Meet the trainers

Ali Hemyari

Master Trainer

As the training director at Nashville K-9, Ali oversees all company operations on a daily basis. Nashville K-9 is the largest dog training company in Tennessee training more dogs than any other dog trainer or training company.

Ali enjoys participating in triathlons, SCUBA diving, flying helicopters and airplanes, and traveling the world.

Raine Mitchell

Master Trainer

As the head trainer of Nashville K-9, Raine’s experience exceeds training over 2000 dogs. She has trained therapy, law enforcement, and personal pets. On top of that, she manages a team of trainers and apprentice trainers teaching them from start to finish. 

Tobias Oleynik

Master Trainer

Tobias is a world renown dog training expert with a high specialty in IPO/IGP/Schutzhund. As a dog sport leader in all of Europe, Tobias has trained hundreds of trial competitors to excel in their training endeavors.

Elaine Stuhrmann

Trainer

Elaine was born in Dublin, Ireland and from a very young age expressed a love for all animals 2-legged, 4-legged, furred and otherwise. She graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Pre-Veterinary concentration.

Nick Wolkonsky

Trainer

Nick has been a trainer with Nashville K-9 since 2006. He is one of three Nashville K-9 Pet First Aid instructors and offers ongoing instruction at the American Red Cross. Nick’s doberman, Emma, is also one of our demonstration dogs for children’s demonstrations.

Jessica Baba

Master Trainer

Jessica is an obedience trainer and demonstrator for Nashville K-9. She’s been an integral part of the training team since 2006.

John Poland

Master Trainer

John started with Nashville K-9 in 2006 and has advanced his way into training multiple police, search and rescue, and personal protection dogs. A native of Kingston, TN, John graduated from the University of Tennessee. He’s one of Nashville K-9’s three Pet First Instructors certified by the American Red Cross.

Katie Mason

Apprentice Trainer

Katie Mason was born and raised in Middle Tennessee. She holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University in Media, Culture, & Communications with a minor in Psychology. After college, she spent many years working in marketing and advertising, but decided to abandon ship and build a new career around her lifelong passion for dogs. Since joining the Nashville K-9 team in 2018, Katie says that she has never had a morning where she didn’t wake up genuinely excited to go to work.

Cody Walden

Apprentice Trainer

Cody has been with Nashville K-9 since the fall of 2015. As an apprentice trainer, Cody's heavily involved in the daily training, exercising, and behavior management of dogs.

Brittany Koken

Behavioral Support

Brittany is originally from Huntsville, AL. She attended Cumberland University on a soccer, choir, and mascot scholarship. Since then has received her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, with an emphasis on performance and painting.

Dustin David

Behavioral Support

Dustin is an apprentice trainer at Nashville K-9, engaged in day to day activities and immersing himself in the multiple facets of the dog industry.