Learn More About Our Training, and Management Teams!
Contact UsOur passionate Management Team & Staff is one of our greatest assets enabling Urban Pooch to provide your dog with the utmost love and care around the clock. Their dedication and commitment help to make Urban Pooch one of the most special places on Earth!
Our team is a collection of the most amazing and talented people in Chicago. But what’s more; we have lots of them! This means better care and more attention for your little (or big) four-legged companions.
You’ll never find us trying to “do more with fewer people.” Our approach is unique in the Chicago market. Our goal is to always dazzle pooches and their parents with our incredible service, love, and care!
Be sure to check out all of our excellent training staff, too.
For as long as she can remember, dogs have been apart of Grace's life; from getting her first dog at 5 years old, to religiously playing Nintendogs on her DS, and eventually to training her own Service Dog in college. At Urban Pooch, Grace teaches all levels of Agility and Disc as well as puppy and LEVELS classes. Grace has 3 personal dogs: Guster (Mini Schnauzer), Rafiki (Standard Poodle) and Kudos (Shetland Sheepdog). She trains and competes in Agility with her dogs and recently competed in Cynosports, making Steeplechase Finals with Guster. Grace loves watching dogs learn and progress, but even more so, loves watching the bond and relationship grow between humans and their four-legged friend through the training and playing they do together. She knows that life with a dog is one of the most rewarding things ever and wants to help all her clients reach their training and relationship goals with their pooch!
Rebekah has been animal-crazy since the time she could hold a pencil and draw all of the animals that lived in her imaginary farm, but dogs have always had a special place in her heart. She started training her Nintendogs from a young age, but at 15, her family got their very first dog, and Rebekah was finally able to teach fun tricks, build PVC agility equipment, and play frisbee with a real dog. Rebekah now has four kiddos of her own: Remi (Golden Retriever), Newton (Ragdoll Cat), Murphy (Border Collie), and Oliver (Domestic Longhair cat with CH). Rebekah actively trains and competes in agility, but also participates in disc, FastCat, herding, nosework, and treibball. At Urban Pooch, she teaches agility, disc, fitness, treibball, and LEVELS classes. Rebekah loves helping clients achieve all of their training goals and develop their bond and relationship with their dog. She also enjoys being able to love on all of the cute puppers! Rebekah is an evaluator for the AKC's Canine Good Citizen, STAR Puppy, and Tricks programs and has her CPDT-KA certification. She is a dog training nerd and is always working on continuing education. She has a PNCC (Pet Nutrition Coach Certification) and is working towards her Canine Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC) certification through NC State as well as her Canine Massage Certification through Canis Bodyworks. She is also taking classes for the Canine Fitness and Nutrition Diploma through E-Training for Dogs.
Ashley’s experience with animals goes back to before she can remember. Her family had three or four dogs (Goldens and Labs) at any given time, as well as horses. She spent her adolescence riding and showing her horses, and worked on general obedience with her dogs. She got her first dog of her own almost 2.5 years ago (Fig, a Silken Windhound). Fig proved to be a very busy pup, so Ashley started training and competing with her in agility as well as other sports like FIT DOG, CPE Speedway, lure coursing, and Treibball. She loves seeing dogs light up with the mental and physical enrichment sports can offer and gain a new kind of confidence and bond with their owners. Ashley actually started both sports and obedience training at Urban Pooch with Fig years ago and has had the pleasure of working with nearly all of UP’s awesome trainers in both of these areas! With a background in healthcare and orthopedics, and having had two family dogs with orthopedic issues, fitness and injury prevention in both humans and dogs is extremely important to her. She’s currently working to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach through NC State’s Veterinary Medicine program and looks forward to helping owners create a deeper bond with their dogs through sports and fitness!
Despite being a lifelong cat enthusiast, J has been made a dog lover via his time spent working with man’s best friend. He joined the Urban Pooch team in November 2014. In his time working with dogs, J has learned there is simply no substitute for a canine’s admiration.
He has the proud owner of two dogs: Tessa (Louisiana Leopard Catahoula) and Warbler (Australian Cattle Dog).
Sharon Cierniak has been training dogs for over 30 years. She has shown her dogs in many areas of the dog competition world, earning titles in obedience, agility, rally, tracking and carting. Sharon believes in looking at each dog as an individual to understand their particular training needs. Her belief in positive training methods helped her successfully work with many dogs and people to create a bond of trust and a joy of learning. She is committed to attending seminars and classes in order to continue to add new tools to her toolbox, keeping her classes fun and interesting.
Sharon's certifications include the following:
Certified Trick Dog Instructor, CTDI
Fear-Free Animal Trainer
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, CPDT-KA
Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
Our pup Shay just finished the 4-week Puppy Paw Star Academy at Urban Pooch, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. The difference in her is incredible — she’s more confident, listens better, plays nicely with other dogs, and just seems more calm and grounded overall. It honestly feels like we’re living with a whole new dog (in the best way). One of the things we really appreciated was how involved we got to be throughout the process. Every day, the trainers sent photos, videos, and a quick write-up on what Shay worked on and how she did. It gave us a clear picture of her progress and made it so much easier to reinforce the training at home. And any time we had questions or concerns — even small stuff — the team was super responsive, patient, and happy to talk things through. What really sets Urban Pooch apart is the people. Every single staff member we met was kind, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. They took the time to get to know Shay and made her feel completely comfortable and cared for. She ran through the door every morning, tail wagging, and we never had a moment of hesitation leaving her there. Urban Pooch truly became a second home for her — and honestly, we’re going to miss the daily drop-offs. If you have a new puppy and you’re even thinking about training, don’t wait. This is absolutely the place to go. We’re so glad we did.
I cannot recommend Sharon Cierniak and Urban Pooch dog training facility enough! My dog, Etta, and I recently completed both the Agility and Tricks courses, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. Sharon is an incredibly talented and patient trainer who has a true gift for working with rescue dogs. From the very first class, I could tell that she deeply understands canine behavior and has a genuine passion for teaching. She was able to tailor the training to Etta’s needs and personality, making sure we both progressed at our own pace. Her positive reinforcement approach created such a supportive and fun environment, which kept Etta motivated and eager to learn. The Agility course was an absolute blast! Sharon broke everything down into easy-to-understand steps, and Etta quickly picked up the skills, even overcoming some initial hesitations. The obstacles were exciting, and it was so rewarding to see Etta grow in confidence as we made our way through the course. Sharon’s encouragement and expert guidance made the experience feel both challenging and enjoyable. The Tricks course was equally fantastic! Sharon has a great way of keeping the classes upbeat and engaging, teaching new tricks with clarity and patience. Etta quickly learned a variety of fun and useful tricks, from simple ones like “sit” and “shake” to more advanced ones like “spin” and “bang!” The best part was seeing how proud Etta became of herself as she mastered each trick. I’ve noticed such a positive change in Etta’s behavior, confidence, and focus. The training we received from Sharon not only strengthened our bond but also gave me the tools to continue teaching and growing with Etta at home. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable, kind, and truly exceptional dog trainer, Sharon Cierniak is the one to go to!
We’ve really enjoyed our first treibball class! Ruby has always loved playing fetch, and treibball feels similar but more with more technique and challenges. With multiple balls, a goal to reach, and a focus on teamwork between us, it really gets her thinking. It’s been fun to tap into Ruby’s herding instincts, though I’m sure any dog would love it. As Ruby gets older, we’re grateful that treibball is active yet low impact. We also appreciate how Ashley makes practicing at home so easy with fun and creative homework ideas. Ruby has gained confidence and learned new commands—this class gets her moving and thinking all while having fun.