Owner
Alyssa is devoted to bridging canine relationships by connecting with dogs and people to work together. Born and raised in Tampa, Florida she began her career at age 11 working with horses. Throughout the years she’s developed and expanded her education in dog training specifically. After several different apprenticeships and working for the businesses she realized her heart truly lied in Tampa. She then decided to bring the Total Dog experience home. That’s when Total Dog Tampa was created! Traditional programs, such as group classes or board & train classes rarely meet an owner’s expectations and fail to unlock the dog’s full potential. This is why Total Dog believes in one-on-one specialized training, mobile to the owner, working exclusively on their individual needs. Through empowering the Pet Parent with our techniques and knowledge, we give them the ability to take their dogs anywhere, living harmoniously. Alyssa possesses a level of understanding rarely seen when it comes to animals. She’ll undoubtedly positively impact both you and your dog to achieve training results you didn’t believe possible.
Meet the Team
I began my training journey after growing up with a reactive dog and wanting something better for my own dog, Nyx. Once I started applying what I learned from videos, I saw incredible progress and realized how much I loved helping dogs thrive. That passion led me to leave my health‑care career and pursue dog training full‑time.
As I gained experience and accreditations, my second dog, Zigi, pushed me even further. His severe anxiety and reactivity challenged everything I thought I knew. After years of struggling with positive‑only methods, I turned to balanced training, which finally gave him the structure he needed. That transformation changed my life and inspired me to specialize in reactivity and aggression rehab.
Since then, I’ve worked with thousands of dogs and their owners, helping them build clear communication and strong, respectful relationships. My current dog, Poppy, a mini Australian Shepherd and service dog, continues to motivate me to keep learning so I can help every dog stay in their home and live a fuller life.
I went on to receive accreditations and worked training on as many dogs as I could get my hands on. My second dog (Zigi) was more than a handful. He straight duped me whenI saw him in the shelter so lovable and happy guy, the staff did warn me “He doesn’t like all people, especially kids” and “definitely NOT dog-friendly”. As a new dog trainer, I thought that’s fine, I can train him. Oh was I so wrong! I didn’t have near the informed needed or the skills to be able to train his level of anxiety and insecurity. Zigi is the dog that changed my life. I went to several different trainers seeking more information and advice on training and struggled for 4 years with positive reinforcement only. Sadly, that was not his journey, I turned to training tools and balanced training to get him on track and able to live our lives to the fullest. That was the best decision I have ever made and IT WORKED! I continued to intern with balanced trainers and learned techniques needed to specialize in reactivity/aggression rehab. Fast forward, I’ve trained and worked with thousands of dogs. Teaching both the dogs and their owners how to communicate to each other and build beautiful and respectful relationships. My current dog (Poppy) is a well-trained serve dog, mini Australian Shepherd, and although she isn’t perfect, she has exceeded all of my training expectations and I will always continue to seek out new techniques and training methods to be able to help any and all dogs build what’s needed to stay in their homes.
Cassie has been working with dogs since childhood. She originally dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but everything changed when she began hands‑on work with hunting dogs. Training them sparked a passion for helping people communicate more effectively with their dogs. She started by offering free training to friends, family, and neighbors, gaining experience with everything from basic obedience to teaching German Shorthaired Pointers to flush pheasants and Labradors to retrieve ducks.
Over the years, Cassie has learned from many respected trainers and developed her own clear, effective training style. She believes every dog is an individual and tailors her approach to the dog in front of her—never a one‑size‑fits‑all method. She has worked with countless breeds, ages, and temperaments, and her personal pack includes Dobermans and Xoloitzcuintli. Together, they compete in dog shows and performance sports, earning multiple titles. All of her dogs were adopted or rehomed, and she also leads a successful service‑dog team.
Growing up I spent as much time as I could at shelters or at the barn working with horses. I have 15 years experience riding horses as well as 3 years training horses. However, dogs are my passion! I love helping dogs and people connect better through training.
I attended Starmark academy’s school for dog trainers in January 2021, and graduated with my Masters Dog Training Certification. I love helping to build better relationship between humans and dogs.
Chloe was born and raised in Lutz, FL and grew up with dogs her whole life. Chloe originally wanted to be a veterinarian, but after working in the field as a veterinary nurse for 4 years she realized her passion lies in canine behavior.
Her dog training journey began when she got Karma, her German Shepherd, to train as her service dog. From 8 weeks old, Chloe trained Karma not only to task for her disability, but to a high standard as to behave on at amusement parks, attend doctors appointments, and even go on airplanes. Fortunately, today, Chloe does not require daily assistance of Karma anymore, so now they are able to spend their time on more fun training, mainly consisting of PSA (Protection Sports Association) alongside her Dutch Shepherd, Rev.
Alyssa met Chloe in a PSA protection seminar, and as they started a friendship and regularly training together, Total Dog decide to take on Chloe as a member of the team.