Shawn joined the Darwin K9 dog training team in the fall of 2011. He is now the Head Trainer of Darwin K9′s Eastern Carolina division located in Raleigh/Wake Forest, which serves Raleigh, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Rocky Mount, Greenville, and everywhere in between!
At a young age, Shawn began working with exotic animals and getting his first taste of dog training while working for a veterinarian; he has been training dogs ever since, and has racked up a great resume to prove it!
Shawn’s appetite for learning paired with his avid interest in dog training led him to learn a wide variety of training methods and styles for pet obedience, working dogs, and sport dogs. He has trained sled dogs, trained for and competed in Schutzhund trials, and has handled & trained detection dogs. He has been featured on the G105 morning show with his sled team, been a featured dog trainer on WRAL’s “Bad Dog Challenge”, and has given dog training lectures to crowds of 500+ people.
Shawn currently has a wide variety of animals in his life including chickens, ducks, a couple of parrots, and 4 dogs. Sizzle, a German Shepherd that is as spicy as her name suggests, earned her CGC at 6 months old. Kiki, a pretty German Shepherd lady that has been in numerous dog shows and is currently working on earning a Schutzhund title to prove she has more to offer than just looks. Vanya, a Belgian Malinois, is currently enjoying a lazy retirement after a career as a dual purpose narcotics and apprehension dog. And finally, Vegas, a German Shepherd that enjoys long walks on the beach and dog shows.
All in all, we are happy and excited to welcome Shawn and his pack to our dog training team!
