About Us
How We Started
Dog Possible is the third Austin based collaboration between Amy Fitzsimmons and Jen Germann with the mission of serving Central Texas dogs and the people who love them.
Amy and Jen met at Austin Pets Alive! where Amy founded and led both the Behavior & Enrichment Team and Trail Site programs and Jen served as the Dog Foster Behavior Lead. They went on to found and co-direct Dogs Out Loud, a non-profit dedicated to supporting shelter dogs with more resource intensive behavior needs, with three other like-minded ladies before finally deciding to turn their passion into a livelihood with Dog Possible. In keeping with their roots, Dog Possible currently partners with the city shelter’s volunteer behavior team with sponsorship from Friends of Austin Animal Center, as well as with several local rescue organizations.
They are thrilled to see Dog Possible grow and welcome behavior professionals who share their philosophy and passion to the team.
Our Dog Trainers
Our team is comprised of life-long dog lovers, animal behavior nerds, and naughty dog groupies with a commitment to dog training and care practices that are fun, don't hurt, and help dogs and their people better understand each other and achieve the best relationship and quality of life possible for everyone.
Amy Fitzsimmons
Amy is a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine (CBCC-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and Certified in Shelter Behavior (CSB-D) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.
She is also a Fear Free Certified Trainer (FFCT), a Pet Professional Guild Canine Training Professional, and holds several certificates in ethology, animal learning, and behavior from the Ethology Institute. Prior to transitioning to dog training and behavior modification full-time, Amy was a long time public educator, working in at-risk early childhood education and serving as a teen and family crisis mentor.
Her passion for providing humane, effective behavior modification and improving quality of life for dogs in homes and in shelters has only grown during well over a decade in the field. She also loves getting to work with the amazing humans who share that passion, whether for their own dogs or dogs they’re trying to help find their way home.
Amy is dog mom to elder muppet/luckdragon mix Monkey and honorary house coyote Socks!
Jen Germann
Jen has been training dogs (and cats!) for over 20 years through both private training businesses and shelter/rescue organizations. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a certified TTouch Practitioner I, and a Canine Nutritionist. Jen holds several certificates in ethology, animal learning, and behavior from the Ethology Institute.
Jen loves all things animal behavior and has raised litters of foster puppies, helped her own dog Jules (initially her foster puppy) survive distemper and go on to thrive, and keeps a household of canine and feline companions living together in harmony and even sharing some pretty darn adorable training sessions!
Jen is currently bringing all that puppy rearing experience to Dog Possible’s PUPSTARTS puppy class program, focusing on helping puppies and their people build the foundation skills they need to grow into happy, healthy adult dogs. She would love to help get you and your pup started on the right paw together. (Note: Jen is trying out life in North Carolina right now which means DP’s group puppy classes are on hiatus!)
Jen is dog mom to #teamtinypants chi Artie and cat mom to adorable duo Enid and Algie.
Gina DeStaffany
Gina is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and a Fear Free Certified Trainer (FFCT). She began her journey in dog training more than five years ago as a Coordinator for the Orange Dot Crew at Austin Animal Center. The Orange Dot Crew works with Austin Animal Center's highest-needs behavior dogs and implements positive reinforcement-based behavior modification and management plans to set them up for successful placements. Over the past five years, Gina has helped hundreds of dogs in the shelter, successfully counseled fosters and adopters, and advocated on behalf of thousands of shelter animals.
Gina took the leap to marry her passion with her career and is applying the on-the-ground training she received from Austin's naughtiest pups to the dogs and people she gets to work with today. In addition to helping people improve their relationships with their individual dog(s) in a compassionate, humane way, Gina continues to work with the dogs that need extra support while waiting on their forever homes at Austin Animal Center.
Gina is dog mom to the tiny but mighty house hippo Gemma and to Deli, the late most perfect couch bear there ever was!
Our Trainer Assistants
Dayne Correa
Dayne is a long time early childhood educator and shelter volunteer with some of the best natural handling skills and instincts our team has come across. She is one of the coordinators of the shelter’s volunteer behavior team and a familiar face assisting at Dog Possible’s group classes and events.
Dayne is mom to Hope, a tenderhearted dog/baby seal mix.
Kristin Skilling
Kristin jumped right into volunteering at the shelter head first a few years ago and her natural skills and passion have led her to grow into a valued leadership role, particularly for the dogs who need a bit of extra behavior support. She is a problem solver who always makes room in her heart for the dogs who need her.
Kristin is mom to Chiquitin, a complicated smartypants with a flair for dress-up and cold weather zoomies.
Melissa Gervase
Melissa is a volunteer at the Austin Animal Center who works with the smart and charmingly naughty large dogs as a member of the Orange Dot Crew. She also trains and mentors new volunteers in the fundamentals of dog behavior and positive reinforcement training and enjoys helping shelter newbies grow into competent and confident handlers.
Melissa has lived with dogs her entire life but is currently the step-mom of 14 year old cats Violet and Edward.
Continuing Education. To Do Right By Dogs.
The Dog Possible team is passionate about continuing education and staying on top of advances and best practices in the field. We believe those of us engaging in professions where we influence the behavior and quality of life of sentient species other than our own owe it to them to ensure we are genuinely qualified to do so, and to do so ethically, effectively, and compassionately.
We are committed to being life long learners and ensuring we have the necessary knowledge and skills to do right by the dogs we love.
In addition to seeking out books, research, exciting writings and curricula, participating in relevant continuing education opportunities, and collaborating with their fellow behavior professionals, our team has completed seminars and workshops with Suzanne Clothier, Ian Dunbar, Ken McCort, Ken Ramirez, Debbie Jacobs, Pat Miller, Nicole Wilde, Grisha Stewart, Linda Tellington-Jones, Malena DeMartini, Daniel S. Mills, Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson, Dr. Chris Pachel, Chirag Patel, Janis Bradley, Leslie McDevitt, Michael Shikashio, Jim Crosby, Dr. Jennifer Summerfield, Dr. Jessica Hekman, Helene Lawler, Amy Cook, Kelley Bollen, Susan Garrett, Zazie Todd, Denise Fenzi, Dr. Lisa Radosta, Dr. Susan Friedman, Kathy Sdao, and more.
