“When you begin to understand the bond and connection your dog has with you and you have with your dog…confusion will diminish and your dog will begin to follow your lead”
~Graham Bloem~
Graham Bloem, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, is a dedicated dog trainer and behavior specialist with over 24 years of experience. After moving to Toronto, Canada, and later settling in San Diego, California, Graham earned his certification as an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT) in 2002. He has since devoted his life to improving the bond between dogs and their owners.
Graham’s extensive experience includes roles at the Helen Woodward Animal Center and Rancho Coastal Humane Society, where he specialized in behavior modification and saved countless dogs from uncertain futures. He founded West Coast K9 and served as a senior mentor trainer for Animal Behavior College, sharing his expertise with aspiring trainers.
Graham has trained famous war-zone rescue dogs, including Nubs and Lava, featured in NY Times Best Sellers. He has also contributed to developing innovative dog interaction devices like CleverPet. Currently, he is the Owner and CEO of Specialty Dog Training and the Co-Founder of *Shelter to Soldier™*, a non-profit providing trained rescue dogs to military personnel with PTSD.
Graham, a proud father of four, attributes much of his success to his wife, Kyrié, who shares his passion for helping dogs and veterans through their non-profit work.
San Diego Dog Trainer Graham Bloem
Graham’s Accomplishments
- Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer
- Mentor Trainer for Animal Behavior College
- Co-Founder of Shelter to Soldier™ – a non-profit organization that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to be service dogs for military men and women struggling with PTSD.
- Advisor and Chief Dog Trainer for Clever Pet, LLC.
- Professional Dog Trainer since 2002
- ABC 10News Leadership Award Recipient
- American Red Cross Real Heroes Award
- Honeywell Life Safety Award
- CBS8 News Change Makers Award
- Prior Dog Trainer to Helen Woodward Animal Center, a world renowned animal shelter
- Prior Dog Trainer & Consultant to Rancho Coastal Humane Society, a pioneer in rescue programs
- Dog Trainer to Nubs Dennis, the world famous rescue dog from Iraq. Nubs’ children’s book is a NY Times Best Seller and is one of the most successful children’s books of all time. The story is now being produced into a motion film.
- Dog Trainer to Lava Kopelman, another famous rescue dog from Iraq. Lava’s owner has published two NY Times Best Sellers.
- Managed and Directed a large Pet Resort
- Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
- Protection Dog Program Administrator
- Behavioral Evaluator & Specialist
- Service Dog Specialist
- Therapy Dog Specialist
- Partnered with a team of professional trainers with a combined 55 years of experience. Specializing in obedience training, , family protection dogs and executive protection dogs, behavior modification, service dogs, and detection dogs
- Business & Dog Behavior Consultant to boarding facilities, doggie daycares, veterinary hospitals, animals shelters & rescues
- Featured on local and national radio
- Featured on local and national news – CBS8, ABC 10News, KUSI, FOX5, NBC, CNN
- Mentioned and Praised on Ellen DeGeneres Show, Today Show & Tonight Show
- Contributing writer to Dog Fancy Magazine & Dog’s Life Magazine