Hola! I’m Daphne Mendoza, a Certified Dog Trainer & Bx Specialist hoping to make the world a better place by changing the way pet parents communicate and interact with their dogs.

My dogs are my best friends, they are my partners and the reason why I am alive . Dogs have been my guides through some of the hardest moments & they have been by my side during the best moments of my life. This is why I chose to dedicate my life and my career to advocate for them.

I was born in Mexico DF, and I grew up around working dogs. The roots of my knowledge and experience with dogs were first influenced by my two grandfathers.

My abuelito Manolo was Chief of Police in DF, he often brought Dobermans, Rotties and GSD’s to be trained for police work. I got to meet and help raise a few litters as well as got to observe military/ police dog training from a young age. He taught me that the values required to form a successful relationship with a dog were; communication, trust and respect.

Mexico has a lot of strays wondering the streets. We lived near “El Cerro De La Estrella”, a National Park where a lot of people would abandon their dogs. This posed a problem to the neighborhood, my abuelito Roberto would recruit me and my cousins to capture the strays so we could get them neutered/spayed and attempt to find them homes, those who we couldn’t find a home for, we would release. He taught me how important it is to learn a dog’s body language and adapt to what the dogs needs from us to feel safe and comfortable. The lessons they taught me are lessons that have been my foundation through my journey working with animals.

I immigrated to Chicago at 10yo, a few years after, I got my first pup Riku- my soul dog. He is the reason I am who I am and I have him to thank for inspiring me to pursue my dreams of working with animals. Dogs have always been a safe place for me. As a kid, I always enjoyed the company of animals > people. When I graduated high school, I had to find a way to pay for college. Being undocumented, I wasn’t eligible to get a “real job” so I started my own dog walking & boarding business. Somehow, as life would have it, my clients always ended up being dogs with behavioral challenges.

At 20yo, I qualified for DACA, a gov. policy that allowed me to get a working permit, a license and a ssn. Being able to join the “real workforce” I continued to expand my skills and knowledge by working in different fields within the pet industry. Eventually choosing to attend dog training school to pursue a formal career as a trainer and behavior specialist. I knew I was on the right path toward a career that was always meant for me. After 11 years of gaining experience, expanding my education, and diversifying my tool bag, I decided to open my own dog training business- adogtrainerlife. I want to share all of the things I have learned and I want to inspire people to live amazing lives with their dogs by their side.

“I strive to be the person my dogs think I am” - Anonymous