. Moriah has since taken courses in dog training, behavior and cognition at Pat Miller’s Peaceable Paws, where she learned how to train dogs using methods that are force-free and science-based to help cultivate a greater mutual understanding and stronger relationship between dogs and their guardians.
While Moriah currently does not have any furry companions of her own to speak of, she can often be seen adventuring in Prospect Park with whatever canine foster or boarder is currently in her care.
Aldo Mendoza,
Dog Walker & Assistant Trainer (They/Them)
Aldo was born and raised in New York but spent their summers in Mexico on the family farm, where in addition to having dogs, they developed a deep love for caring for many types of animals.
Aldo worked in the trades for their entire career thus far, but never felt quite happy. As time went on and they began to understand themselves as the beautiful, queer person that they are, they knew that they had to make a change.
Aldo has been working with Zen Dog for almost a year now, and loves being able to form relationships with the “little bundles of joy that make life brighter” and helping to create happy home lives for dogs and their families.
Aldo is also a tech aficionado, avid skateboarder, big nerd retro gamer, and believes that they can DIY anything so long as they have access to YouTube.
Grace Ballard,
Dog Caretaker (They/Them)
Grace has been a dog parent all their life and has used a force-free training approach with all their fur babies. Grace is a therapist and works mostly from home, so when they have the opportunity to host dogs they can give them lots of attention and love. Also, being from beautiful Colorado, Grace loves to be outdoors, especially with a doggy companion by their side. They have been in New York for two years now, and aside from their day job they also train Muay Thai and were formerly a competitive weightlifter for 5 years.
Marcantoni (MA) Macias,
Dog Caretaker (He/Him)
MA has always been a dog lover his whole life. His frequent travel prevents him from having a dog of his own, so he is grateful for the opportunity to take care of our clients’ dogs whenever he can! His active lifestyle, patient attitude and communicative style make him an excellent caretaker for our fur babies. He looks forward to meeting yours one day!
Aside from being a dog enthusiast, MA is also a PE teacher, a wrestling coach and an avid jiu jitsu practitioner.
Jordan Tsurata,
Dog Caretaker (He/Him)
Jordan has had dogs his whole life growing up in Los Angeles, and after moving to Brooklyn in 2021 he wanted to continue to have dogs in his life. That’s why he loves dog sitting for our clients! He sends frequent photos and updates and will make sure you know your pup is in good hands.
When he’s not hanging out with dogs, Jordan is a professional tennis instructor. So you can also hit him up for private tennis lessons!
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