Meet Our Team of Dog Trainers & Staff

Home Upstate Canine Academy Meet Our Team

Tom Davis

America’s Canine Educator

Tom Davis, an international dog trainer and founder of the sought-after Upstate Canine Academy in upstate, NY, specializes in behavior-based dog training. Tom Davis specializes in dog training based on canine behavior, and he is known for taking in some of the hardest behavior modification training cases. Known for tackling challenging behavior modification cases, his natural connection with dogs enables breakthroughs in reactivity and disobedience.

Discover the transformative insights and groundbreaking techniques that make Tom Davis a sought-after authority in the world of dog training.

Alyssa

General Manager

Alyssa is our General Manager and has been part of UCA for nearly a decade. Alyssa always makes sure that both dogs and clients at UCA are given the highest quality of care.

Alyssa works closely with our Training and Daycare teams to ensure a safe, enriching environment for all of the dogs in our care!

She has taken courses through the Animal Behavior College, Leerburg Dog Training University, and is a graduate of Penn Foster’s Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor program, as well as their Small Business Management and HR Management Essentials certification programs. She is also double certified in Canine First Aid and CPR.

Alyssa has two dogs of her own. A 6-year old Doberman, Delta, and a 4-year old GSD, Nova! Outside of UCA, you can find Alyssa either at home with her fiance, Dillon, or with her pups competing in various obedience and sports venues, such as FastCAT!

“My position at UCA has allowed me so many amazing opportunities over the years to learn and work with wonderful people and canines alike. To me, the best part of any day is seeing a dog’s progress. Knowing that we can help dogs become happier and healthier, and help build better relationships between dogs and their owners, is an all-around great feeling. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Zach

Head Trainer

Zach is our Head Trainer. He received his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a concentration in canines from SUNY Cobleskill in 2018. During his time at Cobleskill, Zach worked under the late NAPWDA (North American Police Working Dog Association) Master Trainer, Doctor Stephen Mackenzie. Zach credits ‘Doc” as his original mentor and the person who helped him become the trainer he is today. During this time, Zach found his passion in understanding behavior and, more importantly, his true love for dogs!

After his time at Cobleskill, he went on to South Carolina to work at a full-service training facility for a 600-hour internship to complete his degree. During this time, he continued to explore and expand his knowledge and his understanding of canine behavior and physiology. He also spent time working with all types of dogs, including police, personal protection, search and rescue, scent detection, service dogs, and of course, pet dogs! He also became more versed in teaching basic obedience and behavior modification.

Once he completed his internship, Zach came back home, being a native of upstate New York, and began his career at Upstate Canine Academy, starting with puppies and moving up to dealing with all forms of behavior issues, aggression, and off-leash training. More recently, he completed the “Proper Use of the Electronic Collar” offered by The Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers in California. Zach is also a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Zach strives to teach dogs and their owners all the skills they need to be successful and, more importantly, to enjoy the best life they can!

Outside of training, Zach spends most of his time with his family, friends, and his German Shepherd, Zora, or enjoying his newest passion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Kyle

Associate Trainer

Kyle is one of our associate trainers who works with our private training clients and board & train dogs. Kyle grew up on the North shore of Massachusetts. He has always had many dogs growing up. After high school, Kyle knew he wanted to pursue dog training. He worked at a doggy daycare and boarding facility where he learned a lot about body language, canine behavior and dog interactions. Kyle has completed the Dog Trainer certification through the Animal Behavior College. He took on many training clients of his own working on obedience and behavior modification prior to joining the team at Upstate Canine. Kyle is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

He has a Malinois x American Staffordshire Terrier mix named Tuco, who he rescued from a shelter. In his free time, Kyle enjoys doing advanced obedience and hiking with Tuco.

“I love being able to help clients build a better relationship with their dog and allow them both to live a better life. My goal is to help as many dogs as possible!”

Marigrace

Board & Train Trainer

Marigrace is one of our Board & Train trainers and she primarily works with dogs in our Board & Train programs. Marigrace has completed her bachelors in Pyschology and Criminal Justice at SUNY Albany and has worked with animals since she was 16. Marigrace grew up always owning dogs and enjoyed volunteering at her local animal shelter. It was not until owning her first dog as an adult that she fell in love with training.

From here, she traveled to California to intern at a training facility where she learned about canine psychology, behavioral modification, and pet dog training. Following her internship, she came back home and worked at a training facility/daycare before eventually coming to UCA. Marigrace is a member of the IACP and has completed her Cat and Dog First Aid Certification from the American Red Cross. Marigrace’s goal as a trainer is to help owners live the best life they can with their dogs.

Outside of work, you can find Marigrace spending time with her wife and their four dogs, Kody Jean, a lab mix, Gritta a working line German Shepherd, Thea Nova a pit mix, and Leo a southern Husky mutt. In their free time Marigrace likes to read, hike, and go on adventures with her dogs.

Elli

Dog Daycare Manager

Elli is the manager of Upstate Canine Academy’s Daycare facility, and has been a part of the team since February 2022. They earned their BFA in Graphic Design at the College of Saint Rose, along with minors in both Photography and Art Therapy. They have received their Cat and Dog First Aid Certification from the American Red Cross.

Elli has owned animals their entire life, including dogs, cats, birds, rodents, and various other critters; they have loved animals from a young age. Elli’s favorite jobs of many were dog walking and volunteer shelter/boarding work, and being a part of UCA has allowed Elli to discover more every day about dog behavior and different breeds.

Outside of work, you can find Elli in their home with their fiance and pets — a flock of birds, a little snail, a crested gecko, a Siamese kitten, and Elli’s best friend: their deaf pit mix, Echo. They love to read, write, draw, and play any kind of game in their spare time. They also dabble in freelance design, writing, photography, and dog walking for their family and friends.

“My favorite thing about working at UCA is the diversity in the dogs I am able to meet and interact with. It’s fascinating watching them form bonds with one another and the individual staff members. They all have their own very distinct personalities, and when they’re all here together it’s like watching this awesome Pack just co-existing. The best part is being a member of that Pack.”

Transformation Stories

Real Students, Real Results

I’ve seen Thomas work with other dogs with bigger issues and whether Thomas is dealing with my goofy, growing puppy or a dog with much tougher issues, he is always calm, always patient and always in the moment. Furthermore, that patience and calmness extends to the owners. Thomas answers all my questions (no matter how silly) and takes the time to explain everything he is doing. He has been able to show me my dog’s potential and has given me the tools I need to continue training efforts at home. I always leave a UCA private training session, or group session, feeling empowered and having a better connection with my dog.

We are very happy to have found Upstate Canine Academy for Oakley, our 3 year old German Shepard. Thomas and everyone at Upstate Canine Academy are excellent, highly recommended for training, coaching and education! You will not be disappointed and they can accomplish challenges big and small.

Just a great group of genuinely nice people who have excellent dog training knowledge to share. Strongly recommend them for training & doggy day care needs.

I did a weekend of 1:1 training with Tom to work on my dogs reactive/aggressive behavior. It was such an incredible experience, Tom was able to help us and give me the tools I need as the owner of a reactive dog. We trained outside of UCA in “real world” situations which was very helpful. I cannot recommend Tom and UCA enough!

The team at Upstate Canine Academy is very knowledgeable and friendly. It was such a great experience bringing my German Shepherd and seeing how can turn from a puppy into a well trained dog. I would highly recommend bringing your puppy or dog here… it is truly life changing!

All I can say is “Thank You Tom!” This was the the most amazing training program I could have asked for. I live in Detroit MI, and have a 1.5 yr old yellow lab named Moses. He was struggling with being on a leash during our walks and I was at a loss of what to do. Tom’s expertise and patience made it possible for us to be unified on our walks and eventually even off leash! Being the busy person I am and living in a different state, Tom was able to help us via FaceTime sessions; where he would watch us train together and it felt like he was right there in person. Without the FT training, I would never have been able to get the results I was looking for with Moses. Tom just has so much to offer with his vast knowledge. I could literally go on and on with all the great things this program has brought into my life and all the information I’m walking away with. I would absolutely recommend America’s Canine Academy for training with any dog or just to gain knowledge no matter your geographical location.

I really can’t thank Tom and his amazing staff for the work they did with Nash, our 1 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback/Redbone Coonhound mix. He surprisingly developed aggression and fear towards people. It was heartbreaking, since in every other aspect he was a great dog. After 2 trainers, that truly weren’t helping his fear/aggression, we brought him to the academy for a week of Board and Train. We learned how to use the E Collar properly, and it’s the best thing we could have done. Now we can communicate better and it has helped with his anxiety when he is introduced to new people. He’s getting more confident every day!