Ridgeside K9 Summerville is a veteran-owned business. Our company brings realism to the pet dog training world that is unmatched in the industry. Ridgeside K9 believes there is no “one size fits all” approach to dog training. Each dog and owner are evaluated for issues and their personal goals. Every training package is customized to meet your goals and your dog’s training threshold. We use a mix of marker training, free shaping, and classical and operant conditioning to establish real-world, measurable, and reliable obedience and control. We always push for clarity of task and understanding; communication is the key to success. Showing both the dog and the owner a new way!
(Tara) took my first basic obedience trainer course in 2009 to quench a thirst for knowledge and have fun with my personal dogs. That course served as a catalyst and I began helping friends with their dogs as well. In 2016 I was selected as a K9 handler for my police department. That selection ignited my passion and dogs became my life. I attended any course I was able, read as many books as possible and spent every minute in the car listening to podcasts. 2017 threw me a curve ball when I was selected as our K9 unit supervisor. Over the next few years I trained 6 fellow K9 teams and handlers and managed not only the training but all of the administrative needs of the unit.
In early 2019, I was presented an opportunity to train a dog for profit. I began giving lessons on my off days and the business quickly started to grow. I began to realize that training dogs truly made me happy and I made it my goal to make it a full time job. Helping owners and dogs improve their relationship and better communicate drives my passion for work and to continue learning every single day. Some of Tara’s certifications include: Police K9 Trainer, Canine CPR and First Aid, Behavior Modification, Breeding/Whelping, Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and Animals in Disaster to name a few!
Since he was a child, Zack has always been an avid dog lover. He got his first dog and immediately his passion ignited. In 2015 Tara and Zack became a blended family of 5 dogs and the need for a balanced household became paramount. In 2016 Tara was selected as a K9 hander and their lives forever changed. Both Tara and Zack became completely immersed in dog training and dog behavior. It was because of that, Zack discovered his true passion in life, developing young dogs for protection work.
He dedicates all his spare time learning all aspects of helping dogs develop gripping behaviors, both police dogs to sport dogs alike! In 2020 he became a certified training decoy in the Protection Sports Association and has risen through the ranks to become an Instructor and Ranked Purple Belt under Shawn Edwards, owner/trainer of Stateline Canine. Zack’s passion continues to grow every day and it won’t be long before he once again attains another belt!
Cori has been training professionally since a young age, starting with her first dog, Stark, a German Shepherd she acquired at the age of 14. She has accumulated many years of experience assisting families with their pet dogs and helping them achieve the best versions of their animals. Additionally, she participates in protection sports with Stark and her other dog, a Dutch Shepherd named Amika. Cori also has a rescued Chihuahua mix named Loki, with whom she performs tricks and demonstrations.
Jeffrey has dedicated his life to working with dogs, gaining extensive experience ranging from law enforcement K9s to personal pets. For over a decade, he has served as a law enforcement K9 handler and is now a Sergeant and lead trainer of his unit. Jeffrey holds certifications as a North American Police Work Dog Association Trainer, in canine first aid and casualty care, and canine CPR, and has accrued thousands of hours of hands-on experience. He treats every dog as his own and takes pride in strengthening the bond between owners and their dogs.
Emily Whipp has been training dogs professionally for over 10 years. Her experience has been gained through intensive, self-propelled study and execution. With a solid foundation based in competitive dog sports she has amassed years of experience in both balanced and motivational techniques. Emily has learned from some of the most successful pet dog trainers and competition dog handlers in the world. It has been this accumulation of knowledge and experience that has aided her ability to implement real, science based training to create and even change behavior in companion dogs today.
Emily is also a National level competitor with her two female German Shepherds in a dogsport called PSA. Her mission is to help her clients and her community to better understand their best friends. That when we have a relationship based on trust and respect, the effects are mutually beneficial.
Growing up with dogs for most of his life. Michael’s interest in training came later, after several years of working as a chef.
While living in New York City, Michael got a Dutch Shepherd. To help his dog adjust to city life, he began researching balanced training and canine behavior. After completing a basic obedience program, he continued studying both in person and remotely with numerous trainers from the pet and working dog worlds.
Originally from Boston, MA, Michael lived in NYC for the past 20 years before relocating to Charleston, SC. His interest in bite work and detection for his Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois led him to find Ridgeside K9.
Amanda Atkins, a North Carolina native, has been an animal lover and enthusiast her whole life. Growing up in Kansas, as a member of the American Rabbit Breeder’s Association, Amanda raised and showed rabbits with 18 best in show winners at last count. She was a Quarter Horse owner and competed in team roping and team penning in Kansas and Kentucky. Amanda worked for Dr. Barbara Schmidt’s equine veterinary practice in Union, Kentucky as a veterinary care assistant providing treatments, stall turn outs and basic care to horses. Dogs have always been a part of her life and she has owned over 10 different breeds. Amanda graduated from the Nash Academy of Animal Arts in Lexington Kentucky, a certificated dog grooming program.
She has worked as a groomer and groom shop manager for PetSmart and the Middendorf Animal hospital in Northern Kentucky. For 15 years Amanda was a small business owner and ran her own dog grooming shop, Your Best Friend Pet Salon in Burlington, Kentucky. Amanda sold her groom shop in 2017 to one of her former employees to focus on raising her two daughters, that shop continues to thrive to this day. Amanda has always been involved with training the dogs that she has owned. Over the last 25 years Amanda has trained her dogs in agility, frisbee, flyball and basic obedience and has just recently started scent detection and herding with her two Corgis (Sullivan and Bella). Amanda resides in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. She currently owns 4 dogs, 2 cats and will soon be the proud owner of her first Dutch Shepherd.
Originally from the Kansas City area, Jillian started her career in animals while receiving her bachelors in Animal Science from Kansas State University. While there, she started working for an in-home pet sitting company, where she found her true passion for dog training. She started to learn as much as she could about dog behavior and offered various pet services for over a decade before turning her passion into a business. After selling her company in Georgia, she made her way to Hutto, TX where she graduated from Starmark Academy for Professional Dog Trainers.
After graduation, Jillian discovered a new joy in bite sports and decoy work. While her two shepherd mixes Zeke and Teddy do not compete, she thoroughly enjoys learning as much as she can on every facet of decoy work. Her journey as a dog trainer has allowed her to experience many different places, and she is excited to bring her skills to her new home in South Carolina.
Kayla has been passionate about dogs from a young age, always drawn to the idea of pursuing bite work and exploring the world of working dogs. Today, she shares her life with her two-year-old Belgian Malinois, Beretta, and actively trains in dog sports, continuing to deepen her understanding of drive, engagement, and teamwork.
While she loves the focus and intensity of sport training, Kayla is equally passionate about helping pet dogs and their owners build clear communication and lasting bonds. She believes training is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the relationship between a dog and their family, creating confidence, trust, and real-life reliability.
