Graham Bloem
Founder & CEO, Specialty Dog Training
Co-Founder & President, Shelter to Soldier™
Professional Dog Trainer • Behavior Expert • Author
Graham Bloem is a nationally recognized professional dog trainer, behavior expert, author and founder with more than 25 years of experience in the professional dog care and training industry. His career has been dedicated to understanding dogs, strengthening the relationship between dogs and people, and developing training programs that create meaningful, lasting results.
Born in South Africa and raised with an early appreciation for animals, wildlife and the outdoors, Graham’s connection to animals began long before it became his profession. That lifelong interest ultimately developed into a career centered around dogs and the extraordinary relationships they form with people.
Graham began working professionally in the pet industry in 1999, gaining early experience in pet nutrition, animal care and management. His growing interest in canine behavior led him to pursue formal dog-training education through Animal Behavior College, where he graduated as an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT).
His early professional training career included work with respected animal welfare organizations including Helen Woodward Animal Center and Rancho Coastal Humane Society. These experiences gave Graham extensive exposure to dogs of different breeds, backgrounds and behavioral needs, including dogs struggling with fear, reactivity, aggression and other challenges.
Over the following two decades, Graham’s work expanded across virtually every area of professional dog training. His expertise includes family and companion dogs, puppy development, advanced obedience, behavior modification, working dogs, service dogs and trained personal and family protection dogs. He has worked with thousands of dogs and their families and has also mentored aspiring professional dog trainers and consulted with pet-related businesses and organizations.
Graham’s career has included several extraordinary dogs and stories that reached audiences around the world. He worked with war-zone rescue dogs including Lava, brought home from Iraq by retired Marine Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman, and Nubs, rescued from Iraq by retired Marine Lt. Col. Brian Dennis. Their remarkable stories became the subjects of bestselling books and international media attention.
Graham has also worked at the intersection of canine behavior and technology, serving as an advisor and Chief Dog Trainer for CleverPet and contributing his training and behavior expertise to the development of interactive technology designed for dogs.
In 2012, Graham helped establish Shelter to Soldier™, a California nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing together rescue dogs and people in need. Today, as Co-Founder and President, Graham helps lead the organization’s work selecting, training and placing service dogs with veterans and others whose lives can be transformed through highly trained canine assistance and companionship.
His work in dog training, animal welfare and the community has earned recognition including the American Red Cross Real Heroes Award, 10News Leadership Award, CBS8 Change It Up Award, Waggy Award for Animal Welfare and Honeywell Life Safety Award.
Graham has been featured, interviewed and recognized across television, radio, print, podcasts, books and digital media, with coverage spanning local, national and international outlets. He continues to serve as a media resource on dog behavior, professional training, service dogs, protection dogs, animal welfare and the human-canine relationship.
In addition to his training and leadership work, Graham is an author and educator. His children’s book, I’m On Duty, introduces young readers to the important role service dogs play in the lives of people with disabilities. Through writing, speaking, media appearances and educational content, he continues to share lessons learned throughout a career devoted to dogs and the people who love and depend on them.
Today, Graham leads Specialty Dog Training alongside a team of professional trainers and support staff serving families throughout Southern California and clients nationwide. His work spans everyday family dogs and complex behavioral cases to highly trained service dogs and personal and family protection dogs.
“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~
Beyond the Dogs
For Graham, family has always been at the center of everything. Graham and his wife, Kyrié, share a life centered around their four children, family, animals and the outdoors. Family values, time together and creating meaningful experiences remain at the heart of life beyond his work.
His South African roots and early fascination with wildlife continue to influence his appreciation for animals and nature today. Away from work, Graham enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors and in the ocean, and sharing many of those experiences with his children.
Those same values—family, loyalty, service, responsibility and the importance of meaningful relationships—have shaped both Graham’s life and the organizations he has built.
Across each area of his work, the mission remains consistent: help dogs and people better understand one another, build stronger relationships and create successful partnerships that improve both of their lives.
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