Kelly Daniel
Kelly Daniel lives in the Waikato of New Zealand, and shares her life with the human family, six dogs, and some cats. She teaches Biology to high school students and also trains people and their dogs with Hybrid Dog Training & Rehabilitation. Before dog training, her background included Science (BSc, MSc from Otago University) and working as a veterinary nurse.
Kelly has loved, trained, and competed with a range of dogs, including Border Collies, a Husky cross, a heading dog, a terrier cross, and working Cocker Spaniels. They have titled in a wide range of sports, including agility, jumpers, obedience, rally-o, flygility, tricks, and more. They have gained Champion titles for multiple dogs in agility, jumpers, flygility, and tricks. She and her dog Deo also starred on the NZ Dog TV show "Dog Almighty," and they have completed many commercial advertising jobs, as well as managing numerous professional shoots as the main Animal Wrangler on set.
In 2018, Kelly completed a Certificate of Canine Fitness Training from FitPaws and the University of Tennessee. Other qualifications include FDSA Sports Foundation Trainer Certification, Canine Raw Nutrition, Canine Kinestheology Taping, Canine Mobility, and Canine Myo-manipulative Functional Therapy (Canine massage). Recently, she has become a SSANZ nosework judge, completed a Diploma in Exercise Rehabilitation and Clinical Canine Hydrotherapy, and is currently studying Laser Therapy.
In her business, Hybrid Dog Training & Rehabilitation, Kelly looks at the dog as a whole and ensures they are physically and mentally healthy and sound. This includes considering the dog's fitness, nutrition, training procedures, cooperative care, sports-specific handling, decompression and enrichment, emotions, and behavior.
She says, "I'm a big fan of being smart with training in terms of clean training procedures, and getting geeky with strategies for clear and consistent communication. My passion (and specialty area) is creating sports-specific exercise and rehabilitation programs for working and sports dogs."
Current qualifications and memberships include:
- BSc Zoology
- MSc Zoology/Physiology
- Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching
- Certified Canine Fitness Trainer
- Fear Free certified trainer
- UpDog Disk Judge
- Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Sports Foundation Trainer Certificate
- Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Facility Staff member
- Dogs Naturally Certified Raw Food Specialist
- Member of the APDTNZ
- Member of the IAABC
- SSANZ Novice level Nosework Judge
- Certificate in Canine Mobility
- Certified Canine Myofascial Release (massage)
- Certified Canine Exercise Rehabilitation Therapist
- Certificate in Clinical Canine Hydrotherapy